Star Trek Deep Space Nine Feature Length Episodes: Ranked

Time has made this story even darker.

The plot centres around a transporter accident that sends Bashir, Sisko and Dax back to 21st century L.A. There, they are separated. Dax is found by a wealthy do-gooder while Bashir and Sisko are brought to a Sanctuary District - a fenced in area of downtown L.A. that has been put aside for the homeless and down-and-outs.

The episodes were a part of the exploration of the darker sides of Roddenberry's future, one that Ira Stephen Behr had kicked off in the previous season's The Maquis. Here, entire groups of people are rounded up and put out of the way, out of sight. It was intended to show a pivotal formative event in the history of the Federation. The riots that overtake the Sanctuary District were based on the Attica Prison riots, which also occured due to the authorities ignoring of the inmates' calls for more humane living conditions.

In the decades that have passed since this story aired, it has become more and more relevant. These episodes were intended to show an event that was so upsetting to the human race that it pushed it toward coming together to prevent a repeat. It was intended as a wake-up call to the plight of the homeless in every day life. True to Star Trek form, this was shown with scifi and in the context of the franchise. One of the truly darker entries into the canon, where the villains of the piece are the human race and the apathy it feels.