#ds9 past tense part 2

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k d e e p s p a c e n i n e created by rick berman, michael piller Past Tense, Part II [s3ep12]

[trek-tracks]

Happy Bell Riots Day.

To celebrate, please do something good for the universe, however small.

"You know, Commander, having seen a little of the 21st century, there is one thing I don't understand: how could they have let things get so bad?" "That's a good question. I wish I had an answer."

[stopthatbluecat]

The Search Part 2 3x02 - Past Tense Part 1 3x11 Siskoshir "Bodies"

[demilypyro]

You're a DS9 fan? Name every Deep Space.

(fr tho, what's your favorite episode/plotline?)

DEEP SPACE TWO, DEEP SPACE THREE, DEEP SPACE FOUR, DEEP SPACE FIVE, DEEP SPACE SEVEN, DEEP SPACE NINE, DEEP SPACE ELEVEN, DEEP SPACE TWELVE, DEEP SPACE TWENTY THREE, DEEP SPACE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THREE

MY FAVORITE EPISODES ARE IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT, PAST TENSE PARTS 1 AND 2, AND THE WIRE

[trekkie-polls]

For fun, here are examples photos! Except transporter psychosis because they never actually show it. It’s just like in-world urban legend.

1. Transporter doubling - technically the same but one ineffably evil (shown: LD, kayshon, his eyes open)

2. Transporter doubling - one evil one good (shown: TOS, the enemy within)

3. Transporter splicing (shown: voy, Tuvix)

4. Stuck phasing (shown: LD, "Much Ado About Boimler")

5. Reverse aging (shown: tng, rascals)

6. Pattern lost (shown: first star trek movie)

7. Time travel (shown: ds9, past tense part 2)

8. Mirror universe (shown: tos, mirror mirror)

9. Incorrect coordinates (shown: tas, bem)

10. Bodies sent to holodeck, brains sent to station computer (shown: ds9, our man bashir)

[nicklloydnow]

“Back in the 21st century, however, not everything was rosy. Indeed, the two-part "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Past Tense" (January 2 and 9, 1995) threw its main characters back in time — via a transporter accident — to the year 2024 when everything seemed to be at its worst. Earth in 2024 was overrun with poverty, and Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) had to explain to Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) that housing insecurity had reached epidemic proportions. Indeed, the population of unemployed and unhoused people in major cities had reached such high levels, that the American government had built special "Sanctuary Districts" where the unhoused were rounded up and imprisoned in a ghetto.

The mentally ill weren't treated, and the hungry were fed with a malfunctioning rationing system. It wouldn't be until an activist named Gabriel Bell rose up in protest and led a riot against the police that conditions would change. The Bell Riots were said to be a significant part of Trek's history.

Given the recent news that Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to sweep the state of unhoused encampments, "Past Tense" — set in 2024 — is beginning to feel weirdly prescient.

Housing insecurity and homelessness, it should be said, is a serious problem in California. Rents are high, and there is little effort made to provide low-cost housing or shelters for the state's many unhoused citizens. At last count, there were over 181,000 unhoused people in the state, 28% of the entire country's unhoused population. Many people live in tents, often set up under freeways or other sheltered areas, and form miniature encampments. There is little sanitation in such encampments, and the quality of life isn't great. Every so often, the police department is called in to sweep these encampments off the streets, forcing the people to move on to another neighborhood. However, they are not taken to shelters but merely told to go elsewhere. They then set up camps under another freeway and the cycle continues.

On July 25, Gavin Newsom signed an order that would only exacerbate the problem, an order stemming from a Supreme Court Decision that allowed states to ban public sleeping at their own discretion. While Newsom has pledged billions of dollars to build shelters, the measure to "sweep the streets" of encampments has been called a wonton and unhelpful measure by critics.

It's a strange coincidence that "Star Trek" should have written a story, back in 1995, about how 2024 will be the year the housing insecurity problem in the United States will boil over. Gavin Newsom has essentially signed a measure that opens the door for the cruel "Sanctuary Districts" seen in "Deep Space Nine." If Newsome is a "DS9" fan, he seems to have taken the wrong lessons from "Past Tense."

