Past Tense, Part I (S3E11)
Airdate: 2 January 1995
Written by: Robert Hewitt Wolfe Directed by: Reza Badiyi
Running Time: 46 minutes
At the very start of 1995, Star Trek was firmly in its own Golden Age. The franchise had built upon the legacy of The Original Series and the recently concluded The Next Generation, and was about to expand with Star Trek: Voyager, the flagship series for the new and ambitious UPN broadcast television network. Before UPN, however, Star Trek—even in the dark days following the cancellation of TOS—had built its success on syndication. The last Star Trek episode to have its premiere in syndication was Past Tense, a two-parter from Deep Space Nine. Yet the viewers who watched its first part probably did not recognise this as the start of a new era. Instead, they witnessed what was, by that time, Star Trek's most explicit attempt at a Very Special Episode.
The episode, which takes place in the year 2371, begins with Commander Sisko being called to Earth to attend the annual Starfleet symposium. He brings the Defiant and his crew, which includes Chief O'Brien, Jadzia Dax, Dr Bashir, Major Kira, and Odo, to Earth's orbit. They are invited to a formal dinner by Admiral Drazman, but Kira, O'Brien, and Odo either refuse the invitation or elect to remain aboard the ship. Sisko, Jadzia, and Dr Bashir beam down to the surface, but when they arrive, they immediately realise that San Francisco looks rather unfamiliar.
Sisko and Bashir have been separated from Jadzia. They are soon discovered by two police officers who escort them to one of the city's "sanctuary districts"—walled ghettos that house the poor, the sick, the mentally ill, the unemployed, and other "undesirable" citizens. Sisko, who possesses a keen knowledge of history, immediately recognises the era and, much to his horror, realises that the date is 30 August 2024—only two days before the start of the Bell Riots, an extremely violent event that changed the course of Earth history. This transformation came about mainly through the actions of Gabriel Bell, the protest leader who died whilst protecting hostages. His noble sacrifice led to a fundamental shift in public attitudes towards these "undesirables." Sisko and Bashir are suddenly in a very delicate situation—they must survive on the streets, find their way home, and take care not to alter actual history.
It is quite a different story with Dax, who is found unconscious on the street, apparently the victim of a mugging. She is discovered by Chris Brynner (played by Jim Metzler), the wealthy CEO of Brynner Information Systems, who is immediately smitten with her. Dax proves herself to be remarkably resourceful and adaptable, managing to convince Brynner that she is human and explaining her Trill spots as tattoos. He assists her with accommodation and even brings her to an affluent party, providing her with access to the upper echelons of society.
Back in the sanctuary district, food rations frequently lead to fights, and Sisko and Bashir are soon attacked. The man who comes to their aid is killed in the altercation, and Sisko and Bashir, much to their horror, realise that this man was Gabriel Bell himself. With his absence, the riots—and history itself—might take a completely different turn.
Meanwhile, back on the Defiant, which remained in the 24th century, the remaining crew soon lose contact with Starfleet. All their facilities and ships mysteriously vanish, which is the direct consequence of history being altered. O'Brien, who realises that the transportation accident caused the time travel, begins a search for the exact point in time in order to locate their missing comrades.
The episode ends with the residents of the sanctuary district beginning to riot, and one group of protesters taking employees hostage. Sisko and Bashir are present during these events, and Sisko, in order to prevent bloodshed and possibly rescue history itself, assumes the leadership of the protest and takes on the identity of Gabriel Bell.
Modern-day right-wing commentators who frequently complain about contemporary Star Trek becoming insufferably "woke" ought to be reminded that the series was, even at its peak, prone to such tendencies. Past Tense, particularly in its first part, proudly wears the left-wing and liberal politics of its creators on its sleeve. The scriptwriter Robert Hewitt Wolfe cited the lack of empathy towards the homeless in 1990s California as his main source of inspiration, whilst Ira Steven Behr, co-author of the story, took inspiration from the bloody 1971 Attica prison riot. The episode also dealt with racial issues by demonstrating how prejudice treats even time travellers differently—a white woman immediately charms her way into the social elite, whilst two brown men, one Black and one Middle Eastern, end up in early 21st-century America's equivalent of a concentration camp.
Whilst time travel had been a recurring motif in Star Trek shows by this point, Past Tense represented the first such episode in Deep Space Nine, and one of many to follow. Like numerous episodes before and after, its plot was set on Earth, but the authors made the unusual choice of a period that was the foreseeable future in the 1990s rather than an established historical period. This, in essence, resulted in yet another example of Star Trek being notoriously unsuccessful in predicting future history. Apart from underestimating the rapid development of communication technology, 2024 San Francisco—at least in the popular imagination—proved to be almost the complete opposite of what was presented here. Homelessness, drug use, and rampant crime led many citizens to demand "iron fist" solutions that this very episode criticised.
The episode, at least in its first part, looks even worse when compared with the Original Series classic The City on the Edge of Forever, which took almost exactly the same concept but presented it in a fresh, original, and convincing manner. Where that episode used time travel as a means to explore profound questions about love, sacrifice, and the greater good, Past Tense often feels more like a lecture dressed in science fiction clothing.
What makes the episode work, however, are the strong acting performances. Avery Brooks brings his characteristic intensity to Sisko, capturing both the character's historical knowledge and his growing desperation as he realises the stakes. Alexander Siddig delivers a solid turn as Bashir, whilst Terry Farrell makes Dax's adaptability believable. Among the guest stars, none leave much of an impression apart from veteran character actor Dick Miller, who plays the initially unsympathetic police officer Vin with just the right amount of world-weary cynicism.
The direction by veteran Reza Badiyi is solid, and the plot moves along smoothly enough. The production design effectively conveys the grim reality of the sanctuary districts, creating a convincing atmosphere of desperation and institutional neglect. The pacing, whilst occasionally uneven, builds to a reasonably effective cliffhanger as Sisko steps into the role of Gabriel Bell.
Past Tense, Part I is, despite its flaws, a solid piece of television, although it clearly demonstrates that Star Trek, even in its Golden Age, was prone to the occasional hiccup. The episode's heart is undoubtedly in the right place, and its commentary on social inequality remains relevant decades later. However, its heavy-handed approach to messaging, its somewhat predictable plotting, and its failure to match the emotional depth of the franchise's best time-travel stories prevent it from achieving true greatness. It serves as a reminder that even the most beloved television franchises sometimes stumble when they attempt to balance entertainment with social commentary, and that the line between effective allegory and preachy melodrama is often thinner than writers might wish.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
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