quark star trek ds9

Why Deep Space Nine's Quark Is The Greatest Star Trek Character

When it first began airing in 1993, " Star Trek: Deep Space Nine " was instantly considered a notable oddball in the broader "Star Trek" canon. For one, it was the first Trek project that was made completely outside of the auspices of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Also, being set on a space station, there was going to be considerably less trekking on "Deep Space Nine" than had been previously seen in the franchise. Additionally, the show was to follow the politics and social intricacies of worlds that did not belong to Trek's famed United Federation of Planets. That meant the franchise's notable and vaunted post-war, post-religion, post-capitalist utopia was going to be challenged by those who believed in war (the Cardassians), in theocracy (the Bajorans), and in capitalism (the Ferengi). "Deep Space Nine" stood as a deliberate challenge to the Treks that preceded it. Can Roddenberry's ideals stand when those who abide by them are outnumbered?

The lessons from "Deep Space Nine" were more forthrightly multicultural than the relatively mannered " Star Trek: The Next Generation ." While NextGen was populated by diplomats and open-minded explorers of cultural differences, it was rare that any of them were pushed too far outside of their comfort zones; how strange, Counselor Troi might find, that a new species enjoys chocolate so much. On "Deep Space Nine," the Starfleet characters had to face the notion that people bearing opposite values to their own were going to remain deeply and strictly adherent to them. A soft version of easily-acquired arbitrage would have to be abandoned for the notion of having to live with someone you fundamentally disagree with ... and do not necessarily hate. 

No character on DS9 was more deeply principled than Quark ( Armin Shimerman ), the Ferengi bar owner on the station's high-traffic Promenade. 

For the uninitiated, the Ferengi are a species that has devoted every aspect of their society to commerce. Money is deeply involved in every aspect of their lives. When friends come to visit a Ferengi, they have to drop money into coin boxes in every room in the house. When a Ferengi dies, their ashes are sold inside miniature collectible discs. Even their central religion is based on profit, as a Ferengi will not be able to buy their way into the afterlife unless they have acquired enough wealth in this one. Their most widely read holy book is simply a list of 285 Rules of Acquisition. Needless to say, devotion to wealth also carries with it a tendency toward both labyrinthine accounting and a propensity toward confidence schemes. Cutting corners, buying cheap materials, and underpaying employees is a great virtue in Ferengi society. The most grievous sin is charity. 

Additionally, Ferengi society is staggeringly sexist. Only men are allowed to earn wealth, whereas women are not allowed to speak to any men other than their immediate family. They are also not allowed to wear clothing. Over the course of " Deep Space Nine ," Ferengi sexism will be challenged time and time again, with Quark having to face the fact that his mother Ishka (Andrea Martin, then Cecily Adams) has been secretly leading the charge toward a women's liberation movement back on their home planet. 

Quark, throughout the series, is deeply devoted to these Ferengi principles. They may seem backward and even gross to a human viewer, but Quark never once winks at the camera, nor does Shimerman plays the character as wicked. Devious, perhaps. Criminal, to be sure. But not sadistic or cruel. Indeed, Quark is typically either upbeat (when business is booming) or annoyed (when it isn't). 

Criminal, but not evil

Quark is perpetually annoyed, incredibly shrewd, and often called out on his bad behavior. But — and here's what makes his character so appealing — he never abandons the fundamental things that make him who he is. His personal beliefs are dearly held, and he will not — will not  — abandon them. In a true science fiction sense, Quark provides an outsider perspective on humanity, looking to their habits of charity and their baffling abandonment of capitalism as strange and offputting. 

Something magical happens on "Star Trek" when two nonhuman characters interact. Humans, in subsequent discussions, become ineffable and confusing. Our culture is just as strange to them as theirs is to us. Starfleet may be making a perpetual effort to include and understand others, but Ferengi have no such compunction, choosing to criticize and deconstruct some of our own fineries. In one of the best scenes of the entire series, Quark has a conversation with Garak (Andrew Robinson) a Cardassian tailor who once served the war effort. Neither character has spent much time with humans, and each bemoans the fact that so many of them have just moved onto the station. As an example of how bad humans reflect on his business, Quark serves Garak a glass of root beer. Garak hisses that it's vile. "I know," Quark says, disgusted. "It's so bubbly, and cloying, and happy."  

"Just like the Federation," Garak says.

"But you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it," Quark says. "Just like the Federation."

Being bubbly and eager to please, the two aliens note, shows a grievous lack of character. The Federation, Quark says out loud, has a lot to be wary of.

Quark's moment

Quark and the other Ferengi characters on " Deep Space Nine " were often treated like comic relief, and one can bet that a "comedy" episode was likely about Quark and his family (his brother Rom, played by Max Grodénchik, often had "dim bulb" scenes). It took "Deep Space Nine" a while to decide just how intelligent Quark was meant to be ( a frustration for Shimerman ), often seeing him vacillate between crafty and clueless. It took "Deep Space Nine" several years to allow the Ferengi characters to grow. Rom was revealed to be a decent, kind man with sharp engineering skills, and Rom's son Nog (Aron Eisenberg) wanted to become a Starfleet officer. 

Quark, meanwhile, was eventually allowed to be intelligent and deeply righteous. Even honorable. The character's best moment probably came in the penultimate episode of the show, "The Dogs of War" (May 24, 1999) wherein Shimerman gets to express the deep, glorious beliefs of the character. "As far as I'm concerned," he says, "the Ferenginar that I knew doesn't exist anymore." He says "This establishment will be the last outpost of what made Ferenginar great: the unrelenting lust for profit." 

What he is standing for might look petty to the human audience, but after seven seasons with Quark, they have most assuredly come to sympathize with him. So when Quark says he won't preside over the demise of Ferengi civilization, we see a man standing up for himself. We see a man eager to keep his ideals. "The line has to be drawn here!" he shouts. "This far and no further!" 

Quark is willing to exploit, but he is also willing to play by his own rules. And what is "Star Trek" if not strong-willed adults articulately standing up for what they believe in?

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Published Nov 28, 2010

Quark from Deep Space Nine

Armin Shimerman was one of the busiest guys on the planet in the days before he landed his signature role as Quark on Deep Space Nine, and now – albeit in different ways – he remains uber-active long after the curtain came down on Deep Space Nine . Post- Star Trek, he’s guest starred on everything from The West Wing to ER to a Jonathan-Frakes-directed episode of Leverage; lent his voice to numerous animated shows and videogames, including The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy, Ratchet & Clank, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and BioShock; acted on stage, directed several shows in Los Angeles, and taught theater as well. In fact, these days, he’s focused mostly, and quite happily, on his voiceover and stage endeavors. Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, StarTrek.com tracked Shimerman down for an extensive catch-up interview. Below is part one, and be on the lookout tomorrow for part two.

When you look back on your Star Trek experiences, what are the first things that come to mind?

Shimerman: Someone just told me that it’s 23 years ago that I did my first episode of The Next Generation, where I was the talking prop (in “Haven”). Then I did “The Last Outpost.” Those seem like a million years ago. Deep Space Nine and Quark, for some reason, don’t feel as long ago. I guess it’s because I go to the conventions and people constantly remind me of episodes and the things I did in those episodes. That seems relatively recent, although it can’t be. It can’t be. And it’s not. But I have very fond memories. Mostly what’s nice is every now and then I bump into people I haven’t seen in a while and we catch up. I ran into Karen, who used to be one of the makeup people on Deep Space Nine , just today. There were a lot of wonderful people who worked on the show and I enjoy seeing them again. I’m relatively bad at keeping in touch with people, as my friends will tell you, so it’s nice when I do see them to make the most of those moments.

If you’re flipping through the channels on your television and pass one of your episodes of Deep Space Nine or Next Generation, do you stop and check it out or quickly move on to the next channel?

Shimerman: I stop. If I stop for more than a minute at a time I would be surprised. But I will stop and go, “Huh.” I will look at what I was doing and ask myself, “Why did I make that choice? Why did I make this choice?” And, more importantly, I will look at the other actors who aren’t in makeup and say, “Wow, Nana (Visitor) looked great then, didn’t she?” Not that she doesn’t look great now, but I will sort of mark the passage of time by the faces of the other actors who weren’t in makeup.

On a scale of one to 10, how much of Quark’s potential was actually tapped?

Shimerman: Oh, I would say a lot of it. On a scale of one to 10, I would say a nine. That’s in hindsight. If you’d asked me that in the fifth or sixth season of Deep Space Nine , I would have said a four. But in hindsight, especially thanks to the last couple of episodes of the series, I learned a great deal about what the writers had been doing with Quark in terms of his potential. And since that experience of those last two episodes I believe that a great deal of Quark’s potential was tapped. Prior to those two episodes I was always under the misimpression that they weren’t using me or the character to my full potential. I can’t explain how; it’s much too long an explanation, but I came to realize in those last few episodes that they’d used me very well. I’ve always acknowledged that the character flowered more than I ever thought it would at the beginning, but I only thought it had flowered a little bit for a long period of time. In the end I came to realize the full extent of what had happened with the character, that his potential had been tapped.

You mentioned the conventions a moment ago. You’ll be at the Creation Entertainment Official Star Trek Convention in Hawaii this coming weekend, and it’s really a Deep Space Nine -oriented show, right?

Shimerman: It will be and I’m excited. It’ll be terrific. It’s the Rat Pack, and God bless Max Grodenchik. Max has been trying to get me to sing for 20 years and since the creation of The Rat Pack I have learned to feel very comfortable singing, especially The Rat Pack songs and Max’s lyrics. We now sort of tour around with The Rat Pack and I’m very happy to do it with the guys. The only problem with going to any convention, especially one in Hawaii, is the travel, because we’re usually in any one place for only about 48 hours. You fly in, unpack, rehearse The Rat Pack and do The Rat Pack. The next day you spend the whole day with question and answer sessions or signings, and then you’re tired and go to sleep. And the next morning you get on a plane and go home. So you’re lucky if you get out of the hotel. I will do my level best to try to get out of the hotel while I’m in Hawaii, but the chances, the odds – if Quark can speak – are that I probably won’t get out of the hotel.

In general, how much do you enjoy the conventions?

Shimerman: Some of the Star Trek people, like Rene (Auberjonois) and Michael Dorn and a number of others, I talk to and see on a regular basis because we all live in L.A. But a lot of friends and colleagues live around the country, and some are around the world. So I don’t get to see them very often. So, to be able to reconnect with people who were very important in my life, at these conventions, that’s really delightful. And there are a lot of fans now that are a part of that group of well. They are people I haven’t seen or don’t see often because they live in Wisconsin or Rhode Island and I’m in Los Angeles. So, to catch up with those people I’ve come to know is joyful. One of the things, as you get older, is that you miss the relationships you had earlier in your life. And these conventions are a great way to reconnect, to keep them in your life.

Be on the look out for part two of this interview tomorrow.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

“The House of Quark”

Air date: 10/10/1994 Teleplay by Ronald D. Moore Story by Tom Benko Directed by Les Landau

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

"I am Quark, son of Keldar. And I have come to answer the challange of D'Ghor, son of ... whatever."

Review Text

Quark gets into a bar fight with a drunken Klingon who accidentally falls on his own knife and dies. In order to drum up business and his own ego, the foolish barkeep concocts an audience-pleasing story saying he killed the Klingon in self-defense. When the Klingon's family chases Quark down, the results are anything but predictable.

It's a good Klingon episode and one of the best Quark vehicles yet. I guess when the writers need a lightweight episode, they can always count on Armin Shimerman to get the job done.

The Klingon's widow Grilka (Mary Kay Adams) comes to DS9 and abducts Quark to the Klingon Homeworld, where she forces him to marry her so she can keep claim on her family house and land under Klingon territorial laws. (Sound like a contrivance? It is, but who cares?) Now Quark and Grilka must work together to convince the High Council that the land should not fall into the hands of rival Klingon D'Ghor (Carlos Carrasco), who is an honorless opportunist anyway.

Adams and Shimerman work well together due to their characters' contrasting personalities, and the laughs flow plentifully from the silly setting. (I especially liked when the pint-sized Ferengi marched into the Chamber of the High Council wearing a powerful looking cloak and announced in a powerful voice his claim to the House of Quark.) Quark's eleventh-hour display of courage is surprisingly refreshing. Also welcome is the wild-eyed presence of Robert O'Reilly as Gowron and the appearance of Max Grodenchik as Rom, who displays a brief, unexpected wave of shame over Quark's display of initial cowardice.

What is likely to be overlooked here is the well-played B-story involving Miles and Keiko O'Brien, who have some delightful scenes together. Miles tries to lift Keiko's spirits who feels useless on the station without a career. It's nice to see them in scenes where they're doing something besides arguing. Ultimately, he finds her a six-month job opening on Bajor. It's one of the most simple stories, and often it's the simple stories that are the best. Character moments like these are what really defines Deep Space Nine as the one-hour television drama it is.

Previous episode: The Search, Part II Next episode: Equilibrium

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131 comments on this post.

Watched this again last night and thought it was a wonderful episode to follow on from the heavy (but neccesary) Search Two Parter. I agree, the B Story really caught my attention and was a great part of contuinity.

Aside from the good sense of humor DS9 had its real strength was in being able to really to use their re-occuring guest stars to great effect.

this show is about love, between mother and sons, and husband and wife, and trek does it perfectly here

Okay, what is the Dominion waiting for? In the previous episode the Female Changeling says they are "willing to wait until the time is right." Why? Why give the Federation time to prepare for your invasion? Why not invade now before they have a chance to prepare an adequate defense? Because the writers don't want to deal with it yet, that's why. I think it's too bad that they closed the school, it makes the station a less desirable place to live (Jake must be disappointed too, but it's not addressed). Other than that, it wasn't a bad episode, but I didn't think it was very funny, apart from the opening and closing scenes in the bar.

Because any kind of military mobilization takes time, because a direct assault as the first order of business goes against everything established about the Dominion - and as Quark said in this very episode, bulldozing what you wish to conquer is a bad move - because, because, because. Hey, there was a lot of rain today. Must have been the writers fucking up, that's why. I love it when informed people point out plot holes and inconsistencies in stuff they love, I hate it when witless people nitpick to show how smart and cool they are.

