History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E26S6E1TimesArrow

* JustOneSecondOutOfSync: The Devidians in the present exist slightly out of sync with the rest of reality -- mere fractions of a second -- which is enough to completely conceal them from everyone else. The psychic residue of the humans they've been harvesting bleeds, through, however, and the crew techs up a device to shift themselves.

** The writers also seem to be thinking of cholera as a respiratory disease. When Jack the bellboy clears his throat because Data hasn't given him a tip yet, Data advises him to watch his cough because of the epidemic. However, coughing isn't a symptom of cholera, which is an intestinal disease and more likely to cause diarrhea and vomiting. The symptoms are actually closer to tuberculosis. Data is probably aware of this and is just trying to get Jack to scram.

!!Tropes:

'''Original air date:''' June 15, 1991 (Part I), September 21, 1992 (Part II)

'''Original air date:''' September 21, 1992

* DiscoveringYourOwnDeadBody/EerilyOutOfPlaceObject: The plot is kicked off by finding Data's 500 years deceased head in San Francisco, but he's not actually upset by this -- his prior uncertainty over how or even ''if'' he would die was apparently concerning to him, and he finds comfort in knowing that he won't simply [[WhoWantsToLiveForever keep outliving his friends for eternity]].

* DiscoveringYourOwnDeadBody: The plot is kicked off by finding Data's 500 years deceased head in San Francisco, but he's not actually upset by this -- his prior uncertainty over how or even ''if'' he would die was apparently concerning to him, and he finds comfort in knowing that he won't simply [[WhoWantsToLiveForever keep outliving his friends for eternity]].

** Jack London never worked as a bellhop, and Samual Clemens was actually touring Europe during the time the story takes place, and there's isn't any evidence that the two men ever met each other.

* DiscoveringYourOwnDeadBody: The plot is kicked off by finding the Data's head in San Francisco, but he's not actually upset by this, and is instead glad that he will have a death rather than live forever.

Data awakens in 19th century San Francisco, which is in the midst of a cholera outbreak. Convincing the locals that he is a Frenchman to excuse his strange outfit and mannerisms, he quickly sets about building a temporal device using the money he earns from playing poker. He spots Guinan's picture in the paper and rushes to meet her at an event she's attending with Samuel Clemens. Data assumes that she's traveled back to meet him, but she's actually just her 500-year-younger self. As they discuss the future, they realize that Clemens has been listening to their entire conversation, blowing Data's cover. Meanwhile, on the ''Enterprise'', the crew prepare to use their own phlebotinum to jump back in time to rescue Data. Guinan tells Picard in no uncertain terms that he must go back in time as well, or less he and she will never meet.

** When Clemens follows the crew to the future and onto the ship, Riker calls security. Clemens asks if Riker's afraid he'll go around stealing things. [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E9AMatterOfTime The last time the Enterprise hosted a visitor from the past, precisely that happened.]]
** Data's definition of friendship, as quoted by Troi to Riker, is drawn verbatim from the episode [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E6Legacy "Legacy"]] (although Troi wasn't present in the scene where he said it, we can assume he must have said the same thing to the counselor at some point).

** A brief one when Clemens is brought up to the Enterprise and asks if they've ever spotted Halley's Comet. Clemens was in fact born exactly two weeks after the comet appeared in the sky in 1835. He wrote in his autobiography that he hoped to die the next time it was sighted, and did so in 1910, the day after the comet passed by Earth once again.

* HustlingTheMark: Jack chuckles at Data "pretending" to be a French moron and hustling three of the biggest card sharks in San Francisco. Of course, the poor sharks had no idea they were dealing with someone who can count cards better than any organic being, has the ultimate poker face and can stack a deck without anyone realizing it. [[TheAce Riker]] might be able to win against Data consistently, but for these Old West hustlers, Data represents an OutsideContextProblem.

** When Picard wishes he had time to talk more with Twain, Twain smiles and tells him to read his books - everything he is is in them (hinting at Twain's "immortality".)

** Jack London never worked as a bellhop, and Samual Clemens was actually touring Europe during the time the story takes place.

* CriticalResearchFailure: InUniverse. Clemens says he suspects even time travelers are susceptible to a .45 caliber bullet, but Data's withstood an SMG being emptied into him.

* NiceToTheWaiter: While it takes some prompting for Data to understand, he pays a dollar as a tip to Jack, which is like tipping $100 today. He also lets him keep the change when buying the materials he needs.