Since it’s the first week of the year, I thought I’d write about a series named The First. I know that it’s a little cheesy and easy even to pick a series solely because of its title, but when you understand the premise and the kind of hope it provides the viewers, you’ll agree with my choice.
The First stars Sean Penn in the lead as an astronaut who has walked on the moon. And, no, he’s not playing Neil Armstrong here. He’s Tom Hagerty, a veteran who’s respected by everybody but his daughter (Anna Jacoby-Heron as Denise Hagerty). The series, created by Beau Willimon, focuses on the personal and professional lives of a bunch of astronauts who are preparing to go to Mars. It’s set in the near future, where most of the apps and machines are controlled by voice commands; however, it’s not a complete sci-fi show as the realities that are presented in The First are believable. You can watch any video, anywhere and anytime, with the help of a pair of glasses. Isn’t that amazing? And, here’s the best part about it: the President of the United States is a woman (something that hasn’t happened till date).
The eight-episode series, that’s streaming on Amazon Prime, opens with a few dialogues that don’t make any sense as it’s a part of a plot point that we’ve not yet encountered. But it kind of tells you why Tom looks somber while running shirtless in the neighborhood with his dog, Apollo (no prizes for guessing the inspiration behind the name). It takes a lot of time to build its characters, and, the camera often moves into the houses of the astronauts to take us closer to their families.
Though, The First is centered on the manned mission to Mars, we never get a glimpse of their life on the neighboring planet. After all, the key characters depart only in the season finale; so, most of the time they’re either squabbling with their respective partners, or convincing the government and the media to allow them to achieve their dreams. Don’t you think there needs to be a powerful figure with money and connections in the political departments to pull this off without sweating much? That’s where Laz Ingram (Natascha McElhone) comes in.
Laz might be the Elon Musk of the fictional world, for she runs a business venture similar to SpaceX. She doesn’t shy away from speaking the truth to the journalists who doubt her intentions, or her company’s inefficiencies to handle such big tasks. Her friendship with Tom, who’s the commander of the mission, extends beyond the boundaries of their workplace as she offers Denise a place to cool off after her arguments with her dad spin out of control. Denise thinks that he doesn’t pay her much attention, which is true in a way, but his job makes it impossible for him to take part in the domestic affairs. He’s a hero in the eyes of the nation; nevertheless, when it comes to his own home, he can’t get a handle on the things that are expected from him by his wife and kid. These kinds of situations erupt in households where one of the partners goes away on trips for years together. And, it’s interesting, too, to watch these uneasy conversations unfold over a period of time. Unfortunately, in The First, however, this starts happening only from the fourth episode, and, by then, you’d have given up on the show already. If slumber doesn’t beat you in the initial hours, you’ll enjoy this drama pretty well.
The First makes us want to achieve more, scream into the emptiness, and let the world know that our ambitions aren’t going to get smaller by the day. Such touches of optimism are evident in its writing. And wait till you see Sean Penn’s sculpted body, it might push you to get a gym membership soon.