THE FIRST TV Series for Sean Penn

Article first published as TV Review: THE FIRST on Seat42F.

Warning: The following contains slight spoilers. THE FIRST is a new drama series coming soon to Hulu. From Beau Willimon (the creator of House of Cards), the show is set in the near future and chronicles mankind’s first attempts to get to Mars. With some very recognizable faces, including the lead, it’s a familiar human drama that also fires up the soul. The spirit of the human race is explored in some interesting ways, and the mission itself takes backseat to the characters, even as it drives the plot forward.

Sean Penn (Milk) stars as Tom Hagerty, a man who is watching the launch with much personal investment. Viewers may wonder why he’s so affected, as Tom isn’t working at the space agency nor among the crew, but you’ll soon find out. Tom is also a widower who would like nothing more than to rebuild his family. However, he can’t help but be drawn to events, even if they begin to interfere with what he says he wants. (I apologize if that sounds a bit obtuse; I’m trying not to give away anything, and it’s particularly hard to do with this series because of its elongated beginning.)

Penn is joined by an ensemble cast that includes Natascha McElhone (Designated Survivor) as the head of the space agency, LisaGay Hamilton (Men of a Certain Age) as an astronaut not assigned to the first crew, Anna Jacoby-Heron (Finding Carter) as a recovering drug addict, Oded Fehr (24: Legacy), Melissa George (Heartbeat), and Annie Parisse (The Looming Tower), among others. It’s a pretty sprawling group, but the story stays focused on just a few players, with others only coming in when they’re needed to serve those leads. This is an effective way to keep the story where it needs to be.

The pilot starts a little hokey, much of what happens in the first half being pretty predictable. Some different casting or direction, a bit less foreshadowing, could have made it very surprising. As it is, most regular television viewers will likely see what’s coming before it happens. THE FIRST boasts one of the most heavy-handed versions of this that I’ve seen in awhile.

However, once you get past that, the story deepens and becomes much more interesting very quickly. While it would be preferable to start strong, even if it’s not a path the show is choosing to pursue, the central threads aren’t much hurt by the missteps, coming through strongly in spite of it. And once the initial set up is over with, THE FIRST is a grounded, complex tale that isn’t just repetition of other stories.

The familiar part of the series is its spirit. For anyone who enjoys rooting for the underdog, or films where a hero overcomes obstacles because of deep-seated beliefs that make them better than the average person, THE FIRST has this in spades. It’s uplifting, inspirational, and feels very good to watch. Yet, Penn’s performance and some very good writing keeps it away from cheesy, instead delivering a powerful, no-frills story.

I’ve watched beyond the first episode, and I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen. I can imagine why Penn agreed to go to the small screen when given material this good. Hulu has been upping its game in the quality department, and this drama is no different, feeling akin to The Looming Tower and other recent triumphs. While not as socially conscious as The Handmaid’s Tale, it does have something to say that reflects part of our humanity, and that’s a great starting point for a show.

THE FIRST premieres September 14^th on Hulu.

THE SLAP Stings

Article first published as THE SLAP Review on Seat42F.

Zachary Quinto as Harry, Thomas Sadoski as Gary | THE SLAP | Photo : Virginia Sherwood/NBC

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NBC’s new mini-series, THE SLAP, premiered last night. Based on the book of the same name, and following a successful Australian adaptation, this drama tells the story of a man slapping a child who is not his own at a party and the fallout from the incident. It will unfold over eight weeks, presumably showing us the varied lives of the group gathered who witness the encounter, as well as what happens to the man who slaps.

THE SLAP starts out interestingly enough. Narrated by the great Victor Garber (Alias, Titanic, Eli Stone), viewers are introduced to Hector (Peter Sarsgaard, The Killing, Jarhead), a man just turning 40 who is passed over for a major promotion at work. Hector is also frustrated with his wife, Aisha (Thandie Newton, Rogue), the type of woman who passes up a free vacation to Greece because she’s busy with her job, which leads to him fantasizing about the babysitter, Connie (Makenzie Leigh, Gotham). Hector is able to resist those fantasies until he finds out that Connie shares them, but even then, he’s not willingly to all-out cheat on his wife. Yet, anyway.

The first twenty minutes of the show, painting the portrait above, are actually interesting. They’re not wholly original, of course, a restless man in a mid-life crisis being a familiar archetype, as is the ingénue that catches his attention. But because Sarsgaard and Garber are involved, I liken it to a weaker version of The Affair playing out, and it’s good.

