No Time Like the Past

Description: Season 4, Episode 10

Air Date: March 7, 1963

Plot Summary: A man travels through time in an attempt to correct the various moments he believes led humanity astray.

Review: This is an interesting story in one respect, but it's far too similar to the episode "Back There" which managed to tell the same, fundamental tale in half the time. Strangely enough, I'd argue this episode inspired "Back to the Future Part III." So we have a guy, named Driscoll, who can't stand the present day of 1963 and wants to alter the past. He makes three initial trips: first to Hiroshima before it was hit with an atomic bomb, then to Berlin to kill Hitler before starting WWII, and last to 1915 in order to prevent the sinking of the Lusitania. Each attempt ends in failure as no one will listen to him in Japan, a suspicious maid gets soldiers to prevent Hitler's assassination, and the captain of the Lusitania won't listen either. It would appear time is not meant to change despite the episode addressing that tiny changes could start a butterfly effect across history. However, my issue is that I don't understand how the time traveling works here. Driscoll seems able to go to wherever and whenever with various supplies at his disposal yet he has no devices or anything to assist. In other words, he is able to leap through time by sheer willpower...somehow. There is a time machine in the present, but there is no sense of control over it. Ehh, they needed more effort in this regard.

Deciding to scrap his plans, Driscoll heads to 1881 in order to live a simpler life. Odd...he'd only have about 30 years before WWI came along; I suppose he anticipated he'd be dead or too old to care or something. While enjoying the peace, Driscoll remembers that president Garfield's assassination was coming up and contemplates intervention. He is also torn between a teacher he is romantically interested in and his desire not to change the past. This problem is exacerbated by the revelation that the teacher's schoolchildren will be burned in a fire. Deciding he will break his rule, and attempting to alter the events, Driscoll inadvertently triggers the very series of events he was trying to prevent. Driscoll realizes that time is set and that his actions were already meant to occur. With this newfound understanding, Driscoll returns to the present to live out his life rather than dwelling upon the past. Not a bad sentiment at all. Although there are slightly different themes than "Back There," the overall ideas are the same as well as the outcomes.