Tribunal (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Last updated

"Tribunal"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 25
Directed by Avery Brooks
Written byBill Dial
Featured music Jay Chattaway
Cinematography by Marvin Rush
Production code445
Original air dateJune 6, 1994 (1994-06-06)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Collaborator"
Next 
"The Jem'Hadar"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2
List of episodes
Avery Brooks both directed the episode and played the role of Sisko. QTXP 20121019 Destination Star Trek London MG 2144.jpg
Avery Brooks both directed the episode and played the role of Sisko.

"Tribunal" is the 25th and penultimate episode of the second season of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the 45th episode overall. It was the first episode of the series to air after the conclusion of Star Trek: The Next Generation , the series of which Deep Space Nine was a spinoff.

Contents

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on Deep Space Nine , a space station near the planet Bajor, as the Bajorans recover from a brutal, decades-long occupation by the authoritarian Cardassians. This episode provides a look at the Cardassian judicial system as DS9's operations chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) is put on trial on Cardassia, where the accused is declared guilty before the trial even begins.

This is the first of nine episodes of Deep Space Nine directed by Avery Brooks, who also played the role of Benjamin Sisko on the series. [1] [2]

Plot

On his way to leave for a vacation with his wife Keiko, Miles O'Brien runs into an old Starfleet crewmate, Raymond Boone, who served with him years earlier in the battle of Setlik III. The two old comrades chat briefly and part ways. Shortly after their departure, the O'Briens' runabout is stopped by Cardassians, who search the ship and arrest Miles.

He is taken to a prison on Cardassia Prime and "processed"; his clothes are torn off and he is injured while resisting the guards. He meets his appointed advocate, Kovat, whose job is not to secure an acquittal but to engineer O'Brien's cooperation so that the people of Cardassia can perceive that justice is being done. No one will tell O'Brien what the charges against him are.

Back on Deep Space Nine, Keiko and Commander Sisko are informed that O'Brien has been declared guilty and sentenced to death, and will have a ceremonial "trial" in which the verdict is read. DS9's security chief Odo uses a legal technicality to get himself appointed to the team representing O'Brien. He and Keiko depart for Cardassia.

Meanwhile, the crew of Deep Space Nine discovers that a number of warheads have been stolen and have probably ended up in the possession of the Maquis, a faction that has been attacking the Cardassians. Major Kira finds a recording of O'Brien's voice requesting access to the warheads, but Lt. Dax finds evidence that the recording is a fabrication. When Odo offers to produce this evidence, the judge refuses to accept it.

The senior officers, working under the assumption that the Maquis stole the warheads, identify Boone as the person O'Brien spoke to prior to departing the station. A shadowy figure tells Dr. Bashir that Boone is not a Maquis agent and that the Maquis had nothing to do with the theft of the warheads. The crew finds evidence that Boone exhibited a major personality change about eight years earlier. When Bashir examines him, he finds that the man is not the real Boone, but a Cardassian surgically altered to look like him; the real Boone had been captured and presumably killed. They conclude that the impostor was sent by the Cardassian High Command to steal the warheads and frame O'Brien as a Maquis collaborator, with the goal of forcing the Federation to remove its colonies along the demilitarized zone. As O'Brien's trial is about to conclude, Sisko enters the courtroom with the impostor; knowing that the deception is about to be exposed, the judge releases O'Brien. He and Keiko are finally able to leave for their vacation.

Reception

In 2016, Medium recommended "Tribunal" in their abbreviated watch guide for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. [3] Tor.com gave it a 6 out of 10 rating. [4]

Releases

This episode, along with "The Jem'Hadar", was released on one VHS cassette in the United Kingdom, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vol. 23 - Tribunal/The Jem' Hadar. [5]

This episode was released in 2017 on DVD with the complete series box set. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

"The Maquis" is a two-part episode from the second season of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"Cardassians" is the 25th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the fifth episode of the second season.

"A Man Alone" is the fourth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

"The Homecoming" is the 21st episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the first of the franchise-first three-part episode story arc, and the first episode of the second season.

"Whispers" is the 34th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is the 14th episode of the second season.

"Call to Arms" is the 26th and final episode of the fifth season of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 124th episode overall. This episode marks the start of the show's celebrated Dominion war story arc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What You Leave Behind</span> 25th and 26th episodes of the 7th season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"What You Leave Behind" is the series finale of the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 175th and 176th episodes, the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. The episode was written by showrunner Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler and directed by Allan Kroeker. It originally aired the week of May 31, 1999.

"Treachery, Faith, and the Great River" is the 156th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the sixth episode of the seventh season. It was first aired the week of November 2, 1998. The teleplay was written by David Weddle and Bradley Thompson, based on a story by Philip Kim, and directed by Steve Posey. When it was aired on television in November 1998, the episode received Nielsen ratings of 4.8 points corresponding to over 4.7 million viewers.

"The Adversary" is the 72nd episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the season finale of the third season.

"The Dogs of War" is the 174th and penultimate episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 24th of the seventh season. It is the eighth of the nine-episode story arc concluding the series. This episode was written by René Echevarria and Ronald D. Moore, based on a story by Peter Allan Fields, and was directed by Avery Brooks, who also played the role of Captain Benjamin Sisko.

"When it Rains..." is the 171st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the fifth of the final nine-episode arc of the series. This episode was directed by Michael Dorn and written by Rene Echevarria. It was first aired in broadcast syndication on May 3, 1999.

"Things Past" is the 106th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the eighth episode of the fifth season.

"Destiny" is the 61st episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 15th episode of the third season.

"Strange Bedfellows" is the 169th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is one of eight episodes of Deep Space Nine directed by Rene Auberjonois, who also played the role of Odo on the series.

"Fascination" is the tenth episode of season three of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 56th episode overall.

"Rapture" is the tenth episode of the fifth season, and the 108th episode overall, of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Its premiere was watched by 5.8 million people.

"For the Uniform" is the 111th episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 13th episode of the fifth season. First broadcast on February 3, 1997, the episode's premiere was watched by 5,680,000 viewers. It was written by Peter Allan Fields. It continues the storyline started in the episode "For the Cause". The storyline concludes in the episode "Blaze of Glory".

"Blaze of Glory" is the 121st episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 23rd episode of the fifth season. The episode aired on television on May 12, 1997. The episode concludes a three-part storyline started in the episode "For the Cause" and continued in "For the Uniform".

"Behind the Lines" is the fourth episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, 128th episode in the science fiction show.

"The Way of the Warrior" is the first episode from the fourth season of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, counting as the 73rd and the 74th episodes overall as it is a double-length episode. Michael Dorn joins the cast of Deep Space Nine as Worf, a character originating on the preceding series, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

References

  1. DeCandido, Keith R. A. (October 4, 2013). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "Tribunal"". Tor.com. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  2. "Star Trek: Every Actor Who Also Directed Episodes Or Movies". ScreenRant. April 9, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  3. Temkin, Max (May 17, 2017). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine In 82.5 Hours". Medium. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  4. DeCandido, Keith R. A. (October 4, 2013). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "Tribunal"". Tor.com .
  5. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Vol. 23 - Tribunal/The Jem' Hadar". www.videocollector.co.uk. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
  6. TrekNews net Staff (February 10, 2017). "[REVIEW] Deep Space Nine Complete Series DVD Box Set". TrekNews.net. Retrieved January 19, 2022.