Although there was a pilot film that goes before this episode this will be many people's introduction to 'Babylon 5'; it was certainly mine.
The episode opens with an attack on a Centauri agricultural colony by Narn warships. The Narn claim that they have every right to take the colony as it was theirs until the Centauri subjugated the Narn over a hundred years previously and wasn't returned when the Narn were freed. On space station Babylon 5, a place where ambassadors of various civilisations can try to talk through their difficulties, the Centauri ambassador, Londo Mollari, is determined that justice must be done... largely because his nephew is on the colony. G'Kar, the Narn ambassador is adamant that his people did no wrong. Station Commander Jeffrey Sinclair must try to maintain the peace. Meanwhile raiders are targeting shipping in the area and telepath Talia Winters is having difficulty getting Lt. Cmdr. Susan Ivanova, the station's second in command, to talk to her.
Twenty four years after this first aired it still feels fresh' admittedly some of the once state-of-the-art computer generated special effects don't look great now but many still do. As an opening episode this must serve a dual purpose; firstly it must introduce most of the key characters and explain who they are and what they are doing on Babylon 5; secondly it must provide an interesting story to get the viewer gripped... I think it succeeds admirably on both counts. The cast does a fine job; notably Michael O'Hare, Claudia Christian and Jerry Doyle as Sinclair, Ivanova and Security Chief Michael Garibaldi; key members of the human staff and Andreas Katsulas and Peter Jurasik as ambassadors G'Kar and Mollari. The story provides tense moments, some impressive action as well as a modicum of humour. Overall a fine introduction to the series that left me keen to get to know more about the characters and the various troubles they will inevitably face.
