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Retro Review: The Magnificent Ferengi

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When Moogie is kidnapped, Quark and a group of Ferengi agree to meet with Dominion representatives on Empok Nor to negotiate.

Plot Summary: Though things seem to be going well for Quark financially, he is shocked to learn that his mother has been abducted by the Dominion while traveling to have her lobes lifted. Grand Nagus Zek offers a huge reward for her return, so Quark puts together a rescue team consisting of Rom and Nog, cousin Gaila, and hit man Leck. Sisko asks Starfleet to trade their Vorta prisoner, Keevan, for Moogie, and Quark is forced to take ex-liquidator Brunt along when Brunt offers his ship in exchange for a share in the reward and an opportunity to get back into Zek’s good graces. The Dominion agrees to meet the Ferengi at Empok Nor, though Keevan warns that it’s a trap and they will all be killed. Although Yelgrin, the Vorta holding Moogie, brings Jem’Hadar troops and indeed threatens to kill everyone, Quark successfully convinces him that he should trade for Keevan to learn what secrets the Vorta divulged to the Federation. But when Gaila learns that Quark lied about the amount of the reward so that Quark and Rom could keep the largest share, he shoots at Quark, killing Keevan instead. Nog is able to use a neural stimulator to make Keevan appear to be alive for long enough to make the prisoner exchange, but just as Yelgrin becomes suspicious, the Ferengi kill the Jem’Hadar soldiers and capture Yelgrin so Starfleet will have another Vorta prisoner. Moogie is proud and the Ferengi all anticipate many benefits from the Grand Nagus.

Analysis: For viewers who love Ferengi stories or Iggy Pop – or possibly “The Magnificent Seven,” though the connection is very tenuous – “The Magnificent Ferengi” is a gift. For the rest of us, well, this is an extremely silly episode. I don’t just mean the standard Stupid Ferengi Tricks, like excessive discussions of money and pointless sexist remarks that both sound less like parodies of our own era than a desire to reinject it into Gene Roddenberry’s universe. I mean the entire storyline, from the idea that the Dominion would negotiate with a renegade group of Ferengi for a prisoner exchange to the fact that we get no backstory on why the Dominion is seizing transport ships and why Starfleet seems unaware and unconcerned, though they’re willing to trade their most significant Dominion captive just because Kira asked Sisko to ask them. I’m all for levity during the Dominion War, and I’m all for family bonding, but episodes that strain credulity past the breaking point make it harder to care about the characters or the war because they start to seem like such contrivances. There’s a war going on, yet Ishka – whom Zek fell in love with for her brains, not her sexiness – travels offworld for plastic surgery to make herself feel more attractive? Then she’s pleased rather than appalled to have both sons, a grandson, and a nephew risk their lives to rescue her? How are we supposed to take her seriously as the feminist voice of Ferenginar while at the same time seeing her as the most frivolous of damsels in distress?

Certainly there are humorous moments that make the episode watchable, particularly the reaction shots from the extremely talented actors who play the Ferengi: Quark and Rom getting lost crawling through the station’s conduits and “accidentally” ending up at Sisko’s office, Iggy Pop’s Yelgrin and Cecily Adams’s Ishka discussing skin lotion and investment plans, the Ferengi relatives all exchanging a “we’re going to die” look as they head into the fray, and the ongoing deadpan Vorta complaints about Ferengi. Still, it’s hard to see how the Ferengi could hold off the Dominion for long except by sheer dumb luck like the sort that makes Nog realize the neural stimulators that can’t bring Keevan back to life can nevertheless keep Keevan animated long enough to rescue Ishka. Christopher Shea does a great job with the Weekend at Bernie’s aspect of playing the dead Vorta in that he manages to be more amusing than horrifying, but there’s something very creepy about the Ferengi’s comfort with treating bodies as possessions, particularly when one remembers both that Brunt once tried to dismember Quark while he was still alive and when one recalls that most Ferengi females are treated just as much like property as corpses. The ease with which Leck shoots Ishka in a holosuite rescue simulation is only slightly less repulsive than the ease with which Nog cuts his grandmother’s hand to prove that she’s not a changeling. Why would the Dominion trade one of their gods for an insignificant Vorta? It isn’t as if they believe they have anything to learn from the Ferengi.

If the plot had a single surprise element to develop one of the characters, Ferengi civilization, Dominion tactics, anything, it might have redeemed itself. But it’s excruciatingly predictable except for the bloody parts, like Keevan – whom Sisko took prisoner in Rocks and Shoals after trying not to have to commit wanton slaughter of Jem’Hadar – getting shot to death in a stupid altercation that had nothing to do with him, and Rom and the others gleefully massacring Jem’Hadar soldiers. Professional hit man Leck describes the entire operation as the sloppiest, most amateurish operation he’s ever seen, and I am tempted to say something similar about the story structure. Does anyone ever doubt that Quark will get caught in his lie about the reward, or that the Jem’Hadar will end up pulling weapons? Why doesn’t Zek, who holds the bulk of wealth on Ferenginar, hire professionals instead of Ishka’s bumbling sons to rescue his lover? Why doesn’t Quark go to Sisko for help right from the start, and why doesn’t Sisko offer Quark more military assistance, since even a small humiliation of the Dominion by this group of Ferengi would be good for Federation morale? Why have neither the Cardassians nor Starfleet stripped Empok Nor of all its valuable equipment by now, so that someone can use the pieces to repair other past and present Cardassian bases and Dukat can’t later set up a colony there? Considering that we didn’t get to see the recent, crucially important sabotage mission that Dax, O’Brien, and Bashir carried out to cut off the Jem’Hadar’s supply of ketracel-white, it’s hard to watch an episode-long waste of time like this.

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9 thoughts on “ retro review: the magnificent ferengi ”.

I don’t care. It’s frivolous fun. I loved the character of Yelgrun and the Ferengi bumbling nonsense was amusing. Normally I don’t like the Ferengi eps but this is the exception.

DS9 always did these massive lurchs in tone… so having this silly episode doesn’t detract, for me, from the war episodes. Some of the Ferengi episodes are dreadful… this one I quite like. And the late Hamilton Camp was a joy as usual as Leck.

One of my favorite DS9 episodes.

Never got the appeal of this one either.

I never got the appeal of DS9, either.

Exactly what I expected from my “favorite” reviewer who let her sense of humor die a short and painless death a long time ago.

This review is caught up in tiny irrelevant details while paying lips service to the idea that she gets that it’s supposed to be harmless fun while summarily refusing to have any. Using this episode as a sounding board for her disapproval of Ishka as a ferengi feminist role model? Really? What makes DS9 wonderful is how it embraces alien cultures enough to let everyone from Worf to Garak to Quark actually -act- like aliens. It’s perfectly reasonable to see Ishka swanning off for cosmetic surgery and superficial concerns in the middle of a war – she’s still a Ferengi! Also it’s odd to pass judgment on the Ferengi’s attitude toward death – they’re not human, isn’t that a liberating point? Bizarre review.

I actually agree with this review. It was painful to watch. And I am a huge ferengi fan. Even had a ‘graduate of the Ferengi school of Business’ sticker on my car. But the domian was so pathetic it made me wonder how they came to power in the first place.

