“Trials and Tribble-ations” first aired in 1996, and apart from the episode’s connection to the DTI, it’s an interesting artifact that predicted the shape of much nostalgia-driven entertainment to come in the new millennium. Here, we see Sisko and friends cosplaying in classic ’60s “Trek” uniforms and even explaining to the audience why the color scheme changed.

The episode is more evasive about why the Klingons look different, with Worf (Michael Dorn) only commenting, “It is a long story. We do not discuss it with outsiders.” Meanwhile, Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) flirts with the possibility of a “predestination paradox” whereby he might be his own great-grandfather, à la the Netflix series “Dark.” For her part, Dax (Terry Farrell) acts as the fan surrogate, geeking out over how handsome Spock is. (In real life, Farrell went on to marry Leonard Nimoy’s son.)

Scenes that Trekkies know by heart play out again in “Trials and Tribble-ations,” with “DS9” characters hanging over the shoulder of “Original Series” characters, participating in the barroom brawl from “The Trouble with Tribbles,” and exchanging dialogue with their forebears on the Enterprise bridge. Witness how Bashir channels Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), winking at the viewer with the line, “I’m a doctor, not a historian.” Many other franchises have gone down the same self-referential road since then. One recent example is when “The Flash” recycles Michael Keaton’s old “Batman” line, “You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.”

In a lot of ways, pop culture continues to undergo trials and Tribble-lations, mucking with the past digitally and being overrun by fan service instead of furry space critters. If only the Department of Temporal Investigations could put a stop to it, because what was once novel on “DS9” now almost feels like an ongoing time crime in Hollywood.