Star Trek: Enterprise Episode Review
Season 2, Episode 19
Archer is captured by the Klingons and placed on trial for crimes against the Empire.
At face value, "Judgment" looks like little more than a fanservice-fueled homage to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Writer David A. Goodman seems to have set out to make a whole episode out of the brief but memorable Klingon justice set pieces in the courtroom and Rura Penthe. Like with all fanservice trips, this approach runs the risk of being a shallow series of familiar images, with the fan-pleasing nostalgia prioritized over storytelling. Luckily, "Judgment" avoids that pitfall. The fanservice is very well executed, yes, but it is all the better because the story crafted around it is genuinely compelling. The episode barges out of the gate with a strong in medias res opening, makes good choices with its characters, and gives the most nuanced portrayal of the Klingons since Deep Space Nine.
The visual centerpiece of the episode is the Klingon courtroom. The Enterprise production team succeeds at converting a signature big-screen set piece for a smaller set and TV budget. Though not quite matching the fidelity of the The Undiscovered Country, it is miles more impressive than Voyager's analogous attempt at the First Contact's signature Borg Queen assembly sequence in "Dark Frontier." "Judgment" completely recaptures the style and atmosphere of the original, replicating even the camera angles. The Rura Penthe scenes are recreated with similar attention to detail. At times, this heightens the direction and presentation of the episode to near-cinematic levels.
"Judgment" doubles down on the fanservice by also including overt Next Generation references, going as far as to give Archer his own Duras family rival. On one hand, I can acknowledge that this stretches credulity and is probably the weakest element of the episode. However, the Trek fan in me finds it exciting that Enterprise manages to tie together elements from multiple eras of Trek history. Enterprise feels quite generic for much of its second season, so it feels very refreshing to watch something so purposefully and necessarily a Star Trek prequel.
After so many appearances across the franchise, Klingons can be hit or miss and aren't automatically compelling, so the actors behind them are central to any Klingon episode's success. Just like "Cease Fire," "Judgment" benefits from a troupe of experienced sci-fi actors who understood the assignment and nailed it. J.G. Hertlzer cemented himself in Trek history as the iconic Klingon Martok on Deep Space Nine. He is similarly great here as Kolos, the sympathetic Klingon lawyer who laments the violent decline of his society. John Vickery (previously a Betazoid and a Cardassian, and also a Minbari on Babylon 5) excels as Orak, bringing plenty of the larger-than-life scenery chewing intensity that all good Klingons need.
The earnest focus on the Klingons in "Judgment" takes them from the generic baddies role to something more interesting. Up to this point, Enterprise had really failed to make the Klingons work. There was some mystery surrounding them in "Broken Bow," but they were really only present for one scene. After this, they were only trotted out when a bland script needed a little more oomph ("Unexpected," "Sleeping Dogs," "Marauders"). This is a sensible approach, but disappointing from a prequel that could be doing more with the iconic aliens. It also lessens the impact each time they show up; their reveal in "Marauders" is supposed to be a big moment, but it doesn't have the impact that the script wants it to. "Judgment" sharply refocuses on the Klingons, justifying its fanservice by making a genuinely insightful addition to their lore. The idea that the Klingons were once a more cultured society that fell into their barbaric ways adds a shade of tragedy to the familiar foes. Rewatching the courtroom scenes in The Undiscovered Country, there is a Klingons have forgotten the morality that Kolos fought for.
Scott Bakula cited "Judgment" as his favorite episode of Star Trek: Enterprise. It isn't hard to see why. This episode puts Archer at the heart of a dialogue-driven drama, rather than his more typical phaser fights. Though he cannot join in the theatricalities of the Klingon characters, Bakula is front and center throughout the story, delivers some of his best dialogue in the two-hander scenes with J.G. Hertzler, and gets a new nemesis to boot.
