Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series) Things Past (1996) User Reviews

Odo revealed

[Psilio · 8/10 · 17 October 2014]

This dark episode was great in all aspects, in my opinion.

Great acting, casting, directing (LeVar Burton), photography, lighting, set design, props, everything.

We finally get to see how Deep Space 9 (or Terok Nor as it was called then) was run during the time of the occupation by the Cardassians when Gul Dukat was the station commander. All dark and gritty and dirty, with Cardassians abusing Bajorans for the slightest mistake.

Quark is also in his natural element here. We see him here as he was before, and makes us understand in some way how he is 'today' and how he has changed a bit since the Cardassians were kicked out of the station.

The main cast in this episode does an excellent performance, especially Rene Auberjonois. He is of course always good, but here he is incredible.

Our favorite recurring guest actors in the form of Gul Dukat and Garak also perform above par here. Kurtwood Smith - one of my favorite actors since the first RoboCop (1987) movie - also helps to lift this episode up a few notches.

The reason I didn't give it a 10 is that I found it a bit confusing and hard to follow at times.

Overall, a 'must see' episode for anyone following the story of DS9, in my opinion.

Odo's mistake in the past

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 29 June 2010]

As Sisko, Dax, Odo and Garak return from a conference on Bajor something strange happens; instead of finding themselves back on DS9 it appears they are on the station seven years previously when it was under Cardassian control. It isn't a simple case of time travel though as everybody on the station sees them as Bajorans, it would appear that they are somehow inhabiting the bodies' of Bajorans. When they learn who's bodies they are inhabiting Odo recognises their names; they were all executed for an attempt on Gul Dukat's life when Odo was in charge of security and he later discovered that they were innocent. Clearly something is the matter with time as at this time Odo should be there but his predecessor is still there. Despite the differences it appears that history of repeating itself when Dukat is indeed attacked, they are arrested and must try to either escape or persuade the Cardassians of their innocence.

After a couple of lighter episodes this one provided a real mystery; how did they get to the past, why are they occupying the bodies of people Odo wrongly convicted and why aren't things quite as they should be? The explanation came as a surprise but it was a good explanation and I won't spoil it here. When they get back and Kira learns of Odo's involvement in the deaths of three innocent Bajorans it looks as though their friendship might be damaged.

The buried truth.

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 17 July 2021]

I could buy into the episode -----

I internalized that Odo perceived himself as Thrax because he was essentially a tool of the Cardassian's in terms of this mishandling of Justice.

Kurtwood Smith does an excellent job of performing the Odo/Thrax character. You can see so much of Rene's characterizations in his performance.

This episode provides insight into how Odo's personality and interpretation of Justice expanded. Certainly, this must have been the event that lead to his sympathy for the Bajoran people on DS9.

Rene Auberjonois is wonderful in this episode. You could feel the guilt and desperation in his dialogue.

I believe the episode works better without the Kira scene at the end. I think they should have been subtle about it ---- Have Odo looking at Kira from the 2nd level and Kira looks back at him with sorrow.

This is quite a good episode!

Great Episode with one minor flaw

[sloppy_tuna · 9/10 · 22 March 2017]

Fantastic episode that gives us a look into how things were on the space station during the occupation while the Cardassians were running it. The episode has a fantastic cold bleakness to it and highlights a storyline that sheds more light on Odo. Character development episodes are some of my favorites, I always enjoy an opportunity to glimpse the main characters as they were before we officially "met" them. My only problem with the episode is that at the very end they make Kira Nerys seem like a judgmental hypocrite. I find it incredibly annoying to listen to a person who is a self-admitted terrorist pass judgement on the past actions of her associates/friends, right or wrong. I think it's a injustice to an otherwise wonderful character. Other than that small point, I thought this episode was one of the better "darker" episodes. And the guest stars make this episode a 9 instead of a 7.5

Now this is essential DS9 for me

[beanslegit · 8/10 · 20 April 2022]

This is a great episode in my opinion. It definitely has it's flaws as do most ST episodes but we don't watch this show for flawless execution, it's because we love the world and the characters. Here we get to see more of what DS9 was like when it was Terok Nor, the Cardassian orbital ore refinery, and also get to know a bit more about Odo's history, which I always love because personally he's probably my favourite character.

