The Magnificent Ferengi

"The Magnificent Ferengi" is the tenth episode of the sixth season of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 134th episode overall, originally aired in syndication on December 17, 1997.[1] It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler, and directed by Chip Chalmers.[1] The title is a reference to the film The Magnificent Seven, and the episode makes several minor homages to the film.

"The Magnificent Ferengi"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
The Ferengi look over a dead Keevan
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 10
Directed byChip Chalmers
Written byIra Steven Behr
Hans Beimler
Featured musicDennis McCarthy
Production code534
Original air dateJanuary 1, 1998 (1998-01-01)
Guest appearance(s)

In the episode, Quark and Rom's mother is taken captive by the Dominion and so they put together a team of Ferengi to rescue her.[2] The episode was lighter in tone compared to the typical gritty war episodes of the series at the time.[3] It featured Iggy Pop as a guest star, and Jeffrey Combs in a recurring role.[4]

Plot

Quark learns from the Ferengi leader Grand Nagus Zek that his mother, Ishka (who is also Zek's lover), has been captured by the Dominion. Zek offers a reward of 50 bars of latinum for her rescue. Quark and his brother Rom decide to assemble an all-Ferengi commando team to rescue her, claiming that the reward is 20 bars so they can keep a larger share. They first recruit Rom's son Nog, making him "Strategic Operations Officer" for the mission. Next, they hire Leck, a Ferengi "eliminator", tempting him with the challenge of fighting the Dominion's Jem'Hadar soldiers. Quark bails out his cousin Gaila, who has been arrested for vagrancy, and signs him up as a chance for redemption. Disgraced ex-Liquidator Brunt, hoping to win Zek's favor, persuades them to add him to the team for the use of his ship.

In battle-training simulations, the Ferengi prove to be poor commandos; one simulation ends with Leck killing Ishka. Quark and Rom realize that although Ferengi may not be good commandos, they are excellent negotiators; instead of attacking the Dominion, they propose a prisoner exchange to win Ishka's freedom. Major Kira and Captain Sisko give Quark custody of Keevan, the Vorta captured in the episode Rocks and Shoals, and Quark arranges a meeting with the Dominion at the abandoned space station Empok Nor.

The team makes base camp in Empok Nor's infirmary. The Dominion's negotiator, a Vorta named Yelgrun, arrives with Ishka in custody, guarded by a squad of Jem'Hadar. Quark offers his terms, to which Yelgrun agrees: all but two Jem'Hadar must leave the station before the prisoner exchange takes place. While celebrating their soon-to-be-successful exchange, Rom accidentally lets slip that the reward is actually 50 bars, not 20. In a rage, Gaila tries to shoot Quark but ends up killing Keevan.

Quark persuades the team not to give up, offering equal shares of the 50 bars. Nog discovers some working neural stimulators in the abandoned infirmary, which enables him to move Keevan's body by remote control. At the prisoner exchange, they are able to get Keevan's dead body to walk; Yelgrun does not realize he is dead until after Ishka is safely with Quark, when Keevan walks into a bulkhead. The Ferengi ambush the two Jem'Hadar guards and capture Yelgrun; as they leave Empok Nor, Keevan's body continues walking into the bulkhead.

Reception

io9 ranked "The Magnificent Ferengi" as the 92nd best episode of Star Trek in a 2014 listing.[5] In 2015, Geek.com recommended this episode as "essential watching" for their abbreviated Star Trek: Deep Space Nine binge-watching guide.[6]

In 2016, CNET noted that "The Magnificent Ferengi" was rated one of the top ten episodes of all Star Trek episodes in an audience-based rating at the Star Trek 50th anniversary convention.[7] In 2018, Vulture.com rated "The Magnificent Ferengi" the 11th best episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, praising the episode's humor, performance by Jeffrey Combs, and guest star Iggy Pop.[8]The episode was noted as one of the top twenty funniest episodes of the Star Trek franchise in 2019.[9]

TV Guide noted this episode for guest starring Iggy Pop.[10]

In 2019, ScreenRant ranked this the 3rd best episode for the character Nog.[11]

References
  1. DeCandido, Keith R. A. (2014-09-12). "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "The Magnificent Ferengi"". Tor.com. Retrieved 2019-04-06.
  2. Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, and Why By Terry J. Erdmann (Page 151)
  3. Bastién, Angelica Jade (January 4, 2018). "The Best Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ranked". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  4. Bastién, Angelica Jade (January 4, 2018). "The Best Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ranked". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-02-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine condensed: How to watch the most story-driven Trek". Geek.com. 2015-01-19. Retrieved 2019-07-13.
  7. Kooser, Amanda. "10 best Star Trek episodes, according to the fans". CNET. Retrieved 2019-03-31.
  8. Bastién, Angelica Jade (January 4, 2018). "The Best Episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Ranked". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  9. "The 20 Funniest Star Trek Episodes". CBR. 2019-01-18. Retrieved 2019-03-21.
  10. "28 Surprising Star Trek Guest Stars : Iggy Pop, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, "The Magnificent Ferengi" | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2019-06-10.
  11. "Star Trek: 10 Best Nog Episodes, Ranked". ScreenRant. 2019-09-29. Retrieved 2019-10-28.
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