Star Trek: Enterprise
"Judgment"
Air date: 4/9/2003
Teleplay by David A. Goodman
Story by Taylor Elmore & David A. Goodman
Directed by James L. Conway
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"My father was a teacher; my mother, a biologist at the university. They encouraged me to take up the law. Now all young people want to do is take up weapons, as soon as they can hold them." — Kolos
In brief: I liked this story the first time I saw it ... when it was called Star Trek VI. (I liked it this time around, too.)
Are you an optimist or a cynic? Perhaps you can answer that question by answering this one: Is "Judgment" a carefully detailed homage or a blatant rip-off?
Watching the episode, I definitely felt more like an optimist. Much of this episode played for me like a dejà vu experience of the Klingon courtroom material from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. But that's not a bad thing. The courtroom material from Trek VI made for a good scene — dark and menacing and atmospheric. It's the sort of material that seems to deserve its own episode, and now we get it, even if the episode covers much of the same ground in terms of drama and performance ... which, of course, is probably the point.
Part of the fun with "Judgment" is in spotting the familiar lines of dialog and the similar — even identical — set design, camera angles, and costumes. Indeed, it looks to me like the production designer, writer, director, and cinematographer all studied the courtroom scenes from Trek VI with great care before the sets here were built and the cameras were rolling. The creators haven't simply borrowed the trial scene from Trek VI, they've re-created it completely. And well.
Besides, darn it, Klingons are just so much fun to watch, despite — no, because of — all their grandstanding and histrionics. I was watching "Blood Oath" the other day from the DS9 season two DVD set, and so much of the show and its lovely and portentous dialog made me smile with good will and affection. Granted, "Judgment" is no "Blood Oath," but it does capture some of the same entertaining spirit of Klingon pride and ever-seriousness (as well as some annoying aspects of those elements).
In what is no less than the second time in three episodes, Archer is accused of a crime by an alien system of questionable justice. The verdict is easily predicted: guilty as charged. The sentence is just as predictable: death. Can Archer's sentence and/or verdict be averted by proving his innocence? Enter Advocate Kolos (J.G. Hertzler, excellent as always), Archer's weary and cynical defense lawyer, who has all but accepted the inevitability of defeat before the tribunal arguments have started. The deck is clearly stacked against him. The tribunal is little more than a formality with an ending that is a foregone conclusion (although not as hopeless as in DS9's "Tribunal," also in the aforementioned DVD set).
Now, as a Law & Order addict, I sit through television courtroom scenes all the time and watch as plot points are related through efficient exposition. It should be noted that a show like "Judgment" is not in the same spirit of being about facts and exposition — at least, not any more than it must be. Yes, there are facts and there's dialog and also a flashback structure that shows us how the "crime" in question unfolded (from two different points of view, no less). But "Judgment" is more about the idea of a courtroom that assumes guilt and greets its defendant with hostility as a matter of course. The room is a veritable echo chamber, with an audience that chants "enemy" in Klingon in an angry unison. The gavel is a metal sphere that sparks when the magistrate (Granville Van Dusen) slams it down on the table as he calls for "SILENCE!" in the echo chamber. The defendant is not permitted to speak while the prosecutor (John Vickery) presents his case, or the defendant will be zapped with pain sticks while the music swells menacingly. (Side note: I'm taking a liking to Velton Ray Bunch's musical scores, perhaps because they seem more forceful and fresh after so many years of McCarthy, Chattaway, Bell, and Baillargeon, whose scores have become so familiar I can tell you which one of them scored a given episode after about 10 seconds.) Naturally, the courtroom/echo chamber is murky and dark.
Of course, you already know all of this from Star Trek VI. Your mileage for these aspects of "Judgment" depend on whether you want to see them again. I didn't mind seeing them again, because they're well presented.
The case centers on Archer having allegedly helped "rebels" (actually an abandoned Klingon-ruled colony running out of resources to sustain itself), and thus falling into a conflict with Duras (Daniel Riordan, whose character is named Duras merely as a footnote reference for those who have followed the franchise for a long time). Duras was the captain of a Klingon warship who was sent in to "stop" (read: destroy) the "rebel" colonists. The flashbacks show us what happened, and clearly reveal the Enterprise to have done nothing wrong ... unless of course you are the Klingons, who as a rule exhibit stubborn unreasonableness — hence Archer being tried for crimes against the Klingon Empire for his involvement in helping defenseless colonists escape certain death. The show's biggest plot omission leaves us wondering how and when Archer was arrested; there's absolutely no accounting for how he ended up away from the Enterprise and in the hands of the Klingon legal system.
