First: Season 1/ Episode 1 "The First Date" [Series Premiere] – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
Overview As noted in the show’s description, First is a Love Jones inspired program which is sure to either give you ideas, make you jealous, or make you feel lonely as hell. Review (with Spoilers) Across the web, you will find many web series done by people willing to beg, borrow, and go into debt…
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Overview
As noted in the show’s description, First is a Love Jones inspired program which is sure to either give you ideas, make you jealous, or make you feel lonely as hell.
Review (with Spoilers)
Across the web, you will find many web series done by people willing to beg, borrow, and go into debt for their creativity to be seen. Of all those names, one of the few to breakout stars is undeniably Issa Rae. Someone who may not star in this production but, with her attaching her name and brand to it, certainly you are led to wonder whether the show is good. To find out, look below.
Characters & Story
Robin (Jahmela Biggs) and Charles (Will Catlett) knew each other back when they were kids, but somewhere between childhood and adulthood Robin moved away. However, now she is back and seemingly Charles is ready to make up for lost time and opportunities. Thus leading to us seeing their first date and getting a taste of things to come.
Praise
For a program which is only around 11 minutes, it is amazing to me how quickly I got caught up and fell in love with the characters. This is despite a very short introduction to them as kids, and only the sparsest details given about Robin and Charles. However, with Biggs and Catlett’s chemistry, and in recognition all that is being laid is the foundation, it is hard to not think of this as more of an appetizer than something which should be seen as a main course.
But what I really loved about the episode is not only does the premiere give you ideas, but how naturally everything looked. For with it truly seeming Robin and Charles were just slipping back into their old routine after her being away for who knows how long, there strangely isn’t any sort of awkwardness seen.
Criticism
If there is one issue I had with the episode it is that there were no subtitles for the part of Robin and Charles date where they do a poetry workshop. For even with the sound turned all the way up, and me playing the part on repeat, I can barely understand what words they say first come to mind when looking at each other.
Overall: Watch It
With the whole season readily available, all 8 episodes, I can definitely tell you I will be watching each and every one. For this is the type of show I wish wasn’t set to the limits of what Issa Rae, financially, is capable of producing. In the ideal world, this would be on network TV, a cable station like B.E.T., or on some station where a full 24 episode season order would exist. But, alas, this is on YouTube so every episode will leave us wanting more and having our fingers crossed we won’t have to wait months or pay, to see the next episode or season.
Availability