Quite frankly, as soon as I see “Michelle” is doing the reviewing, I know it will be nothing but a master class in feminist projection.

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Originally shown to be unrepentant villains in  Star Trek: The Next Generation , the race known as the Ferengi really flourished once they appeared on  Deep Space Nine . With a strict culture that revolves around an exaggerated form of capitalism, the Ferengi were an interesting foil to their Federation counterparts.

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Whether they are making first contact with humans in  Enterprise , or being some of the most beloved characters on  Deep Space Nine , the Ferengi are one of the most memorable races in  Trek  history. While there are many great episodes that revolve around the Ferengi, some garnered higher scores on IMDb .

"Bar Association" (Deep Space Nine) - 7.4

Deep Space Nine  offered fans a deep look at Ferengi culture, but it also showed that not all Ferengi were the same. The episode "Bar Association" sees Rom organize a workers strike against the unfair conditions at Quark's bar.

Rom and his brother Quark have two different outlooks on life, and it caused quite a lot of conflict throughout the show. While Quark is more of a conservative who believes in classical Ferengi strictures, Rom shows that a Ferengi is capable of being so much more than an adherent to the rules of acquisition.

"Body Parts" (Deep Space Nine) - 7.4

One of the most important themes of the  Star Trek  universe is characters from disparate backgrounds working together in harmony, despite their differences. In "Body Parts", Quark learns that he is going to die soon, and ponders whether he should keep with Ferengi custom and auction off his body parts.

Never one to miss out on a chance to profit, Quark is torn between his desire to live, and the opportunity to make money. Meanwhile, many of the other members of the DS9 crew are revolted by the custom, but they eventually come to grips with the fact that it is from a culture that isn't theirs. Keeping with the  Star Trek  tradition, people of different races learn more about each other and find common ground in the end.

"Rules Of Acquisition" (Deep Space Nine) - 7.4

Outside of the Ferengi inhabitants of the station, many of the best episodes of  Deep Space Nine   revolved around other Ferengi characters. The episode "Rules of Acquisition" follows a female Ferengi named Pel who must go undercover as a man in order to conduct important business with another race. While she is negotiating, she begins to develop romantic feelings for Quark.

The traditional Ferengi culture is quite patriarchal, and most females of the race are subjugated to less than dignified roles. The episode is great because it shows a character daring to go against tradition and she puts her neck on the line to be a part of her society. While the episode is somewhat hampered by its love plot, it is still a fascinating insight into the Ferengi business culture.

"Acquisition" (Enterprise) - 7.5

Recounting one of the Federation's earliest encounters with the Ferengi, the episode "Acquisition" showed the race in their more combative period. When a crew of Ferengi pirates raid the Enterprise, Trip and T'pol are the only two crew members who are left conscious to fight back against the roving marauders.

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Showing how frightening the early days of warp travel could be, the episode's villains are somewhat reminiscent of the Ferengi of  The Next Generation . Fortunately for viewers, the pirates are given a healthy dose of personality, even down to their humorous foibles. Not known to be one of the most powerful alien races in  Star Trek , the Ferengi rely heavily on clever ruses to best their opponents.

"Who Mourns For Morn?" (Deep Space Nine) - 7.6

Morn was one of the funniest side characters in  Star Trek  history, and the quiet bar patron was always around in the background, or available for a quick gag. "Who Mourns For Morn?" finds Quark the sole inheritor of Morn's entire estate when he dies in a shuttle accident. Unfortunately for Quark, Morn's ex-wife arrives and threatens to sue Quark unless he cuts her in.

Faced with a character that surpasses his greediness, Quark begins to see the error of his ways, and misses his old patron. While Quark was usually frustratingly unfair to his friends and relatives throughout the show, he also grew and changed as the series went on. In the episode, fans got a chance to see his softer side come out.

"In The Cards" (Deep Space Nine) - 7.7

Giving the main characters a break for once, the episode "In the Cards" gave two of  DS9 's side characters a chance to relive their past. Jake Sisko and Nog decide to do anything to cheer up the captain who is dealing with the fatigue of war. No matter what it takes, the duo goes all out to secure him a genuine Willie Mays baseball card.

Reminiscent of the early episodes of the series that featured the younger Sisko and Nog getting into trouble, "In the Cards" is a pleasant bit of nostalgia. Nog and Jake's friendship is an important part of  DS9 lore and shows that the two races are not so different, and are capable of getting along swimmingly.

"House Of Quark" (Deep Space Nine) - 8.0

Not only is "House of Quark" a great Ferengi episode, but it is also one of the best Klingon episodes as well. Quark finds himself in hot water when he is forced to marry a Klingon woman after wrongfully taking credit for the death of her husband.

Not known for his physical prowess, Quark is in over his head with the abrasive Klingons that he runs into. The episode is a humorous detour for the series, and shows that Ferengi culture not only clashes with human culture, but Klingon as well. Ultimately, Quark finds a way to work his way out of the jam, but not without a few bumps and bruises first.

"The Magnificent Ferengi" (Deep Space Nine) - 8.1

"The Magnificent Ferengi" casts Quark and his fellow Ferengi in an unfamiliar role, that of a band of action heroes. When Quark's mother is kidnapped by the Dominion, the barkeep must assemble a crack team of Ferengi to rescue her from the clutches of evil.

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With a heaping helping of humor and excitement, "The Magnificent Ferengi" allows the race to shine like few episodes had before. Though they aren't necessarily suited for gung-ho action, their unique talents all blend together to help save the day in the end. As their leader, Quark gets to show off the best aspects of his personality, and he acts purely out of love for his mother, and not for any financial gain.

"The Dogs Of War" (Deep Space Nine) - 8.2

Though the Ferengi plot is buried amongst the many other threads of the episode, "The Dogs Of War" offers a view into the Ferengi political situation after the end of DS9 . With the Dominion War raging in the background, the Grand Nagus arrives on the station to tell Quark that he has been hand picked as his successor to the title.

Given the opportunity to make more money than he ever could before, Quark is nevertheless torn between profit, and the emotional gains he made during the series. While the offer is incredibly tempting, Quark isn't necessarily the Ferengi he was when the series first started, and he pauses to reflect. "The Dogs of War" was the last major Ferengi moment in the series, and was a fitting end to their arc.

"Little Green Men" (Deep Space Nine) - 8.4

Generally regarded as one of the best episodes in Star Trek  history , "Little Green Men" attempted to explain one of recent history's greatest mysteries. When escorting Nog to Earth for his Starfleet Academy training, Quark, Rom, and Nog are transported back in time to the year 1947.

Fleshing out the infamous Roswell UFO crash of the late 1940s, the episode is a hilarious romp through the past. Coming face to face with aliens leaves the humans perplexed, and it is funny to think that the Ferengi were the inspiration for the classic grey alien design. Ultimately though, the episode gives the close-knit family one last chance to bond before Nog is sent away to the Academy.

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A Complete History of the Ferengi in Star Trek

One of the most controversial Star Trek: The Next Generation creations were the Ferengi, but they became an important alien species in its history.

