The Triumphant Return of Star Trek DS9's Time Cops in Strange New Worlds

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 3, "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." In this episode, the show brings back Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations, who were last seen debriefing Captain Benjamin Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

The episode follows a fatally wounded time traveler who appears on the USS Enterprise and asks Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh for help in completing his mission. In this alternate timeline, Earth never formed the Federation and is currently at war with the Romulan Star Empire.

La'an's mission leads her to encounter Captain James T. Kirk, who is in command of the USS Enterprise several years ahead of schedule. Together, they travel back in time to 21st-century Toronto in order to prevent a catastrophic change to the timeline.

By the end of the episode, it is revealed that La'an and Kirk were unknowingly working for the Department of Temporal Investigations, who had previously investigated Captain Benjamin Sisko for a mission involving the renowned Captain James T. Kirk.

Department Of Temporal Investigations In Strange New Worlds Explained

Starfleet's Department of Temporal Investigations enlisted the help of La'an for a specific purpose - to prevent the death of Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalban). Although it is not initially revealed, there are various indications throughout the episode of plans to assassinate Khan. One example is that Kirk remained oblivious to the infamous tyrant and the subsequent Eugenics Wars. The ramifications of Khan's removal from history are tragically demonstrated in a tense scene, where Romulan time agent Sera (Adelaide Kane) offers La'an the opportunity to save thousands of lives and eradicate the stigma of being related to Khan Noonien-Singh.

However, instead of following Sera's proposal, La'an kills her and allows Khan to survive, recognizing him as "just a child" who has not yet become the mass-murdering tyrant. The Department of Temporal Investigations is formally revealed when Agent Ymaly (Allison Wilson-Forbes) unexpectedly appears in La'an's quarters, expressing gratitude for saving the life of her ancestor - the young Khan Noonien-Singh (Desmond Sivan). On Twitter, Jörg Hillebrand pointed out that Ymaly uses the same interface as 29th-century Starfleet officer Lt. Ducane (Jay Karnes) in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Relativity," suggesting that Agent Ymaly originates from a more distant future than her colleagues in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

What Is The Department Of Temporal Investigations In Star Trek DS9?

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations," Agents Dulmur and Lucsly arrived at Deep Space Nine to question Sisko regarding his mission on the USS Defiant, which involved time travel. These Department of Temporal Investigations agents in the 24th century were essentially bureaucratic auditors responsible for monitoring Starfleet officers' use of time travel. However, in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the 29th-century version of the Department takes on a more proactive role in ensuring the proper flow of time.

Interestingly, when Sisko disclosed that he had brought the USS Defiant back in time to interact with Captain Kirk's Enterprise crew, the expressions on the two agents' faces turned to dismay. It appears that Kirk had accumulated the Department's highest number of temporal violations, a whopping 17. Evidently, the Department was determined to avoid adding to Kirk's already extensive list of infractions. Thus, they concluded that Sisko had taken the correct course of action by saving Kirk's life from a Klingon assassin using time travel. However, the inclusion of La'an's watch and her knowledge of an alternate timeline in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hints that there may be another temporal violation added to Kirk's record in season 2.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.