Natascha McElhone is perfectly cast as the cool and collected magnate who shows depth to anybody who looks hard enough for long enough, and Designated Survivor fans who are still upset that she left the series in that heartbreaking way (especially since Designated Survivor was recently rescued from cancellation by Netflix) can at least be assured that The First is an ideal starring vehicle for her as leading lady.
The humanity that the show really needed to keep viewers interested comes courtesy of the performers.
The cast is certainly solid enough.
Sean Penn is unsurprisingly intense in some of his scenes, and his ability to switch between calm and controlled to intense and impassioned adds depth to his character.