The trial scene is often a lazy trope in both science fiction and fantasy, where a writer can quickly resolve issues that have been developing throughout the narrative in one fell swoop. If you need to explain your setting and the logic that you've created but aren't sure how, then just get a lawyer to be your mouthpiece, right?
There are some times when it just comes together perfectly though. The latest episode of Game of Thrones, titled The Laws of Gods and Men featured trial of Tyrion Lannister, accused of murdering his nephew, the late and unlamented king, Joffery Baratheon.
It's a testament to Peter Dinklage's acting that in an episode where trailers promised we'd get our first view of Braavos, and where Ramsay Bolton (formerly Snow) is going all berserker, people were still talking about a courtroom scene, but that got us to thinking about courtroom scenes in sci-fi and fantasy in general, and who got it right. Here are the most memorable ones.
1. Encounter at Farpoint
Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't really have the best first season, and the first episode was part of the reason why. For all its flaws though, Q's trial of humanity was an interesting look at the history of the Trek universe. If you are okay with over the top scenes, then the trial scene from the episode Encounter at Farpoint will be a favourite.
2. Measure of a Man
Star Trek really loves this trope, but The Next Generation made better use of it than the original series. In Measure of a Man, we have a trial by Starfleet, to determine whether Lt Cdr Data is a free being, or property. It's one of the most interesting episodes in the show, which looked at social issues instead of being all about space battles.
3. A Golden Crown
This first season episode of Game of Thrones can't be ignored when we're talking about great trials in science fiction and fantasy stories. The scene before the one given below is really what made Tyrion a fan favourite, but it's so full of objectionable language that we couldn't have put it up. The scene below has some wonderful acting by Dinklage, and honestly, the man has so much presence that you could just drop every other character from the show and we'd probably still watch.
4. Planet of the Apes
Not the current re-boot and certainly not the last remake, but rather, the original movie from 1968. This movie is definitely a product of its time - just listen to the background audio! We couldn't find the exact scene online, but there's a small part of it around the 1 minute mark in the video below.
5. The test of the Gom Jabbar
Not a courtroom scene but one of the greatest trials in a science fiction story, the test of the Gom Jabbar was one of the most memorable sequences in the book Dune. In this test, the Bene Gesserit (a power bloc that has been carrying out a massive, multi-planetary eugenics program) tests the protagonist to measure their self control. It's a frightening sequence, and one which informs decisions throughout the rest of the story.
These are the five most memorable courtroom scenes we thought of while watching Tyrion's trial. What were yours?
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