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On this day in 1996 (in the U.S.), Babylon 5 premiered its fourth season with an hour titled "The Hour Of The Wolf." According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"After the destruction of Z'Ha'Dum, Sheridan: presumed dead, Garibaldi: missing and the fragile alliance against the Shadows is crumbling. Mollari faces the new Emperor, and B5 is in a holding pattern, waiting for the next shoe to drop."
-- EZ
From Google.com:
"The Hour of the Wolf" is the fourth-season premiere of Babylon 5, written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by David J. Eagle, which originally aired on November 4, 1996. [1]
Major Plotlines
- The Aftermath of Z'ha'dum: Set one week after the events of the Season 3 finale, the galaxy is caught in an uneasy, heavy quiet. Captain John Sheridan is presumed dead after his fall on Z'ha'dum, Michael Garibaldi is missing, and Susan Ivanova struggles with exhaustion, grief, and a failing alliance.
- Sheridan's Fate: While Lyta Alexander uses her telepathic abilities near Z'ha'dum—and a White Star nearly falls victim to a Shadow-controlled deadman's switch—Sheridan is actually revealed to be alive in a subterranean cavern, tended to by a mysterious, ancient alien named Lorien.
- Centauri Prime and Emperor Cartagia: Londo Mollari returns to his homeworld to serve as adviser on planetary security. He discovers that the throne is occupied by the dangerously insane Emperor Cartagia, who has struck a deal with the scarred Shadow representative Morden to allow Shadow ships to stage on Centauri Prime so Cartagia can ascend to godhood. Horrified by the impending destruction of his people, Londo quietly recruits Vir Cotto to help orchestrate regicide.
- G'Kar and Delenn: Delenn fasts and refuses to abandon her belief that Sheridan is still alive, while G'Kar writes in his journal and begins his personal search for the missing Garibaldi. Meanwhile, the League of Non-Aligned Worlds, assuming the Shadow War has peaked or ended, loses its nerve and pulls back from supporting Babylon 5.
The Meaning of the Title
The "hour of the wolf" is an old Scandinavian and European expression for the deep middle of the night—typically between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM—when anxieties peak, sleep evades people, and the soul faces its darkest doubts. The episode leans heavily into this moody, melancholic atmosphere as the characters confront uncertainty and grief.