Judgment (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Captain Archer finds himself in the witness stand of a Klingon tribunal where he's charged with both aiding rebels opposed to the Empire and of attacking a Klingon ship. In his cell, under the pretext of needing to be checked for contagion, Archer is visited by Doctor Phlox, who gives Archer an update that efforts to have him released are under way. Archer tells Phlox to relay a message, that no matter what the outcome, Sub-Commander T'Pol will leave orbit and keep the Enterprise's crew safe. In the chamber, the prosecutor, Orak, faces off against Archer's advocate, a veteran of the courts named Kolos.

Orak calls as his first witness Second Weapons Officer (formerly Captain) Duras to testify—a process in which Archer is not allowed to interject. Duras then relates a biased tale of himself confronting a belligerent Archer, who supposedly fires on the Klingon ship first. Archer cannot hold his tongue, and is quickly silenced with pain sticks by the tribunal guards. Back in the cells, Kolos is tasked with offering Archer a deal. Rather than plea bargain, Archer insists that Kolos actually work harder to put up a valid defense. In response, Kolos relates how the judiciary used to be about the law and honor, but more recently the warrior mindset meant that victories became the accepted norm.

Kolos re-enters the court and advocates for Archer's right to testify based on an archaic judicial charter. Archer is permitted to relate his tale of helping the neglected refugees and merely damaging the Klingon warship, giving Kolos the chance to relate the numerous times Archer has helped the Empire in the past. Archer, however, is still found guilty and is sentenced to life on the Klingon dilithium mining planet of Rura Penthe. Kolos protests, and is himself sentenced to a year at Rura Penthe. Meanwhile, T’Pol uses irregular back-door diplomatic channels and bribes to arrange to get the captain back. Kolos remains, deciding to obey the law he has served for so long with honor.

Archer's escape from Rura Penthe is referred to in the 51st episode "Bounty", when he is captured by a bounty hunter. In the season finale, "The Expanse", there is a subplot where he is again pursued by Duras.

The Klingon colony where Archer's tribunal takes place, Narendra III, was an important plot point in the 1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise".

In the 1991 film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy are held prisoner by the Klingons, and sentenced to work in the mines of Rura Penthe. The Klingon courtroom in "Judgment" was also made to look like the one from this film, and the judge also bangs a metal ball that creates sparks.

In 2014, The A.V. Club gave this episode an honorable mention in their list of recommended Enterprise television episodes.[1]

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