Oh, well. The plot details don't hugely concern me. What "Judgment" offers as relevant material specific to this series' time frame is the fact that Klingon culture is in the middle of a rapid decline — one that in all likelihood will eventually bring about the conflict between Earth and the Klingon Empire that we know exists by the time TOS rolls around. We see the (apparently waning) reasonable and honorable side of Klingon society through Kolos' character, who is given enough convincing dialog to emerge as a three-dimensional persona. Kolos, once a winning defense litigator, has been worn down into accepting a defeatist attitude as his career has turned into a perfunctory process and a mockery of its former self. The Klingon court doesn't much listen to defense lawyers these days, and is quick to condemn the apparently guilty.
This is a symptom of a bigger problem, one that Kolos explains to Archer in the show's best dialog scene. Klingon society, once honorable, is in a decline where a bastardized concept of honor has turned into an artificially inflated virtue: "We were a great society not so long ago, when honor was earned through integrity and acts of true courage, not senseless bloodshed," Kolos says. "What honor is there in a victory over a weaker opponent?" This is the scene that gives "Judgment" its weight and perspective, and allows us and Archer to see Kolos as a man worthy of real respect. (The way these sentiments are delivered from this wise, old character also makes one wonder if there are real-world social points being made under the surface here.)
Thanks to Kolos, Archer's death sentence is commuted and he is instead sentenced to life at the penal colony of Rura Penthe, in a scene that uses some dialog lifted almost verbatim from Trek VI. Continuity buffs will likely enjoy moments like this, as well as Kolos' earlier defense arguments that connect Archer with having thwarted a Suliban plot against the Klingons ("Broken Bow") and rescuing a Klingon vessel trapped in the atmosphere of a gas giant ("Sleeping Dogs"). Kolos' subsequent diatribe against the Klingon justice system is satisfying, thanks in no small part to Hertzler's performance, which fully unleashes the furies. If there's ever a time for energetic histrionics, a Klingon courtroom is that time. Unfortunately for Kolos, it gets him sentenced to Rura Penthe, right alongside Archer, for a year.
We then head off to Rura Penthe, an ice-cave where Archer and Kolos work side by side as imprisoned allies. Archer's coat was either faithfully duplicated by the wardrobe department, or pulled out of storage from somewhere on the studio lot, because, yep, it's straight out of Trek VI. Some have complained that the ending's simplistic rescue of Archer from the penal colony is too quick and easy, but I think it works okay. If anything, it demonstrates the corruption in Klingon society that has been hinted at, and how a prisoner's freedom can be secured for the right price by bribing the right people. Kolos stays behind, eager to return to the law when he is eventually released. I must say, I wouldn't mind seeing his character again. Yes, he's essentially a lawyer version of DS9's Martok, but Hertzler is always such a strong presence, and he'd be welcome on a series that has yet to carve out any truly strong dramatic forces.
I liked this episode, but I'd better mention that it relies probably more on nostalgia and cross-references than in attempts to develop original Enterprise-specific material. (Of course, in all fairness, how original can your prequel material be?) The strengths here are more in theatrics and directing and performances than in revealing complex or probing ideas. But that's not a problem so much as an observation. "Judgment" ranks as one of this season's better outings.
Next week: A la Harry Kim, Mayweather gets his contractually promised spotlight hour for the season.
Previous episode: The Crossing
Next episode: Horizon
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40 comments on this post
Sun, Oct 19, 2008, 12:46am (UTC -6)
Tue, Nov 18, 2008, 3:59am (UTC -6)
Tue, Dec 2, 2008, 6:59pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Mar 22, 2009, 11:10pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Apr 17, 2010, 10:28pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Jun 12, 2010, 4:36pm (UTC -6)
Sun, May 13, 2012, 8:07pm (UTC -6)
Also the distinction between justice and "positive law" (laws without content, to protect parochial interests) was well-done, and certainly an issue we see in our own legal system, where the laws are written for the benefit of the rich and to the detriment of the poor in almost all societies.
The continual theme of humanity bettering itself, however, seems improbable. As long as humanity exists, there will be corruption and war -- especially when there is advanced technology to facilitate it. The states that portray themselves as peaceful are often the greatest aggressors. Archer is right about one thing: the only thing that changes all this is the actions of a few courageous individuals (a la Marg. Mead).
Sat, May 26, 2012, 7:56pm (UTC -6)
He does great as Dumbledore. Hehe. (Anyone who has seen the Harry Potter movies- this is so reminiscent of Potter on trial). I guess there are only so many courtroom things one can do.
I care not what it was ripped from (yes I saw the movies). It kept me fixed to the screen for an hour, and that's what it's all about.
Tue, Aug 21, 2012, 9:54pm (UTC -6)
All in all, a very satisfying episode. Hertzler was awesome, as usual.