(…)

On the DVD commentary track for "Past Tense," the episode's writers — Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Ira Steven Behr, and René Echevarria — said they were inspired by a previous mayor's actions. The Republican Richard Riordan (who was mayor of Los Angeles from 1993 to 2001) suggested in the early 1990s that the city build what he called "havens" for the city's homeless, essentially herding them into tent cities. Riordan said he wanted to keep the streets clear because it was good for local businesses, but he never suggested how these fenced-off "havens" were meant to be run, or how the homeless insides of them were to be helped.

The writers of "Deep Space Nine" were trying to invent a fictional, near-future scenario where the world was too far gone to save. Outside their windows, politicians were merely suggesting it in real life.

While Newsom's new measure doesn't spell out the same kind of "havens" that Riordan suggested, it is uncanny that the new homelessness measures should come tumbling down the pipeline in 2024, when "Past Tense" takes place. We'll have to wait to see if Gabriel Bell is also real. It's starting to feel like it.“

[pine-farr]

Into my DS9 re-watch and have to say Past Tense parts 1 and 2 are incredible. Star Trek at its absolute best.

[deathpowerphantomjester5110]

one of my favorite moments in ds9 is in past tense part 2 when kira and obrien are cycling through different time periods in san francisco to try and find julian and sisko, and they arrive at whats clearly the late 60s and two hippies (in cheesy high school theatre-level costumes) walk up to them, they all stare at each other, then the hippies make peace signs and kira and obrien, unsure of what to do, slowly make peace signs back until they dematerialize in the transporter beam. then the hippies just nod and walk away

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k d e e p s p a c e n i n e created by rick berman, michael piller [past tense, part II, s3ep12] 'Peace ✌️'

[staringdownabarrel]

I've seen a couple of posts where people are getting caught up on the time travel aspects of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow because they aren't really sure how it's meant to work. This is an aspect of Picard's second season that people got caught up on as well, so I want to go over how time travel works in Star Trek.

I think the part people are getting caught up on is that time travel in Star Trek is largely based on two rules, but neither of them are explicitly stated in canon. They've both largely gone unstated.

Rule 1: Time travel doesn't make a difference unless it causes a difference

What this means is that just the act of going back in time isn't enough to cause huge changes in the timeline. This isn't the kind of franchise where you can go back in time and move a leaf and suddenly cause all of history to drastically change. It's only if you actively go out of your way to change things--e.g., killing one historical figure or saving another--that it makes a difference.

This is the reason why in The Voyage Home, when Kirk and co. go back and save the whales, they're not presented with this drastically changed Federation when they get back to the 23rd century. Bringing two whales and a marine biologist to the future isn't enough to cause drastic changes to the timeline. It's not enough of a difference to make a difference, essentially.

It's also why Sisko was able to take the place of Gabriel Bell in DS9's Past Tense two-parter without it causing issues down the line. While Bell not being there and doing what he did cause a ripple effect, as long as someone was there to fill that role, things would all go according to plan. Sisko playing the part of Gabriel Bell during the Bell riots kept his timeline intact because while it was a difference, it also wasn't enough of a difference to make a difference.

The third example of time travel by itself not causing a difference is something like TNG's Time's Arrow two-parter, where just the TNG crew going back to the nineteenth century isn't enough to cause ripples down the line. It just means they're there.

Rule 2: When it does make a difference, it overwrites everything that happens afterwards

The best example of this rule in practice is Voyager's Year of Hell two-parter. Annorax's temporal weapon ship is built to be able to cause changes in the timeline that ripple out and change everything afterwards. He's also obsessed with restoring the timeline to what he considers its proper course, and that's an ongoing thing during the story.

There's other examples of this rule in practice, too. The other obvious example of this is TOS's The City on the Edge of Forever, where if Edith Keeler survives, the Nazis win World War II and cause the Federation to never exist. In DS9's Past Tense, if the Bell riots don't happen, the Federation never exists. In VOY's Endgame, Admiral Janeway going back in time causes Voyager to be able to get back to the Alpha Quadrant years earlier than it had in her timeline.

This doesn't mean that the timeline splits off and causes a new universe to form. It means that everything that happens after the significant change in the timeline, everything after that change is different.

This is why Guinan didn't remember Picard during the 21st century scenes in Picard's second season. Because the timeline had been changed so that the Federation didn't exist, it'd also been changed so that he probably hadn't been to the nineteenth century in this version of the timeline. There wasn't an evil Federation version of Time's Arrow in this timeline essentially, so there was no reason for Guinan to have met Picard because from her perspective, they hadn't.