Unfortunately, the show goes downhill fast when everyone else arrives at Peter’s house for his birthday party. Suddenly, there are lots of people whom the show does a poor job of explaining the relationships between, mentioning a few connections, but mainly just tossing everyone together. There are also some very flat roles, and tons (and I do mean tons) of foreshadowing for the upcoming conflict. The party sequence takes what seems like a higher-quality, quiet drama and turns it into a predictable cartoon.

This is most obvious in the dynamic between fathers Harry (Zachary Qunito, American Horror Story, Star Trek) and Gary (Thomas Sadoski, The Newsroom), as well the behavior of Gary’s son, Hugo (Dylan Schombing, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce). Hugo is the epitome of an out-of-control, spoiled brat, making messes on purpose and endangering the other children. Gary and his wife, Rosie (Melissa George, The Good Wife, reprising the role from the Australian version), don’t punish Hugo, allowing the walking, talking kid to breast feed instead. This offends Harry, who has extreme anger issues, and Gary and Harry bicker often.

The slap itself is equally ludicrous. The kid is a brat, absolutely, and should be spanked (in my opinion) – by his parents. Instead, Harry slaps him not to stop an action being taken, but to get his attention and to punish. I know there are anger issues involved, but what kind of grown man hits a child in their face, hard, especially in those circumstances? Harry is a complete, irredeemable monster, and his lack of being apologetic is inexcusable, even among those who approval of corporal punishment.

I think all of the telegraphing of the event is worse than the slap itself because, not only is the series called THE SLAP, but promos for it heavily feature Harry smacking Hugo. I haven’t seen the Australian version and have no idea how it was marketed, so I’m judging the U.S. production purely on its own approach. I’d probably still object if I didn’t know Harry and Hugo were the two involved in the titular event because of the lack of subtlety in how the situation is presented, but if viewers weren’t aware of who slapped who, at least THE SLAP could trick us with teasing several possibilities instead of delivering something so ridiculously packaged.

I don’t blame the failure of THE SLAP’s first episode on the cast. All of those listed above are usually great performers (though Quinto seems miscast here), and they are joined by Uma Thurman (Smash, Kill Bill), Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl, Easy A), Brian Cox (Braveheart), Marin Ireland (Homeland, Masters of Sex), Maria Tucci (Law & Order), and Lucas Hedges (Moonrise Kingdom). This is a pretty strong ensemble, so if they can’t make a script work, that’s saying something, unfortunately.

Still, The Slap is not completely without promise. Like I said, I really enjoyed the first twenty minutes or so. If the other seven episodes can really focus on character development, using the actors’ strengths to tell a moving, personal drama, it could be worth watching. But the sheer shallowness and sloppiness of most of this first hour is disappointing, so while I’ll probably give the series a second chance, if it doesn’t clean up its act, it likely won’t get a third.

The Slap airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

THE GOOD, er, Awesome WIFE Hits 100 Episodes

Article first published as THE GOOD, er, Awesome WIFE Hits 100 Episodes on TheTVKing.

CBS's excellent drama The Good Wife, which is barely a procedural any more, thankfully, has never been better than it is in its fifth season. Recently, the show marked its fall finale with an important milestone: the 100th episode. The installment, which is entitled "The Decision Tree," is both very special and very typical of a standard entry at the same time.

The story is simple enough. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) is surprised to find herself in a legal battle over deceased client Matthew Ashbaugh's (John Noble) will. He left her an extremely sizable sum of money, and Lockhart Gardner insists on trying to deprive her of it. Or, more accurately, a hurt, betrayed Will (Josh Charles) wants to make Alicia suffer.

Will and Alicia's romance is a brief footnote for The Good Wife, but one that was much anticipated, and has had a lasting impact. Their relationship came as Alicia's marriage was falling apart, and when she chose to try to repair it, Will paid the price. Funnily enough, though, Will understood Alicia then. He didn't begin taking the break up personally until Alicia quit his firm.

Why has Alicia striking out on her own hit Will so hard? Did he think that as long as she worked for him he'd have another chance with her? Did he believe that they still cared deeply about one another, even if they couldn't be involved? Is Will starting to suspect (wrongly, of course) that she was sleeping with him just to further her career?