Nic, because the Dominion isn't stupid. It realizes if it wants to conquer the Alpha Quadrant, all four Empires, and not have them just collapse the Wormhole and win in five seconds it will take some time and preparation since it's only been 3 months since they've had first contact. So instead they start infiltrating, wiping out the Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order that would have posed threats, used Changeling Martok to get two empires to devastate each other in a war while breaking down quadrant unity with the end of the Federation-Klingon Alliance, finally find a strongman to make a puppet in one of the four so as to gain a foothold from whence to conquer (eventually Dukat and the Cardassians, but we see in "To the Death" that they asked Sisko to do it as well.) Eventually, the Alpha Quadrant Powers are to be week and divided before you strike. It almost worked, if it wasn't for the Prophets sealing off the Gamma Quadrant.

David's last sentence almost sounds like it be out of Scooby-Doo...

Jay's sentence makes it sound like he needs grammar lessons.

Some good Quark fun. Lighthearted, funny episode. 6/10

This is one of my favorite episodes of DS9. It's an excellent mixture of charming humor and engaging character interplay. Good fun. Great ending.

The whole episode I was bracing myself for another display of Quark groveling at "Move Along Home" cringe levels, instead I get a thrown bat'leth and (if you'll excuse me) "COME AT ME BRO", followed by the most amusing divorce ceremony ever. And yeah, it's good to see Keiko responding negatively with depression, as awful as that sounds now that I think of it... It gives the character more dimensionality than the usual O'Brien marital duking we've seen. Here, we see Miles instead of returning angry canned lines off in the distance, we get 'I can't see her like this' and real solution. I agree with Nic, though... Does Jake just have to suck it up and tutor himself and everybody else now?

As much as I don't look forward to the "Ferengi" episodes, I do enjoy this one. Little note of trivia. Mary Kay Adamns is no stranger to performing with rubber all over her face, she also played Na’Toth in BAB5. She excelled in both characters. Mary Kay and Armin work wonders together. I'm glad we get to see these two working together again in the future. I'll also agree about the "B" story. I didn't want to slap Keiko in this one. 3.0 stars for me.

Q'on'os and the Klingon Empire is on the other side of the vast Federation from Bajor and Cardassia...it has to be at least a trip of several weeks. They kept Quark unconscious for that entire trip?!?

I was thinking the exact same thing Jack said the moment Quark woke up on Qo'noS. I also wonder, does every dispute that Klingons have end up in front of the council? Sure it would make sense if the council was governing a village, but not an interstellar empire with billions of people. Those two things do bother me a bit, but other than that an enjoyable episode.

This episode gave Quark some much-needed character development. One thing I love about DS9 is how it gives more depth to the more two-dimensional races from TOS and TNG.

^^ I agree, a very good episode! ^^ Quark is one of the best DS9 characters by far. Further, the Quark / Odo interplay is one of the main strengths of this entire show IMO. They're much more than just lightning whips and Moogie!

I enjoyed this ep a lot. I think of the things I liked about it was that it showed consequences for Quark's actions plus a very pleasing resolution.

I find it interesting that no one on the station seems to care that, in the way the story is portrayed, both Quark and Rom were basically kindapped. I wonder if this lack of concern for those two was intentional, or if the writers just missed it.

This really is a fun episode. It's not taking itself too seriously and apart from keiko's miserable face, it's very funny all round. I think Gowron's face as he looks over Quark's figures is the funniest thing I've ever seen on any Star Trek series.

"House of Quark" is such a fun and funny episode! In particular, I love how it satirizes so much in the typical Trek portrayal of Klingons. The Keiko story is really well done, too.

Yep, that is a lot of fun. I think it satirizes Klingon culture while also being affectionate of it, with Grilka in particular being a largely sympathetic and admirable heroine (and one for whom Quark's growing attraction to is very believable). It's an unusual Quark episode and the better for it. I've talked before about how Quark's lack of "pride" compared to someone like Sisko works as a strength sometimes. The Klingons are much more intensely proud, and so the contrast with Quark pops all the more. The episode then is about Quark's gradually taking on the mantle of courage and honour, while being uniquely himself. This really is an episode about a Klingon-Ferengi wedding, insofar as we get a merging of Klingon and Ferengi values in Quark and in Grilka: He starts by claiming he defeated the Klingon in one-on-one combat because it's convenient for him to make money; then starts to realize that he actually values the respect that comes with it, in addition to the money; then because his lie had hurt Grilka she forces him to marry her to continue with the charade he has created; and finally he saves they day by risking his life for the House of Quark/House of Grilka, eventually creating a true story that earns him respect and admiration from Rom even if it no longer earns him the money he thought he wanted. The fake marriage with Grilka becomes real feeling along the same lines -- the lie of his nobility creates the fake marriage, and his real nobility brings him a real kiss. And he manages his heroic feats in his own way -- identifying D'Ghor's economic warfare against the House of Kozak (his demonstrating the economic warfare in the High Council in front of a bunch of confused, angry Klingons, especially Gowron, is one of the episode's highlights), and recognizing that his real chance to "win" combat with D'Ghor is to stand before him defenseless to prove his enemy's cravenness for all to see. Grilka learns to appreciate the value of Quark's pragmatism as he gets a bit of her nobility, and the romantic comedy is complete. For the most part, Grilka does seem like a woman of honour who goes into duplicity because she needs to earn back what is rightfully hers and was taken away through Quark's lie and D'Ghor's treachery. Her initial reluctance to look over FILTHY LEDGERS, like Quark's initial unwillingness to believe that he really cares about nobility and honour, demonstrates that she is not initially willing to admit that she is engaging in some underhanded tactics to get what is rightfully hers, and her growing respect for Quark demonstrates her willingness to acknowledge that a bit of pragmatism in fighting for what's right, and in fighting against craven opportunists and liars at their own game, is not so bad. I guess I should say that I find Grilka's argument that Quark should face D'Ghor because of *honour* to be particularly rich, since of course D'Ghor's accusation that Quark is a liar is completely true. The real reason for Quark to fight is to protect Grilka's House, status and property, which Quark endangered by his lie. Fortunately, Quark makes clear that this is his real priority ("Who cares if some Klingon female loses her house?"). The Klingon wedding and divorce is very funny, and the use of the discommendation is so silly as to be a scream. Robert O'Reilly's face is also amazing. The subplot with Keiko is handled well and touchingly; after a sense that their relationship was on the rocks for a while in season two, seeing Miles and Keiko really trying to make it work is refreshing. Removing the school from the show at a point where its role in the narrative has been unneeded for a year is a wise choice, and recognizing that Keiko needs her own job as purpose in life is a good step forward for both Miles and, well, the show. As a mostly-dramatic counterpart to the comic main plot this has a nice, small scale, but is nevertheless also about people recognizing the consequences of their actions and trying to correct it -- as the person who brought them to this station where Keiko's work has become irrelevant, it is up to Miles to fix it. At least 3 stars, and...oh well, why not 3.5? It's definitely on the higher end of Trek comedies.

It is a nice comic interlude episode, what I call a typical Trek 'coasting' episode where there is a bit of comedy and character development but nothing is that tense or politically charged. I do wish they would revise that matte of the Klingon home world - is that the only viewpoint?

Diamond Dave

Time for a bit of light relief after a heavyweight start to the season. What's interesting though is the real feeling of continuity starting to pervade the series - even in an episode like this there are long running story lines playing out. The Quark story very nicely lances the incongruities of the Klingon honour system. But it has some real heart at the centre of it, and Grilka emerges as a sympathetic character for Quark to discover a little honour himself. The Keiko story also feels like a realistic approach. Good episode - 3 stars.

I got a good laugh out of Gowron and the council holding data pads and being subjected to Quarks financial explanations.

"The House of Quark" is quite possibly Trek comedy at its best. It takes two things that, when taken separately, are often over-played and not very-well thought out - Ferengi comedy and Klingon stubbornness - and actually uses them to offer some rather nice insights into both cultures while also providing some legitimately good laughs. Especially noteworthy is Gowron, in all his bug-eyed glory, getting flustered over Quark's financial explanations and his statement of "a brave Ferengi, who would have thought it possible." But what most stands out is the fact that what this episode basically boils to do is Quark teaching the Klingon High Council the value of honor and courage. BRAVO! That is some excellent writing. I also like how it shows the aftermath of the introduction of the Dominion - everything doesn't just go back to normal on the station. Fear of the Dominion isn't just causing changes on the political and military level but also on a much more interpersonal one - people are leaving the station so that means Quark has less customers and Keiko has fewer and fewer students to teach. Speaking of Keiko, that brings me to the B-plot. I suppose I could complain, once again, about romance in Trek once more taking a back seat to people's careers - because the writers just can't seem to grasp the concept that someone's career isn't everything. Keiko just has to be unhappy unless she's pursuing a career, huh? It's simply impossible to be happy being a stay-at-home mom (or a stay-at-home dad, for that matter)? I would call bullshit on that but I'm not going to. This B-plot is enjoyable enough for me to overlook it, this time. Meaney and Chao offer some pleasant character scenes and it is nice to see O'Brien as such a caring husband. And, on the truly bright side, with Keiko off the station, O'Brien is now free to pursue a relationship with his heterosexual life partner, Bashir. So, what's not to love? If there is anything missing from "The House of Quark" it's the complete lack of any response from the characters on the station to Quark's, and later Rom's, kidnapping. Seriously, two people, including a community leader, get abducted right out from under everyone's noses and there's never even a peep from anybody (not even Odo?!) about it? Gee, I wonder why Starfleet would ever have concerns about Odo's handling of security and insist on having their own guy on the scene (not that Eddington apparently cared about these abductions either). I won't hold it against the episode, however, because the action on Qo'noS is so entertaining. 10/10

@Luke, I actually disagree with your feeling about the portrayal of a military spouse trying to carve out her own career while entrained to her husband's movements around the globe (or galaxy, in this case). As a military officer, I have deliberately held off these few years since my commissioning from getting married, knowing that choosing the right woman for me who can handle that kind of life is a very important decision. So having seen these situations around me daily, the B-plot resonates profoundly with me. I think every sentiment, every word of the story with Keiko and Miles was 100% the truth of this situation. The fact that Keiko is willingly sacrificing her career goals for her husband's, yet can't help but feel depressed nonetheless, along with Miles' sincere romantic and affectionate feelings for his wife -- with whom, as we have seen since TNG, he has experienced unimaginable trials -- is one of the most relatable and sweet interchanges I've seen in Trek. And thankfully it had a happy ending! It's a good thing Ronald D. Moore didn't go full BSG-RDM on this plot -- otherwise it would have ended up with Molly abducted by the Dominion and Keiko tied up and gagged in the closet watching Miles have sex with a changeling doppelganger of herself! Haha.

What do you know, a good Ferengi episode!!

Sooooo..Keiko closes the school because there's only 2 students left.....that speaks volumes about her commitment!! So Jake and Nog can do independent study and she will tutor them? LMAO!! Wasnt this is EXACTLY why she wanted a school??? To avoid children having too much free time to get into trouble? Oh yes....let's let Jake and Nog run wild....AGAIN! This B-plot/storyline didnt cut it for me right from the get go.....as a teacher, I suppose it wouldnt, I suppose.

Oh come on Ken. S3 Jake/Nog aren't going to run wild, and private tutoring is indeed a much better option when you only have two students. No school is gonna run (or justify its premises) with 2 students.

I never understood how the head of the Klingon Empire had the time to deal with every family feud there was on their homeplanet. Let's assume that the planet's population was around 5 billion, how would Gowron be able to mediate in every single quarel its people had? I do have to say that Gowron's reaction towards Quark was absolutely hilarious.

Going to have to echo some previous sentiments that Gowron and his entire Council holding data pads whilst Quark walked them through the finer details of Grilka's finances was pure comedy gold. Robert O'Reilly's face especially was uproarious. Pretty good episode overall, I was howling in most of the scenes. My favourite line was 'I am Quark, son of Keldar, and I have come to answer the challenge of D'Ghor, son of... whatever.' Armin Shimerman is a born comedian. LOL!!!!

Um, where's Molly? It was hard for me to feel sorry for Keiko's mopiness when, apparently, someone else is raising her daughter!

So now I'm wondering: what does the teeth of the offspring of a Klingon and Ferengi look like?

Loved this episode, although ... does it seem odd that Gowron rules the entire Klingon Empire AND settles land disputes that would likely be handled in earth by a municipal court judge?

@Erik Maybe the land dispute had already gone through municipal and higher level courts so Grilka was appealing to Gowron as a supreme magistrate? It's not like Gowron dirties himself doing actual battle very often. He's a career politician and he probably made his career as some sort legislator.

It seems like this land dispute was going to determine the leadership of Grilka's house, and likewise whether D'Gor House was going to be able to seize their land. In terms of local politics this may have been a large-scale issue in terms of shifting power in the Empire. We were never really told how powerful each house was, but if they had standing to appear before the High Council they must have been important families. In the end such matters could decide who might be the next Council member, and so I see it as entirely appropriate that Gowron should oversee such matters.

I don't really have anything new to add--agree with the positive comments above. A hilarious episode in terms of the Ferengi and the Klingons--wow, a Ferengi episode that is actually good, and stands the test of time. Quark, Grilka, Gowron--just priceless. And the B-story with Miles and Keiko is actually sweet--most of the time I can't stand the total lack of chemistry between those two, and find Keiko annoying. (I've thought for years that they should have cast a better wife for Miles.) But this story rang true. I do agree with someone who said we should have seen Mollie...would have rounded it out better. This episode is a keeper for me. I watch it every once in a while just for fun and light relief when I'm not in the right frame of mind for the heavier gloom and doom (albeit excellent) episodes.

Poor Miles. He's either getting kidnapped, beat up, or cloned. Then he has to come home to a mopey wife. They should just call it quits. Miles can go on doing what brings him joy (his work) and Keiko can go pursue her career and find something else to be unhappy about. Molly seems to be getting raised by robots, so that's taken care of.

