Im a huge Sci fi fan. This is not that but it is actually a really great series about a man who is trying to juggle some extreme issues at home while trying to hold together an extreme job. The acting is outstanding, I don't get why people are hating on the character of the daughter. She has real issues that I'm sure alot of people have had to deal with first hand or been within the destructive orbit of her issues. Although Mars might be the destination ( I haven't seen all the episodes) the show is about Penns character and his personal journey. If you're looking for a Mars Sci fi space struggle I'd say still give it a chance its actually quite good
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dixona199616 September 2018
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mchristi-156-16914015 September 2018I've watched the first episode so far. It wasn't bad. The rest of the show appears to be congressional hearings, family drama, etc. And then maybe the last episode they finally blast off for Mars....? But if you market a new show with a cool picture of rocket leaving earth and call it "The First (Person on Mars)," you better make it a show about people going to Mars. Make the setting Mars. As it is, I fear there will be a terrible backlash on this show, which may kill it during the first season. Diehard fans of something (like sci fi geeks, as I am) get very angry when you market a show as sci if and instead make it an earthbound drama. The reason I think there might be a big backlash is that this show *sounds * like it's going to be exactly what many sci fi fans have been waiting for - an intelligent, well-done story of the first people on Mars. So this show is setting up fans for that, and they will be all the more disappointed. But can we hope that Season 2 will be more like what we expected? If the show finally gets to Mars, it could easily become that show.
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ken66120 September 2018While this production has high production values and an excellent cast the show is way too boring to watch unless you want to watch something while you drift off to sleep. Why... because for 6 of the 8 episodes nothing happens... NOTHING!!! If you watch episodes 1 and 8 you not only have the whole story but also the high points of the story. In general the show suffers from labored pan shots that go on way too long, labored close ups that go on way too long, and a script lacking in energy and entertainment. If you simply want a visual distraction that doesn't draw the eye too acutely then this is the show for you. Like I said, good for drifting off to sleep.
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crowdaddi14 October 2018Where were all the rockets, spaceships, science and space?
Every damn episode is of Sean Penn boohooing and working out. Sean Penn running with no shirt on, Sean Penn using dumb bells in the pool, Sean Penn playing basketball and more Sean Penn and his damn dumb bells! This was just a glorified Sean Penn work out video.
You know what would of made this better? If you had Sean Penn running with no shirt on....in space! Sean Penn using dumb bells in the pool....in space! Sean Penn playing basketball and more of his damn dumb bells....in space!
If there is a season two. Lets have it actually be about Sci-Fi and less about Sean Penn. If you have to have him working out, he better be working out on Mars! -
VoyagerMN198617 September 2018Wow what a mess. Firstly this is NOT sci-fi. The entire plot could be overlayed with Sean pen being a doctor in a 1980's hospital series, say a submarine cpatian -- or for that matter a truck driver -- or a partner in a dental practice who is juggling home n work. There is no US of the science or futuristic aspects, no major thought challenge theme from it. it is just there.
All this series is is a pedestrian drama. And it is one that literally uses every single worn out trope and cliché one has ever seen. I challenge any reviewer to even name a single original aspect -- or even well done cliched one in this series.
And really, I get that Sean Penn thinks he is a military vet after playing one in a film, but "the First' clearly makes him imagine he is a film writer since he has acted in films as he is apparently responsible for the post production adding of the bizarre pauses with haiku like voiced overs. Terrence Malik can do that Sean -- you can't without appearing desperate to save this mess. Really Sean, the dirt and the stars are made from the same stuff? Wow, that is heavy. newsflash: Democritus told us this two THOUSAND and five hundred years ago. It's not news. -
gondigan16 September 2018I'm a science fan, it is in my DNA, so I'm a sucker for shows like this. Mission to mars the movie is one of my favorite movies. I hope this gets picked up for a second season because it is setup for a great one next season. This first season was still important to get some perspective into the lives of the crew.