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The ferengi where created as the 'new klingons', the history of the ferengi alliance in star trek, the redemption of the ferengi as a species, the future of the ferengi and star trek.

There are countless interesting alien species in the Star Trek universe, and they have rich histories both in the narrative and off-screen. While some species like Vulcans or Klingons are immediately iconic, others take some time to ingratiate themselves with the fan community. The history of the Ferengi is one such story, since Star Trek fans took some time to warm up to the aliens that were meant to be a critique of capitalism . In fact, the idea that the Federation had moved beyond capitalism was present in the universe since the Star Trek: The Original Series era.

While developing Star Trek: Phase II , Gene Roddenberry and his writers tried to figure out how the universe of the Federation continued to evolve. The first attempted sequel series would've been a mash-up of The Original Series era settings and characters, along with new elements to expand the universe. That series, however, evolved into Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the successive film series. However, for the 20th anniversary of the universe, Paramount tapped Roddenberry to create a new series, this time set well into the future so as not to bump up against the films. It was through this process that the Ferengi were created by Roddenberry to have a huge role in the next chapter of his Star Trek universe .

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When assembling the Phase II leftovers into Star Trek: The Next Generation , there were some changes that Roddenberry made. One such change was the idea that Klingons would no longer be the antagonists they were before, especially with the addition of Worf. Thus, he created the Ferengi and tapped producer Herbert J. Wright to further develop the species. Because the 1980s seemed to celebrate the idea of greed, the newest antagonists were meant to be a critique of that kind of capitalism. The Ferengi had a Hollywood twist, too, coming from "the stereotype of agents and lawyers being cutthroat, greedy and wanting only money," Wright told Cinefantastique in 1990.

After the first appearances of the Ferengi, fans hated them , and they were alone. Season 2 head writer Maurice Hurley also didn't enjoy the new antagonists. He called them "a waste of time" and said he was the "lone voice" speaking against them. Thus, when he took over, it was "good-bye Ferengi. They're out of here. Bring on the Borg!" he said in The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. However, it wasn't over for them. When Deep Space Nine debuted, the show rehabilitated the Ferengi beyond the single-note villains they were in The Next Generation .

Actor Armin Shimerman wanted to fix his mistake , in his view, in how he defined the species through his performance in Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1, Episode 5 "The Last Outpost." The Ferengi became a massive part of that series. They also appeared in both Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise , as well as showing up as background aliens in Star Trek: Discovery . Even with a rough beginning, the Ferengi found their place in the franchise and are here to stay.

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In the Star Trek universe, the Ferengi have a long history with "hew-mans" despite not making official first contact with the Federation until the 24th Century. One time-travel adventure that changed Star Trek canon was the Deep Space Nine Season 4 episode "Little Green Men" when a time-travel anomaly sent Quark, Rom and Nog to Roswell, New Mexico in the 1950s. The Ferengi purchased warp drive technology in the mid-22nd Century but remained a mysterious merchant race. A group of Ferengi boarded and took over the NX-01 Enterprise in Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1's "Acquisition." While some aliens like the Bolians, Menk and Valakians knew of them, Vulcans and humans did not.

In the mid-24th Century, the USS Stargazer under the command of Captain Picard encountered Ferengi, which attacked. He used a "high warp" trick which made the Stargazer seem to be in two places at once, later called the Picard Maneuver. They were eventually identified in "The Last Outpost," considered the official first contact moment. They had successive hostile contacts with the USS Enterprise-D, including personal revenge against Picard himself for that first attack. Many Ferengi still tried to menace the Federation, such as the group that encountered the USS Voyager through an unstable wormhole.

Through their interaction with the Federation on Deep Space 9, the Ferengi became cautious allies of Starfleet . Under Grand Nagus Zek, and his successor Rom, the Ferengi society underwent reforms. Women gained more rights, and the Ferengi even helped oppose the Dominion. Under Zek's successor, Grand Nagus Rom, the Ferengi Alliance joined the Federation in the late 24th Century when Captain Freeman out-negotiated him during Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4, Episode 6, " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ."

How Deep Space Nine Elevated the Ferengi From Jokes to Serious Characters

During the run of Deep Space Nine , the Ferengi culture was further defined in ways The Next Generation never did. In fact, as the conflicts in that series between Starfleet and the Maquis, the Cardassians and Dominion unfolded, they became the conscience of the series. Quark often talked about how war was not good for "profit," however he, Rom and, especially, Nog were principled, moral characters. Rom left his brother's employ to become an engineer working for the Bajorans. However, it was his son Nog who had the most impact as a Ferengi on the universe.

Nog was the only other young character on the station, becoming fast friends with Jake Sisko. The latter, however, didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps and join Starfleet. Looking up to Captain Sisko, and with his help, Nog became the first Ferengi to join Starfleet . Later, Nog was injured in a battle against the Dominion, which led to the amputation of his leg. Nog had to overcome that trauma with the help of sentient hologram, Vic Fontaine . By the end of the series, he'd earned a promotion and, as far as canon goes, is still serving the galaxy with distinction.

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When the USS Discovery time traveled to the 32nd Century and helped rebuild Starfleet and the Federation, the Ferengi were still there . An unnamed captain was seen amongst the ranks of Starfleet officers. Even as founding members like Earth and Ni'Var (the renamed Vulcan) left it behind, the Ferengi stayed loyal to the idealistic galactic union. When the new series Starfleet Academy debuts, it's quite possible that more Ferengi characters will be introduced among the cadets or, perhaps, the academy professors. Perhaps by this time in the future, they'd left behind their capitalist ways, no longer caring about profit or gold-pressed Latinum.

On Star Trek: Lower Decks the Ferengi have appeared in a number of episodes, beyond the one in which the Ferengi Alliance officially joined the Federation . It was revealed that Quark is still on Deep Space 9, though his eponymous bar has become a franchise with locations all across the galaxy. Another Ferengi named Quimp is friends with Mariner and appeared in Lower Decks Season 1's "Envoys" impersonating a cruel, criminal so that her friend Brad Boimler could "save" her. Later, in "Part Ferengi's Heart Place," he helped Mariner get to the root of her malaise about her promotion and future in Starfleet.

Despite almost disappearing from Star Trek entirely in the early TNG seasons , the Ferengi have become as vital a part of the universe as any aliens. While they didn't become the "new Klingons" as was originally envisioned, their impact on galactic history is perhaps more profound because of it. Like most Star Trek antagonists, they've gone from simple villains to becoming full-fledged allies of Starfleet. Whatever is next for the Ferengi in this universe, it's bound to be interesting.

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The Magnificent Ferengi

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Quark leads a Ferengi team after his mother is captured by the Dominion.

• 2.1 Characters
• 2.2 Locations
• 2.3 Starships
• 2.4 Races and cultures
• 2.5 States and Organizations
• 2.6 Other references
• 3.1 Background information
• 3.2 Related stories
• 3.4 External links
• 3.5 Connections

Summary [ ]

References [ ], characters [ ], locations [ ], starships [ ], races and cultures [ ], states and organizations [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], background information [ ].

