Manhattan Season 1 Episode 101 First Look
- TV-14
- July 14, 2014
- 6 min
In the series premiere of Manhattan, we are introduced to a brand new world set in the summer of 1943 in a small town in New Mexico. The stakes are high as the race to develop the atomic bomb is on, and the show follows a team of scientists, led by Frank Winter, as they attempt to make history and win the war.
In the first episode, entitled "First Look," we meet a group of new characters who have been tasked with one of the most important missions of their time. Frank Winter, played by John Benjamin Hickey, leads the team of scientists who are working on a top-secret project to develop the first atomic bomb. They have all been sworn to secrecy and are working in isolation from the rest of the world.
The opening scene of the episode shows a young couple driving into the small town of Los Alamos, New Mexico. The town is surrounded by fences and guards, and no one is allowed in or out without proper clearance. The young couple is stopped at the gates by a guard, and they are told that the town is closed.
We then meet the main character, Frank Winter, who is seen wandering through the desert, gathering minerals and examining rocks. It is clear that he is a man who is devoted to his work, and he is determined to succeed at all costs.
The rest of the episode is dedicated to introducing us to the other members of the team and the challenges they face in developing the atomic bomb. There is tension between the scientists as they struggle to work together and communicate their findings. There is also tension between the military personnel and the scientists, as they have different goals and motivations.
We are introduced to some key characters in the episode, such as Charlie Isaacs, played by Ashley Zukerman, who is a brilliant young physicist and former colleague of Frank Winter's. There is also Helen Prins, played by Rachel Brosnahan, who is a secretary on the team who has a secret of her own.
Throughout the episode, we get glimpses of the massive scope of the project, its importance to the war effort, and the huge risks that come with the work being done. There is a strong sense of secrecy and paranoia, as the characters work to keep their project hidden from the rest of the world.
The episode ends with a tense scene involving a failed test of a critical component of the bomb, which further underscores the risks and challenges that the team faces. The team is faced with a setback, but they know that they cannot give up on their mission.
Overall, the first episode of Manhattan lays a solid foundation for what promises to be an intense and fascinating series. The show effectively introduces us to the characters and the stakes of the project, while also providing some early glimpses of the risks and challenges that the team faces. It is clear that the mission to build the atomic bomb will be a central focus of the show, and we can expect to see a lot of tension, drama, and conflict along the way.