Whatever Will's reasons may be, he is very, very angry at Alicia, and wants to cause her pain. We see this when Will questions Alicia in his head, preparing for court, anticipating her answers and trying to hurt her as much as possible. It's a moving, emotionally charged sequence, which continues when he actually confronts her. Their past comes to back him, something he can't move on from, and it really informs his reaction in the present.

Alicia, for her part, handles Will beautifully. She knows he's off his game, allowing emotion to rule him, and takes a more detached approach. I don't think this paints Alicia as cold, as we see that she does have to steel herself to go into court, tampering down her feelings, not being without them. Instead, it just means she's more mature and can compartmentalize more effectively. And that she's a winner.

As much as Cary (Matt Czuchry) helps Alicia in court this week, a crack in their partnership is exposed as they plan their new firm's Christmas party. The turnout is expected to be low until Cary convinces Alicia to invite Peter (Chris Noth). Then, he jumps the gun and announces Peter's attendance, which inflates their guest list but annoys Alicia, who doesn't want to use Peter to help build the business.

It's easy to put oneself in Cary's shoes, and Alicia's, too. Their law firm has a trump card that can really help them soar, but Alicia is reluctant to play it. In a competitive world, they need to use every resource at their disposal. However, it's also understandable that Alicia doesn't want to be seen abusing her husband's reputation for her own financial gain, and it's up to her to block such an occurrence, as Peter is only too willing to step in, even when it's not wise in regards to his own career. So it's a sort of awkward situation. Alicia and Cary have been through worse, though, so as long as they take time to talk to one another, I think they'll eventually strike a balance that works.

Of course, whether their firm succeeds or flops may not be completely up to them. The new partner Will recruits, Damian Boyle (Jason O'Mara, Terra Nova, Life On Mars), is clever and devious. He seems to want to prove his loyalty by taking down Alicia and Cary. They're smart, too, and his early efforts have inflicted more boo-boos than major wounds, but he may still be sizing up his competition, biding his time before a damaging blow.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) isn't sure whether Damian can be trusted. She tails him to try to figure him out, a splendidly hilarious scene that ends in her arrest by Damian's friend, Jenna Villette (Jordana Spiro, My Boys, The Mob Doctor).

Kalinda and Jenna sleep together, which is kinda great. I love their chemistry, Kalinda needs a new partner, and I'll take any excuse to have Spiro on my screen. However, I really thought The Good Wife was building towards a Damian-Kalinda pairing. Granted, Damian seems awfully similar to Kalinda's abusive ex, which was a very unpopular plot arc, but it really felt like that's where "The Decision Tree" was going earlier in the hour.

Damian may not be Alicia's only problem. "The Decision Tree" ends with Marilyn (Melissa George) telling Eli (Alan Cumming) that she's going to name her baby Peter. As Peter's ethics adviser, it seems very unlikely that Marilyn means to say that the baby is biologically Peter's, which would be a huge violation of the public's trust in Peter. On the other hand, Peter does have a history of cheating on Alicia with blondes, and Eli certainly falls for the jibe, spectacularly spitting out in his drink in a hell of a cliffhanger.

I don't think Peter and Alicia could survive him fathering a baby with someone else. They've been through a lot, but this crosses too many lines and shows he hasn't changed as he claims to have done. If Marilyn is carrying his baby it could explain why he's been so overeager to be attentive to Alicia, or he may try to blame her avoidance of his help on why he strayed. But it all adds up to an implosion of their marriage, should Marilyn's implication turn out to be true.

Besides the wonderful recurring parts played by Nathan Lane, Mary Beth Peil, George, Spiro, and O'Mara, "The Decision Tree" gives us more of less-seen great performers like Noble, Stockard Channing, Kurt Fuller, and others. Toss them in with an already-stellar across-the-board cast and a guest appearance by Donna Brazile as herself, this episode is bursting with terrific people doing what they do best, making The Good Wife highly engrossing.

The focus of The Good Wife is now solidly on the characters. When Zach (Graham Phillips) tells his mother she's a very interesting person, he's right, and viewers will agree. It's easy to fall in love with the various parts, and the way each is written so authentically, often leaving disagreements with more than one reasonable side. The writing is as excellent as the acting. As far as broadcast network dramas go, this one is tops.

The Good Wife will return January 5th on CBS.