This is also one of the reasons why the 2009 movie tends to be such a contentious thing in some circles. Its presentation of time travel causing a change in the timeline so bad that it causes it split off and create a new universe isn't really in line with how time travel has traditionally been presented in the franchise. The flow on effect of this is while the writing team for the Kelvinverse films are pretty adamant that Enterprise as shown is canon to both the Prime universe and the Kelvinverse, there are fans who don't really buy into that idea.

Keep in mind that during First Contact, when the Enterprise-E is chasing the Borg sphere through the temporal vortex, nobody's saying, "Oh, we're in a new universe now." What they do say is that the Borg assimilating the Earth in the past is a major difference and therefore needs to be prevented.

That's in direct contrast to an episode like TNG's Parallels, where when Worf goes to each new universe, they're able to run some tests on him and find he's not meant to be in that universe. Stuff like that wouldn't work if there wasn't a difference between going to a different universe and traveling in time.

So the opening scene of the 2009 movie, where the Narada came in and destroyed the Kelvin, is really better explained by one of two options. One is that this was a different kind of time travel that hasn't been expanded upon since or even replicated in canon that caused the new timeline to split into a new universe, or the Kelvinverse was always a separate universe. Either would be fine, in my opinion.

How this is all relevant to Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is that this episode is another example of how a change in the past was enough of a difference to make a difference. While there is room for debate on where the line is for what constitutes enough of a difference, this episode clearly framed this set of changes as enough. This is a pretty straight example of how time travel is supposed to work in Star Trek.

[youngpettyqueen]

just finished Bloodletter! thoughts under the cut

tl;dr: SUCH A GOOD FUCKING BOOK easily one of my top favs of the DS9 books ive read so far

this book was a fucking RIIIIIIIDE and I loved it so much. some absolutely INSANE scenes, and such fantastic character exploration. just, holy shit, what a good book. I had a hard time putting it down. this was supposed to be my book for work but I couldnt stop myself from reading it at home as well. it was gripping, it was fun, it was beautifully written, it was everything I could've wanted

first of all, incredible Kira story. so brutal and so real, focuses so much on the heart of her character, her history with the resistance and how shes still so haunted and traumatized. this is early s1 Kira, still very hotheaded and clashing with Sisko, really feeling torn between two worlds and struggling to do right by Bajor. her story with the Redemptorists was INCREDIBLE. K. W. Jeter doesnt shy away from Kira's bloody past, and does so without condemning her, and god if you somehow managed to watch literally anything with Kira and NOT feel for her, this book will make you feel for her. Jeter has a fantastic grasp of Kira as a character and explores her beautifully, giving her this tense, gripping story that showcases all parts of her, viciousness and vulnerability holding hands and making for a wonderfully layered and complex story

I LOVED the villain of this novel. Hören was delicious to read, he was written super well, and im particularly a fan of the spirituality that permeates everything with him from the way he speaks, thinks, and even to the way he's described. he's terrifying in how realistic he is as a villain- a sadistic, fanatic man with followers in his echo chamber, mercilessly hunting and tormenting Kira. the sequences in this novel that were onboard the substation, with Kira having to hide from him and figure out how to defend herself while shes completely alone and he has the advantage, were genuinely nerve-racking. he's a very easy villain to hate, just so genuinely fucked up. I would've loved to actually see him on the screen, he would've made for a fantastic recurring villain in the early seasons, or even if just this novel had been a 2 part episode

the Sisko POVs of this novel were fascinating. again, this novel is set in early s1, so this is Sisko very early on, still trying to figure all this shit out. he's struggling with the Bajoran side of everything, struggling to find his place, and all the while he's butting heads with Kira and wrestling with the Cardassian government and his own morality as he finds himself stooping to their level in order to try to succeed for the sake of DS9 and the Federation and Bajor. Sisko really cant catch a break ever, especially not here, where he has to juggle officers determined to rebel against him, Cardassians breathing down his neck and lying to him, and Bajor relying on him while the Federation looms over his shoulder. its all just such fascinating insight into this character who has so much on his shoulders right from the get go, and who has to constantly try to make the best decisions in impossible situations