I liked the acting and production, if your a science fan like me you can't pass this show up. -
jessica-4413918 September 2018This show has left me stunned and haunted. It is absolutely beautiful, and achingly raw, sad and honest. Don't let anyone convince you that it never "got off the ground" as I see some reviews stating. That is flat wrong. Every single character is complex, human, flawed and totally relatable. Each character's story is developed so carefully and each story line refuses to be rushed. We are so used to 30 second sound bites and immediate gratification in our culture that many people want to be entertained without having to think, go deep and reflect on how the TV show or movie make us feel. This show refuses to cater to our need for rushed results, like fast food for the senses. Be prepared to settle in and take a gorgeous, heart wrenching, heart pounding and stunning journey with each character. Don't expect one-dimensional characters or CGI action scenes. This is an intelligent, thoughtful, beautiful show and every actor in it deserves an Emmy for their performances. I hope this show catches on ignites our imaginations for what humankind can accomplish (with a new and empathetic understanding of the sacrifices required to move the human race into the great unknown). Bravo! I'm hooked and can't wait for more.
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The interesting part of this show is that, unlike other space exploration series, it focuses on the problems that the crew and ground staff face before the journey actually starts. It's compelling and heroic to risk one's life to travel into space, but leaving loved ones behind, with the prospect of not seeing them for a long time or possibly ever, has to be measured and dealt with.
Personally, I would have loved to see a little more scope dedicated to the formation and the evolution of the actual space crew, and a little less about the troubled relationship between the main character and his daughter. But other than that, it's a thoughtful and captivating product, deliberately slow-paced, with just the right amount of futuristic technology. Oh, and a round of applause to Sean Penn and Natascha McElhone for their absolutely stunning work. -
ricewithaspoon15 September 2018Contrary to the others here i found it engaging and interesting. if you're after space imagery and spaceships.. no. this is -maybe- a pretty realistic insight into the human, psychological dimension and systems behind such a program. why i liked it? because we often forget the human, interpersonal dimension when it comes to space flight.. it conveys the human behind this excellently. one might argue too much daughter time.. but this is the story... and i find it very understandable given the circumstances.
cinematography: 10 stars sounddesign: 10 stars & i as others already mentioned.. sean penn is really good in this.. -
boggie475814 September 2018This shouldn't have Sci-Fi or space anything attached to explaining this series. I was pretty bored with it...I found myself doing stuff on my iPhone with this playing in the background.it is that boring..I even started nodding off on the 3rd episode..A very talk...talk...your ear off type of series..... I like character story telling a lot...but these are some boring people....no space or sci-fi in this movie...no landing on Mars or anything like that....The first few minutes of the first episode started out good...and I thought hey this is going to be good...but no that didn't last the rest of the episodes were very earth bond with all of that infernal talking your ear off with a boring story line....This is nothing like I was hoping it was going to be....I was pretty disappointed....
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milutin-jokic21 September 2018This seems to me like a bait for SciFi fans, 95% drama and 5% SciFi, and that is really fair percentage estimation. Since there is really not much of a SciFi in it at all, rather something that is achievable in science today!
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soshimech16 September 2018This is a genially well made and well acted series that feels more like art house movie that your typical TV series or movie. The science fiction elements are mostly in the back ground and credit should be given because they are done in a very subtle, and believable way. The focus is on the relationships of the astronauts but it doesn't mean we don't also get a look at the preparation but it is looked at from a personal perspective. For example there is a problem with the unmanned MAV they previously sent to Mars and if they can't fix the problem it could effect funding for the mission as well as their survival odds of the astronauts and it is shown how that effects the people on the show along with the other events that take place during preparation. At the end of the day the show is mostly about the people that are left behind and primarily about the daughter of the potential commander of the mission and how his relationship with his daughter could effect the mission.
Most science fiction fans would have preferred the focus to be on the mission but there are some merits in this approach as well. My recommendation is to watch it with no expectations and be patient this is definitely taking a leaf out of the 2001 A Space Odyssey school of film making but like 2001 the slow pace is designed to ground the story in reality something that few TV shows and movies dare to do these days, this is not a failing of the show but a failing of viewer attention spans. -
joachimokeefe5 October 2018Fact is, if you watched ep1 and ep8 of The First, you'd have all the space travel there. The rest of it is backstory, flashbacks, and internal politics.
But I'm not dismissing it out of hand. Sean Penn, channeling Dustin Hoffman after a month in the shower with a fright wig, carries the lead part well. He has a daughter with addiction issues, and a wife who killed herself. Well, if it wasn't for private enterprise, NASA wouldn't have let him withing 25 lightyears of a 30-month space mission.
