It’s fair to say that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) wasn’t received as well as the creators would have liked. After watching much-loved characters explore the final frontier, many found DS9’s stories, set in one fixed place, slow. It’s also fair to say that DS9 has aged like fine wine. It is celebrated today for its deep character development, captivating stories, and shameless exploration of deep-cutting themes. When asked about my favorite episode from DS9, one always comes to mind. It celebrated its 30th birthday on January 9th, 2025, so let’s boldly trek back to remember the masterpiece two-parter ‘Past Tense’.
It’s 2024, But Not As We Know It
Before I examine key elements of the story, I must acknowledge the messages this episode portrays. As I’m writing this, 2024 is a very recent memory. So, I found watching how Star Trek imagined the same year back in 1995 interesting, to say the least. In “Past Tense” there is a clearly defined class divide present. The wealthy live in luxury with no apparent hardships while the poor are sent into overpopulated, poverty-stricken districts. They are hidden from the rest of the world and are quickly forgotten, failed by a system unable to cope.
There is an obvious societal divide within these ironically named Sanctuary districts. The community has split itself into three groups. Gimmies are people looking for a job or a place to live. Dims are unwell, either mentally or physically, and are sent to the districts because the hospitals cannot afford to keep them. Ghosts are criminals who prey on the Gimmies and Dims to survive.
And yet, despite this picture being far from the world we live in today, it does cause me to pause. How close is our society to falling into this situation? To give up on the dream of a culture that embraces infinite diversity in infinite combinations. To look after only ourselves, and look away while others suffer. It doesn’t bear thinking about, and “Past Tense” brings this scary possible reality to the front of our minds. That’s what makes this episode so tragically perfect.
History in Jeopardy
One of the compelling elements of a good time travel story is the risk of changing the future. In theory, something as simple as stepping on a butterfly could be enough to create a completely alternate future. So, when Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) realizes they have beamed into a pivotal point in time, he knows what to do. He updates Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and insists they can do nothing to interfere with the timeline.
Of course, this doesn’t last long. As night descends, they are attacked by some Ghosts after their ration cards. A bystander jumps into the fistfight to defend Sisko and Bashir, only to be stabbed to death for his trouble. The Ghosts scatter, but the damage is done – Gabriel Bell, the man responsible for ending the Sanctuary districts, is dead. The impact of this event is felt immediately in the 24th Century. All traces of the Federation and Starfleet are wiped from the Alpha Quadrant, except for a now lonely Defiant.
However, it wouldn’t be a good Star Trek story without a way to right the wrongs. Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) and Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) travel through time trying to find the missing away team. Meanwhile, the historic event that would come to be known as the Bell Riots kicks off. Sisko assumes Gabriel Bell’s identity to restore the timeline, going against his previous orders of non-interference. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) eventually finds her shipmates, and in true Sisko style, they restore the timeline. Kira and O’Brien find the away team, and they all beam back through time, to home.
Conclusion
It is very difficult to do justice to this season three two-parter in one article. The themes explored cut deep, and the actors’ performances are staggering. But what shakes me to the core every time I watch it is a realization. A recognition that we are not as far from the Bell Riots as one might think.
“Past Tense” forces us to reflect on our society and ourselves. And that, combined with the typical wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, makes this captivating episode a truly special addition to the Star Trek franchise.
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