Startrekwatcher

These dumb sitcom level stories--especially after the Dominion threat-- is not why I watch Star Trek for. This is fluff that I wasn't the least but interested in. The only decent but was the subplot about With Dominion threat the station population has dwindled. And Ron Moore did a lot of these pointless filler episodes--this, Par'mach, Change of Heart, Empok Nor, the Rom/Leeta garbage in Dr Bashir I presume?, You are Cordially Invited. His writing skills are kinda overrated on DS9

grumpy_otter

This was lighthearted fun, but I dislike Quark so much it was hard to get through the whole thing. I'm glad I did so I could see the divorce, but it wasn't quite worth a whole episode of him. I will grant he was less annoying than usual, and his bravery was nice.

Sleeper Agent

This is likely in my ds9 top 5 episodes of all time. Absolutely genius.

Aside from the obvious laughs, this was the first episode to really demonstrate the more assertive and layered character that Quark became from the Season 2 finale. Armin Schimerman's performance has always been great, but for the first season and much of the second, Quark, Rom and Nog were basically an extension of the "Ferengi Problem" in TNG - borderline anti-semitic stereotypes that basically serve to lampoon anarchocapitalism as the series' laughing stock and narrative punching bag. Had this been the Quark of before, he probably would have joked his way out of it with some kind of shady trade, but instead they made him an astute economist. Of course, the fact that he was the right man in the right place at the right time was incredibly contrived, but having the Ferengi be driven by more than simple profit makes them much more interesting characters. Rom's utterance of "there's more to life than profit" is somewhat mindblowing.

Not a fan of Ferengi comedies although this one's one of the better ones, which isn't saying much. I think the quiet B-plot about Keiko losing her purpose and the fears of the Dominion make for a much more interesting story than Quark's nonsense. Kind of a weird juxtaposition for this episode... Whether this is meant to be a satire of Klingon society or not, it paints the Klingon beliefs/system in a bad light although their whole honor thing is wishy-washy anyway -- depends on the intent of the Klingon in question. D'Ghor tries to use the honor BS to his benefit at every turn, yet was sucking his brother dry financially. There were some good comedy moments but not from Quark. Gowron being like WTF?!? about the hearing with Grilka was great -- love his facial expression (and his huge eyes). And then when he calls Quark "Quirk" was good. He had no interest in looking at the financial stuff Quark put in front of him. But I facepalmed when Rom showed up on Kronos at the hearing -- stupidity overload. Shimerman's not a bad actor but the Quark character really should be minimized, for me. But he gets to show another side to the Quark character here, although it's not that important in the grand scheme and the A-plot in this episode isn't interesting or very funny. A couple of things to shake a stick at: that Grilka can shotgun marry Quark, who has no idea what he's getting into let alone her kidnapping him on DS9 and taking him to Kronos... We're supposed to overlook these things for the purposes of the comedy but it's just contrivances by the writers. VOY had some far better comedies revolving around Doc. The twist on the honor thing in the end was a good way to get Quark out of a pickle -- there would be no honor for D'Ghor in killing a defenseless Quark -- and Gowron lets him know as much. Good moment for the Quark character. 2 stars for "The House of Quark" -- I will say there was a good chemistry between Grilka and Quark, Gowron was funny but this A-plot was a silly story that was more tiresome to get through than funny. The episode also had some of the best and most realistic Miles/Keiko scenes and that feeds into the building Dominion arc. And the good thing is Keiko is going off to Bajor for 6 months to do botany.

@ Rahul, Your review seems rather harsh on what is generally seen as a light and fun episode about an unlikely friendship between a Ferengi and a Klingon woman, "Whether this is meant to be a satire of Klingon society or not, it paints the Klingon beliefs/system in a bad light although their whole honor thing is wishy-washy anyway -- depends on the intent of the Klingon in question. D'Ghor tries to use the honor BS to his benefit at every turn, yet was sucking his brother dry financially. " Are you sure about that? Perhaps if you think that the Klingons are meant to represent an actual system of government then I could see your point. But overall, since TNG-era Trek where they weren't the USSR any more, they seem to be to embody old honor-society values and a sort of Samurai/Viking temperament. It's more about the attitude than anything else. I think that a great many people would look at TNG Federation people and say that what's missing in them is fire, spirit, a sort of rugged or raw side of humanity. It's all very polished and...well, sometimes boring. The Klingons give us that sense of adventure, thrill, blood-churning passion, that Feds seem to usually lack. Also, the Federation runs the risk of coming off as rules-heavy where there's a regulation for everything, very cut and dried, whereas the Klingons care more about doing things honorably than about sticking to the letter of the law and being a 'good citizen.' There's something to be said for both. It is a problem in our times that it seems that you can't compel people to behave honorably or with charitable intention; if you give them an inch they take a mile and take advantage of something or of the system. So we instead employ laws that strictly prohibit basically everything abusive (other than in commerce) to make sure that some jackass or other doesn't do it, because if not for threat of punishment they'd do any manner of things without regard for the nobility (or lack thereof) of the act. So Klingon society also shows us a people who in theory care so much about honor that the social aspect of that alone compels them to behave in certain ways, and the civil laws aren't required to prohibit them. And that brings us back to this episode, which shows us clearly that an honor system requires people who want to participate. But in reality there will always be outliers, or sociopaths, or people who are users and don't care; they will abuse the system if they can, and so it seems inescapable that an honor system is doomed to fail in big matters, and strict regulation and oversight is needed. And I do say that this is a really sad thing, and even sadder to see in a society that (naively) is trying to go based on honor. This episode gives us that contrast, where even the thought that someone would do that is so horrible that Grilka is just stunned. And to be honest I think this is the reaction most people would have. "Who would do that??" Well, people would, and the Klingon society is an outstanding avenue of showing us just how ridiculous it is that people would stoop to that. Who better than a Ferengi to point this out? And it's great because he, himself holds up his business acumen as a badge of honor of a different sort. But even putting aside the implications or interpretation of the story, I think that while there's no accounting for taste, it's pretty harsh to give 2 stars to an episode that have innovative ideas, moves the story right along with new locales and a return of Gowron, is directed in a snappy energetic way, and has an intelligent and witty resolution that captures the best of both the Ferengi and the Klingons and what we can admire about them. This may not be to everyone's liking, but it is a *well-made* episode. And honestly Gowron's face when he throws the PADD away should be worth 4 stars by itself.

@ Peter G. -- I totally agree with you about the Klingon honor system vs. Federation's rules at every turn system: "It is a problem in our times that it seems that you can't compel people to behave honorably or with charitable intention" If we think of our society say 25-50 years ago, we had less laws than we do today. And 25-50 years from today, we'll have even more laws. So what you say is spot on -- you can't govern people's hearts and minds and when they feel aggrieved, they'll take advantage of the system (however that manifests itself). And this repeatedly happens in Klingon episodes that it really rubbishes how their society is governed and makes me think they should "get with the times". So seeing this idea repeatedly emerging in Klingon episodes is a bit tiresome, for me. The Klingons pride themselves on honor, yet I struggle to think of a Klingon that acts "honorably" (aside from Worf). The fact that in Klingon society there are fewer laws, stuff that is so fundamentally wrong in our society (the future Federation, if you will) is accepted over there if it is considered honorable (for example, killing). But the honor system is the backbone of the Klingon government, and we've had countless examples of how it is abused in TNG and DS9. (Gowron himself is a devious character.) So perhaps at a very deep level, Trek is meant to show how ludicrous Klingon government/society is such that we, the viewers, become thankful for our system with its infinite number of laws. With respect to this episode, I had to shake my head that Grilka could just marry Quark. What a perverse way of fitting in with Klingon honor and, for example, how does this jive with the crap Dax had to go thru when she married Worf later in the series? So even the Klingon honor is twisted in this comedy/satire. I no longer know what to make of it. As for my rating -- it may sound trite to say this -- but I actually do try to carefully evaluate the episode overall. Largely my rating's based on my objective enjoyment (which was the part that suffered here) but also definitely for the premise, writing, acting, and sometimes technical considerations. This episode is [largely] a comedy and I honestly believe, it is not as good as some other similar era Trek comedies like "In the Cards" (3*) or "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy" (3*) or "Someone to Watch Over Me" (3*) just off the top of my head. A more comedic take on Gowron can only go so far. Quark trying to make himself seem courageous at the beginning and the parts with Rom -- I just wanted those parts to be done with very quickly. The satire, if you will, of Klingon society/government didn't have the desired effect for me. So I feel, in relation to other episodes I've rated, 2 stars is appropriate for "The House of Quark".

Just watched this one again to refresh my memory, and it occurs to me that there's more here than 'Ferengi hijinx.' I think the mistake here would be to chortle early on when Quark says "It's not about profits any more, it's about respect." Maybe we're prone to roll our eyes here at how self-deluded Quark is about something he's lying about anyhow. But in fact this is probably the most honest he's ever been. What we see in House of Quark is a story about a man whose religion is money and even he admits that respect is simply something he *needs*. No one can only care about money, even if they protest to the contrary. Having him take over a Klingon Great House is a funny way of showing us how even the least valorous of us probably has inner fantasies or even a self-image of heroism, or of being larger-than-life, or of being acclaimed. Klingon culture is basically a extreme version of that thing we need, which is to be shown respect and "honored". Seen in this way this is probably the most important Quark episode of the series, insofar as it's a defining moment where we see that either he really isn't a regular Ferengi, or else if he is that they are full of self-deceit in general. And not only do we get a Ferengi who realizes he needs what Klingons call honor, but likewise we see a Klingon who craves what Ferengi do - seizing lands and power using economic trickery. It's a funny juxtapose to be sure, and I think there's some IDIC in there about even the most hardened cultures having something to learn or gain from others even that are very different from them.

I have always wonder about the loopholes of honour and courage, and i am probably not alone. So it is great to see the writers showing how some Klingons manipulate it in dishonourable ways, and using a Ferengi was a great tool! Love this episdoe!

"The House of Quark" is simply fantastic-a great, genuinely funny script carried by an excellent performance by Armin Shimmerman. Quark genuinely gets to be a hero, and it's lovely to see. The fact that he has great chemistry with Grilka, and that it's a very well paced hour don't hurt either. 4 stars.

Man, if you don't give this four stars, you don't give nothin' four stars.

How are there no security cameras in the 24th century?

