REVIEW: Showtime’s The First Lady Needs To Focus More On The Ladies & Less About Time Jumping

Showtime debuts the first episode of its new anthology series, The First Lady, this Sunday, April 17. From creator Aaron Cooley, the series focuses on three first ladies, Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), and the everlasting impact they had on America after their husbands’ became president. The first episode introduces each first lady and begins to build the foundation for who they are and what they will become.

The premiere episode had quite the groundwork to lay for each first lady that it became difficult to keep track of all of the events transpiring between their lives. Instead of focusing on one specific moment in time for each first lady, Cooley opted to sprinkle in bits and pieces throughout each woman’s life. These moments are meant to be the building blocks that helped cultivate these strong individuals and instead left me almost lost. Moving from Michelle Obama’s first tour of the White House with Laura Bush in one scene to jumping to two years prior to Barack Obama’s presidency a few scenes later, it felt as if there wasn’t a connection at all. The switching back and forth between time and each first lady led to a fairly confusing first watch and did little to help lay the basics needed to understanding who each woman is and how she came to be in the position she is in.

There is still quite a bit of potential to be capitalized on in future episodes. Viewers get to see very brief moments of Roosevelt’s unwavering demeanor, Ford’s difficult struggle with mental health, and Obama’s desire to protect her family while also wanting to create an equal world for all Americans. It’s these moments that will bring you back for the next episode.

All three of the leads are some of the best in the industry. Each performance is well done, it’s clear Davis, Anderson, and Pfeiffer wanted to show viewers just who these first ladies really were. However, with little material to work off of in the first episode, the trio’s talents feel unused. The same could be said for the amazing supporting cast, which includes Aaron Eckhart as President Gerald Ford, O. T. Fagbenle as President Barack Obama, Kiefer Sutherland as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dakota Fanning as Susan Ford, and Lexi Underwood as Malia Obama. The episode was so packed it had little time to include the entire ensemble without distracting from the leads.

The First Lady is a series supported by an amazing cast, which can only carry a show for so long. If the series doesn’t manage to get the storytelling under control and really allow for the cast to showcase their talents, then this will be a long and plodding series for all.