Past Tense, Part I

A transporter accident sends Sisko, Dax and Bashir back to Earth, 2024.

This is a strong episode with a good setting and interesting story.

The plot sets the scene nicely for what feels likely to be an eventful conclusion. I think the plight of the homeless is a worthwhile subject and it is tackled well by the writers as they give a prediction of where they think Earth will be by 2024. Also the racial themes are subtlety included with Jadzia's contrasting experience.

Sisko and Bashir have similar roles to Kirk and Spock in 'City On The Edge of Forever'. This leads to some memorable scenes with Avery Brooks and Alexander Siddig on top form. I also love Dick Miller's cameo, which was inspired casting.

I know it is nothing new for Star Trek, but some of the technobabble feels incredibly contrived to fit the story. Colm Meaney delivers it confidently as always, but it is blatant box-ticking by the writers at times.

Visually it is one of the best DS9 episodes of the show so far, primarily due to the ambition of a 1990s production showing us Earth 30 years into its future and it not looking bad in 2022.

Jadzia, Bashir, and Sisko try to go to a conference in San Francisco. During the transport, something goes wrong and they find themselves in 2024. LIfe on earth has become a serious class structure, where the poor and defenseless are put in ghettos. The problem has to do with the mutation of time due to actions taken by Sisko and Bashir. The second half should be interesting.

This is a two-part episode that marks the first time the folks from "Deep Space 9" went into the distant past. In this case, Dr. Bashir, Jadzia Dax and Commander Sisko are beaming down to Earth when, inexplicably, they arrive in 2024! This turns out to be a real lousy time and place, as San Francisco has special 'zones' where they place the poor and homeless--and Sisko and Bashir are stuck in this hellish place. As for Jadzia, she's is a heck of a lot smarter than her companions and soon she ends up finding herself with the HAVES-- living life among the rich elite. It's easy to admire her ability to think on her feet and figure out that she's in the past much faster than the guys. Regardless, the two guys turn out to be REAL stupid, as they turn out to be responsible for killing a guy who is important to history--and as a result, the timeline is seriously destroyed and the Federation doesn't appear to be affected.

This is a decent episode but I also marveled at how clean and very well groomed these homeless folks often were! Also the explanation for why the Defiant continues to exist seems REALLY lame and contrived. And, the whole Gabriel Bell angle is a bit predictable. Decent but it could have been better.

The problems get all solved in the future apparently LOL. Yet said problems were worse before capitalism appeared.. then said problems increased with the rise of anti-capitalism / socialism..

Then there's the time loop paradox goofs.

Here we are in 2021 & it's oh so familiar. Watch this episode set in 2024 to see our future. Great two part episode.

8/10.