The First

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

This 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.

Where 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!

I use IMDB frequently to help guide my viewing selections and, I must admit, sometimes find myself looking for confirmation of my own opinions based on critics and viewer ratings. When there are a substantial number of ratings for a film or show on IMDB, I believe the average ratings generally become a reliable reflection of the quality of a film or show.

However, with The First, I think the divisive ratings aren't providing an objective evaluation. When you look at the written user reviews, numerous individuals are reviewing the series based on what they THOUGHT it would be like (surprise, it wasn't), and not on what it is. It is indeed important to note what the series isn't - typical sci-fi. But either stop watching and leave it be, because it's not the kind of exploration you expected, or adjust your expectations and review the creation for what it is - a unique exploration of the human elements of interplanetary space travel with some exceptional genuine, emotional, and very believable performances from the actors and characters in the story. It also contains some very realistic, very possible near-future technology. I equate some of the narrow-minded "disappointed" user reviews to the same kind of reviews on Amazon where the reviewer gives a product a poor rating because the box was damaged - that's not a review of the product!

The First is definitely not for everyone, and as one critic put it, it requires an ambitious audience. A few of the middle episodes certainly provIde some discomfort and are visually experimental. Nonetheless, I've really enjoyed watching the series as a whole and would rate it up with some of the other very good Hulu and Amazon originals - in my opinion, it really should have an average rating in the range of 7 to 8. Hopefully with some more objective reviews, it will eventually get there, and get some of the credit it truly deserves.

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.