Day 10: DS9, The Nagus

Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine

Episode Particulars: S1EP10, “The Nagus”

 Summary: Quark gets an unexpected visitor to his bar in the form of Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn), the leader of the Ferengi. It turns out that he’s there to hold a conference with other Ferengi to discuss expanding their businesses into the Gamma Quadrant, and also to step down as Nagus. To everyone’s surprise, he chooses Quark as his successor. Quark appreciates the new opportunities, but his newfound power also brings newfound enemies, which leads to its fair share of complications. Meanwhile, both Sisko and Rom worry about the influence Jake and Nog are having on each other, albeit for entirely different reasons. In short, this is a Ferengi-centric episode, for good or for ill.

Standalone Thoughts: This is a fun episode, but I’m mostly left feeling indifferent to it in the end. I’m not entirely sure why; Quark’s deviousness is on point, and there are a lot of little elements that I find funny or sweet. Yet the episode as a whole is kind of bland for me. I guess it’s because the whole thing is basically a long variation on the same three themes, which are 1. that Ferengi love money and 2. that Quark gets surprised by the actions of others, and 3. that Jake is being suspicious and Sisko disapproves.

How it Relates to the Whole: Surprisingly, for an episode that’s mostly fluff, there’s a lot that will become semi-relevant here. I say “semi-relevant” because the Ferengi episodes are kind of their own separate category, mostly sprinkled throughout the show to provide some humor after long stretches of more intense material. Still, a lot’s put in place here that will be a recurring trend in the Ferengi episodes. We’re introduced to Grand Nagus Zek, and we get to see more of how Ferengi society operates, all of which are good things to know going forward. Sure, it all basically boils down to the same thing (Ferengi will do whatever it takes to earn a profit, no matter how devious or who they have to crush to get there), but their Rules of Acquisition and casual attitudes about throwing people under the bus are still amusing to watch. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and they’d probably get tiring if the entire show revolved around them, but I appreciate having these episodes around, even if this one isn’t quite as strong on a rewatch.

There’s also some actually relevant material in the form of Nog and Jake. We actually see them interacting and being friendly, instead of being informed about it secondhand. Furthermore, we start to see evidence that Nog has more to him than being comic relief, as he struggles against his father’s wishes and his own desires. It doesn’t seem like much right now, but it’s going to grow into what is quite possibly the most unexpected character arc in the whole show. I’m definitely interested to see how long it takes before the crew really start developing him.

Other: *I do like the early scene between Quark, Rom, and Nog, where the same task is used as a form of punishment twice. It’s a good start to the episode, even though the rest of the episode is basically variations on the same thing. But because it’s the first one, it seems more fresh.

*Throughout the show, there’s been a large alien hanging around Quark’s bar. He’s appeared in almost every episode, but a first-time viewer will just consider him part of the background. Long time viewers or those rewatching, however, will recognize him as Morn, a guy who managed to straddle the middle ground between extra and supporting character. This is the first episode where he gets more to do (though he hasn’t been named yet), and his scenes are both amusing in their own right on a first watch and generate a knowing smile in rewatchers. Looking forward to seeing you around the bar, Morn!

*O’Brien has finally returned, though Keiko is still on Earth. It’s nice to see him again; his everyman charm is a good blend between the seriousness of characters like Sisko and the comic relief nature of the Ferengi.

*This strikes me as a bizarre fashion choice;

Having a cloak that’s so large that you need to twist it into a sort of ponytail seems like it would be more likely to lead to accidents or draw attention to you. A smaller one would do the job just as well.

*There is an absolutely beautiful homage to The Godfather about two-thirds of the way through the episode. Not only did they copy Coppola’s shots, but even some of the dialogue is similar, at least when it comes to intent. If you’re a movie buff, it’s an unexpected treat.

*I’m a little surprised by how well Quark takes the revelations of the third act. Given his desire for profit and power, you’d think he’d be a little more angry at being used. Maybe he was just relieved that everything ended well for him.

Best Line/Exchange: Not a lot jumped out at me this time. I guess I’ll have to just go with this for the inherent ridiculousness;

O’Brien: Hold on…you’re saying Vulcans stole your homework?

Not only does the concept seem ludicrous to anyone remotely familiar with Star Trek, but it also seems like a futuristic take on “the dog ate my homework”. A bit cliché, but amusing nevertheless.