As a totally nerdy aside, the whole orbital refinery thing makes no sense whatsoever, because it's far more efficient to refine the ore on the planets surface then ship it off, and not have to lift up all the waste rock and whatnot...

Anyways, a very intriguing episode and well written. Worth watching for sure.

Not what it seems at first

[bbraat · 8/10 · 10 June 2022]

After the Tribble episode I was shocked to see another time travel episode but I was wrong. I also noted that key cast members like O'Brien and Major Kira were missing.

It wasn't time travel it was just mental projections. Kira wasn't missing, she was being held in reserve for a very dramatic ending.

This is a bit more reality than most can stand. Odo could never have appeased both sides AND stayed alive without some innocent blood being shed. Didn't Kai Wenn (sp?) sacrifice her own son to help the Bajoran resistance? Didn't the UK sacrifice their own ships to prevent the Germans from knowing they had broken the code?

It's messy.

Another strong Terok Nor episode

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 17 December 2022]

Sisko, Dax, Odo and Garak share an experience that appears to take them back in time.

This is a strong episode with a great setting and backstory.

'Necessary Evil' was a great Terok Nor story and this is a very good follow up. DS9 showing the station during the Cardassian occupation is enough to get me intrigued and the writers follow through with a neat mystery that develops characters like Odo and Gul Dukat nicely.

The dark, gritty feel of the production design provides great consistency with previous flashbacks to this setting and generates the right atmosphere for the dark themes.

Rene Auberjonois, Marc Alaimo, and Andrew Robinson are the standout performers for me.

Very Edgy

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 28 October 2018]

I have to agree with another reviewer that at times it really challenged my acceptance of events. First of all, the fact that the four of them are back in time at a critical moment in the revolution is suspect. I know Bajir tries to explain how it all happened, but I'd have to read his treatise to buy into that. There are questions about who is who and who is victimized and who Odo actually is. He ends up reporting the events and apparently, as chief of security back then, he sent three innocent people to their deaths. He tries to change history, but we all know how that goes. This is an extremely harsh episode. There is little or no lightness to it and half the time we don't understand the jumps. Surreal would be the best descriptor. I sort of enjoyed it, but have to admit my limited understanding.

Was it just me, or did a lot of this not make much sense?!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 5 January 2015]

Much of "Things Past" really makes no sense. And, by the end of the show when you're given an explanation, it still doesn't make a lot of sense. In many ways, I'd consider this among the worst of the season 5 episodes--though the one that immediately preceded this one was even worse!

The show begins with Odo, Sisko, Garak and a few others suddenly finding themselves on the station seven years earlier. The place is once again run by the Cardassians and the Bajorans are slaves. Inexplicably, the DS9 crew members (and even Garak) are seem by every one as just another group of slaves! And, instead of Odo being in charge of security, some Cardassian is--though they eventually realize this isn't right--seven years ago, Odo SHOULD have been in this role. What does all this mean? I dunno...well, perhaps the show explained it but it all didn't make any sense and just felt like the show could have used a re-write or two to make the thing more rational.

what revelation?

[andrerichardsousa · 5/10 · 30 December 2022]

Beginning of episode: This conference about the occupation happens, all character talk about how Odo was keeping order during the occupation 7 years ago.

Characters are "send" to the past, 7 years ago. They change in to another person.

Odo is not the charge of security.. all characters find this weird and strange, they don't understand, because they KNOW Odo was charge of security 7 years ago.

Odo start acting strangely during the episode.

All characters are perplex because they think Odo should be here as charge of security but a random cardassian is.

Odo them reveal in the end, he was the charge of security in the station 7 years ago.

Something that all characters and the audience already knew.... wtf?!?