And everybody needs to inscribe Jammer's parenthetical comment in stone, so far as Enterprise is concerned: "In all fairness, how original can your prequel material be?"
Fri, Sep 7, 2012, 8:23pm (UTC -6)
Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 9:07pm (UTC -6)
I've had so few positive sentiments about this series so far (currently [re]watching) that this episode does stand out.
I also quite liked the scene of Enterprise outwitting the (boringly dumb) Duras as told from a Klingon perpective.
Mon, Feb 11, 2013, 7:44pm (UTC -6)
It answers a lot of viewers who asked how the Klingons ever could become space faring. Apparently, the Klingon Empire was an educated and very diverse society. When the balance started to be too much in the caste/camp of the warriors, the Klingons started to corrupt everything, included honor. We witnessed the rise and fall of great civilizations in our own history, so it rings very much true. Plus, Hertzler is always a welcome addition !
Tue, Feb 19, 2013, 5:18pm (UTC -6)
I also really liked T'Pol's behind the scenes deal-making to free Archer: if ENT's Vulcans are going to have feet of clay the show should at least be able to take advantage of it once in awhile, so T'Pol's knowing just the right backs to scratch as she was part of the Vulcacn diplomatic corps made sense.
Sat, Aug 17, 2013, 7:51pm (UTC -6)
Wed, Aug 28, 2013, 3:37pm (UTC -6)
Sun, Nov 24, 2013, 11:51pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Mar 31, 2014, 5:20pm (UTC -6)
I've also been making my way slowing through the streaming episodes of Enterprise, also for the first time. Imagine my surprise this week when I clicked on "Judgment" and found myself back in that Klingon courtroom! It was as though Netflix, in some creepy big brother way, had made note of my return of the ST6 DVD, and queued up the corresponding streaming episode from the series for me.
Even though I thought this was a better than average episode for the Enterprise series, it suffers mightily from comparison with the movie. It comes across as a ripoff ("Look, we still have these costumes, let's use them.") but even worse, like most other Enterprise episodes, it lacks all humor. The mention of Rura Penthe immediately brought to mind the shape-shifting woman flirting with Kirk, but in Enterprise we don't get any of that fun to relieve the bombastic speeches.
Mon, Apr 13, 2015, 3:15am (UTC -6)
Wed, May 20, 2015, 10:27am (UTC -6)
Tue, Sep 15, 2015, 5:06am (UTC -6)
Sun, Apr 17, 2016, 8:08am (UTC -6)
But overall you can't help but think you've seen it all before. And of course you have. 2.5 stars.
Sun, Apr 24, 2016, 12:44am (UTC -6)
As and aside, it's always nice to see a non-warrior Klingon fleshed out in the franchise. We occasionally got to see a Klingon scientist or priest, but they were never allowed to be fleshed out like they were in this episode. So good job Enterprise, you finally were competent enough to both be about something, and add something to an established Star Trek race.
Sun, Jul 3, 2016, 1:40pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 1:07pm (UTC -6)
There has never been a time where he is on screen and the scene or episode is not better for it.
This is of course a homage.
I really didn't want to see Archer be on trial and or go to Rura Penthe but, this episode is much better than the script/trailer make it out to be.
3 stars from me.
Tue, Jan 24, 2017, 3:19pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Apr 13, 2017, 3:38pm (UTC -6)
Trek does love its courtoom dramas, and some, maybe even most, have been good, even exceptional. Just rarely the ones with the Klingon High Council involved. Hertzler is excellent, but his conversion from 'shutup and do as you're told' to, "wow - you're right: our legal system is a joke. Come to think of it, I used to be a proper defence counsel with 200 actual defendants' was so quick it bordered on the incredible to put it mildly. And where did the prosecuting attorney spring from? And above all, if this was to be the beginning of a renaissance in Klingon justice, as was strongly implied in the final scenes, why the hell were we back listening to blustering and corrupt show trials two hundred years later?
The episode improved a lot towards the end, and I'm probably missing something that everyone else seems to get, but I'm going to have to stand in a minority on this one. 1 5 stars from me.
And Archer gets captured again.
Sat, Jun 10, 2017, 12:07pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Dec 4, 2017, 12:27am (UTC -6)
A poor man’s The Undiscovered Country and a very dull courtroom episode
Sun, Jun 3, 2018, 2:24pm (UTC -6)
When I heard that the ship captain's name was Duras, I thought maybe they were going to explain the backstory to the rise of the house of Duras, leading to TNG. That would've been a lot more interesting. But no, we were treated to another tiring outing of the "Klingons used to have honour but now the empire is corrupt" trope which has been done to death in TNG (Worf falsely accused) and DS9 (we need Kahless to be a spiritual leader because the empire is corrupt). Disappointing, exactly the kind of thing that makes me sure I'll never bother rewatching it.
Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 4:39pm (UTC -6)
It's good to know that the Klingons used to consider teachers etc. as honorable but now everybody wants to be a warrior and be lauded for victory even over much weaker opposition. And that ties into the unfairness of the court and also how Archer's release is easily obtained by bribes (which T'Pol realizes she can pull off). I did think the ending with Archer's release was too easy nevertheless.
Now for the holes: If the Enterprise managed to evade Duras' ship, how was Archer captured and brought to trial? This is a pretty serious omission for me. And obviously this Duras can't be the one from the TNG days. So why use the name? At the start of the episode, Archer was said to have a disease which I'm pretty sure happens to be the same one McCoy had in "For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky". I feel like this episode went out of its way to "name-drop" -- which is a cheap way to try to score points.
Archer challenges Kolos to stand up for what he believes in and fight -- this reminded me of "A Few Good Men" where Tom Cruise finally puts Jack Nicholson on the stand. Thought it was ridiculous when the prosecutor kept interrupting Archer and Kolos -- so the Klingon court system is rigged - big deal, no surprise.
Barely 2.5 stars for "Judgment" -- overall poorly conceived as the writers here try to cram a 2-hour story into 1 hour and leave holes but Hertzler elevates matters with a good tale of Klingon societal degeneration which plays out in the episode. If you're familiar with "The Undiscovered Country", this will pale by comparison -- it's not bad but just comes across as a cheap knock-off. If you haven't seen it, then it should be more enjoyable due to the novelty effect.
Mon, Mar 18, 2019, 12:03am (UTC -6)
I can't recall Star Trek VI so I was not bothered by it. It DID seem like I saw this before in the Star Trek universe, whether Cardassias, Klingons, or Romulans were the bad guys, I can not say...
Mon, Mar 25, 2019, 2:19am (UTC -6)
Fri, Oct 9, 2020, 4:20am (UTC -6)
Tue, Dec 1, 2020, 8:38pm (UTC -6)
He is one of my favourites playing a likeable Klingon (as opposed to Gowron actor who plays a crazy Klingon) I like how he was really trying to help Archer. I know it would make him a regular, but I really would have liked him to have gone along with Archer in the end.
The show was also good with continuity. I mean, I would have liked Archer to be found not guilty, but we know that Klingon/Human relations are bad until the 24th century, so that's not happening!
Tue, Dec 1, 2020, 10:29pm (UTC -6)
Mon, Jun 21, 2021, 6:26am (UTC -6)
Been there already (like O’Brien on Cardassia), but here there is nothing at stake (we all know Archer will get out), it lacks any interesting development for the characters, and presents weird stereotyped Klingon history / cultural commentary.
When O’Brien was tried on Cardassia it felt like it developed organically from the context of the Cardassian society as it had been presented over the series. It felt natural and believable and was interesting to watch through. Here it is manufactured and barely makes sense.
If the judge / system is corrupt or biased before the trial begins, why does he become suddenly open to fair arguments from the defense at the end? Same with the defense lawyer who does a 180, on the basis of what? Lousy speech from Archer? “It’s all worthless, the system is corrupt, society is in decay etc etc” - “On Earth a few guys made a difference” - “Ok you convinced me! I will defend you with almost no chance of success and risk my life for it, it’s worth it!”
Also tired of Archer meddling in foreign affairs, cow boy style, rather than exploring. I mean, sure, the poor refugees are being persecuted, but I actually agree that Archer is guilty here (if he acted within Klingon Empire space). These affairs should be reported to Starfleet / Vulcan High Command for them to resolve. Archer’s actions here could easily prompt a war with the Klingons. What an idiot, really should not be a captain, especially not the first one to roam the galaxy representing the human species!
Wed, Jul 21, 2021, 6:10pm (UTC -6)
Fri, Jan 20, 2023, 1:27pm (UTC -6)
That being said, I still consider it a half decent episode of Enterprise. Not the greatest, not the worse, just ok.
One thing I want to bring up that bugs me about the episode is a particular trope. This is not specific to this episode. Its a trope that comes up in a lot of Trek episodes.
I hate the Trek trope of showing slave labor working in mines with their bare hands, or with very basic mining tools like pickaxes. I know they depict it this way just to make it seem more brutal for the victims. But I find it hard to believe that mining technology / practices wouldn't be leagues more advanced in the Trek universe, even in labor colonies. Heck, it would probably be mostly automated in some places.
Wed, Oct 11, 2023, 2:51pm (UTC -6)
Thu, Nov 9, 2023, 1:31am (UTC -6)
I'm not as deep into Trek, so I'm pretty sure my little scenario is probably incompatible with the actual lore.
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