Really? Are we expected to take the entire episode of “Tribunal” – from premise to resolution – seriously? The whole story is an exercise in poorly contrived conflict. Even the final climactic moment is wholly inexcusable. The episode might have been forgiven its silly outcome had the journey itself been worthwhile. Unfortunately, that is not the case. At best we get a caricature of oppression, but because it is an entirely untenable institution, it proves to be almost worthless as a story element.

This episode is about Miles O’Brien facing a criminal trial on Cardassia. The first problem is that O’Brien is apprehended by Cardassians square in the middle of Federation (or at least Bajoran) territory. That the Cardassians would make such drastic rendition efforts would imply a crime of capital importance. Could it be that Miles is, somehow, a war criminal – a result of his actions during the war with Cardassia? That would, at the very least, provide a measure of character development. But no, instead we’re treated to an entirely contrived scenario whereby a Cardassian spy frames Miles for supplying arms to the Maquis, so that the Cardassians can somehow cast dispersions toward the Federation. So instead of a deeply compelling potential crime, we get a crime that didn’t happen at all.

Oh, and apparently, the Federation is fairly nonplussed at getting Miles back since we don’t hear one mention of swift and severe diplomatic repercussions for the forced rendition of a Federation citizen and Starfleet officer.

From here, we move to the “courtroom drama” plot device that Trek has often used to great effect because the proceedings often reveal something about character or theme. But Cardassia has the bizarre notion of convicting suspects before the trial. It’s an interesting idea in the abstract, because it challenges commonly held ideas about what “justice” might be. But in practice, Cardassian trials are nothing more than staged propaganda. The problem for the episode is that this doesn’t allow a single element of drama to be generated by way of the trial.

In other words, the dramatic benefit of the trial is lost because its outcome is predetermined. Miles is convicted already. But obviously, somehow, Miles will be vindicated (he isn’t leaving the show). So all that’s left is the empty process of the trial, which amounts to absolutely nothing, and the contrived turn of events to free Miles.  The entire proceeding devolves into both the defense conservator (lawyer) and the Archon (judge) explaining that Miles should confess, while Miles does little more than sit, agape, at the idiocy of the charade unfolding before him. None of this provides any real commentary on justice, nor does it inform about character, either.

And the way Miles is exonerated simply reeks of the worst kind of contrivance. As it turns out, the Cardassian spy was somehow surgically altered to look and sound just like one of Miles’ old war buddies. A brief fifteen-second encounter between the two (before Miles went off on vacation and was captured) was enough to allow the spy to record Miles’ voice and thus steal the weapons. Sisko & co. figure all of this out and as the trial is about to conclude, Sisko boldly walks into the courtroom, with the spy in custody.

Think about that for a moment.

Sisko, whose subordinate is on trial for crimes against the Cardassian Empire, is somehow allowed into Cardassian space? Allowed to beam down? With a Cardassian spy in custody?  Allowed to simply stroll, unannounced, into a courtroom whose proceedings are being televised live? It’s preposterous.

As is the almost the entire installment.

To be fair, there are a couple of decent elements to the episode. Odo’s turn as an advisor for Miles is well-played. And his presence in the courtroom provides the only really enjoyable element to that scene. Miles himself puts on a fairly convincing display of a man whose whole life is about to be destroyed by a hackneyed script. But that’s where the quality ends.

“Tribunal” is the worst sort of melodrama. From start to finish, almost nothing works. There are issues with the premise, with the pacing, with the dialogue. With just about everything.

Filed under: Deep Space Nine