Teaser : ***, 5% Rom and Quark are lamenting how poor business at the bar is. There is one drunk Klingon holdout, but Quark has just about had it; “I should have gone into insurance; better hours, better money, [fewer] scruples.” Quark will be here all night, ladies and gentlemen. Quark blames the slow traffic on fear of the Dominion (and Sisko for “playing it tough”). This of course doesn't track at all with what we saw in “The Search.” Besides the brief incursions into Ops in “The Jem'Hadar,” the Dominion hasn't even been to the station, as far as we know. Sisko hasn't really had the opportunity to be tough or gentle with the Dominion outside of Borath's simulation (which Quark would have no cause to know about). The question is begged, however, as to whether they're still planning on destroying the wormhole. I would think that answering this question would be a priority. Anyway, Quark is obviously more concerned about his own waning profits. The drunk Klingon demands a line a credit to pay for more blood wine and Quark flirts with the idea of kicking him out before acquiescing in a pathetic heap. But this Klingon is so drunk that when he attempts to attack Quark for his insolence, he manages to stab himself to death. Seems about par for the course for Klingons. Act 1 : ***.5, 17% Odo, having decided offscreen to remain chief of (non-Starfleet) security, is overseeing Bashir's CSI bit over the Klingon corpse. Quark's lobes are tingling at the profit potential he is witnessing. A crowd has gathered outside the bar in response to the death and Quark sees the chance to capitalise on the intrigue. He decides to play up the tabloid angle and insinuate that he murdered the Klingon personally, because obviously, this will encourage patronage. “Come to Quark's! Get stabbed by the bartender or your third drink is free!” I am amused at Quark's backup plan which is, if he gets into trouble with revenge-seeking Klingons, all he has to do is tell the truth. Quark tells Rom that if business doesn't improve, he's going to have to fire him. So, when Odo begins his questioning, Rom immediately pipes up with their tabloid headline version of events, that Quark killed the Klingon in self defence. Armin Shimmerman hilariously chews the scenery for all onlookers as he “retells” the events in dramatic fashion. I can't do the performance justice, but it's genuinely hysterical. Meanwhile, Keiko is pruning a plant when Miles comes home and starts unloading about his busy day. Keiko, it turns out, has had to close her school. The Bajorans who have relocated off the station are responding to the looming Dominion threat, just like Quark's customers. Miles is clearly concerned about his wife's wellbeing. At Quarks, business is booming again. Odo informs the happy Ferengi that his “victim” was a man called...um...Kojak? Uh oh, Quark killed a cop! Whatever his actual job was, he was the head of an important family which is on its way to DS9. Odo gives Quark the opportunity to come clean before they start a vengeance-killing, but Quark is resolute in his tabloid success. Rom thinks that since they've made up for their losses, it's time to fess up. Quark is suddenly concerned with maintaining the admiration he's receiving from the public. I mean, Quark has certainly been a punching bag more often than not on this show, but Quark has been more of a self-preserver than an idealist. This feels a little forced. Later on, Quark is confronted (god damn it, people, STOP STRANGLING QUARK!) by Kojak's brother. Act 2 : ****, 17% While a puddle of urine forms around his ankles, Quark admits the truth to the angry Klingon, but of course, such a death would be disgraceful, and the feudal codes of Klingon law would see that dishonour inherited among the entire family. Oh, Klingons...so, in keeping with the tradition of what we've seen in TNG (“Sins of the Father,” and “Rightful Heir” in particular), Klingon “honour” is really a political system of rules-lawyering. Quark will maintain his lie because that makes Kojak's death an honourable one, which protects his family from disgrace and protects Quark from vengeance. This is pretty great satire, as we see that 1. the contradictions in Klingon society are very stark (why would the family seek vengeance if their dishonour cannot be erased?), and 2. vaulted Klingon ideals are transacted as easily as latinum in a Ferengi bar. Meanwhile, Miles is being sweet, preparing an impromptu romantic dinner for him and wife, complete with champagne and sexy innuendo. The next morning, Miles is happy his little gesture seems to have cheered Keiko up, but as soon as he says goodbye, he realises this happiness is all too ephemeral. His wife will be home all day, pruning plants. In the middle of the night, Kojak's widow, Grilka, lets herself into the bar. She has Quark confirm the “honour” of her husband's death right before pulling a knife. Unlike her mate, this Klingon is likely not so drunk she'll perform a Seppuku whoopsie-do. Quark is quickly cowering on the floor and Grilka demanding to know how Kojak really died. She admires the Ferengi's gift for deceit, and decides he'll do some lying for her right before hitting him with an off-button hypospray (this Klingon came prepared). She has them both beamed away, and next thing you know, Quark is awakening on Qo'nos. An elderly Klingon explains to Quark that Kojak had no male heir, and apparently his brother, who threatened Quark into maintaining his lie, is a sworn enemy to his now leaderless house. Dr Exposition further explains that, had the truth about Kojak's death been known to the High Council, Grilka may have been granted special dispensation and made an honorary man or whatever, and thus allowed to lead the house. But he fears that now, the house will “fall.” Grilka enters and hands Quark a tunic: GRILKA: Put this on. QUARK: Why? GRILKA: Because if you do not, I will kill you. At knife point, Grilka forces Quark to marry him right then and there. Heh. Mazel tov! Act 3 : **.5, 17% On DS9, Sisko is briefing Kira and Dax about battle drills. Guess they're not collapsing the wormhole then? Miles enters and Dax is able to discern, just from the look on his face, that he's having “wife problems.” This scene is baffling, because in the same breath, she acknowledges that, having been both a husband and a wife several times, she understands the dynamic, and thus, she and Kira will see themselves out. Maybe they can do some dishes and paint each other's nails? Dax has more experience than Sisko at being a husband, so why wouldn't Miles be willing to talk to her about his problems? It's not like Sisko is his close friend—hell, he and Dax have spent more time together. Is this supposed to be a subtle echo of the sexism built into Klingon (and Ferengi) society? Well, if it is, it doesn't work, because there is no reckoning for this sexism. Kira just gets up and and the ladies take their clueless selves out of the conversation so the “boys” can talk. Yuck. O'Brien asks for Sisko for permission to convert one of the cargo bays into an arboretum, giving Keiko a space like the one she had on the Enterprise. Sisko grants his permission. What saves this scene is the acknowledgement between the two boys that Keiko, having sacrificed her entire career to move their family to DS9, deserves, at least, every effort be made for her happiness. Back on Qo'nos, the smarmy Klingon brother makes claim to the “fallen house” of Kojak directly before Gowron himself. Grilka enters the Council chambers and declares his claim out of order, having chosen a new male leader for her house. Quark scampers in, and she mocks her brother-in-law for having enabled this chain of events through his deception. Gowron name drops the episode's title, honouring Grilka's legal marriage and renaming the house to that of Quirk, erm, Quark. And there was much rejoicing. Act 4 : ***.5, 17% Quark quickly discerns that Grilka's plan to save her house hasn't gotten any farther than this sham marriage. In an irony of ironies, Quark proposes a more equal partnership in this endeavour. Grilka reveals that Kojak's drunken, gambling exploits have made them vulnerable. Quark asks to see the family's financial records, including D'Ghor's (the brother-in-law). GRILKA: That is not how we do things here. We are Klingons. We do not dirty ourselves with filthy ledgers looking for some financial trick. A further irony, that she can't seem to see that all she and D'Ghor have done so far to account for Kojak's failures are a series of underhanded tricks. Klingon honour codes are as absurd and shallow as Ferengi economics when you get down to it. She acquiesces. On DS9, Bashir orders himself some Vulcan soup. Oh, and he gets himself a little dessert, too in relishing Miles' request for his opinion. Miles is designing the new arboretum, and Bashir observes that Miles attempt to placate his wife is essentially getting her a cargo bay-sized bouquet of roses to assuage her unhappiness. This is more anachronistic 90s sexist bullshit, but at least Miles abandons this stupidity for something more substantial. Bashir says Keiko really needs to pursue her passion again, not as a hobby, but as a profession. He's not wrong. Quark discerns that Ferengi-style tricks with dirty ledgers is exactly the means by which D'Ghor has shifted the balance of power between the houses. Quark offers to explain this to the Council, and Grilka is grateful...so grateful she allows Quark to politely remove his hand from her thigh instead of smashing his bones to bits, a courtesy Kira never seems to grant him. In the Council chambers, Quark holds his financial board meeting (hilarious) while Gowron and the rest try to keep up with all the accounting tabulations. Gowron is frustrated with this nonsense and gets to the point. D'Ghor denies Quark's claims and demands the matter be settled in combat. He has discovered “new evidence” that Kojak actually died by accident. And who should be dragged in but Rom, the witness. Uh oh. Act 5 : ***.5, 17% In the middle of the night, Quark and Rom are stopped from trying to run away by Dr Exposition and Grilka. D'Ghor's claim that Quark lied (which he did) can only be answered, according to Klingon law, by personal combat. Quark isn't about to risk his life over a matter of honour, whether legal or genuine. Grilka insults him, disappointed in his lack of conviction and allows the pair to leave. In chambers, Quark makes and eleventh hour decision to face D'Ghor in combat (did you know his dad's name was Kelgar?). Quark throws down his sword and tells D'Ghor to kill him. Since Quark has no chance at winning the fight, he forces the Council to acknowledge that his death would be little more than an execution, which according to the arbitrary rules of Klingon society, would be without honour. Gowron recognises D'Ghor's lack of honour and they repeat the discommendation ceremony from “Sins of the Father.” Funny stuff. Grilka offers Quark a repayment for his courage. He asks for a divorce. One advantage I will definitely concede to Klingon law is that this complicated legal proceeding is accomplished through a backhand and spitting on the face. I know a few people who would welcome such a dignified hearing. So after a season's worth of disappointing romances, Quark finally gets a well-earned kiss from the Lady Grilka. On DS9, O'Brien makes a sacrifice of his own. There is a six month expedition on Bajor requiring a chief botanist and he thinks Keiko is more than qualified. We will overlook more of the sexism which demands that Molly be with her mother instead of her father during this period, despite the fact that staying at her home in her quarters, rather than on a mobile expedition would be more stable for the child. We will also ignore the fact Bajor's economic issues still have seemingly vanished since they're conducting scientific expeditions and setting up colonies. The opening shot is repeated, with Quark and Rom lamenting the renewed waning of business. Quark says he would prefer latinum to the genuine respect he's earned from this adventure. Maybe, maybe not. Episode as Functionary : ***, 10% On the surface, we *finally* have a worthy successor to “The Nagus” from season 1. “The House of Quark” is in the same league comedically, and the performances from Shimmerman and the supporting players are quite strong. We are shedding the embarrassing characterisation from season 2 and restoring Quark's thief with a heart of gold persona we were originally promised, which is most welcome. The only flaw in this is that, because of the aforementioned characterisation nose-dive from last season, this change comes out of no where. His decision to act selflessly, and earn genuine respect (even if it won't bring him business) happens off screen. Provided this change sticks, I'm willing to forgive the grinding of gears necessary to get us here. The social commentary from the episode is more profound. The Truth of how Kojak would have allowed Grilka to assume control of her house immediately upon his death. But then that very same Truth in Act 4 almost allows D'Ghor to take control. This is because what the Klingons label as “honour” and “glory” is really just political currency. And of course, dealing with currency is the heart and soul of Ferengi culture. Despite the Klingons' disdain for Ferengi values, in the end, at least Ferengi are honest about themselves and their motivations. The Klingons hide behind rhetoric and tradition. Weaving this commentary in with Quark's character growth/restoration is excellent stuff, classically Trekkian. The B-plot is sincere and effective, but I can't shake my disappointment with the sexist dynamic which infects it. I am a married man, and my spouse is a man. I can attest to the fact that the underlying issues, as Bashir put it, are quite familiar, without the gendered stereotypes employed here. The dilemma explored between Keiko and Miles is very real and the general conclusion is reasonable, but there is no need for the Sisko/O'Brien “guy talk” scene, or the Bashir/O'Brien flowers scene. I realise that I haven't written reviews for TOS or TNG yet, so I should point out that I am well aware that the sexism in those shows is usually way worse than it is here, but it's still disappointing, especially when the A-plot hinges on overtly sexist cultural traditions. Oh well. Still a worthwhile outing. Final Score : ***.5

This surely is one of better season 3 episodes and probably among the best of DS9. One thing that DS9 really excels at is putting people together from different alien cultures and showing them work together for a higher purpose. It really took a sophisticated understanding of Trek material to develop the commonalities of the Ferengi (still somewhat undeveloped at this point in the series) and Klingons with their decades world-building and history in the Trek universe. I’ll just give one example of how the difference were handled deftly. After Quark discovers D’Ghors’ financial manipulating, Grilka warms up to him. Then we hear that Quark put his hand on Grilka’s thigh (symbolic of Ferengi greed) and Grilka’s response that she’s repressing the urge to break every bone in his body (a typical violent Klingon solution) in retaliation to Ferengi culture. It’s a subtle clash of cultures, but it works, perhaps in large part to the remarkable chemistry Mary Kay Adams and Shimerman have here. Really some top notch writing from RDM, too. @Elliott I agree that it’s funny that the women will get chased out of room so O’Brien and Sisko can have a man-to-man conversation. Many times DS9 will imprint these sort of conservative 1990s social norms which feel a little funny existing in a show about the 24th century. But I suppose they’re trying to relate to non-Trek fans who like the future to be just like their present? In any case, I do like the B plot overall for, if nothing else, it’s not just some throwaway material. Instead, it resolves a relatively big arc for Keiko’s teaching on the station and it’s nice that expedition story sticks.

@Elliott With all the talk you gave to how sexist the B-plot is, I'm just curious.... what kind of sexism are you saying "Molly must go with her mother" is? Is it sexist against women by saying that the women must take care of the children or is it sexist against men for implying that a man obviously can't be capable of caring for a child on his own?

@William B Yes exactly—by making the episode about saving Jadzia’s life instead of resolving the moral issues, there isn’t any time for her to comment on the betrayal or the larger picture for herself and her people. @Luke Yes. To both.

@Luke Sun, Sep 16, 2018, 1:40am (UTC -5) @Elliott "With all the talk you gave to how sexist the B-plot is, I'm just curious.... what kind of sexism are you saying "Molly must go with her mother" is? Is it sexist against women by saying that the women must take care of the children or is it sexist against men for implying that a man obviously can't be capable of caring for a child on his own?" I don't remember even giving this a thought watching this episode. Did I miss something?

"I don't remember even giving this a thought watching this episode. Did I miss something?" No.

@Peter G Um, I listed at least four separate examples of sexism in the B plot. What’s your problem?

@ Elliott, I'll go through it in point form if you insist, but I didn't want to make a big deal out of it: "This scene is baffling, because in the same breath, she acknowledges that, having been both a husband and a wife several times, she understands the dynamic, and thus, she and Kira will see themselves out. Maybe they can do some dishes and paint each other's nails? Dax has more experience than Sisko at being a husband, so why wouldn't Miles be willing to talk to her about his problems?" I don't know why it's baffling that she would recognize that they want a "man talk." Are you arguing that it is "sexist" to want a man-to-man talk? Or are you saying that it's sexist to treat Dax as a woman in this context when she's been a man before? If the former, I would argue simply: no. No one should tell people what they "should" want. If the latter, this is more dicey because few people are used to Trills and the idea that someone who is currently a woman has lived past lives. On this score the writers probably weren't considering Trill relations and were more thinking about how humans would see her as a woman now: not a crazy idea. It's more an unexplored issue (about Trills) than an archaic one. At worst I'd say this was a lost opportunity to get in a word about Trill/human relations. "Miles is designing the new arboretum, and Bashir observes that Miles attempt to placate his wife is essentially getting her a cargo bay-sized bouquet of roses to assuage her unhappiness. This is more anachronistic 90s sexist bullshit, but at least Miles abandons this stupidity for something more substantial." It's sexist to try to get your wife things that will make her happy? I can't imagine how unbearable a world it would be if people tried their best to make their loved ones happy and were called "sexists" when the idea isn't the best. How accursed that would be. Or maybe you're implying that giving one's wife flowers when she's upset is sexist? Go ask various married women if they agree. They won't! "On DS9, O'Brien makes a sacrifice of his own. There is a six month expedition on Bajor requiring a chief botanist and he thinks Keiko is more than qualified. We will overlook more of the sexism which demands that Molly be with her mother instead of her father during this period, despite the fact that staying at her home in her quarters, rather than on a mobile expedition would be more stable for the child." On this point I sort of see your objection, which is that staying with Miles isn't even voiced as an option, which we may attribute to the writers defaulting to assuming the mother should always have the child. However It seems to me that failing to mention the matter on-screen isn't a slam-dunk that it's for that reason. Consider some real logistics: maybe it's because the Chief needs to sometimes be on-call 26 hours a day for his job with the many emergencies they have. Think of it if he was a doctor and the hours they keep, especially in a crazy post - such a profession would make being an effective single parent an impractical proposition. Or maybe Miles just sort of wouldn't enjoy being the only parent on duty all the time, in which case we could chalk their decision up to a recognition that Keiko is just the more capable of the two of them. So this one has more to argue but I still feel like one almost has to be looking for objections to dislike the idea of a child staying with her mother. I scanned your review twice and couldn't really find a fourth objection you listed, so sorry if I missed one that was very relevant to your point. Overall my concern here is that a sort of "presentism" can be worked into material written in the past, which means applying modern standards to older works and judging them based on those standards. So for instance you can look at TOS and comment on Uhura saying "How sexist! She's just a communications officer instead of a command level officer or Captain!" And you'd miss how progressive it was to have a black woman on board at all. That kind of critique is a sort of self-congratulatory method that historians tend to eschew in favor of seeing the norms at the time and inspecting what the media was doing in light of those norms. In the case of TOS Uhura's inclusion was super-progressive. Likewise there's the "sexist" costumes, which by all rights were more likely an expression of female emancipation from the rigid dress code forced on them by patriarchy (although I'm sure this point would involve a larger debate than the former). In House of Quark I can't help but feel that what was intended to be progressive - a story about how women's careers are just as important as men's - is being regarded through revisionist goggles and being somehow seen as sexist. That's really crazy, when back in the 90's the model of "woman at home" was still standard, if waning due to socioeconomic realities about it taking two jobs to pay the bills. But stay-at-home-daddy wasn't even a thing, and although admittedly it would have also been super-progressive to have O'Brien take that course, the station really couldn't do without its Chief Engineer. But nevertheless the "flowers" scene, which you call sexist, basically states that women don't need to be placated, they need to be important, which means placing their careers on an equal level with those of men. If that's not progressive for the 90's I don't know what it. There is a danger of the "not progressive enough for me" approach, where an actually progressive thing for 1994 will be seen as "retrograde" based on how things would be portrayed in 2018. And not just portrayed in 2018 either, but in super-progressive 2018 material, because plenty of liberal people still end up having the wife spend more time with the children, and plenty of liberal guys still want to have guy-talks with their male friends. I guess you'd have to call all of them sexists too?