"Everything Is Ending" Or Just Getting Started for THE GOOD WIFE

Article first published as "Everything Is Ending" Or Just Getting Started for THE GOOD WIFE on TheTVKing.

CBS's The Good Wife, arguably the best drama on that network, returns tonight with "Everything Is Ending." The pressure mounts for the fourth years to tell the partners they are leaving the firm and striking out on their own. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) is caught in the middle of the two worlds, and tries to appease both sides, while still keeping her secrets. A case involving an inmate on death row gives her pause about her own decision.

Alicia likes working for Will (Josh Charles) and Diane (Christine Baranski), and who can blame her? They've been good to her, promoting her when appropriate, giving her opportunities, and assigning her to cases she feels passionate about, such as the pro bono work in "Everything Is Ending," saving a man named Eddie (Malik Yoba, Alphas) from execution. She is comfortable there.

Yet, she has given her word to Cary (Matt Czuchry) that she will help him start a new firm. Part of that decision might have been prompted by wanting to get away from Will, avoiding old feelings, but her word has been given. It's too late to back out. Or is it?

It's a real conundrum for Alicia. She has already made plans with Cary, and further digs her grave by lying to the partners when questioned about what she knows. Even if she wanted to stay, the only way to be forgiven would be to rat out her co-conspirators, but then Diane and Will still probably wouldn't trust her. And if she does the right thing, coming clean to the partners, she would not be welcome at the new firm, her co-workers feeling betrayed. Whatever she does now, after the lie, someone will feel like she stabbed them in the back. There is no good way out.

The problem may have been who Alicia got into bed with. It's one thing for her to want to work with Cary. They have a relationship, and similar sensibilities. He can be reasoned with. It's another to go with a democratic rule with a bunch of rash, greedy people, who don't want to leave Lockhart Gardner until after they get their bonuses. It's a short-sighted move on their part, and Alicia may end up being the one to pay the price for it. It's too bad she and Cary aren't really the new Will and Diane, as Cary is fond of calling them, because wise leadership is needed to right the course.

I do wonder if Alicia might change her mind. She seems to waver because, if she goes to a start up firm, she won't be able to help people like Eddie for quite some time. It seems Alicia didn't fully think out her choice, and now it contributes to her being stuck. But I don't want her to stay at Lockhart Gardner because Cary has felt screwed over enough and it took awhile to rebuild their trust the last time. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what she decides.

Kalinda (Archie Panjabi) may pay the price, too, also trying to cover for the associates when David Lee (Zach Grenier) starts digging. She tries to put him off, and even denies knowledge that she possesses. This is clearly done out of loyalty to Cary, and maybe Alicia. It's noble, to be sure, but when everything goes down, David Lee will surely bring Kalinda's evasiveness to the senior partners' attention.

Peter (Chris Noth) may be getting himself into much the same circumstances as Alicia in "Everything Is Ending," not thinking things through completely. To protect his image, at the behest of Eli (Alan Cumming), he promotes Marilyn (Melissa George, Alias) out of his office. Eli is correct in saying that pictures taken of Peter and Marilyn might spark bad rumors. But Marilyn is smart enough to know exactly what Peter is doing, and doesn't seem happy about it. Will she return to cause trouble, making Peter regret his decision?

It is touching when Peter suggests that Eli be his chief of staff. Eli and Peter have been through a lot together, and it's a little surprising the idea hasn't been floated before. Eli, for all his ego, actually seems surprised to be considered, and certainly appreciates the offer. While it's not completely clear Eli will accept, that's the assumption I've made, and I'm glad to solidify their partnership on the show, hopefully seeing Eli in new roles now.

Grace (Makenzie Vega) is cast in a new role, as a sex symbol. Zach's (Graham Phillips) buddies alert him to the website objectifying his sister, and he isn't pleased, though he soon realizes there's nothing he can do about it. Given Grace's religion and personality, it's unlikely she'll take advantage of the situation, and it will likely cause her more embarrassment than pride. I wonder where The Good Wife intends to go with this thread.

"Everything Is Ending" is a fantastic episode. Besides the various plots covered above, we get Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) as a judge, a classic Lockhart Gardner Hail Mary, and see a softer side of Geneva Pine (Renée Elise Goldsberry). The tension is high, the pacing is fast, and the show still takes time for character development. If only other CBS shows, stuck in the procedural formulas, could take some notes, the network would quickly rise in quality.

The Good Wife airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.