• Before directing this episode, Chip Chalmers read The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition and Legends of the Ferengi . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion )

Related stories [ ]

• Keevan first appeared in " Rocks and Shoals ". The Lytasians were first mentioned in Legends of the Ferengi .
• Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko
• Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys
• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir
• Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Max Grodénchik as Rom
• Aron Eisenberg as Nog
• Jeffrey Combs as Brunt
• Chase Masterson as Leeta

External links [ ]

• " The Magnificent Ferengi " article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• The Magnificent Ferengi article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.

Connections [ ]

• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 Odyssey class
• 3 Akira class

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Magnificent Ferengi (Review)

In some ways, The Magnificent Ferengi serves as a logical end point for the Ferengi.

It is, after all, the last good Ferengi episode of the Berman era as a whole. The Dogs of War is not terrible, but it has serious problems. It looks much better following on from the double-header of Profit and Lace and The Emperor’s New Cloak , which rank among the worst episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ever produced. Then again, it is not like the other Star Trek series had much better luck, with Inside Man on Star Trek: Voyager and Acquisition on Star Trek: Enterprise also falling flat. However, there is more to it than that.

The comedy really Pops here.

The Magnificent Ferengi is an episode that revels in one of the franchise’s most reviled recurring alien species, serving as a grand celebration of the work that Ira Steven Behr has done with the Ferengi since The Nagus during the first season of Deep Space Nine . This is reflected within and without the text. The Magnificent Ferengi is  about a band of Ferengi who finally get to be the heroes of their own weird little war story. However, it’s also a celebration of how well-developed the species is that the episode has seven distinct major Ferengi characters.

Indeed, it could reasonably be argued that the best thing about The Magnificent Ferengi is that it puts a cap on the Ferengi as a concept, rendering any further Ferengi episodes completely superfluous to requirement.

Ira Steven Behr was a producer with esoteric interests. Most discussions of Deep Space Nine tend to focus on the bolder and more iconoclastic elements of the series, whether the needling of Gene Roddenberry’s utopia in episodes like The Maquis, Part I and The Maquis, Part II or the more experimental narrative choices like the long-form storytelling that led to the Dominion War. These aspects of Deep Space Nine are undoubtedly important and influential, but they are not the only contributions made by showrunner Ira Steven Behr.

It is interesting to look at Behr’s script credits on Deep Space Nine . As showrunner, Behr’s name is attached to most of the “big” episodes like season premieres and finales and epic two-parters; The Jem’Hadar , The Adversary , The Way of the Warrior , Broken Link , Apocalypse Rising , In Purgatory’s Shadow , By Inferno’s Light , Call to Arms , A Time to Stand , Favour the Bold , Sacrifice of Angels . However, Behr is also responsible for some of the weirder episodes; Prophet Motive , Through the Looking Glass , Shattered Mirror .

A Gaila premiere.

However, Behr invested a lot of time an energy in developing the Ferengi as a credible culture. His second teleplay credit on the show was The Nagus . He wrote two tie-in books centred on the culture, The Rules of Acquisition and Legends of the Ferengi . Behr made sure that each season of the show contained at least one episode focusing on Ferengi culture and traditions, many written by Behr and his writing partner; Rules of Acquisition , Family Business , Bar Association , Ferengi Love Songs . He also loved writing for Quark; Babel , Little Green Men , The Ascent .

Behr’s commitment to the Ferengi was striking, particularly since they had effectively been written off in the later seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation . They had been hinted at in Encounter at Farpoint and introduced in The Last Outpost as iconic new adversaries for the crew of the Enterprise. However, they were an immediate flop, appearing sporadically as unconvincing antagonists in early episodes like The Battle or Peak Performance . They were already a joke by the time Behr joined the series, serving as gag villains in The Price and Ménage à Troi .

Coming to Ishka’s (Promen)ade.

Behr responded to the Ferengi, seeing them as a relatively unique alien species in the larger context of the Star Trek mythos. To Behr, the Ferengi were a lot more familiar than the Klingons or the Vulcans :

Ferengi are us. That’s the gag, the Ferengis are humans. They’re more human than the humans on Star Trek because they’re so screwed up and they’re so dysfunctional. They’re regular people.

The Ferengi are not heroic individuals. They are clumsy. They are awkward. They are flawed. Quark is willing to compromise on his ideals in ways that Kira or Bashir would never fathom, whether selling arms in Business as Usual or making peace with the Dominion Occupation in A Time to Stand .

“We’re all ears here.”

However, this flawed nature makes the Ferengi more heroic in a way. The other characters might be skeptical of Quark, but the character has his own moral compass. Rom is perhaps the most innocent character in the entire cast. As The Magnificent Ferengi points out, it was Quark who freed the captive resistance in Sacrifice of Angels , which allowed Sisko to retake the station. It was Rom who set up the minefield in Call to Arms and who sabotaged the weapons in Sacrifice of Angels . It is Nog who joins Starfleet in Heart of Stone .

From their unique vantage point, the Ferengi seem to see truths about the universe. Quark explains the Federation as intergalactic root beer in The Way of the Warrior . Quark understands (and is entirely comfortable with) the kinds of moral compromises that Sisko has to make in In the Pale Moonlight . Quark can recognise the erosion of Federation ideals under pressure in The Siege of AR-558 . The Ferengi make first contact with the Dominion in Rules of Acquisition and The Jem’Hadar . They even get the first hints of the forthcoming Breen alliance in The Magnificent Ferengi .

Infirm opposition.

However, the Ferengi have never been heroes. They have generally been tricksters, characters who offer a wry commentary on the grand narrative arcs of the larger Star Trek franchise. Even in their most influential moments, whether suggesting minefield blockades or springing rebels from prison, the Ferengi are wild cards. They are not the unsung heroes of these stories. They are simply the clever twist in the tale, the most unexpected cavalry, the joker dealt from the bottom of the deck.

And so The Magnificent Ferengi feels like an attempt to correct this. It is an attempt to construct a story in which the Ferengi are unequivocal heroes. The name naturally evokes the classic western The Magnificent Seven , an adaptation of The Seven Samurai that finds a rag-tag bunch of cowboys assembled for one last heroic hurrah. In The Magnificent Ferengi , Quark is tasked with putting together a crack team of Ferengi to rescue his mother from the sinister clutches of the Dominion on Empok Nor.

Crack-up commandos.

Of course, it’s best not to worry too much about the ridiculous contrivances of the plot. Why did the Dominion kidnap Ishka in the first place? After all, the Ferengi have repeatedly been identified as non-combatants in this conflict, and the Dominion has worked hard to prove to non-combatants likes Bajor that it can be trusted? Even if they did kidnap her, why wouldn’t they immediately try to leverage her over Grand Negus Zek? Even if they don’t know about the relationship, they know she had “special dispensation” for a cosmetic operation?

More than that, why would Zek instruct Quark to embark upon a rescue mission to save Ishka? It seems like Zek genuinely cares about Ishka, but episodes like  The Nagus and Rules of Acquisition suggest that he doesn’t really have that much faith in Quark. Why wouldn’t Zek just hire a gang of Klingons or Nausicaans? Why wouldn’t Zek reach out to the Dominion himself? The plot for The Magnificent Ferengi hinges upon any number of ridiculous contrivances. But it doesn’t matter. They are not important.

