Bashir and Sisko are still in the Sanctuary and Sisko pretends to be Bell in order to save hostages taken in a riot of the residents and thereby preserve the time line. While this going on, Kira and O'Brien try to find out which time period their colleagues have traveled to. There was an amusing meeting with a couple of hippies but otherwise their efforts are pretty uninteresting. The best part of the episode is Bashir' interaction with the hostages, especially with the scared and ill social worker; I'm finally getting to like the Bashir character who has fortunately finally outgrown his gee whiz adolescent character. Also good was the brief scene where one of the residents relates how he happened to end up in the Sanctuary - it was a powerful scene. The final resolution is logical and satisfying, particularly the former hostage security officer's assistance in helping Bashir and Sisko get away and preserve the myth of Bell's heroism. A good episode but not one I found particularly entertaining or riveting.
Review of Past Tense, Part II