Julian's part in this novel is WILD. first of all- Julian and Kira besties agenda. I fucking LOVE that they genuinely dont like each other, it lines up really well with how they were in early s1. Kira cant stand Julian, and he doesnt particularly care for her, and theyre going on this mission together and they both nearly get killed and in the end they come to a sort of understanding. but what really got me with Julian was his sequence where he's trapped in the wormhole and actually communicates with the Prophets?? that was INSANE. god, its so fucking wild to think of Julian talking with the Prophets. these books are beta canon, I know, but the implications of Julian being one of the VERY few people who gets to talk to them... fascinating. and we get to see an early glimpse of just what Julian is willing to risk in order to save people- he gets himself sent to the literal death of the universe because thats the only way he can get to Kira without harming the Prophets. I love that the last scene of the novel was these two, Julian patching Kira up, and Kira agreeing to go get a drink with him. it felt like a natural progression in their relationship, going from hostile to an understanding, having gone through this really horrific thing together. Julian and Kira's relationship in the show isnt a big focus, and theyre friendly coworkers at best for the most part, but in my heart. they are besties

I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a really solid Kira story with some characteristically Trek insanity. this book is truly wild from start to finish, with some fantastic concepts and wild ideas, and I loved every second of it. Kira is shining brightly throughout, with a lovingly crafted and masterfully executed story behind her, and some of the best character writing ive encountered for her thus far in my journey into reading DS9 books. on top of that, youve got an amazing villain who will make your skin crawl, some great Julian character development, great Sisko moments, and even some fun stuff with Odo and Quark I didnt get to in my overall thoughts. seriously, go read this book, and thank me later its so so fucking good

[slippery-domjot-balls]

DS9 S3 E12 Part 1 and Part 2 "Past Tense"

So....I watched these episodes for the first time about one month ago. This is not a review of the episode, but a quick look at some things I enjoyed. I just realized the play on words of the episode title....past......tense.....Past.....Tense.....PAST TENSE. Got it. Good!

Anyway, Jadzia looks professional and ready to mingle in the suit, very flattering, even the feather is great. It looks just different enough to feel unfamiliar to our 2020s, but similar to the point we recognize the potential trends humanity could have experienced and maybe still should.

I love the refined silly look! Hair is fantastic. Great job everyone! High fives all around.

Look at that vest! Can there be too many stripes? NOPE. And before you ask, yes those stripes go ALL the way down girl. All the way. Whoever decided that our vests need to be tailored to be worn upside down is an innovative magician. The fabric beneath that is also wonderful. Looks paisley in design? Either way it is beautiful!

Just look at that smile! No wonder Worf fell in love with Jadzia just like many others before him and all of us viewers! Magnificent molars!

Geometric fashion was really cutting edge....heheheh....

However, art did was not done any favor by that odd Tron Crosshair throwback thing. Maybe it is the Bell Riot Era version of retro? it isn't terrible, but would you hang that on the wall of your 2020s AU penthouse suite? Would you though? I genuinely don't know if you would, so please tell me because I have to decorate in an hour.

You might think that hot fashion would not be allowed in the slums and that the Sanctuary does not permit hotties to dress as provocateurs', but you would be wrong. Julian is sporting a lovely horizontal stripe vest that fits perfectly with his heavy hoodie. He looks VERY comfortable against the concrete.

Julian cannot steal the spotlight though. He might be Garak's main squeeze, but Ben Sisko steps aside for no one. Flannel is the future people.

Perfect outdoor wear for a BBQ with the family or for saving timelines from suffering, Sisko stands front and center showing off a delicious cutoff flannel top with the breast pockets needed for snacks. His overalls also boast great maneuverability and certainly flatter his glutes.

Commanding a room has never been so chic. But we still need to enjoy Kira and Miles.

Do you know why Miles needs to wear such a HUGE belt? It is because he carries so many tools in his pockets. The man is a walking toolbox I swear. You might think that the two tone top is common place in Star trek, and you would be right. But wrapped around the unmatched muscle of O'Brien we get a sight that captured Keiko from day one. Manly magnificence on the bridge!!! Let's take a closer look at Kira. She is always worth it.

No one else could pull off nose tape with such panache and flair! She is a beauty. I think I am smitten! Short hair has never looked better than it does right now. Her knitted vest draws out the color in her hair. The bag she wears proves that she totally snuck a disrupter to the past.....probably. She is always ready for action.

Rest up you lovely man. You deserve it. The purple pjs just work. They make sense since Sisko is DS9 royalty.

OH THERE IT IS! My favorite mug! That thing shows up sometimes and I guarantee Sisko bought that from a gift shop on the promenade.