“Yep, it’s a plot hole alright.”

The Magnificent Ferengi is both funny enough and focused enough that these logical leaps feel incidental. This is really about getting the Ferengi their moment in the sun, their opportunity to be heroes of their own Star Trek narrative. The Magnificent Ferengi hammers this theme heavily and repeatedly, from the teaser of Quark’s heroic negotiation story getting up-staged by the Defiant’s more conventional heroism through to the closing exchange between Quark and Rom. “So, brother,” Rom asks, “how does it feel to be a hero?”

Indeed, assembling this dirty half-dozen becomes a point of patriotic pride for Quark. “We could put together a commando team,” Rom suggests. “Gather the toughest mercenaries we can find. Nausicaans, Breen, Klingons.” Quark objects. “We don’t need Nausicaans, Breen or Klingons,” he states. “We’ll just use Ferengi.” He insists, “Ferengi can be just as tough as Klingons.” Even Rom seems unconvinced by this assertion. “They can?” he asks. Quark responds, “Of course they can.”

Surrendering their ambitions.

The first couple of acts of the episode loosely evoke the tone and style of House of Quark , a charming juxtaposition as Quark is thrown into a situation that he is ill-equipped to handle. After one disastrous training session, Quark confesses, “We’re wasting our time, Rom. We couldn’t get anywhere near Moogie, let alone rescue her.” Rom acknowledges, “I guess we’re not cut out to be heroes after all.” However, The Magnificent Ferengi pivots around this point. The problem is not that the Ferengi can’t be heroes, it is that they need to set their own narrative terms.

Sitting at the bar, reflecting on their situation, Rom has an epiphany. “Brother, I think we’ve been going about this the wrong way. We’re not commandos, we’re negotiators. We make deals. That’s what we’re good at. The Dominion has something we want, so we need to find something they want…” Quark finishes the thought. “And then we make a trade.” The Ferengi will not succeed by playing by the same rules as the Klingons or the Jem’Hadar. They will succeed by finding a way to shift the engagement to terms on which they can compete.

Cutting retorts.

Although there are certainly action beats in The Magnificent Ferengi , the episode suggests that the Ferengi succeed because they eschew traditional combat. The team only needs to kill two Jem’Hadar rather than an entire platoon, thanks to Quark’s shrewd negotiating. The team gets around the accidental death of Keevan through good old-fashioned hustle and false advertising. “Your people have a reputation for cunning,” Yelgrun acknowledges. “I see that it’s well earned.” It certainly is.

Indeed, The Magnificent Ferengi is a celebration of the failed antagonists in more than just its willingness to cede them the spotlight. It is also an acknowledgement of just how meticulously and carefully Ira Steven Behr has expanded and developed the Ferengi as a species. The Magnificent Ferengi features seven major Ferengi characters (Quark, Rom, Nog, Brunt, Gaila, Leck, and Ishka) and each of those seven characters has their own unique voice and characterisation. It is too much to say that they are all fully-formed, but they are all distinct.

Keeping them in the dark.

This is a remarkable demonstration of just how much energy Deep Space Nine has invested in the Ferengi. After all, it is hard to recall seven distinct Ferengi characters from the entirety of the run of The Next Generation . What is the difference between Letek in The Last Outpost and Bractor in Peak Performance , two early Ferengi played by Armin Shimerman? How might one distinguish Sovak in Captain’s Holiday from Par Lenor in The Perfect Mate, two slightly later Ferengi played by Max Grodénchik? However, the characters in The Magnificent Ferengi are all unique.

Quark is the leader of the bunch. Rom is his well-meaning idiot brother. Nog is a trained Starfleet officer. Brunt is a cowardly bureaucrat. Gaila is a convicted criminal and former arms’ dealer. Leck is a kill-crazy sociopath. Ishka refuses to be ignored, even in the middle of her own hostage exchange. To be fair, there is some slight redundancy there; both Brunt and Gaila are characterised as inept cowards. However, even then, there are shades to the characterisation; Brunt is just a bureaucrat out of his depth, while Gaila simply doesn’t really want to be there.

Bearing the Brunt of his animosity.

Even more impressive, none of these characters are entirely new. All seven major Ferengi guest stars were established in earlier episodes, although Leck was only fleetingly referenced in Ferengi Love Songs and might as well be a wholly original character. Still, Deep Space Nine has a deep enough bench of supporting characters that it can pluck five recurring Ferengi characters out of the ether without using Grand Negus Zek. It is an impressive testament to how carefully and meticulously the production team have built this world.

Indeed, The Magnificent Ferengi is populated with callbacks and references to earlier episodes, a reminder that the Deep Space Nine writing staff have embraced serialisation and long-form storytelling even beyond the season’s epic six-episode opening arc. The Magnificent Ferengi picks up with Brunt from Ferengi Love Songs and Gaila from Business as Usual . Keevan returns from Rocks and Shoals , and gets a pitch black comeuppance. Kira references the events of Sacrifice of Angels . There is a sense that even in a comedy episode, the past still has weight to it.

Hidden Jems.

The Magnificent Ferengi feels true to its characters. Keevan is the same slimy self-centred jackass who made his debut in Rocks and Shoals , just as creepy and manipulative. Yelgrun is played relatively straight, cut from the same clothe as Weyoun or Keevan. Even in the middle of a hostage negotiation, Yelgrun is still working on his sales pitch. “Perhaps one day the Ferengi will take their place as valued members of the Dominion,” he suggests to Quark. He also hints at negotiations with the Breen, which will pay off in Strange Bedfellows .

However, there is also the simple fact that The Magnificent Ferengi works so well because it is funny. This is the funniest episode of the sixth season, a season built around a horrific and brutal war that still finds time for no fewer than four separate comedy episodes. It is at least as funny as In the Cards . It is the funniest Ferengi episode since Little Green Men , if not since House of Quark . The episode is relatively cohesive in terms of internal logic, but it is also abundantly clear that the audience is never meant to take things too seriously.

One fer(angi) all..

The Magnificent Ferengi looks and feels like an episode that was great fun to produce. Jeffrey Combs conceded as much in an interview with Cinefantastique , citing it as one of his favourite episodes:

Recalled Combs, “As far as behind the scenes, I would say that one was the most fun, because you had seven character actors in this Ferengi makeup. Some of the things that we were doing just sitting around, or waiting for the camera to roll, some of the dialogue was really cool. It was great fun. I made some friends on that show, Josh Pais, and Hamilton Camp. I thought those guys would come back. They just ran out of time in terms of doing everything they wanted to do. I’m sure they would have loved to have The Magnificent Ferengi return.”

Of course, one suspects that a sequel episode might have undercut the charm significantly. After all, the mirror universe had become a source of diminishing returns. Still, it is hard to imagine a sequel being worse than Profit and Lace or The Emperor’s New Cloak .

This plan went down the tubes.

The jokes in The Magnificent Ferengi come thick and fast. There are all manner of great jokes from the outset, from the sly gag about a Ferengi travelling to Vulcan “to have her ears raised” through to the confusion of Quark and Rom arriving in Sisko’s office. The Magnificent Ferengi is packed with jokes that work on various levels, offering a very broad selection of humour that hits with surprising frequency. If an audience member doesn’t like an individual joke, there will be a different type of joke momentarily.

