O'Brien must suffer! The brutal Cardassian justice system we've heard mention of in recent episodes is shown to us in all its glory, and it's quite terrifying. The accused is always guilty and the trial is just there to demonstrate what they are guilty of. Leave it to Chief O'Brien to be the one caught up in all of it.
The episode is tense and uncomfortable and gives us our first look at Cardassia Prime, a totalitarian world in which propaganda broadcasts are relayed throughout the streets. The trial that Miles has to endure is almost funny in its ridiculousness, but serves as a stark reminder that things like this have happened on Earth, and indeed still do happen.
The episode builds up with very little light at the end of the tunnel and then ends abruptly and nonsensically. Sisko and co. just march in with their prisoner and that's the end of that. It's not satisfying and derails what could have been a stellar show. How did Sisko get in there? Why was fake Boone's plan so flawed as to just use a doctored recording of O'Brien's voice that was discovered almost instantly? Odo does very little but delay proceedings until just the right moment and doesn't inspire much confidence as a lawyer.
I can't help but feel a bit sorry for Kovat, who seems to think he'll now be executed!
loading replies
@lefthandedguitarist O'Brien must suffer!