@Peter, Elliott, "In House of Quark I can't help but feel that what was intended to be progressive - a story about how women's careers are just as important as men's - is being regarded through revisionist goggles and being somehow seen as sexist. That's really crazy, when back in the 90's the model of "woman at home" was still standard, if waning due to socioeconomic realities about it taking two jobs to pay the bills. But stay-at-home-daddy wasn't even a thing, and although admittedly it would have also been super-progressive to have O'Brien take that course, the station really couldn't do without its Chief Engineer. But nevertheless the "flowers" scene, which you call sexist, basically states that women don't need to be placated, they need to be important, which means placing their careers on an equal level with those of men. If that's not progressive for the 90's I don't know what it." I don't think I agree. MASH had episodes about how a woman's career is as important as a man's, and it was sort of the central premise of Mary Tyler Moore. Granted neither Margaret nor Mary had children. But I don't think that men and women's careers having equal weight was at all novel in pop culture in the 90's. I see your point that it wasn't the norm though. Additionally, statistics show that there were 1.1 million stay at home fathers in the US 1989: https:// www.statista.com/statistics/319707/number-of-stay-at-home-dads-in-the-us/. Hardly the norm, but I don't think that constitutes "not even a thing." I don't really see Elliott's objection to the flowers scene itself though.

@ William B, "I don't think I agree. MASH had episodes about how a woman's career is as important as a man's, and it was sort of the central premise of Mary Tyler Moore. " I can't speak for Mary Tyler Moore, but I'm almost done a watch-through of M.A.S.H. There's a general arc, it's true, for Major Houlihan, that her career is as important to her as a man's, but the social stage at which this takes place (late 70's, early 80's) is where the norm is to dismiss women's careers and it takes significant pushback to make them see the value of her career. But even then there are plenty of episodes where she bemoans not being married. There is also the occasional episode (maybe a half-dozen in total) involving a guest star female whose career isn't taken sufficiently seriously and she's treated terribly and that's corrected by the end. So this was certainly begun in the 70's. But in DS9 what we see isn't "stop tormenting women who want to work", and is also far beyond the typical MASH theme of "stop treating career women as a joke". Rather what we're told is that even in private family life Miles sees not only that one in theory should respect career women - which is already a given since he met her on the Enterprise when she was a working botanist - but rather than he should be fighting for her to have her career rather than letting her fall into 'just being a parent'. This this is the next level of progressive writing, where MASH pushed back against discrimination, and now in DS9 we're seeing the husband actively pushing for the wife's career even when she isn't actively fighting for it. And I'll also note that MASH was quite progressive, and it's fitting that it should take 10-15 years for TV to be ready for the next step, which goes from "you don't be harassed for wanting a career" all the way to "you shouldn't be puttering around the house, go to your career!" It's a fairly significant step in 'progressive TV'.

@Peter G, William B Just like with Odo's assumed heteronormativity, there are aspects to 90s television--even progressive Star Trek--which are stuck in their era; I completely understand this and rated this episode accordingly. But that doesn't mean that when there are problematic elements in the show, we should ignore them, even if recognising them is the benefit of hindsight. Just because, for 1994, the Keiko/Miles story was right in line with mainstream feminist thought, doesn't mean that the story isn't infected with sexist attitudes. All that means is that it's more regrettable that attitudes were what they were. And yes, TOS, despite being ahead of its time, was extremely sexist, because all TV in the 60s was sexist. It doesn't cease to be so because of moral relativism. "Are you arguing that it is 'sexist' to want a man-to-man talk?" Kind of. There is an assumption that the women won't be able to relate or understand Miles' perspective, even though Dax literally has been a husband far longer than Miles or Sisko. So the implication is that, now that she has a vagina, her input into the issue isn't helpful. That is sexist. "Or maybe you're implying that giving one's wife flowers when she's upset is sexist? Go ask various married women if they agree. They won't!" For me, this is more of a problem with the cliché. Miles had already tried cheering Keiko up with a romantic dinner date. He's too smart to think that more gifts is going to solve the problem of her unhappiness. The women I know would find it insulting, if they were deeply depressed about a substantial issue like being able to pursue their careers, to be given flowers as a token of appeasement. Painting Miles as this bumbling I-don't-understand-complex-emotions-because-of-my-penis man is the anachronism. And it is sexist. "[S]uch a profession would make being an effective single parent an impractical proposition." That didn't stop Sisko from bringing his son with him to DS9. Jake is a bit older than Molly, I know that will be the argument, but Jake was still not old enough to look after himself when they arrived. More to the point, it's Keiko who says, "I can't leave you and Molly for six months." Now, if she's saying she can't bear to be away from her child that long, this is fine, but why is it that Miles is perfectly capable of being away from his daughter for half a year? That's a double standard based on gender, which is sexist.

@ Elliott, "And yes, TOS, despite being ahead of its time, was extremely sexist, because all TV in the 60s was sexist. It doesn't cease to be so because of moral relativism." While I do agree that some values are objectively so regardless of era, there are degrees to which criticism should be issued. For instance any picture in the past of slavery should rightly be tarred, even if it was 'more progressive' slavery. However when considering an 1850's Maverick for abolition whose position was that there should be no slaves, but who would still have recoiled from the idea of his daughter marrying a black person, it would be useless and counter-historical to accuse such a person of being a racist. Yes, compared to today's standard that position is racist. But at the time you could only realistically expect so much progressiveness at once. Looking back and calling the maverick a "racist" because he's just not progressive enough...I would vehemently oppose that move. Regarding Odo's sexuality that's a great point, and if anything I would agree that the show (or culture) just wasn't ready for a bi/pansexual crew member. In fact I doubt many people were even that well acquainted with bisexuality in the first place, no less having it prominently displayed on a show. Even as of a few years back I found even liberal bastion urban centers to be mostly focused on "gay vs straight". So even now bisexuality has barely made it into the mainsteam, no less back in 1994. So while given the internal logic of the Changelings there's no reason Odo should only like women, given the era it would have been unreasonable for even a progressive show to go beyond that at the time. "Dax literally has been a husband far longer than Miles or Sisko. So the implication is that, now that she has a vagina, her input into the issue isn't helpful. That is sexist." That isn't the implication, not even slightly. Her own statement shows that it's not. The implication is that Miles would feel *more comfortable* talking to a man. It's not about who has which data to offer him. It's like when a woman would prefer a female gyno; it's not because male gyno's didn't study properly at medical school, it's a question of preference, and it's not sexist. "He's too smart to think that more gifts is going to solve the problem of her unhappiness. " Right, and he thinks that the arboretum will give her something *to do*. It's not a random gift. The scene is clear about this, it's not another flowers attempt. Julian shows him that what he's giving her is a hobby when in fact she needs a career. And by the way I don't think it's at all unreasonable to suggest that people need a hobby. If we wanted to be really pendantic I could point out that in a post-scarcity society suggesting that someone needs a career to make them happy is the anachronism and is dated for the 24th century. The hobby idea is ironically probably the more reasonable idea for most people given that doing a job isn't actually required to bring in income. In Keiko's *particular case* if she's passionate about botany then as Julian points out the hobby isn't enough, she needs her career. It's a fine point to make and he's right, but O'Brien was no dunce about it on his end. He's trying to do big things for her and that's sexist? Ugh. "Now, if she's saying she can't bear to be away from her child that long, this is fine, but why is it that Miles is perfectly capable of being away from his daughter for half a year? That's a double standard based on gender, which is sexist." She said she can't be away from Molly that long. Miles didn't say the same, therefore he doesn't feel the same. You're asking why Miles isn't the literal same person as Keiko with the exact same feelings and needs? I mean, if you want to show sexism on DS9 I could join up happily in appropriate circumstances. I'll readily rip into Profit and Lace with a vengeance, and also anything to do with the presentation of Leeta. I have no objection to calling a spade a spade. We can perhaps agree to disagree on House of Quark.

I think we’re missing key details in Miles/Keikos relationship which allow for many interpretations to be valid. I’m a married man with a wife and a kid, but I couldn’t imagine my wife would ever be happy if I went out and picked out her job for her, even if I garnished it with “oh hey, you can still take care of our kid!” - (typing that out now seems pretty funny). That said, Miles is an enlisted man that leads a more conservative lifestyle and Keiko knows that. It’s altogether possible that Keiko wants exactly the kind of lifestyle Miles offers - where her husband makes all her big decisions - from her man. Anecdotally, of course, I’ve seen Japanese women more happy as homemakers even to the extent that they take a certain pride in it. But we’re missing a lot of information here. Like, I’m no botanist, but performing botany on DS9 sounds like pretty fulfilling work itself. Are we sure Keiko wouldn’t want that? The story never tells us, so I think you’re free to your own take. Just keep in mind Miles/Keiko have the most successful long term relationship in Star Trek.

"She said she can't be away from Molly that long. Miles didn't say the same, therefore he doesn't feel the same." Be honest. Are you really trying to say that you don't see any gender inflection in the idea that both Miles and Keiko would assume that Molly couldn't be away from her mother for that long, but she could be away from her father? It's really just a difference in personality? I don't buy it. "He's trying to do big things for her and that's sexist?" Yes, exactly! Giving someone a gift because you love them is one thing, trying to *fix* them by giving them something (whether something to admire like flowers or something to *do* like a hobby) is condescending. It bothers me that Miles would fall back on this trope, but as Chrome pointed out, Miles is himself kind of an anachronism. Regarding your point about careers in the 24th century, even today, people often work harder than they have to in careers that they love (at least those who are lucky enough to have them) even if the financial benefits are unimportant to them. The difference between a career and a hobby isn't whether it provides income, but whether a person has professional accountability to the work. Stakes, in other words. "It's like when a woman would prefer a female gyno; it's not because male gyno's didn't study properly at medical school, it's a question of preference, and it's not sexist." Actually that's sexist, too. I'm not saying many women don't quite sincerely feel this way, but it's still a form of sexism. "However when considering an 1850's Maverick for abolition whose position was that there should be no slaves, but who would still have recoiled from the idea of his daughter marrying a black person, it would be useless and counter-historical to accuse such a person of being a racist." This is the point where we diverge most fundamentally. You are assuming that calling a racist man a racist even if, given the context of his society and time, he were far *less* racist than most other people, is dismissive of his relative progressivism. It isn't. The Maverick should be applauded for his forward-thinking vision, but that does not retroactively make him not racist. Racism is racism. Sexism is sexism.

Elliott it seems you define sexism as essentially any difference between male and female gender roles and expectations. That's a view that I'm sure many in 2018 would agree with but let's be clear - you object to any difference between the sexes and how they relate to one another. A non sexist world is one where there is essentially zero difference between men and women.

@Jason R Sexism is a form of prejudice. Just like racism. It is not racist to note that people of different races might have different skin colours or facial features because that's the definition of race. It is racist to make assumptions about people based on their race. Likewise, it is sexist to make assumptions about people based on their gender. Assuming that Keiko, as a woman, must be with her child where as Miles, a man, doesn't necessarily have to is sexist because it makes assumptions based on nothing more than the fact that Miles and Keiko have different genitalia.

You know, you can have great, enjoyable, constructive arguments with people who have the exact opposite opinions and beliefs to you, as long as they're are reasonable and approach the debate in good humour. But not if they're completely dogmatic and lack EQ. I've long been of the belief that everyone should just ignore Elliott. If he comments on an episode and no-one takes the bait by responding, it's just one comment that can easily be skipped over. If people respond and argue back, he doubles down and the resulting endless back-and-forth ends up dominating the entire thread (due to his emotional tone-deafness and inability to compromise). And that's happening on every single thread on this site. There's barely an episode thread on this site that doesn't have an "Elliott argument" under it (even episodes he liked, like this one!). And I think that's what he wants. I love debating things with people with different opinions. But it has to be in good faith. Not joyless, rigidly ideological and cherry-picking, and wilfully nuance-free. (Take his comment on Equilibrium: "Sisko continues to be a morally rotten leader, having no compunctions about letting a planet-wide deception continue if it means getting what he wants for himself, namely the continued company of his friend." No, it just means this episode wasn't very well-written.) Elliott has every right to post his reviews. But I, and this is just a personal opinion, think it'd be smart for people to stop responding. He provokes, waits for people to bite, then doesn't have the EQ to argue his case in a non-dogmatic way, so not only will you never win an argument with him, it's unlikely to be in any way constructive either (let alone bring new insight to the episode). It's fruitless, like cleaning the transporter room with a toothbrush. I think those TOS episodes where Kirk argues with a computer and ties it in logical knots until it explodes have perhaps misled people into thinking they achieve the same with Elliott... you can't. Not when the ultimate goal is just attention and validation.