Natasha McElhone, the fit, latefortysomething face of private enterprise with a bad back and ridiculous trousers, tries bravely to convince us that exploring Mars is something the Earth of 2033 should be doing. The US President of 2033 is Nancy Reagan, I think.
Earth of 2033? Talk to your phone, lights, etc. all cars are driverless, and there are no poor people. Well, everybody I saw had huge houses, fancy cars, and ridiculous trousers. You know, my favourite shows have poor people in them. The First doesn't have any.
Very reminiscent of Kubrick's 2001, if Kubrick had bothered with backstory. Excellent in a technical sense - lightning refocusing and bokeh, stunning soundtrack (which is essentially just a suspended fourth for four hours), and when they get into orbit, the weightlessness simulation says, "Pah!" to anything before it.
Ah, but do I care? Not that much. Tom Hagerty (Sean Penn)'s daughter is a royal PITA - and she's the only character that isn't completely up her own A.
Watch it to catch up with what TV is doing with CGI and cutting-edge tech, but skip episodes 2-7 unless you are stuck in a spaceship for seven months. -
khunkrumark7 November 2018Achingly dull soap, mislabeled as 'Sci-Fi'.
Science fiction fans won't be drawn to this nonsense, but if you like stuff like 'General Hospital' and 'Coronation Street' then you may be.
The premise, as I understand it, is that dysfunctional and stupid people are involved with some ludicrous effort to got to Mars. They embrace the adventure much as you would expect a nine year old child would and react in the same way when obstacles are set before them.
A better approach to this series would have been to edit it down to about half an hour and upload it to YouTube... or better still, just collect every second of footage filmed and blast it all in to space.
It's melodramatic mush. Avoid! -
refordgarry16 October 2018I expected an intelligent, contemporary Sci-fi TV Series, similar to movie "The Martian"'; what I got was Lowlife, seen moreover from the perspective of the moon-walking, Liberal Elite. There's a very hungry audience for space-travel stuff. Why on earth then would a devout, middle-income Sci-fi fan want to waste hours witnessing the selfsame sort of garbage that's going on around him, or two doors down the block? Some single-parent, runaway, druggie daughter's berating Dad - C'mon! We were expected Mars: not Singles' Bars. Just fire someone or two, and get that spacecraft back on trajectory. So far it's aimed at planet Zog!
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deloudelouvain31 October 2018When you look at the poster, when you see The First is categorized in the sci-fi genre, then you expect to watch something outer space. So if you come for that just be prepared to be disappointed because there is almost no question of sci-fi in this show. It's just a drama about knowing who to choose to join the next astronaut team that will explore Mars. So every episode is about that question and it gets a bit boring at some point, especially if you were expecting more 'spacey' moments. The acting isn't bad so no complaints about that. I don't know if there will be a second season, but if there is, they better be on Mars within two episodes or i'll be gone.
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bigjrowe7 December 2018Stuck with this for the whole 6 episodes left feeling confused and disappointed tbh. Ok character building but by the time next season comes round I will have forgotten all about them and their tribulations. Needed more adventure and less boring story plots.
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indialm18 September 2018If you will invest more than a few episodes you'll find that this is the thinking person's sci fi. It's about real problems dealing with human emotions and following your own dream despite others in your life. No it's not an "action" series but some of us don't need that. But if there's a second season I believe there will be.
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bbigddiddle22 July 2020Very good with fine acting and great sets. All, except the part played by Anna Jacoby-Heron as Penn's insufferable, needy, grasping & massively depressing Daughter. With WAY too much time spent on this emotional Vampire's story ...