There is great banter. After a failed rescue simulation, Quark criticises Leck in particular. “This is the eighth run through and you haven’t been able to hit a single Jem’Hadar. And you shot Moogie.” Leck shrugs, “I saw we weren’t going to rescue her so I put her out of her misery.” Boarding the Ferengi shuttle that will take him to Empok Nor, Keevan warns his fellow travelers, “The moment we leave this station, you’ll have signed your death warrants.” His point made, he deadpans, “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a nap.”

“… you realize that there is such a thing as truly funny.”

There is well-observed character-driven comedy. When Quark is assembling his team, he understands exactly which buttons to push to get Nog to sign up. When Nog declines the first invitation, Quark reflects, “Too bad, though. We were going to make you Strategic Operations officer.” Nog pauses. “You mean like Commander Worf?” Quark agrees, “Exactly like Commander Worf.” It is an exaggeration of Nog’s anxieties and ambitions, the same characteristics that drive Valiant , but it is very much in character and well-observed.

There is even some great physical comedy, from the repeated sequences of the Ferengi scurrying like panicked mice through to the extremely dark fate of Keevan in the final act. Improvising after accidentally killing him, the Ferengi improvise a twenty-fourth century version of Weekend at Bernie’s . As zombie! Keevan staggers through the corridor, Yelgrun seems genuinely horrified. “What have they done to him?” he asks, perhaps all the better for not knowing.

Keevan’s career could use a shot in the arm.

The episode leaves zombie! Keevan stuck in a perpetual loop, like a really bad robot. Keevan is stuck forever, constantly walking into the same bulkhead, taking a step back, and trying again. It is an incredibly black piece of humour for a Star Trek episode, one that could easily feel like a monstrous violation of Keevan’s body. However, the image is just absurd enough that it works and Christopher Shea ensures that Keevan is so wonderfully skeevy that this feels like a fitting end, even if the audience missed his brutal betrayal of the Jem’Hadar in Rocks and Shoals .

It helps that the episode’s sense of reality is already heightened by the presence of a very special and very eccentric guest star. The Star Trek franchise has a long and interesting list of celebrity guest stars, from Mick Fleetwood in Manhunt to Christian Slater in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to the Rock in Tsunkatse . Even Deep Space Nine has its own long list of memorable guest stars, including the all-time great guest cast of Steven Berkoff, Josh Pais and Lawrence Tierney in Business as Usual .

He forgot one Kee(van) detail.

Still, Iggy Pop is a very memorable guest star. He is a beloved musician, but not a veteran actor. His role in The Magnificent Ferengi is not a cameo, but he is hardly a featured player. Keevan is featured more prominently than Yelgrun, who plays a major role in three scenes over the course of the episode. However, Iggy Pop is never sidelined or maginalised. No attempt is made to disguise his presence or to write around his relative lack of experience as a film and television actor. Iggy Pop is right there. Yelgrun is even introduced through his distinctive voice.

It is a very weird guest appearance, but one that fits the tone of the episode around it. There is something very surreal in seeing Iggy Pop’s face on a fairly standard  Star Trek alien, the prosthetics pronounced without obscuring his distinctive features. Unlike his frequently collaborator David Bowie, Iggy Pop never quite mastered a perfect screen persona. Iggy Pop is nowhere near as convincing as a manipulative Vorta as Jeffrey Combs or Christopher Shea. The Magnificent Ferengi would be a different episode if Combs pulled double duty as Weyoun.

And yet, it works. There is something ever so slightly “off” about Pop’s performance, in the same way that there is something ever so slightly “off” about his very presence in a Star Trek episode. Yelgrun seems curiously detached from the drama unfolding around him, never launching the same insincere charm offensive as Weyoun or Keevan. Iggy Pop delivers compliments and platitudes, but he never seems invested in them. It is almost as though Yelgrun has turned down his inner “diplomacy” setting because he is dealing with the Ferengi.

Instead, Pop’s performance works best when Yelgrun seems bemused or confused, aloof somewhere between genuine curious at the contours of his situation and bored out of his skull with what should have been a routine assignment. Pop plays Yelgrun as the straight man to the chaos around him, somebody who is game enough (and willing enough) to go along with the eccentricities of the Ferengi without feeling particularly invested in any of this.

Dis(Yel)gruntled.

There are points at which Yelgrun seems almost inscrutable. As Ishka and Nog fight over which one might be a Founder, Quark apologises, “Family. You understand.” Yelgrun responds, “Not really. I was cloned.” Pop delivers the line as a statement of fact, suggesting no real angst or curiosity, but some sense ambivalence. Rom wonders, “No parents? That explains a lot.” Ishka clarifies, “No parents, no sweetheart, no investment portfolio…” Yelgrun cuts her off, “And no patience.” It’s not a threat. It’s not especially rude. But it does suggest an edge to him.

Yelgrun’s final scene opens with Ishka raving about her latest skincare products. Yelgrun listens politely. He even runs his hand along her lobes to feel how smooth they are, acknowledging that they are pretty smooth. Once Ishka has made her pitch, he responds, “Fascinating. I’d love to hear more, but if your son doesn’t show up soon I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill you.” Pop’s delivery is delightfully deadpan. It is not campy. It is not sarcastic. It is not playful. It is not angry. It is just a statement of how things are. It’s a beautiful scene.

Cutting commentary.

The Magnificent Ferengi feels very much like the perfect place to leave the Ferengi, barring maybe the coda that plays out as a subplot to The Dogs of War . It is a celebration of all the work that Ira Steven Behr has done in fleshing out the Ferengi and instilling them with a weird sense of dignity that was so sorely lacking during their appearances on The Next Generation . It is confirmation that Behr has fashioned the Ferengi into a multifaceted species that can produce seven unique characters and stand at the centre of a (slightly warped) heroic narrative.

More than that, The Magnificent Ferengi is just fun. It is packed to the brim with clever jokes and wry observations, built into a straightforward plot that balances very carefully between having enough substance to sustain an hour without ever suffocating the jokes. The Magnificent Ferengi is… well, magnificent.

You might be interested in our reviews of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine :

• A Time to Stand
• Rocks and Shoals
• Sons and Daughters
• Behind the Lines
• Favour the Bold
• Sacrifice of Angels
• You Are Cordially Invited…
• Resurrection
• Statistical Probabilities
• The Magnificent Ferengi
• Who Mourns for Morn?
• Far Beyond the Stars
• One Little Ship
• Honour Among Thieves
• Change of Heart
• Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night
• Inquisition
• In the Pale Moonlight
• The Reckoning
• Profit and Lace
• Time’s Orphan
• The Sound of Her Voice
• Tears of the Prophets

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Filed under: Deep Space Nine | Tagged: comedy , Ferengi , funny , Ira Steven Behr , Quark , star trek , star trek: deep space nine , the magnificent ferengi , vorta |

14 Responses

This was one of the episodes that I watched expecting disappointment, and then was pleasantly surprised that they pulled it off pretty well. Loved the scene with Keevan – it’s rare that Star Trek will actually make me laugh out loud but that scene cracked me up.