@wolfstar You have absolutely no right to conclude that my arguments occur in bad faith. That I have enjoyed conversations with people of differing opinions over the years is not evidence that I am looking for "attention" anymore than it would be for every other comment-poster. Plenty of people post their reviews on this site and most of those have follow-up comments. If you don't want to engage with me, that's your business, but how dare you police me or my alleged motivations from the comfortable anonymity of your keyboard?

"Sexism is a form of prejudice. Just like racism. It is not racist to note that people of different races might have different skin colours or facial features because that's the definition of race. It is racist to make assumptions about people based on their race. Likewise, it is sexist to make assumptions about people based on their gender. Assuming that Keiko, as a woman, must be with her child where as Miles, a man, doesn't necessarily have to is sexist because it makes assumptions based on nothing more than the fact that Miles and Keiko have different genitalia." I understand your viewpoint and I imagine many would agree with you that differences between men and women are merely "genitalia" and "plumbing" to use another common metaphor. My response is first to suggest that there is nothing trivial about genitalia, from which a host of biological realities (from breastfeeding to childbirth to sexual pleasure responses stem) and second, to note that there is alot of research into male and female brains that disputes the common "it's just plumbing" approach to sexual dimorphism. Ironically, this research into male and female brains, comes in the context of transexuality. The race analogy is a false one because human races are mere social construct whereas sexual dimorphism in humans (and the reality of our biological differences) is not, clearly. Incidentally, I want to emphasize that nowhere in this episode is there an implication that Keiko *must* watch the children or that it can be no other way because she is a woman. Your comment isn't against that proposition (and if it is, you are debating a straw man). Rather, it seems you object to the notion that default assumptions about people could in any way be informed by their sex in an enlightened society i.e. any society that is not strictly neutral in its attitude toward men and women is bigoted or sexist a priori. I gotta disagree, strongly.

"human races are mere social construct" Tiny nitpick: not quite, although practically speaking this may as well be true. There are medical differences as well as physical realities in human 'breeds' that adapted better for certain environments. That said I would agree that there is no moral reason to consider races as being an actual divider between people. This small point aside, I agree with your general argument.

@Jason R Sexual dimorphism in humans is an extremely volatile subject. I have several transgendered friends who are more qualified to speak on the particular subject you're alluding to than I am. However, I do need to call out some of the warped reasoning in your response here: "note that there is a lot [sic] of research into male and female brains that disputes the common 'it's just plumbing' approach to sexual dimorphism. Ironically, this research into male and female brains, comes in the context of transsexuality." First of all, you might want to actually cite any such research you want me or others reading your comment to consider. For example, this essay (https://medium.com/@juliaserano/transgender-people-and-biological-sex-myths-c2a9bcdb4f4a) is written by a transgendered woman who is also a biologist. The central thesis of her argument is that there is a distinction, biologically speaking, between gender and sex (although these terms may be imprecise, anyway). The former has nothing to do with "plumbing." I would suggest reading it. Second, any commonalities between the brains of the roughly 3.5 billion humans who identify as female can be considered statistical trivialities when dealing with individual men and women. Even if, statistically speaking, one could draw generalisations between all women throughout all of history in all cultures, that does not entitle one to make assumptions (engage in prejudice) against any individual woman for falling outside of those generalities. "The race analogy is a false one because human races are mere social construct whereas sexual dimorphism in humans (and the reality of our biological differences) is not, clearly." I'm sorry that you don't seem to understand the difference between gender identity and sexual function. But the same essay I linked above should help clear that up somewhat. "[I]t seems you object to the notion that default assumptions about people could in any way be informed by their sex in an enlightened society i.e. any society that is not strictly neutral in its attitude toward men and women is bigoted or sexist a priori." What, then constitutes sexism in your opinion? What degree of default assumption is acceptable before a society is considered sexist? "[No] where [sic] in this episode is there an implication that Keiko *must* watch the children or that it can be no other way because she is a woman. Your comment isn't against that proposition (and if it is, you are debating a straw man)." That's not precise, either. My argument is against the implication that Keiko watching Molly would be the default position. My debate with Peter G isn't about whether this would be wrong (I believe we agree that it is), but how we should contextualise this attitude given the time in which this episode was created. And for the record, I agree that, for 1994, the implications of this subplot are not particularly regressive, but I contend that identifying the sexism present in this attitude is still necessary and appropriate, without penalising the episode.

@Elliot "Sexism is a form of prejudice. Just like racism. It is not racist to note that people of different races might have different skin colours or facial features because that's the definition of race. It is racist to make assumptions about people based on their race. Likewise, it is sexist to make assumptions about people based on their gender. Assuming that Keiko, as a woman, must be with her child where as Miles, a man, doesn't necessarily have to is sexist because it makes assumptions based on nothing more than the fact that Miles and Keiko have different genitalia. " Unreleased script outline for DS9 episode 8x01 "Unexpected": (O'Brien walks into Bashir's office.) Bashir: Miles! Great to see you. Loved our game of darts last night. Is there something I can get you - perhaps a mild analgesic? You must have quite the headache after being so soundly thrashed... O'Brien: Morning Julian... actually, do you mind if we sit down? It's rather important... medically speaking. Bashir: Of course! Now what seems to be the problem? O'Brien: Well... to be honest, I'm not sure how to say this... but I'm pregnant! Bashir: What? O'Brien: I just found out. There's no doubt about it. I'm going to have a baby. Bashir: Miles... are you feeling okay? O'Brien: Of course! What, don't you believe me? Bashir: Well... I mean... O'Brien: You don't, do you? Bashir: Don't get me wrong, it's just that... well, you don't have the genitalia for it. O'Brien: How dare you! That's sexist! Bashir: Miles... perhaps we should run a full scan... starting with your neurology... O'Brien: Don't try to change the subject! You're a bloody sexist and you know it. Right, I'm going to Sisko. Odo will want to hear about this too. I hope you enjoy your time in the brig, I for one won't be missing our darts games... (Miles storms out leaving Julian with a stunned look, pinching the bridge of his nose)

@Jason R Your snark seems to indicates you have no interest in learning about the difference between gender identity and sexual function. If Captain Janeway were denied a promotion because she was in her late 50s, that would be ageism. If she were told she couldn't conceive a child like your farcical O'Brien, that would be acknowledging biological reality. Do you see the difference?

@ Elliott, Check username again...

@Elliott "Your snark seems to indicates you have no interest in learning about the difference between gender identity and sexual function. If Captain Janeway were denied a promotion because she was in her late 50s, that would be ageism. If she were told she couldn't conceive a child like your farcical O'Brien, that would be acknowledging biological reality. Do you see the difference?" Settle down, it was just a joke. I know the difference between biology and gender. I was just pointing to your comment that sexism is making "assumptions based on nothing more than the fact that (males and females) have different genitalia." People do that all the time (eg doctors) and it's fine. At times when it's not fine, there's a lot more to it than that.

@Jason Okay, if you know the difference, then why the snark? A doctor telling someone without a womb that they can't incubate a child is not making an assumption, it's acknowledging biological reality. Prejudices against transgendered people are too extreme to make light of this difference. They are abused, murdered and driven to suicide every day because of people who justify their attitudes with the kind of jokes you made above.

No snark Elliott - honest. I'd say you are projecting on me something of your own creation, which probably isn't surprising since it seems I've wandered into a hornet's nest. Then again, I'd also say the fuss over all these "isms" is more than a little overstated (considering that there's barely anything else on anyone's moral radar these days). Social inequality exists, no doubt about that. And I know many would say I'm taking my sexual and racial privilege for granted, which may also be true. But I would say that those privileges are never what brings a life lasting happiness. Fight for equality on all levels, by all means - it's a worthy fight. But don't expect it to bring total peace and prosperity when it comes. And I don't think Star Trek has done much to dispel that enduring utopian myth.

@Jason I think making up a farcical dialogue scene from "DS9's un-aired 8th season" is the definition of snark, but whatever. I don't know where you got the idea that people expect "life-lasting happiness" to emerge by fighting against transphobia and sexism. You acknowledge that your privilege protects you from dealing with many prejudices the rest of us can't escape, but are still happy to proclaim that we're just "fussing over -isms." So you acknowledge your privilege, and then revel in it. I think we can do better than that.

@Elliott Actually I've heard it said quite frequently that someone or other should have nothing to complain about by virtue of being a certain color or sex, implying life is peachy for the socially privileged. And when you look at episodes like "Past Tense" (which you're coming up on) where the difference between an unequal society and post-revolution is like heaven and hell, changing everything... it's hard not to come to the conclusion that people generally think that the unequal suffer not just more, but infinitely so.

"My response is first to suggest that there is nothing trivial about genitalia, from which a host of biological realities (from breastfeeding to childbirth to sexual pleasure responses stem) and second, to note that there is alot of research into male and female brains that disputes the common "it's just plumbing" approach to sexual dimorphism. Ironically, this research into male and female brains, comes in the context of transexuality." I would say the plumbing itself is trivial to our psychological makeup. What isn't trivial is that we are, each and every one of us, a chemical soup, which is why a vast range of other chemicals that we can ingest (ranging from foods, prescribed drugs, recreational drugs, to environmental agents) can alter our psychology and affect our development. And the bodies of women and men naturally produce different levels of a variety of chemicals (like testosterone and estrogen) that lead to differences in bodies and mind. However, these chemicals are only one of many factors into what makes people different from each other, and individual men and women produce these chemicals at very different rates. Gender is far from the only important characteristic for a person. Saying the average man is taller than the average woman is true; but if you grab 5 random men and 5 random women off the street, there's a real chance that the smallest in the group is a man and the tallest is a woman. Height is certainly not the only gender difference that can arise from these differences in chemical exposures (although I don't think we understand these differences as well as the average person thinks we do), so a society free of sexism will still see differences between the "average man" and "average woman", even if large numbers of men and women fall outside of these norms. Perhaps a sexism-free society would see men be 70% of nurses and women be 70% of teachers; or perhaps the reverse. You would be sexist to look at any individual man and say they they are naturally predisposed to one profession & ill-suited for the other (because gender isn't the only thing that affects abilities & desires), but you would still expect the distribution of the professions to end up different from 50%. So, whatever. Elliot can be unhappy that Keiko and O'Brien have what we consider to be a "standard late 20th century" relationship. But even in the future some men and women will still seek out those roles, even if they're in the minority. The other women on DS9 tend to go further away from those defined roles.

Man, what fragile egos. Look, I like Keiko a lot. I like Miles. I like their relationship. But I watched this episode with a few female friends of mine for their perspective and their reaction was the same as mine. When you’re used to media representation defaulting to your preferred mode of being, I know it’s easy to see any challenge to that paradigm as threatening, or as over-concerned bitching, but this is an expression of extreme privilege. There’s a podcast you all might check out called Women a Warp. I suggest checking it out.

I see nothing wrong with Keiko preferring Molly to be with her. But I also would have found nothing wrong with Miles preferring Molly to be with him. So where's the "privilege" in my position? How does the theory of privilege apply to how I view the episode?

Actually, the ego loves notions like privilege because it puts the blame and responsibility for being miserable onto others. So-called "privileged" people even believe that their privilege is making them happier, even though it's plain to see that it's not.

For the record, Jason and Jason R. aren't the same. Not that I'm disagreeing with Jason specifically. It just got a bit confusing. Not sure I see how privilege fits in either. But it's essentially a conversation ender. It signifies the end of any meaningful dialogue.

@Elliott, quick q (just curious, not stirring up any more trouble): did you dock the ep for sexism? You said you hadn't, but I assumed that the only reason you went to 3 stars rather than 3.5 for the functionary rating was the sexism charge. The only other criticism I saw in that section was that you weren't sure if this episode's Quark was consistent with the s2 problem areas of the character.

@William B In fairness, if the Miles/Keiko stuff hadn't bothered me, I would have waffled between 3 and 3.5 for the EAF section, and probably came down on the lower side because of that issue. So, I suppose one could technically say that my rating was affected by the sexism, but to a very minor degree, one that would not have altered the final rating in any event.

@Peter G "I see nothing wrong with Keiko preferring Molly to be with her. But I also would have found nothing wrong with Miles preferring Molly to be with him. So where's the 'privilege' in my position? How does the theory of privilege apply to how I view the episode?" The privilege is in not feeling the consequences of unspoken assumptions. The Miles/Keiko scene could have been fixed very easily: KEIKO: I can't leave you and Molly for six months. O'BRIEN: Molly and I will be fine! We'll miss you, too. KEIKO: I can't be away from both of you for that long! What if I took Molly along? O'BRIEN: Well, I don't want to be away from either of you! But this is important, and I thought you might feel that way, so I checked, and it shouldn't be a problem. And as for me, well, Bajor's only three hours away in a runabout. We can manage. Without something in the dialogue which makes it clear that there's no *assumed* imperative that Molly couldn't be away from Mother for 6 months, but could be away from Father, the episode is falling back onto tropes. When media recycles tropes like this, it validates a particular perspective which we can call "normal." If your mode of being conforms to this "normal," then you are privileged; you don't have to assert or prove the validity of your mode of being against the "normal."

@Peter G./Elliot I agree with Elliot about that being a better way to word the scene. Similarly, they could’ve brought up the Dominion threat to DS9 again as a way to promote that Molly going to Bajor would be best. The problem is the default assumption shouldn’t be Miles won’t or can’t take care of Molly on his own. That’s not what I’d expect in the 24th century or even in 21st century. If Molly was a newborn and still needed nursing or something I could see why Keiko could be the default caregiver. But Molly is what, six years old? That’s hardly an age where she’d be automatically expected to be with mom. It’s easy to see why some would want more *reality* in this scene.

