Hulu original series ‘The First’ features strong performances despite missing thrills

If you start watching Hulu’s new original series “The First” expecting it to be like “The Martian,” think again.

When I first saw the trailer for the Hulu series, I was excited to see what the show had in store. I’m a huge fan of science fiction so I knew it’d be right up my alley.  I’m glad to say I enjoyed it, but for unexpected reasons. The series, which was released in September, is a drama that pulls you in with its character development, but that’s about it — the show lacks the suspense most space-related plots bring.

“The First” stars Sean Penn as Captain Tom Hagerty and Natascha McElhone as Laz Ingram. The story centers around the crew and their family, specifically Hagerty’s relationship with his daughter, Denise, leading up to the launch of the mission. Hagerty’s relationship with Denise, played by Anna Jacoby-Heron, is very complicated.

After a tragic launch in the first episode, Ingram scrambles to put together a team with Hagerty, while also trying to gain the support of both the government and the media. It was hardly intuitive — the backlash depicted after the failed launch was somewhat unbelievable.

Throughout the series, Hagerty and Denise deal with the loss of the Tom’s wife and Denise’s mother, among other obstacles including addiction. I was pleasantly surprised to see a young actress like Jacoby-Heron hold her own weight opposite Penn, a two-time Academy Award winner. The performances of both actors carry the plot.

Unsurprisingly, the series uses flashbacks to explain context and background. In one episode, Denise is painting a portrait of her mother, during which we get flashbacks to her childhood interactions with her mother. Another aspect of the show I really enjoyed was the score. Every episode started with grand, epic music that perfectly sets the tone of space exploration.

All in all, “The First” does a great job with the development of its characters and their relationships. I was surprised I didn’t get to see more of Mars, but perhaps they’re looking to do a sequel. Either way, “The First” was a solid show with some great acting, despite failing to keep my attention.

Toby Craner is a newspaper and online journalism major. His column appears biweekly in Pulp. You can email Toby at tlcraner@syr.edu.