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lsrs-1512314 September 2018A strong start. Sean Penn is 100% believable. It's an interesting series which is setting things up for season two. It's a nice realistic approach where it's not an emergency every 5 seconds. Looking forward to season 2
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adriaanvanr29 December 2020Like many who read the review I was anticipating a story about those venturing out on the first manned mission to Mars. Whilst this does eventually occur toward the end of the first season and dissappointed me since thats not what I went into it for (hence atleast 2 points deduction) I genuinely found the story and its characters fascinating. Dealing with the raw emotions of the families and people behind a mission like this in a world we all know could be in the future was a different level of story I honestly wasnt prepared for. I would heartily recommend this to any enthusiast of space and its exploration or stories involving it. Its not stricly sci-fi (at least to my understanding of the genre) as much of the story is based on things that are currently happening even if a decade into the future. However there were genuinely touching, even heart wrenching moments that, if you're into exploring the human side and struggles of those involved in making the sacrifice that inherently comes with exploring the unknown? Then this could very well be a fit for you. My only complaint really with the series is the somewhat misdirect of the marketing and (for that other point of deduction) the sometimes slow paced nature of the story. This however is not a reason for me to have disliked the series overall and I hope to see more. The acting is great, the score is going to be with me for some time, and the cinematography is definitely on par with many of the best shows out there today.
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bernie-12213 August 2019Well, I could be faulted for not watching the whole season before writing this, but I think if it hasn't taken off by now (episode 5), it's not going to. I didn't figure it would be a piece of space opera, but neither did I think it would be an incoherent mess of incomprehensible drama. And if, after a whole season, they still haven't actually got to Mars yet (I don't know this; I just read it here somewhere), then I'm not surprised somebody pulled the plug. I found myself involuntarily pushing the fast forward button repeatedly, just so I could maybe see a tiny bit of action. Nope. So far, just five episodes of bickering and complaining. I will have to decide whether to carry on or cut my losses; at the moment, bailing out seems fairly attractive. Too bad, there are some good actors in this, but they are just given nothing to do. What a waste.
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cesarfcastro15 September 2018Just saw first 8 episodes and loved it. Sean Penn just amazing on this role in front of an amazing team of actors and actresses. Hope we get much more.
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sedativchunk16 September 2018I re-subscribed to Hulu after learning of the release of "The First" starring Sean Penn. I am a hardcore sci-fi buff, especially for films or TV shows that have to do with space-flight and traveling the stars. "Apollo 13" is my favorite movie of all time. A true masterpiece that combines drama and spaceflight into one night package. I also love many films of the 2010's, including "Interstellar" and "The Martian". I went into this show thinking and hoping that I was getting what was at face value; a TV show about the exploration of Mars. What I got, instead, was a family drama
The show opens by the accidental (and predictable) explosion of the first ship on route to Mars that Sean Penn's character was originally supposed to command. The premise is about Sean Penn's character coming to terms with the recent suicide of his wife and his teenage daughter trying to overcome a drug addiction all while training to be the commander of the next (first) flight to Mars. In between this main plot, a glimpse of light is given into the lives of the other astronauts as well as the drama and politics of initiating a flight to Mars. Natascha McElhone plays what feels like an Elon Musk inspired character, a type of philanthropist, billionaire leader of the organization running the trip to Mars.
The problem with this show; it has little to do with Mars. Let me say this; the acting is great. The plot is great, the drama is great. This has the markings of a quality TV show. But at the same time, I can't get over the fact that this show feels marketed as being a show about space exploration. And I also can't get over the fact that you can intertwine drama with spaceflight, again Interstellar or Apollo 13 both pull it off flawlessly. The show opens with this epic, 2001-esq orchestral music and a shot of Mars. We're then instantly taken into storytelling on Earth after seeing that epic shot, and we don't leave Earth until the final episode.
As the title suggests, I'm not sure how to feel about this show. I want to see more, I think the cast has great chemistry. I just think that this could have been, at the very least, branded differently. Or taken in the direction where they were already in space and/or on Mars, and there were backdrops of the Earth drama told in-between. For what it's worth, I'd like a season two to give this show it's chance to actually take us to Mars now that all these characters are established. -
LeParas-115 September 2018If you expected a sci-fi show about the hardships that the first Mars Explorers would have to overcome you're in for a rude awakening. The only sci-fi elements are shown in the first minutes of episode 1 and in the middle of the season finale. That's it, eveything else is your standard generic family drama which was done already a thousand times and also done better I might add. The First might become a sci-fi show once they get to Mars, assuming that there will be a season 2. If you want a really good sci-fi show with extremely good dramatic moments go watch The Expanse instead of this snoozefest. If you want your 1900th version of "your random dysfunctional family" watch The First.