Olympias

The prophecied 'destroyer of worlds' is born to Olympias, Queen of Macedonia. Earning marks for 'one of the stranger ways to begin a pseudo-historical drama', we find her, ahem, entangled with a god in the form of a gigantic snake. King Phillip II foolishly tries to intervene and gets an eye bitten out for all his trouble. And so it begins. (You see why it's a little hard to take seriously.)

We immediately pole-vault about nineteen years into the future. (At least, that's when it would be if the creators wish to claim historical accuracy.) Alexander's grown up and seems restless, while some of his father's advisors are trying to ensure they retain control of the realm. One in particular, a guy named Attalos, is attempting to poison the King's mind against his son.

There's a lot of other backstory set up during this first episode as well: the relationship between Alexander and Aristotle is established early on (as is the suggestion that the latter has schemes of his own); some early attempts on Alexander's life are made by shadowy phantom assassins which turn out to be followers of Pythagoras; and Alexander is seen assembling a set of loyal retainers who will accompany him in future episodes. (Oh, and let's not forget that he just walks right up and tames Bucephalus, a man-eating horse that's been snacking on the peasantry of Macedonia lately.)