Past Tense is essentially the DS9 version of The City on the Edge of Forever in Star Trek TOS. In both episodes, the Trek characters go back in time (1930 and 2024 respectively) and due to their interaction with just one person (both social activists), change the timeline to where their future doesn't exist. I thought the TOS version was more credible in the sense that the crew had to avoid saving the activist from a lethal accident to preserve the timeline. In DS9, the activist died due to the presence of Sisko and the others. As a result, Sisko decided to assume the identity of the activist and accomplish whatever he did to save the timeline. The TOS version was more subtle and thought-provoking in its social commentary plus it was moving emotionally. DS9 was heavy-handed with the commentary and rather convoluted in having to achieve the saving the timeline outcome. It is interesting though that this episode made in 1995 was unfortunately more accurate than not with respect to rampant homelessness and social-political upheaval that we're facing as 2024 arrives.
Review of Past Tense, Part II
