Past Tense, Part II
- Episode aired Jan 9, 1995
- TV-PG
- 46m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Sisko is forced to take the place of a key historical figure on Earth in 2024 in order to preserve the timeline.Sisko is forced to take the place of a key historical figure on Earth in 2024 in order to preserve the timeline.Sisko is forced to take the place of a key historical figure on Earth in 2024 in order to preserve the timeline.
Alexander Siddig
- Doctor Julian Bashir
- (as Siddig El Fadil)
Cirroc Lofton
- Jake Sisko
- (credit only)
Armin Shimerman
- Quark
- (credit only)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe boxing advertisement seen in the 1930 scene with Kira and O'Brien showcases the same boxers as an advertisement seen in The Original Series installment "The City on the Edge of Forever". (The ad from The City on the Edge of Forever (1967) is for a bout at Madison Square Garden; the ad seen in this episode is for a bout at Bay Land Garden, and notes that it is "their first rematch since Madison Square Garden".) The reason this poster was used was to give a subtle hint that O'Brien and Kira were on Earth at exactly the same time as Kirk and Spock. Doug Drexler says that the poster was included because the scene (featuring "time travelers popping into an urban setting") was almost identical to one in "City".
- GoofsThe hostage-takers repeatedly cock their shotguns. Cocking a shotgun more than once is not only unnecessary, but would in fact eject an unspent cartridge.
- Quotes
[Sisko has taken over the role of Gabriel Bell]
Doctor Bashir: Didn't you say Gabriel Bell died when the police stormed the building?
Sisko: Right. But I'm not Bell.
Doctor Bashir: No. But we're the only ones who know that.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Little Green Men (1995)
Featured review
A solid conclusion
Sisko and Bashir find themselves caught up in a volatile hostage situation.
This is a pretty good conclusion for DS9's answer to 'City On The Edge Of Forever', but is rather heavy handed in its approach.
It feels written like other movies showing the tension and relationships between captors and captives. There is a good mix of characters that not only keep the audience on edge, but do not place pure goodies or baddies on either side of the conflict. It shows that a mixture of personality types can cause moments of violent escalation that can turn a situation bad, as well as result in moments of sensibility and compromise. Above all the characters with the best intentions do not lose sight of the bigger picture. Avery Brooks, Alexander Siddig, Dick Miller, Bill Simitrovich, and Frank Military do a great job.
Major themes explored are the economic plight of poorer classes, apathy, and the potential for violent protest, and these are still relevant today, keeping the story interesting. These are not tackled in the most subtle ways, as there are some rather obvious exchanges of dialogue between characters relating to the social issues. Personally, I think the writers should have focussed on telling a good sci-fi story first and let the themes come out of what we see, as opposed to characters commenting on everything. However, not everything can be a masterpiece of allegory.
There are some amusing time-travel related scenes involving Kira and O'Brien in the subplot.
Visually it is good, particularly towards the end of the episode when some of the more action focussed scenes happen.
For me it is a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.
This is a pretty good conclusion for DS9's answer to 'City On The Edge Of Forever', but is rather heavy handed in its approach.
It feels written like other movies showing the tension and relationships between captors and captives. There is a good mix of characters that not only keep the audience on edge, but do not place pure goodies or baddies on either side of the conflict. It shows that a mixture of personality types can cause moments of violent escalation that can turn a situation bad, as well as result in moments of sensibility and compromise. Above all the characters with the best intentions do not lose sight of the bigger picture. Avery Brooks, Alexander Siddig, Dick Miller, Bill Simitrovich, and Frank Military do a great job.
Major themes explored are the economic plight of poorer classes, apathy, and the potential for violent protest, and these are still relevant today, keeping the story interesting. These are not tackled in the most subtle ways, as there are some rather obvious exchanges of dialogue between characters relating to the social issues. Personally, I think the writers should have focussed on telling a good sci-fi story first and let the themes come out of what we see, as opposed to characters commenting on everything. However, not everything can be a masterpiece of allegory.
There are some amusing time-travel related scenes involving Kira and O'Brien in the subplot.
Visually it is good, particularly towards the end of the episode when some of the more action focussed scenes happen.
For me it is a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.
helpful•10
- snoozejonc
- Apr 26, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Filming locations
- New York Street, Backlot, Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA(San Francisco, 1930, 1967 & 2024)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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