I wouldn’t recognize Iggy Pop if I saw him on the street, but I thought Yelgrun was a nice difference from other Vorta simply because he wasn’t being an ingratiating creep so much as deadpan serious.

Keegan is a fantastic character, delightfully wry and deadpan.

Do you mean Keevan, Yelgrun or both Darren?

Both! Sure, why not?

Both Vorta and Ferengi in this episode are priceless. The stark comparison in the matter of their nature makes an impossibly absurd frontal clash. Although it’s not really that frontal for Ferengis; they basically hide behind Keevan’s dead-walking body. And we’ve got to see a rather different kind of Vorta; not necessarily good, but still different.

It’s a great episode – great for laugh, great as in consistent characteristics, great to provide a much-needed diversity. I remember the first time i watched it, I was seriously considering what it would be if the Ferengis were the main decision-making force in the confront with the Domanion. Like Quark once pointed out, it would be totally different and perhaps less deadly.

Have watched this episode many times, always can’t help laughing at Keevan’s last words “I hate Ferengi” and Yelgurn’s confusion at Keevan’s odd-style walking. It is horrifying but such a suitable end for that selfish and cunning bastard, and feels like a prophet of the Founders’ fate.

It is a fantastic little episode. If Waltz should have been the last Dukat episode, then The Magnificent Ferengi should have been the last Ferengi episode.

Rewatching it, I noticed that both Quark and Nog were laughing right at the end of the ep, when they were trying to “turn Keevan off”. I doubt that was in the script, but I’ll bet there’s some behind-the-scenes story there.

Also, when Quark and Rom accidentally enter Sisco’s office at the beginning, I really like that Sisco was kind of sitting there silently, as if awaiting them. He wasn’t doing paperwork or engaging in negotiations via viewscreen.

“Wrong turn.”

“Looks that way.”

Great gag in a great episode.

For a long time, The Magnificent Ferengi topped my personal list of best episodes of DS9. It no longer occupies that position but it’s definitely near the top of the tree when it comes to Ferengi episodes, only nudged into second place by Little Green Men.

Being a Ferengi episode you know beforehand it will be a comedic one, not a genre blessed with glittering examples, but unlike its S6 stablemate Profit and Lace, The Magnificent Ferengi is a howlingly funny success (the other was just howling).

It’s all the more welcome at this time in DS9’s history but in spite of the risk of becoming too broad and farcical, it never becomes either (Profit and Lace on the other hand…). The joy of it is the way it takes disparate Ferengi from a lot of disparate episodes and brings them together to form one classic episode.

The plot is no great shakes – an inept group of losers are forced to team up and we watch them bumble they’re way towards a happy ending, complete with all of the obligatory cliches of the genre. But in spite of that, The Magnificent Ferengi is remarkably successful.

Like you said Darren, all the Ferengi are clearly defined and each one brings something, even relative newcomers like Josh Pais and Hamilton Camp. But the veteran Ferengi anchor the story so that it never loses sight of what is at heart a rather risky endeavour – rescuing Ishka from the Dominion (it was to be the Nagus but Wallace Shawn’s unavailability shot that idea in the head).

The episode overcomes the bumps in the screenplay by several inspired ideas. One is the use of Empok Nor, the Cardassian space station that was the setting of such misery and mayhem last year, put towards a very different use this time. It forms the second part of a trilogy (the final one Covenant is next year) where Empok Nor is used as the backdrop for whatever the writers need it to be, from horror to comedy and back again.

But the most inspired touch is the casting of rock god Iggy Pop as Yelgrun, the Vorta the Dominion send to trade Ishka for Keevan (last seen in Rocks and Shoals). Usually when singers and pop stars get it into they’re heads that they can be actors too, the results are cringeworthy. Just look at Madonna’s failed attempts at an acting career. One rare exception was David Bowie, who did possess acting ability (which was no different from taking on different personas in his heyday). Bowie played aliens Ziggy Stardust and The Man Who Fell to Earth and Iggy Pop does equally great work here as Yelgrun.

Pop lacks Bowie’s charisma but his flat delivery works rather well as a Vorta. Yelgrun freely admits he’s a clone, one that hasn’t been programmed with Weyoun or Kilana’s diplomatic skills. Its clear he regards this whole assignment as something beneath him and he doesn’t care who knows it. I especially liked the way the episode plays into Pop’s rock persona when he starts throwing a strop at Quark’s feet-dragging (Vorta have always seemed divas at heart).

The Magnificent Ferengi takes what could have been an eminently predictable episode and through the use of some truly inspired ideas and twists (Keevan’s sudden death and reanimation is the height of hilarity), it becomes a comedy classic. Ferengi episodes are in a very different place now from where they first started in The Last Outpost. If only they had known when to stop.

It really is fantastic, isn’t it?

Could that have been an alternate title – The Fantastic Ferengi?

I know you, Darren, feel not so positive about Season 6, but aside from the almost perfect start I always liked the middle stretch of it so much that it can compensate for some garbage in its last third. “Statistical probabilities” (thanks for the great review/discussion which mirrored a lot of my thoughts) and this one are so perfect in their own account. So many of those mid-season-6-episodes are personal, very nuanced, feeling very “alive” and vibrant, light-hearted against the background of the war. I am very fond of this and it might not be as consistent or seamless like the most part of season 5, but it is more memorable to me. DS9 is always best represented by Season 6 to me. It felt like it really hit its peak here and continued it until the end of the series. And yes, I admit it: I also like the first half of season 7…

PS: This episode reminded me a lot about “One little ship” in the way it shows some heroes in a very unlikely tale. It seems almost like the writers invite the audience to doubt the narrator (beyond the “sane” doubting of a work of fiction) somehow. Still, the irony never diminishes the appeal of the story.

I’d agree with a lot of this. I’m less fond of season six than most, and more fond of season seven than most. I think a large part of that is what you said, season six has no idea where it’s going after they retake the station, which means that the quality of individual episodes is a bit of a crapshoot. Season seven at least has the looming finale to impose a sense of structure on the season.

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Ferenginar was an inhabited planet in the Ferenginar system of the Alpha Quadrant . This was the homeworld of the Ferengi , a warp-capable humanoid species , and the capital planet of the Ferengi Alliance . The planet was known for having nearly constant, planet-wide torrential rains , rotting vegetation , and rivers of muck.

