"In medias res" is a Latin phrase describing a story that opens at a climax, exposing the back-story afterwards. "Ad nauseum" is a Latin phrase describing "Enterprise" doing it episode after episode. This time Archer inexplicably faces Sparky, magistrate at a Klingon tribunal. Sparky bangs his claw-ball repeatedly as Archer pleads not guilty. Starfleet and the Vulcans are trying to help, but all that and a quarter …

He's accused of aiding rebels to the Empire; he considers them refugees and refuses to turn them in (ready to die for them if needs be, like in "The Communicator"). He calls his advocate (Kolos) a 'fraidy cat, prodding him to mouth off to Sparky about judging fairly. This earns him a year with Archer in the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe (caves!) for the trouble. Security is lax though and Reed quickly bribes an escape. Archer quoting Margaret Mead inspires Kolos to remain behind, hoping to restore a little honor to his person if not also to his species (the different choice from the refugees).

Sooner or later some empire had to get irked at the Great Warrior's meddling, here a movie length story rushed on an episode's time. It seemed like an important segment of an arc with misfit pieces, without an integrated "Canamar" or the aggrieving Klingons from "Marauders" as evidence of Archer's crimes. And how again did the Klingons extract a Starfleet captain from his ship (that is, capture Archer from the bridge of Enterprise)?

The makeup work was excellent throughout, not only for the refugee/rebels but particularly the retro-Klingon with aggressive turtleshell and Fu Manchu mustache. Among the crew T'Pol got a few lines (nice to see her anticipate Archer's decisions) and Phlox appears to fool silly Klingons with a trivia answer. The rest were lucky with only a word or two. (Hoshi, who would have made a realistic translator, was kept to mere glances.) But visually the planet-ring's boulders were awesome, and it's good to see pain sticks introduce a new way for Archer to take a beating!

Archer is accused of being enemy of the state but to the kangaroo court (if not the audience) appears only as a nuisance. The real interesting story here is revealed as hints of dark things to come cast by the prosecutor going bellicose for no real reason, accusing Archer of committing an act of war and threatening to dispatch a fleet to Earth. Should something happen in the season finale, can anyone else possibly be unfairly blamed for it?