I think Elliott's wording is better if the objective is to make certain that a certain premise about equality is understood. But since the objective of the scene is actually to show Miles doing a nice thing for Keiko, adding in content to show other things would be extraneous. As it is Elliott's version is more clunky, although certainly not unacceptable by any means. I think it's worse writing, though, especially since the original scene already contains the data he wants to insert more overtly: I'll paraphrase the original: Miles: I propose you go to Bajor for 6 months and Molly will stay here with me. Keiko: But I can't be away from Molly for that long! Miles: Ok, then she'll go with you. Miles' original proposition was already that Molly would stay with him and not with her mother. This is already encoded into the world of the show. The fact that Keiko objects would be the thing to question if you insisted on objecting. As I mentioned, yes, it could be argued it's because there's a norm that Miles is defying in suggesting Molly stay with him, and Keiko is merely reminding him of this norm with her objection. However this reading requires one of two premises to be reasonable, both of which I personally would reject: 1) Miles knows this norm and is being a maverick in his suggestion. I reject this because the series rarely if ever presents him this way (as a social progressive). 2) Miles is a dufus who has been to hasty to remember *the universal social norm* that supposedly everyone would know about. This would fall under the "incompetent dumb male" trope. I reject this as well because Miles is likewise never presented as oblivious or a dufus. The more reasonable reading of the scene, in my opinion, is that we're not meant to inspect Keiko's objection closely because the main intent while she's away is for the writers not to have to deal with either her or Molly in upcoming scripts. Otherwise a studious audience member might well be asking "wait a minute, where's Molly and why is O'Brien never taking care of her??" It would be a nitpick of sorts but a legitimate one since so much hay is made of child-care in the series. So their choice is to get rid of Molly, and for Keiko's objection to serve as an "oh yeah, Molly will go too" afterthought. The scene *is not* about parenting gender roles and there would be no point wasting time establishing parental gender roles unless one was hung up about adding in disclaimers to scenes just to make sure the I's are dotted and T's crossed and no one can call offense. I maintain that clunky or bad writing will result from writing with this kind of disclaiming being thrown in regularly.

@Peter G "in my opinion, is that we're not meant to inspect Keiko's objection closely because the main intent while she's away is for the writers not to have to deal with either her or Molly in upcoming scripts. Otherwise a studious audience member might well be asking "wait a minute, where's Molly and why is O'Brien never taking care of her??" It would be a nitpick of sorts but a legitimate one since so much hay is made of child-care in the series. So their choice is to get rid of Molly, and for Keiko's objection to serve as an 'oh yeah, Molly will go too' afterthought. The scene *is not* about parenting gender roles and there would be no point wasting time establishing parental gender roles unless one was hung up about adding in disclaimers to scenes just to make sure the I's are dotted and T's crossed and no one can call offence [sic]. I maintain that clunky or bad writing will result from writing with this kind of disclaiming being thrown in regularly." I mostly agree with you--the writers clearly weren't trying to say anything about gender roles, but were looking for an elegant way to write Keiko and Molly off the station for a while. The problem is with the fact that what you call "disclaimers" is what I would call being responsible. And it doesn't make for clunky writing at all. Look at a show like "Bojack Horseman." That show is remarkably responsible with the social implications of its writing, and is arguably the best thing on TV right now, with dialogue that is incredibly well-written. All you have to do is reverse the genders to see the problem. If Keiko were the Chief and helped Miles find a botany job on Bajor, how would this scene play out?

@ Elliott, "All you have to do is reverse the genders to see the problem. If Keiko were the Chief and helped Miles find a botany job on Bajor, how would this scene play out?" I already answer that one: I wouldn't care if the roles were reversed. In either case I'd see it as a plot point, not as a political statement. However since you do read a objectionable premise into Keiko's reply, I should think your proper conclusion would be that Keiko is a sexist, rather than the show. The show duly represented Miles as offering to take care of Molly, and therefore have one character taking the stance that this is fine. It's true his position is overruled because Miles wants to make Keiko happy, but the writers presented both positions, and in fact defaulted to his position as his initial plan. So it's Keiko's objection that would seem to be in question, and although I don't recommend it you might perhaps argue that she, personally, is using an old-fashioned idea. Maybe you could chalk it up to traditional Japenese culture or something and make it a feature instead of a bug. For my part, I wouldn't read too much into it.

@Peter G. I’m not sure how you’re getting Miles’ original suggestion is that Molly stay with him from that text (even your paraphrasing). Keiko does bring up childcare first (something that could either be interpreted as she insists on being with Molly or that she’d feel bad making Miles do it). But Miles’ first suggestion is that she take Molly, and what’s more, it’s something he’s already done the homework on. Compare that to say, “She can stay here, I asked Dax and Bashir and they said they’d help out.”

@Peter G Just to clarify, unlike some other stories (I'm currently reviewing "The Abandoned"), I don't think this issue is a major problem for the episode. It's a minor point that stuck out to me. That said, I do wish I could make you understand why it bothers me. There's an awful kid's movie called "Cop Dog" about a dog that solves crimes or whatever. Now, the plot of this story has no romantic angle for the dog, and well, fuck it's a story about a sentient dog that solves crimes for little kids to watch. But the film goes out of its way to have a pointless scene in which the dog expresses sexual interest in another dog with a great big pink bow on its head (so we know it's a GIRL dog). This has nothing to do with the rest of the story, but it reassures the troglodyte audience that this canine is totally not gay. Without this scene, a kid could imagine, if they felt so inclined, that the heroic protagonist of this movie was whatever sexuality they identified with--straight, gay, in between, or asexual. But because this scene is there, the trope that normal males are attracted to females, and that this is the only normal way to be is enforced. I am telling you that when you grow up without role models who look like you or who act like you, it's traumatic. To be clear, I don't think the writers of the movie were making an explicitly homophobic statement by including that inane scene anymore than the DS9 writers were trying to be sexist in this B-plot. But the results reveal unconscious or latent biases which *are* in fact the result of deep-seated homophobia and sexism, respectively. I'm not really mad about it. I still enjoyed the episode and think the B plot is fine, but it something worth pointing out, because we should always be trying to understand and work past such biases in ourselves and not be complacent about it. Everything is a political statement, whether you want it to be or not. Our lives are political, our art is political. It is inescapable.

@ Chrome & Elliott, Right you are, that's my bad. He says nothing about it at first and she's the one who says she can't leave him and Molly, seemingly implying that that was his suggestion, but he doesn't actually say that. I guess I remembered it incorrectly. Eh, it still seems like she's the one bringing up that objection, but it's true that he checked it first. Whether that means he intended Molly go with her all along, or just covered his bases, I don't know. It mostly just looks to me like the writers wanted Molly gone and threw in one line about it. The tone sort of reads like: M: There's an expedition for you. K: So far away? (objection 1) M: Yes, it's very important (justifying the distance) and lasts 6 months. K: For that long? (objection 2) M: Yes, it'll be ok. K: But what about Molly? (objection 3) M: Already arranged for. Have a nice trip! This structure would be significantly disrupted to begin introducing issues about suggesting child-care options and then settling on Molly going with Keiko. I still agree that Elliott's version is acceptable, but it feels worse to me given what they were going for here.

"All you have to do is reverse the genders to see the problem. If Keiko were the Chief and helped Miles find a botany job on Bajor, how would this scene play out?" Exactly the same. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Keiko the stay-at-home parent while Miles was out working every day as the Chief? Doesn't it make sense that the parent (whatever gender) who has been caring for the child most of the time would not want to suddenly leave them? You can read politics into anything but that doesn't mean the thing is political - it just means that you are.

@Thomas: Keiko only became a stay-at-home parent in the first place because they moved to DS9, and more recently because the school closed, so Keiko doesn't even have a part-time job. The whole point of O'Brien helping her get a new job is so that they can *both* work again, like they did on the Enterprise. But since this job takes Keiko off the station, it should be a *question* with whom Molly would stay, not assumed to be Keiko.

Also, I suggest reading some Carol Hanisch or even just some Chomsky. Everything is political, whether you want it to be or not.

I love Chomsky (he's like a big old teddy bear and I own several of his books) but come on, be reasonable Elliott - this isn't a complicated issue. His world revolves around politics, therefore everything is political. When you're looking to buy a house, you see 'for sale' signs everywhere. You don't need a professor to figure this out for you.

"But because this scene is there, the trope that normal males are attracted to females, and that this is the only normal way to be is enforced. I am telling you that when you grow up without role models who look like you or who act like you, it's traumatic. " That is a neurotic reading of the scene. A better explanation is that what is commonplace is considered normal and what is normal is commonly portrayed by default. If I watch a movie made by Indians in India I would not presume that the portrayal of an Indian marrying another Indian must convey the message that non Indians are aberrant or cannot marry. As a Jew, I don't consider the ubiquity of Christmas carols or Christmas movies in December to be a statement that I'm abnormal. I consider this to be healthy.

I've been following along here and chugging on it. I think Eliott is reading the scene wrong (but the scene has problems). Keiko's first assumption is that Molly would stay with Miles and Miles had already assumed Keiko would want to take her. To me that, and this story, is the opposite of sexist. Especially for the 90s. So is it sexist that Keiko ends up taking her? No. And just the fact that it was a possibility that Miles would keep her is enough for me. Especially since this was a clunky "write them off" plot device. To me it's way more problematic that there really isn't anything to do with her! I how she goes to school on Bajor because there sure as hell isn't one on the station. And I say this as a really nurturing Dad who rolls his eyes hard when people say it's nice that I babysit. No, I parent thanks. I kiss booboos, give baths, change diapers and am currently reading this to stay awake next to my little one while I sing her to sleep. Keiko thinks that Miles intends for her to go without Molly. That comment alone goes a long way for me.

@Jason R That's not a fair analogy. The ubiquity of Christmas Carols does not exclude the existence of Jewish people. Seeing heterosexual people in relationships does not exclude the existence of other sexualities. That's not the point. When media goes out of its way to erase you (like insisting that a fucking dog in a kids' movie is definitely not gay), that's making a statement. Trek is a great example of this, in positive and negative ways--there are no Christians or Jews or Muslims in the 24th century. This is a deliberate statement. Likewise, there are no queer people in the future. Depending on whom you ask, either or both of these are upsetting

@Elliott - Well, the ubiquity of Christmas stuff can be a bit much when you aren't Catholic I think. Can make everyone else feel "othered". Some people want to get rid of Christmas/Halloween/etc. in schools (to use an example) to remove this "othered" feeling. I personally would rather do the opposite and celebrate everything. But ya.... everything does go out of it's way to make everyone heterosexual. I'll agree with you there. I mean, it took me a long time to notice because I'm straight, but I think I agree. Garak was made straight even though his relationship with Ziyal was bizarrely unnecessary. Any time fans think a character might be gay they seem to hook up with a woman. Even thought the option to leave it ambiguous is fine.

@Robert: In full agreement. I'm an anti-theist, but I'm way more bothered by the mandatory pledge of allegiance and the fact that kids have to endure "active shooter drills" now than the idea a Christmas pageant or whatever. Behind the scenes stuff reveals that the producers/actors/writers really did want to show a more sexually-diverse 24th century. Robinson explicitly played Garak as pansexual in the early seasons. Roddenberry instructed Behr to depict Risa as a kind of "Justice" planet redux, with homosexual and bisexual orgies happening all over the place in "Captain's Holiday"--not convinced that would make for good television any more than the existing Risa eps, but it certainly would have been less boring than what we got. They even filmed some same-sex couples in "The Offspring" which were removed from the re-shoots for broadcast. Nice to see you back in the threads. Hope your little one is feeling better.

I also don't want to cause any more trouble-just wanted to counter wolfstar: Elliott's not a troll in my opinion. Even though I completely and utterly disagree with him about DS9, he gives reasons for his opinions, and responds to all comments regarding his thoughts. Though he does seem to take joy in bashing DS9 which is quite popular on this site, that just makes him a good ol contrarian, not a troll. I can empathize with him-how he feels on here is basically how I feel every time shows like "Game of Thrones" and "The Leftovers" come up.

Nothing too special but a lighthearted easy going episode is good here and there. The end got a legit lol from me. Rom:”Tell me the story of when you fought the Klingon again”. Quark: “Why? It won’t do any good or help business”. Rom (tenderly and proud of his brother): “No brother, for me, I love hearing it”. Quark: “Okay fine...but I’m taking the time it takes to tell the story out of your paycheck”. Also I found Quark’s Klingon wife oddly attractive. I’m not into the dominatrix thing much but hey you only live once.

This is really a sweet episode that continues with the family, friends, teamwork, "everyone playing their role," season theme, and adds the notion of sacrifice and respect as being important parts of love. The title and ep description had me expecting a lame offering, and I was pleasantly surprised. Loved the Miles and Keiko scenes. They have a great, realistic marriage with a very strong bond. She's made sacrifices and he's appreciative; he tries to cheer her up and she's appreciative. She's trying to figure out a way to get past her school-choosing doldrums and keep her part of the DS9 deal, but Miles decides its his turn to sacrifice a bit, and encourages her to take Molly "only three hours away" for an exciting, 6 month job opportunity. She's appreciative. In a less sweet, but more dramatic way, we see a somewhat similar dynamic play out with our Odd Couple on Kronos, a storyline which more directly addresses how those close to you can hurt you as well as help you, how it's important to identify the truly loving and trustworthy. One thing that bothered me was how no one on the station seemed to notice or care that Quark had been kidnapped, but I'll go ahead and ignore that. Lots of fun touches like the way the "divorce" happened, and good performances from all involved in the main plots. Just fun and sweet. I liked it very well.

