From: CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CXMP)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: TNG Grade Report: "Time's Arrow II"
Date: 29 Sep 92 04:04:58 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <1992Sep28.141209.13230@lmpsbbs.comm.mot.com> ogden_jon@macmail1.rtsg.mot.com writes:
>SPOILER WARNING!!!!!
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>SPOILERS ENCLOSED!!
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>This was the only time travel episode of any kind that I have ever seen that
>seemed to indicate that the past is somehow locked in stone, and that all
>future events must fit into it (for example, the fact that Data HAD to lose his
>head, that as Guinan said many times, "History must fulfill itself.").  I've
>always seen stuff where the past could be changed in order to modify the
>future.  Did anyone else notice this.  It's not a criticism, but I do think it
>is an interesting twist on the whole idea of time travel and its effects.

Actually, to be consistent, the crew should have known better than to
simply assume that history had to fulfill itself.  It goes against free
will.  On the other hand, this would give Picard et al free reign in the
past because they'd just assume that whatever they do must have already
happened anyway. :)

Come to think of it though, suppose they had been consistent with
previous time travel stories.  In that case, it would be hard to imagine
aliens going back into Earth's past for fear of affecting their future.
unless their race so far removed from the Federation sphere of influence
that their presence in Earth's past would not effect them.  Hmm.
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>>Third, and least important, is how Picard and company managed to fit into
>>19th century society so well.  But I guess we can sort of abstract this
>>away by watching reruns of "City On The Edge Of Forever". :-)
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>This bothered me big time.  How in the heck did they get the clothes with which
>to "hide" themselves.  At the end of episode one we saw them going through the
>rift with their Starfleet uniforms on, yet at the beginning of episode 2 they
>all had 19th century clothing.  Where did they get this, especially since they
>had no money since Piccard couldn't pay the rent?  Keep in mind that they
>couldn't have gotten it from the replicator since the Enterprise was 500 yrs in
>the future.

Aha!  Portable replicators?  That's something the writers could have
used as an explanation (if they even bothered to think about it).
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>Lastly, It seemed that from what I could tell the time correlation between the
>Enterprise and 1800's Earth parralled exactly.  What I am saying is that for
>example, spending 20 minutes on 19th century Earth and then returning to the
>Enterprise you would find that 20 minutes went by.  Another interesting time
>travel concept....It seems that there was no control over when or where they
>were transported.  Does anyone follow me??

I suppose it could have been a property of the cane/snake/time machine.

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