When all is said and done Star Trek is about fashion. This is a fashion show disguised as the best science fiction franchise ever made.

[dragontamerno3]

DS9 S3 E12 - Past Tense 2

Another rough one but for the right reasons.

I knew this one would be more character driven stuff, given that the first part was heavy on the set up, but I am happy where everything took us.

I'm gonna start with BC. I wanted to punch that dude in the face most of the time he was on screen but the episode did such a good job from taking him to brutal Ghost to a dude willing to do what was right. He didn't really have much left for him and I didn't expect him to live, so it wasn't a surprise to see that he died. I wasn't sad really, and I didn't think of his character as a waste IRL, but pretending I was in this timeline and in this actual episode, it did feel like a waste in a "maybe he could have turned over a new leaf" kinda way.

Vin was the other one that I was super surprised and happy about to watch his character grow. There have been times when I've had to forcefully sit down with a relative and point to all the things wrong with the world and how it hurts me specifically (disability, queer topics, being broke, etc) and to slowly chip away at their stubbornness so they can actually see whats ACTUALLY wrong with the world. He felt like that. It was hard to sit through his scenes at first, and they're supposed to be, but I'm very glad he was the character at the end fighting for those in the Sanctuary Zone.

Webbs death actually made me sad. He was a damn good man just trying to do what was best for his family, for all those trapped inside those fucked up zones. He didn't deserve death. I get why, from a story stand point why they did what they did but still, it was sad.

I wanted to laugh every time that Webb and Sisko were dealing with the government, but one of those cold bitter laughs. The way the government was going to hand out pebbles in a way to try to appease folks without actually listening to any of the problems. I was happy to hear later when she was on the phone with the governor that other uprisings were happening in other Zones.

I think the scene that got me the most was when the people from the Zone were telling their stories. Simple stories about who they were. Little two minute things of what they did, why they were sent there to begin with, and maybe of the family they had. Real people telling real stories. Something the public couldn't hide from. It made Jadzia's whole deal with the rich folks in the previous episode kinda worth it.

Also, side note, the whole "aliens want to suck our brains out" scene was supposed to be funny, I think, and it some ways I can see how others might see that, but I can't. Mental illnesses getting ignored because no one wants to care about healthcare sucks. I do think it was sweet that he saw Jadzia as a "good one" though instead of fighting them.

Kira and Miles popping in and out of times, though, was funny. Kira being awkward in each of them and Miles just trying his best to not to make it worse. It was the breath of air between heavy moments.

I once again thought they ended the episode a bit too soon, Bashir and Sisko went through some hardcore shit, it felt like they rushed through dealing with it, but overall it was a great episode.

This is the year of the Bell Riots and they apparently start a week after my birthday this year... with a literal Nazi running for office, I'm wondering if the episode might be onto something.

8.5/10 - would be a 9 but I am a little unsatisfied with the ending

[butchniqabi]

Hi!!! I’ve been following for YEARS and I just started watching ds9 and wondered if you had some favorite episodes + which one the im a human being quote is from. Really enjoying it so far. Hope ur having a good one ! <3

hello! this has been sitting in my ask box for a hot minute -_-'

the "i am a human being" is from "far beyond the stars" which is unequivocally my favorite ds9 episode (and my favorite star trek episode Period) because its just so....UGH its so good

some of my favorites are: Progress, Sanctuary, Whispers, Blood Oath, The Wire, Second Skin, Past Tense: Part 1 & 2, The Visitor, Hippocratic Oath, Rejoined, Trials and Tribble-ations, Doctor Bashir I Presume?, Ties of Blood and Water, You Are Cordially Invited, In the Pale Moonlight, Take Me Out to the Holosuite, and What You Leave Behind...

these are all technically in chronological order btw sdfghjhgfds

[wamiandayne]

ds9 s3ep12 past tense, part 2. julian might as well have come out as bisexual the second he told those men he preferred tennis to baseball

[thoughts-i-have-had-in-passing]

Isn't that the dude who was in DS9 Past Tense Part 2 who stole Jadzia's combadge?

Small world.

I completely wiped from my memory that Fringe gave the outline from Star Trek 2009 days before it was released (via Clint Howard no less).

JJ Abrams’ has an interesting way of doing cross-promotion, but we got Leonard Nimoy back on TV from them working on 2009 Star Trek.