First Wave

A former thief on the run after being framed for murder becomes an unlikely whistleblower when he stumbles onto evidence of an approaching alien vanguard. To prove the threat and clear his name he teams up with a conspiracy theorist known as Crazy Eddie, and together they follow cryptic Nostradamus prophecies that seem to predict the invasion. The show keeps the focus tight on the two leads as they chase clues, evade law enforcement, and try to expose a secret network that anticipates the first wave of extraterrestrial activity. Episodes mix action and suspense without resolving the larger mystery too quickly.

Premiered in 1998, First Wave was created by Chris Brancato and stars Sebastian Spence as Cade Foster and Rob LaBelle as Crazy Eddie. The series ran on television in the late 1990s and positioned itself at the intersection of science fiction and conspiracy-driven action.

The series didn't collect major industry awards during its run, and it wasn't a regular at Emmys or Golden Globes. It did, however, earn modest recognition within genre circles and sustained enough viewer interest to be remembered by fans of late 90s sci-fi television.

Among genre audiences First Wave developed a steady cult following, mainly for its fusion of Nostradamus-style prophecy and modern conspiracy tropes. Crazy Eddie became a memorable sidekick for viewers, and the show's premise about an insidious, organized alien threat kept conversations alive among sci-fi forums and VHS-era collectors into the 2000s.

Critical response landed in the middle-to-positive range, reflected by a 7.2/10 vote average from viewers. Reviewers often praised the central chemistry and the serial mystery structure, while noting some unevenness in pacing and special effects. The series repeatedly returned to themes of trust, redemption, hidden power structures, and the fragility of truth when secrecy and fear shape public perception.