One year later on Earth, Garrison cadets Lance, Pidge and Hunk witness a vessel crash land and learn it contains Shiro, who has been quarantined after escaping from the Galra.
All five Paladins use their lions to fight the Galra, and succeed in uniting to form Voltron and destroying Sendak's ship before accepting their new roles as the Defenders of the Universe.
Sarah Moran, writing for ScreenRant, called the premier "A worthy comeback" citing its "brisk pace" that quickly establishes its main characters as well as its "almost ridiculous amount of exposition, serving both to remind older viewers and bring those new to the concept up to speed."
Moran also gave positive mention to the artstyle, calling it "sleek and modern" comparing it favorably to Dos Santos and Montgomery's previous series Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra as well as Young Justice.
[1] Collider's David Trumbore gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "great origin story" that "serves to bring newcomers and longtime fans alike up to speed on the new voices playing old characters".