better off red
THE LOWDOWN ON NEW MISSION-TO-MARS SHOW THE FIRST…
1 It’s mostly Earth-bound…
After an extraordinary opening sequence on the launchpad, sci-fi drama The First focuses on the crew as they prepare for their proposed mission to Mars. “Some people would have liked us get to Mars sooner,” admits showrunner Beau Willimon. But the story remains Earthbound for a while in order to foster investment in the crew and the task ahead. “We fully explore how much work and preparation goes into just getting to the launch. Getting to Mars is not an easy proposition!”
2 …but that’s no bad thIng
Especially when the personal dramas are so intriguing. Take widower and mooted mission commander Tom Hagerty (Sean Penn, in his first TV drama), who wrestles with leaving his daughter behind as she struggles with addiction. “Her journey into herself is in some ways as dangerous as her dad’s journey to Mars,” says Willimon. Other members of his crew are coping with ill parents or marital difficulties, as well as a heightened sense of their own mortality. “Their lives are flawed and messed up like the rest of us,” says Willimon. “But against the backdrop of eventually travelling 50 million miles away.” Then there’s Laz Ingram (Natascha McElhone), the driven, slightly awkward visionary behind the mission. “There’s a subdued anxiety with Laz,” McElhone explains. “She’s like a well-polished fortress, but there’s also an undercurrent of paranoia about winning and coming first. It’s quite an American attitude.”
3 thE stars arE shInIng
“Tom is a hero, but deeply flawed,” says Willimon. “You need an actor with that range and level of commitment that Sean will bring. He has to tap into the ugliest, most difficult aspects of a human soul, while convincing you he’s capable and deserving of leading a mission to Mars. And Natascha is so generous, warm, open and smart. Everything she brings makes you root for a character who can be difficult to relate to at times.”
4 It’ll gEt housE of Cards fans onboard
Although considerably more hopeful than the bleak Washington DC saga that made Willimon’s name, The First offers political machinations aplenty as Laz attempts to persuade a recalcitrant Congress to fund her proposals. “Laz’s argument about needing an alternative to Earth, given the difficulties this planet faces, falls flat with the senators,” explains Willimon. “Generally people respond more to an inspiring narrative and she’s not good with language, so she brings Hagerty in to help make the case. She’s smart enough to know her limitations and know he exudes that thing language can’t quite touch. You can’t underestimate the importance of inspiration.”
5 sEason 2 mIght show morE of mars
“It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume a crew may even make it to the surface of Mars itself,” promises Willimon. “You’ve got to know the characters well enough by the end of Season 1 that you’d want to see them being split up next,” muses McElhone. “How will those relationships play out when they’re as far apart as anyone ever has been in the history of mankind?” Gabriel Tate
The FirsT sTarTs on Channel 4 laTer This auTumn.