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. Achaern
    Oct 3, 2018
    9
    This show is wonderful. It's a drama hinging on the human emotion. I have to say while not getting top billing, Anna Jacoby-Heron truly is the break out heart and soul of this show. Everything everyone is doing effectively is reflected and hinges on her character Denise's journey. I love this show, and I loved her character. Watch it, and go on that journey with her and her family. WellThis show is wonderful. It's a drama hinging on the human emotion. I have to say while not getting top billing, Anna Jacoby-Heron truly is the break out heart and soul of this show. Everything everyone is doing effectively is reflected and hinges on her character Denise's journey. I love this show, and I loved her character. Watch it, and go on that journey with her and her family. Well done all around!… Expand
  2. WS5
    Sep 20, 2018
    10
    I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Pretty amazing series. It is sort of Terrence Malick meets The Right Stuff. I didn't mind that most of the show is set on Earth. And I don't think Sean Penn has ever been better.
  3. Lisa24
    Sep 15, 2018
    10
    I thoroughly enjoyed it! Binged all 8 episodes. I knew Sean Penn could handle gritty roles, but seeing him play a father with a troubled daughter was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect because I didn't know much about the series before watching it. The acting was wonderful, the scenes were visually fantastic and the storyline was unexpected and refreshing. I found itI thoroughly enjoyed it! Binged all 8 episodes. I knew Sean Penn could handle gritty roles, but seeing him play a father with a troubled daughter was a pleasant surprise. I didn't know what to expect because I didn't know much about the series before watching it. The acting was wonderful, the scenes were visually fantastic and the storyline was unexpected and refreshing. I found it to be just what I wanted to see: a drama that told a story without being overly heavy, messy or violent. I also wan to express my gratitude that it was not yet another sci-fi, unrealistic mess that yearns for a cult following of YA fans. Worth your time.… Expand
  4. xxlwyc
    Sep 16, 2018
    10
    Amazing show and amazing performance from Sean Penn. I can understand those who give it a unfair low score, just because the show is not as they expected, not because of the show itself. It's not a Sci-Fi it's a wonderful drama.
  5. LASTFURIAN
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    Fantastic brilliant show nice to see sean penn back at what he does best. Cant wait for season 2
  6. zootsuit
    Oct 16, 2018
    10
    A bit slow at points but episode 5 is as stirring and surreal of television I've seen in a long time.
  7. jop369
    Oct 9, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This show has excellent writing, acting, CGI and cinematography. I just don't get the hate. This series is structured for the long haul. What did you haters want, everyone on Mars in episode 1? That would mean no depth to the characters and no connection with them. By episode 8 I have a much greater understanding of what drives Laz, Tom, Kayla, Keiko, Hannah and Nick. I now understand the incredible sacrifices they had to make in lost comrades, leaving family, personal scrutiny and political pressure.

    The story starts out with tragedy, the loss of the Providence I crew after a launch explosion. This serves as the impetus for our characters focusing all their efforts to push to make this dream a reality in the face of tragedy and staggering pressure from the media and politicians. They have to justify the loss of life and the cost of a mission that will exceed billions when there's so much need on Earth. Just as Kennedy did they inject their dream into the dreams of all mankind to push out and reach for the challenging and improbable to define the human experience as not just Earthly but Universal.

    All of this requires process. People needed to mourn the loss to ask why they died and is it worth it and should we be doing this at all anyway? To do less would be to dishonor their memories. but just as that process is required to honor the dead so is the perseverance to do what they set out and died for. Those that stepped into their shoes also need process in order to prepare themselves and their families for a journey that will take years, unlike the lunar missions that took days.

    Now that all that has happened the crew is on their way to the red planet and I for one am excited to see where their journey leads. Will they make it there safely? Will the MAV work? What will they find on Mars? Who is the telephone guy? Was he responsible for destruction of Providence I? Does he pose a threat to Providence II? Will he be caught?

    This show has a lot to offer and compared to other SciFi series like Battlestar Galactica or Star Trek: Discovery it's up to the task of carrying the Scifi torch. It may start out a little slow (9 not a 10) but it ramps up and it's well worth the time.

    To the haters, stop being so entitled to instant gratification. It's OK to work a little for your entertainment and perhaps even your enlightenment.    … Expand

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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