History Recap / BabylonFiveS01E01MidnightOnTheFiringLine

'''Season 1, Episode 1''':

'''Season 1, Episode 1''':
!Midnight on the Firing Line

** Sinclair dismisses the possibility that the Minbari attacked Ragesh 3 because they're too honorable to launch sneak attacks. Later in season 2 (and in the movie Babylon 5 in the Beginning), we learn of the Minbari flagship the Blackstar that destroyed multiple Earthforce ships by luring them to a specified location and ambushing them by opening a jump point in the middle of the fleet. Of course, this could be chalked up to Sinclair not knowing the specifics of the Blackstar's tactics.

Sinclair finds the raiders attacking the transport and orders his fighters to engage. After a quick fight they raiders begin to retreat. Instead of pursuing, Sinclair heads the other way, assuming they will retreat in the wrong direction to lead him away from their base. He finds it in a small asteroid field.

Londo, meanwhile, has gotten more bad news: rather than risk a confrontation with the Narns over a small colony, the Centauri Republic is going to drop the matter. Frustrated, Londo decides to try and get support for sanctions against the Narns, which he hopes will force his government to action. That night, Sinclair and G'Kar run into each other in the gardens. G'Kar tries get Sinclair to side with him, saying that the Narns had sold Earth weapons during the Earth-Minbari War, but the commander rebuffs him, saying Narns will sell to anyone who can pay.

* EnhanceButton: When Londo finally receives a surveillance recording of the attack on Ragesh 3, he tells the computer to replay a section of the recording, then simply yells at the computer to "enhance", after which the screen zooms in on the freeze-frame of a Fighter, enhances resolution, and allows Londo to identify it as a Narn Fighter.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: TropeNamer, until it was renamed from "Midnight On The Firing Line."

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: JMS made some effort in this script to have Ivanova speak like someone who didn't have English as their first language. Creator/ClaudiaChristian's complete lack of a Russian accent just made it sound awkward and he quickly stopped.

** Sinclair dismisses the possibility that the Minbari attacked Ragesh 3 because they're too honorable to launch sneak attacks. Later in season 2 (and in the movie Babylon 5 in the Beginning), we learn of the Minbari flagship the Blackstar that destroyed multiple Earthforce ships by luring them to a specified location and ambush them by opening a jump point in the middle of the fleet. Of course, this could be chalked up to Sinclair not knowing the specifics of the Blackstar's tactics.
* EnhanceButton: When Londo finally receives a surveillance recording of the attack on Ragesh 3, he tells the computer to replay a section of the recording, then simply yells at the computer to "enhance", afterwhich the screen does zoom at the freezeframe of a Fighter, enhances resolution, and allows Londo to identify it as a Narn Fighter.

* LaughingMad: When Vir comes to remind Londo of the Council meeting, he finds Londo alternately laughing and throwing things after he receives the official response from Centauri Prime, that the great Centauri Republic will do...nothing.

** Sinclair dismisses the possibility that the Minbari attacked Ragesh 3 because they're too honorable to launch sneak attacks. Later in season 2 (and in the movie Babylon 5 in the Beginning), we learn of the Minbari flagship the Blackstar that destroyed multiple Earthforce ships by luring them to a specified location and ambush them by opening a jump point in the middle of the fleet. Of course, this could be chocked up to Sinclair not knowing the specifics of the Blackstar's tactics.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: JMS made some effort in this script to have Ivanova speak like someone who didn't have English as their first language. Claudia Christian's complete lack of a Russian accent just made it sound awkward and he quickly stopped.

* IKEAWeaponry: Londo's PPG, constructed from various objects concealed in his quarters. WordOfGod is that the components would have been spotted coming aboard the station, but that they were sent in [[DiplomaticImpunity diplomatic packages]].

* HarsherInHindsight: Viewed now, it can seem odd that Sinclair doesn't include the September 11th attacks among the most despicable sneak attacks in human history.

* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: When Londo goes off to kill G'Kar, he runs into Talia Winters, who picks up his thoughts, and runs off to tell Garibaldi.

-->'''Londo''': ''What could you possibly gain by attacking a small colony?''

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: TropeNamer, until it was renamed from (of all things) "Midnight On The Firing Line."

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: Viewed now, it can seem odd that Sinclair doesn't include the September 11th attacks among the most despicable sneak attacks in human history.

* ForeseeingMyDeath: Londo tells Sinclair of his dream where he and G'Kar strangle each other to death twenty years later.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: TropeNamer, until it was renamed from (of all things) "MidnightOnTheFiringLine."

* DangerouslyGenreSavvy: Commander Sinclair. When the Raiders flee after being intercepted by the Starfuries, he heads off in the opposite direction because he suspects they are trying to lure him away from their mothership.

* Foreshadowing: At the end of the episode, Garibaldi is seen watching ''WesternAnimation/DuckDodgersInTheTwentyFourthAndAHalfCentury'', a classic 20th century cartoon about two people so caught up in winning their fight that they lose track of what they're fighting over. This is a fairly good description of the coming Shadow/Vorlon War.

As the day begins at the remote Centauri colony of Ragesh 3, the routine is broken when an unknown force jumps in and begins attacking. Unable to match the attackers, the small defense force is quickly overwhelmed. On Babylon 5, Londo is just introducing his new attache, Vir, who has brought the news of the attack. An emergency meeting of the Babylon 5 Advisory Council is called, but no one knows what is happening just yet. Sinclair advises they adjourn and consult with their governments.

Londo finally receives a recording taken from the colony and finds Narn heavy fighters appearing in it. Enraged, he storms off to confront G'Kar, who had just found out about it himself. The two trade insults until they are broken apart by station security. Later, while Sinclair visits, Londo admits that his nephew is a leader on Ragesh 3, and he tells of a [[ForeseeingMyDeath dream he has that predicts his death]] as he and another strangle each other. Londo knows who the other person is: "Twenty years from now, G'Kar and I will die with our hands around each others' throats."

Back on the station Londo has had enough. He assembles a weapon from components hidden throughout his quarters and heads out, but he runs into Ms. Winters, who senses his intention: kill G'Kar. She warns Garibaldi who heads Londo off and convinces him to back down. When Sinclair returns, he has G'Kar sent to his office, where he presents everything he found on his mission, including the Narn agent watching over the weapons the Narns sold to the raiders, and data crystals containing information that Ragesh 3 actually ''was'' invaded and that Londo's nephew made that transmission under duress. Faced with this, G'Kar is forced to back down.

* ReassignmentBackfire: {{Inverted}}: Londo has his nephew assigned to Ragesh 3 ''because'' it's a quiet backwater: He doesn't want him serving anywhere that he will be put in danger. So of course the Narn choose to attack and seize it.