Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 57: Past Tense, Part 1 [VHS]

Dr. Julian Bashir (Siddig El Fadil) tries to avoid 21st-century Earth history because it's "too depressing." Well, sometimes the truth hurts, and in "Past Tense," the painful reality of history-including homelessness and the plight of the mentally ill--cant be avoided. Thanks to a fluke transporter accident, Sisko, Bashir, and Dax are thrown back to San Francisco during 2024, the year of the Bell Riots. Being an attractive "tattooed" white woman, Dax is "rescued" by a wealthy businessman, while the two brown-skinned officers are arrested and thrown into that hell called Sanctuary District A. In a matter of days, Sanctuary District A will explode into the civil disturbance that made the Federation possible.

"Past Tense, Part 1" references ugly historical truths at every turn. Most obvious is the use of the term "Sanctuary District" to refer to what is very obviously a ghetto/prison. Americans of a certain age will cringe when the government bureaucrat tells Sisko and Bashir that detention is for their "own safety and it's the law." The internalized racism is subtle and hard to catch upon first viewing, but that's what makes it so effective. And "Past Tense" isn't without its lighter moments. Fans will love the nods to both the original series' "City on the Edge of Forever" and TNG's "Time's Arrow." Watch for Starfleet's Temporal Policy and the hurkin' canonical blooper regarding Chief's rank. All-around great episode. --Kayla Rigney