The First

:

Season 1
  • Network: HULU
  • Series Premiere Date: Sep 14, 2018
User Score
6.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 49 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 49
  3. Negative: 12 out of 49
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User Reviews

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  1. pythag0ras
    Sep 15, 2018
    0
    wow what a snore fest. Its more about the time leading up to the launch rather then seeing anyone on mars. In fact , you dont get to see them on mars at all. Shame.
  2. RamboVital
    Sep 20, 2018
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. May Contain Spoilers* I love every part of the science, the training, space possibilities, space problems and all the NASA parts. If that was it, it would be an awesome 10 out of 10 series. But, then you have the drama parts. If there was just a little bit of it like, “Martian” that would be great but there isn’t just a little bit of useless drama but a ton of it. You also have to deal with a lot of useless family garbage as well. There will be so much of it that you will only get about 10 minutes or less per episode when it comes to anything to do with space. Now, if you were to splice only the NASA parts together then oh it would be wonderful. In fact maybe someone will do it in the future. Also, if that wasn't enough, the trailers and commercials only shows NASA / Science parts to suck you in to watching it.… Expand
  3. rocketaholic
    Sep 17, 2018
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I like Sean Penn. the actors in the series were famous. I did not find the series interesting though. There was drama, but not a lot of real technical data. Sure it showed the SLS and dramatized the risks. If the person in question had so much personal distraction drama, they would have been grounded from a flight. I am sure there will be a second season because there is a lot of unfinished questions.
    What was the deal the old-fashioned dial phone??? is that a terrorist plot???

    I do hope the second seasoned delves further into the technology and less on the sappy emotional stuff (bah)/    … Expand
  4. Idiota150
    Sep 15, 2018
    0
    Just a boring drama that goes nowhere in the end. Don't waste your time if the sci-fi label triggered your interest.
  5. whpratt
    Sep 17, 2018
    3
    The narrative is extremely disjointed and is marred by a lot of self indulgent scenes that go no where. They had an interesting premise then pulled out various plot points randomly out of a hat and shoved them into the story whether they fit or not. Nothing much happens, the characters are pretty much one dimensional, even though Sean Penn tries his hardest to bring some life to his. ItThe narrative is extremely disjointed and is marred by a lot of self indulgent scenes that go no where. They had an interesting premise then pulled out various plot points randomly out of a hat and shoved them into the story whether they fit or not. Nothing much happens, the characters are pretty much one dimensional, even though Sean Penn tries his hardest to bring some life to his. It like listening to a four year old tell a meandering story about nothing. This happens, then this happens, then this happens… it's a Hulu snore-fest.… Expand
  6. UBD
    Sep 18, 2018
    1
    I don't know why I watched this after the first few episodes. It was advertised as sci-fi, but it was a weird sort of exercise with unlikable and pointless characters.
  7. nilsy
    Sep 26, 2018
    2
    Its a family drama show.
    Any claim to be science fiction is ... less then 1-2% of the show.
    It could be called " the papper work and brown nosing done to get a mars mission of the ground by depressed people and their families on the brink of full collapse" but nobody would go and watch it way to honest.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Most Discussed TV Season of 2018
86
#86 Most Shared TV Season of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
62

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 29
  3. Negative: 3 out of 29
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Richard Roeper
    Dec 14, 2018
    88
    This is an ambitious, bold, beautiful, occasionally trippy, big-picture sci-fi drama.
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  2. The Atlantic
    Reviewed by: Sophie Gilbert
    Sep 17, 2018
    60
    The scenes with Hagerty and Denise dominate the show to a disproportionate extent, and to the detriment of lots of other things The First wants to do. Penn is solid and stolid as Hagerty, conveying more depth in the scenes with his family than he does with his crew. What’s missing is a sense of why he wants so badly to be the first man on Mars. ... That said, when Hagerty and his crew finally make it into orbit, the series clicks into place.
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  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Nick Allen
    Sep 17, 2018
    70
    Enamored with its characters to a possible fault, The First is cut and paced like the roughly 368-minute director’s cut; you can imagine a two-hour film, probably with the same budget, that hits the same emotional beats and divides audiences like previous high-concept sci-fi stories like "Contact" did. As is, The First is a noble, ambitious series, but one that demands equally ambitious viewers.
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