• 3 Landmarks
• 4.1 References
• 4.2 Background information
• 4.3 Apocrypha
• 4.4 External link

Location [ ]

Ferenginar's location relative to Bajor and Cardassia

Ferenginar was surrounded by star systems , including Clarus and Irtok . ( DS9 : " Profit and Lace ") Ferenginar was located approximately fifty-five light years from Cardassia Prime and Starbase 375 , and sixty light years from Bajor . In 2375 , the location of Ferenginar was labeled on a tactical cartography map that was displayed in the wardroom of Deep Space 9 . ( DS9 : " When It Rains... "), okudagram )

In 3191 , this planet's location was labeled on a star chart . Accompanied by a star, the label identified the planet as a homeworld. ( DIS : " Red Directive ")

History [ ]

The Ferenginar capital city in 2381

In the mid- 24th century , Ferenginar experienced rampant inflation and currency devaluation after the Great Monetary Collapse . Many accounts, including some belonging to Quark , were devastated. ( DS9 : " Homefront ")

In 2374 , after Grand Nagus Zek added an amendment to the Ferengi Bill of Opportunities allowing females to wear clothes and make profit , Ferenginar was plunged into financial chaos, and a communications blackout was imposed. ( DS9 : " Profit and Lace ")

In 2375 , Grand Nagus Zek appointed Rom as the new Grand Nagus. ( DS9 : " The Dogs of War ")

In 2381 , Grand Nagus Rom signed an official application for Ferenginar to join the United Federation of Planets. ( LD : " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place ")

Landmarks [ ]

• Dominion War Memorial
• Ferengi Center for Forged Arts
• Ferengi Hall of Fame
• Ferenginar Historic Public Library
• Museum of Bribery
• Museum of Gambling
• Museum of Haggling
• Nagal Residence
• Sacred Marketplace
• Tower of Commerce

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• " Life Support "
• " Family Business "
• " Homefront "
• " Bar Association "
• " Body Parts "
• " Let He Who Is Without Sin... "
• " Ferengi Love Songs "
• " The Magnificent Ferengi "
• " Valiant "
• " Profit and Lace "
• " Treachery, Faith and the Great River "
• " The Dogs of War "
• " When It Rains... " ( Tactical Map 4364W )
• VOY : " False Profits "
• PIC : " Stardust City Rag "
• LD : " Parth Ferengi's Heart Place "

Background information [ ]

In DS9 Season 3 installment " Family Business ", the Ferengi homeworld first received its name. "fer-ENG-ih-nar" was the pronunciation for this planet's name from the script pronunciation guide for fourth season episode " Bar Association ". [1]

While writing "Family Business", Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe had a lot of fun with devising details about Ferenginar, for viewers' initial glimpse of the planet. Thinking about Ferengi anatomy, Wolfe decided the planet should have "a moist climate." The writers also wanted to differentiate Ferenginar from other major homeworlds in Star Trek , which commonly had "hot and dry" environments, related Wolfe. Seeing as rain hadn't been depicted much on alien planets, the writers chose to give Ferenginar a virtually permanent rainy climate. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 241))

A scene description from the script for "Family Business" stated, " Ferenginar, the homeworld of the Ferengi, is a fetid dismal swamp, subject to a near-endless downpour. " [2]

Following the debut appearance of Ferenginar in "Family Business", Ira Behr remarked, " It was an interesting look at the Ferengi homeworld [....] I'm not sure we'll be going back to the Ferengi homeworld. " ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p. 97)

In ultimately excised dialogue from the first draft script of DS9 Season 4 outing " Body Parts ", Garak commented about Ferenginar, " I must admit it's a magnificent city... I quite enjoyed my time there. " This would probably imply either that Ferenginar had only one city or that the planet's capital city was at one point intended to have the same name as the planet.

Creating the sets to represent Ferenginar in DS9 Season 5 's " Ferengi Love Songs " was fairly easy, with the Grand Nagus' Chamber of Petitioners in the Tower of Commerce being the only new set. Because Ishka's house had been established in "Family Business", DS9's art department had to merely assemble and redress that set, so that it could reappear in "Ferengi Love Songs". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 445))

The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual (p. 3) depicts Ferenginar in the Bajor sector . [3]

According to Star Trek: Star Charts (pp. 35 & 36) and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385"), Ferenginar was an M-class planet located in the Ferenginar star system . The capital of this world, and of the Ferengi Alliance, was Ferenginar. In 2378 , there were 78.2 billion Ferengi living on this world. The Ferengi have been warp-capable since antiquity. Major points of interest were the Sacred Marketplace and Tower of Commerce.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 269) classified Ferenginar as a class M planet.

Apocrypha [ ]

According to The Worlds of the Federation , the Ferengi homeworld was called Ferengal.

According to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Narrator's Toolkit , Ferenginar was the fourth planet in the Ventarus Idrilon system.

According to the RPG sourcebook Worlds , Ferenginar was the fifth planet in the Alpha Krellek system.

External link [ ]

• Ferenginar at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)

The magnificent ferengi (1998), hamilton camp: leck, photos .

Quotes 

[the Ferengi have simulated a battle with Jem'Hadar, rather unsuccessfully] 

Rom : I think we're getting better.

Nog : No, you're not. This is the eighth run-through, and you haven't been able to hit a single Jem'Hadar.

Nog : [to Leck]  And you shot Moogie!

Leck : I saw we weren't gonna rescue her, so I put her out of her misery.

Leck : This is the sloppiest, most amateurish operation I've ever seen. If you ever do something like this again - count me in!

Quark : No one's hiding and no one's escaping and no one's surrendering! What's wrong with you people? Have you forgotten the Battle of Prexnak?

Rom : Who could forget the most important battle in Ferengi history?

Quark : Ten Ferengi stood alone against 273 Lytasians.

Gaila : As I recall, all ten Ferengi were slaughtered.

Quark : The point is, we Ferengi are just as tough as anyone in the galaxy. And this is our chance to prove it, once and for all.

Leck : Quark's right. Let's do it for Ishka. Let's do it for the Grand Nagus. Let's do it for Ferengis everywhere!

Brunt : Let's do it for equal shares of fifty bars of gold-pressed latinum!

Quark : It always comes down to profit with you people, doesn't it?

Gaila : We're Ferengi.

Quark : And that's why I love you! Fifty bars it is, minus my usual finder's fee.

Leck : How can we be sure these schematics are accurate?

Nog : 'Sir'.

Leck : Oh, no need to stand on formality here. Just call me Leck.

Nog : No, I meant you should call me 'Sir'.

Leck : Don't be ridiculous.

Nog : You mean 'Don't be ridiculous, Sir'.

Quark : Gentleman, please let's not squabble. We're a team Nog.

Rom : [corrects him]  We're a team, sir.

Quark : Stay out of this.

Nog : In a half-hour, we'll have Moogie back and we can all go home.

[everyone sighs with relief] 

Gaila : Home - to the torrential rains of Ferenginar.

Brunt : You know what I miss most? The rotting vegetation.

Quark : Yep.

Rom : And the dampness.

Leck : Oh, to stand once more in those rivers of muck.

Keevan : Oh, I only wish I could be there with you.

Leck : [to Keevan]  You don't seem to be too happy at the prospect of rejoining your people.

Keevan : Believe me when I tell you I have nothing to be happy about. Vorta are supposed to commit suicide when they're captured. I failed to follow that rather harsh policy.

Rom : They're going to execute you?

Keevan : After what is surely going to be a most unpleasant debriefing.

Quark : I'm putting together a little rescue mission, and I'd like you to be part of my team.

Leck : I work alone.

Quark : You'll be paid in latinum.

Leck : I don't care about latinum.

Rom : You're right, his priorities *are* different.

Leck : [about Brunt's spaceship]  This isn't a ship, it's a closet!

Leck : [the Ferengis enter the infirmary of the abandoned space station; sarcastic]  Great! Another closet!

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