Just some quick comments after reading some of the comments: Miles doesn't automatically give up Molly for 6 months because of some outdated sexist notion that Moms are better. The point here is that HE wants to be the one making the sacrifice this time. He wants HER to choose, this time. If Keiko had asked him to keep Molly for the whole six months, or part of it, he would have done so, gladly. It's plain he's going to miss his wife and daughter. That's the whole idea: sacrifice, love, putting the needs of someone else above your own. No one is trying to sell the idea that a woman can't possibly be happy as a mom and homemaker. The idea is that Keiko (Keiko, an individual) is struggling with having her career on hold all this time, Miles sees it, and wants to help her. It's interesting that Quark, a member of the most sexist species we've seen in the Alpha Quadrant, helps Grilka become Head of Household. (I, a single mom, love filing as "Head of Household." Makes me feel all strong and sassy and stuff. House of Springy. Has a nice ring to it. :) )

This is a good episode, and Armin Shimerman's comedic skills are sharp here (I loved him as Principal Snyder on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," where he's always convinced that the high schoolers he oversees are hooked on PCP (LoL!)). It's too bad that the Ferengi episodes are usually so underwhelming. Shimerman has always delighted me because of his Bogart-esque role and delivery (which I noticed before the Casablanca-driven episode "Profit and Loss"). I mean, Quark runs a bar, he's sort of in self-chosen exile, and his offhand apathy (partly driven by profit, sure, but it also seems to be a deep-seeded character trait) all make him a much more interesting character than the DS9 writers realize. Quark is hilarious here, and his "brave" move at the end shows his cleverness and his heart. I agree with Jammer that the B-story, though not given many minutes, is sweet and well-intentioned. I don't know why, but the O'Briens just don't radiate much emotion or affection. Their marriage always felt like a plot detail, not an essential partnership. Thus, Miles's awareness of his wife's pain (too often, Miles seems oblivious to his family, no matter how hard the writers try to give the O'Briens occasional screen time). Keiko seems cold, and this is not a fault of Chao or the Keiko character. Rather, their relationship just always seemed perfunctory, which is why the B-story here is so welcome.

Can’t Keiko just get a job on DS9? Quark is awesome, I love him! I’m getting a “Quark’s Bar” t-shirt! He is that great!!

See, unlike Dax, who should be awesome but is rather a boring, one-note character in love with herself, Quark and O'Brien really matter, they provide interest and heart. Even the usually horrible (and widely disliked) Keiko is used to good effect here. I would still rather wash my face in Worf's armpits than be married to her though. Quark is hysterical, his bride is hysterical, the whole situation brilliantly has fun with the Trek universe without breaking canon even slightly. Can you imagine this done with TNG characters? Bravo to the writers.

I generally like this episode, although I sometimes skip past the Miles / Keiko portions. Although I do agree that the Obrien family scenes are a lot better in this episode than they are in most others. 2 main things always bug me about the episode though. 1. (minor annoyance) Why is the grand Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, leader of one of the major powers in the GALAXY, presiding over a property dispute? Is there no small claims court? 2. The arboretum was a good idea. Bashir was completely wrong about it. You see... in the Trek universe we have abandoned currency based economics. We don't pursue careers for profit and we don't measure success by how much wealth it generates. Instead it's all driven by personal passion and self fulfillment. So the line between CAREER and HOBBIE is blurred in Trek. The only real difference is between the two in Trek is how much time you commit to it and whether you choose to specialize in it. If Kaiko had her own arboretum then she could dive back into her chosen field. She would basically be doing the same thing she was doing on the Enterprise. She would be benefiting the station, exploring her passion. She could still go on away missions to find exotic plants, but now she would have somewhere to take them and study them. THATS WHAT A BOTANIST WOULD WANT!

This was a fantastic episode that I honestly wasn't expecting to be a fantastic episode. I'm really coming to love Quark's cleverness. I commented on the Maquis two-parter about how he adapts Ferengi business sense to Vulcan logic, and found that to be a fantastic scene for the merits of Ferengi culture in general. Here, though, he goes beyond just being defined as an excellent example of the Ferengi -- he gets a chance to be an excellent example of a *person*. Now, I'm not saying he *isn't* very Ferengi in this episode. (Though even when he is, it's all positive -- looking through ledgers and rooting out the truth.) But in his speech on honour? No Rules of Acquisition there, no profit sought. He's working fully within Klingon culture there, and cutting to the heart of the charade in the process. Takes some serious lobes to keep a cool head with a bat'leth wielded in front of you. And it takes a hell of a shrewd thinker to find that loophole, to turn the situation on its head to get out of it. That's Quark. Grilka is great, and great fun. Glad to see a prominent female Klingon who doesn't have one of those weird cleavage windows. Also, rows of Klingon warriors tapping confusedly on sci-fi calculators -- what a sight. As for the Keiko plot, which seems to have attracted a whole lot of conversation above, I honestly found it pretty respectful on the whole. There were a few minor stumbles I noticed, and reading through the comments has given me more to think about, but my overall impression while watching? "Thank goodness, this is treating Keiko as an individual with her own life rather than just as the wife character attached to O'Brien. That's not something we get to see from her too often." I think that holds true despite whatever other aspects of it have been discussed. Jon R above me does mention something that came to my mind during the episode, though. An arboretum on DS9 would be a lot of work -- it's not a single static object, like an oversized bouquet (in line with Bashir's comparison). But I think there's still a discernible difference between "hobby" and "career" in the Federation: a hobby is "personal passion and self-fulfilment" for their own sake, but I think another thing that distinguishes "career", specifically when botany's concerned, is doing it for the sake of advancing *everyone's* knowledge, not just your own. The words "personal" and "self" can still be involved, but a career goes beyond that. Granted, it's still something of a blurry line, I won't disagree on that. (Hell, scientific research before modern times was often a "hobby" for people with enough money and leisure time to pursue it.) But I think the episode itself makes the distinction well enough: BASHIR: You can't ask her to turn her profession into a hobby. Would you be satisfied just puttering around in a workshop making nano-circuit boards and playing with tricorders? O'BRIEN: I suppose not. O'Brien's job as Chief of Operations is vital to DS9. The station wouldn't function without him. A hobby would entertain him in ways that wouldn't really have much greater meaning, but his *profession* makes the station liveable for everyone on board. Going off that, *importance* is a key thing to consider. An arboretum would probably be a nice thing for DS9 to have, but it probably wouldn't be doing much to advance the field of botany. The job O'Brien brings up to Keiko, on the other hand? O'BRIEN: They've never surveyed these mountains. It's a very important expedition. Now she gets the chance to be on the cutting edge. She gets to do things that have never been done before, to lead a team working toward the pursuit of knowledge. She gets her chance to be vitally important, not just doing arbitrary and largely pointless things to wile away her time. I think that definitely has its appeal beyond puttering around in an arboretum.

Buck Bartolik

Too bad the season timeline couldn't let this air around Valentine's Day. Because it's a story of what husbands will sacrifice for their wives. Armin Shimerman can carry any episode of any tv series.

Well, it doesn’t serve the story if Molly stays with dad. Period. I don’t see any sexism in the story. What has the world come to, with people getting all sensitive and offended so easily.

This was a good week for me to see this episode, which I find myself renaming "Forensic Accounting Comes to Q'onos." As I tried to catch up on my business's bookkeeping and discovered I had reversed the debits and credits on an entire year's depreciation transactions, believe me, I realized that accounting is not for the faint of heart. Go get 'em, Courageous Quark.

I thought this was a wonderful episode. We get two plots in which a husband attempts to help his wife, the first involving Miles and Keiko, the second involving Quark and his newfound Klingon bride. The Miles and Keiko stuff is touching, and pleasantly subdued, and its nice to see Sisko and Bashir rallying to support them. (Unfortunately this subplot led to Keiko's school shutting down, and Keiko temporarily leaving the show, decisions which I think hampered the season. IMO Keiko's school should have been milked for a few more episodes. Lots of good potential there.) Then we have the Quark subplot, which manages to be both funny and touching. Quark is at his endearing best, farcical but sympathetic, as is his newfound wife, who plays a Klingon woman lost in some kind of odd Klingon take on Jane Austen or Henry James (she's trying to hold on to her property, and preserve her family name, but conniving men and centuries-old customs stand in her way). Her plight is quite affecting. And we get to see Gowron. Bulgy-eyed Gowron! I'd forgotten he's introduced in this episode. Everything's better with a little Gowron. This episode also works to not only "flesh out" Klingon and Ferrengi culture, but to INVERT them. And so we see a Klingon sub-culture obsessed with legalese, games of inheritance, property, financial predation and acquisition. Less honor bound, less reliant on raw physical combat, more interested in material status and covert financial conquest. On the flip-side, we see a Quark less interested in profit, selfishness, scheming and cowardice, and more interested in chivalry, status and his heroic reputation. The Ferrengi becomes the Klingon, the Klingon becomes the Ferrengi. I saw on wikipedia that the actress who plays Quark's wife, Mary Kay Adams, said of Trek: "Actors I am close to who have done these shows all agree that Star Trek is fabulous because it's the closest thing to playing classical theater..It's very archetypal, it's very Shakespearean in its scope." I thought that was a cool quote - you can easily imagine this episode performed by a theater troupe in a college auditorium - and points to something lacking in a lot of modern Trek.

A funny episode, with good Quark material. Given all the sexism discussion above, I’ll weigh in with my own opinion. ST made a questionable decision to cast females as submissive sidekicks in many races (Klingon, Ferengi, the “Suddenly Human” race), whereas it depicts males in that role never - except “Angel One,” where male submission was the focus of horror and disgust from not only the characters but the viewers. Perhaps just as bad, ST depicts many women in traditional roles that it refuses to show men in: the self-sacrificing spouse of a Great Person ; the prostitute;; the d’abo girl/dancer, the caring counselor, the parent cradling an infant. So it was refreshing to see a Klingon woman acting, well, very Klingon, and very much her own person. It’s a bit of a salve for the crude use of Klingon women elsewhere, as fodder for bro jokes among male characters. Regarding Elliot’s comments: I didn’t see any sexism in Miles’ attempts to make his wife happier. I though career-man Julian came off especially well, when he recognized that Keiko had a scientist’s passion just like his own, and matter-of-factly pointed this out. The final decision of what to do with Mollie did grate. The problem is not that she ended up going with her mother, but that Miles had unilaterally decided to ship her off with Keiko *before asking Keiko.*. Why didn’t the writers see fit to have him say, “She could stay with me or go with you. She could even go back and forth every month or so, depending on your duties and mine. We can make it work.” (I mean, surely there are some people on the station happy to help out or make extra money. Garak in particular strikes me as a fun ‘uncle’ for Mollie. And am I the only one who thinks a botany expedition would be a much trickier place to be raising a child than a space station? She’s going to be literally bushwhacking in the wilderness with a small group of busy scientists on the move and exposed to the elements. Will she lug Mollie on her back?) Bottom line: No woman would ever dream of informing her husband, “Here - I’ve unilaterally decided you should take care of the baby around the clock for the next six months. I’ll be far away, not helping at all.” When Keiko tells Miles “I couldn’t leave you and Mollie”, the implication is that she couldn’t put all the work of baby-care on Miles. The fact that Miles has no such qualms and doesn’t seem to know how much work a baby is, is crazy. That he presents his plan as not just the obvious (and only) solution, but also as an unmitigated good that isn’t selfish and won’t burden her at all, is jaw-dropping. (If the show were different and darker, I would suspect Miles was trying to punish and sabotage her. “You’re not happy being a military wife and mother? Fine: see how you like balancing work and motherhood put in the wilds with no Miles O’Brien around. In six months, you’ll come back begging to be a stay-at-home wife.”)

[Why does the council mediate every petty squabble?] DS9/Trek is guilty of stretching believability a little to feature popular cameo characters, and to keep the show's cast size reasonable. But in-canon, they explained that D'Ghor usurping Grilka's house would advance him into council influence. It was a power grab, and thus, totally relevant to Klingon court of honor to preside. [The Miles-Keiko debate] To be honest, I usually find their romance scenes so saccharine or hammed, that I actually skipped a chunk this time (And I *never* do that!) But the resolution didn't strike me as him dictating to her to take the job, or foisting Molly on her, or punishing her. He investigated, found a desirable job, and presented it to her, to help with her obvious lack of fulfillment. It's not saying being a full time parent isn't fulfilling, it's saying she's a scientist who wants to do science. The better question to ask is whether running a middle school for alien teenagers in Season1 was an acceptable consolation, when she was initially complaining about raising a family on DS9. In her place, I *would* find teaching work rewarding over applied, but if I'm switching from research/fieldwork to teaching, I'd prefer it to be my subject, not gradeschool I.e. In her case, teaching botany to adults at an academy. In fact, I disagree with Bashir condemning Mile's first Keiko-solution. The writers' message was clear - Don't give Keiko pointless busy work just to pacify her. Agreed. But maintaining an arboretum filled with species from *another freakin quadrant* would be more than rewarding for most scientists. Not to mention easy to produce useful lab research that could last a lifetime of discoveries. They handled this topic well in Voyager, with the hydroponics bay, and on Enterprise, with the doctor's animal menagerie and science conventions. (Probably an insight learned from all the scientists they consulted, writing these shows!)

Mary Kay Adams is absolutely brilliant here with Armin Shimmerman. I rarely enjoy Ferengi episodes, but this was a lot of fun. I loved her lines about taking his hand off her leg, and the divorce scene is comic gold. Quark shines in the climax. I really hope Keiko is really good in bed for O'Brien to endure 7 years of Resting Bitch Face. I thought I saw Colm Meaney crack a real smile when he told her about the 6-month trip.

The Quark story was funny, and I liked that Ferengi financial brilliance was so crucial to victory. The Keiko story was good as well. The only thing I didn't like was Bashir giving O'Brien the wise advice. WTF does Bashir know about successful relationships? This would have been a perfect time for Sisko to display the wisdom gained from being a family man. A chance the story just tossed aside. I mean, Bashir, reeeally?

Can I just say one of the tiny details I absolutely loved about this episode? I love that Grilka used “cho’echu” to energize the Klingon transporter. I know it’s fairly trivial, but the fact that they got the grammar right in accordance with ‘Wrath of Khan’ made me smile.

sorry, ‘Search for Spock’ all the same, it was a thoughtful gesture and I appreciated it

How could the Klingon die from just one knife wound when Klingon's have redundant organs? No way! Makes no sense. The writers could have done a better job.

@ Lyn, Maybe that's why the Klingon knives have three blades...

@LynThere is quite much that does not make sense in Star Trek. But this was an enjoyable episode with a nice b story. The first time(s) I watched the DS9 I never really liked Quark. He just seemed too ridiculous. I still have that opinion regarding the more complete ferengi episodes, but this one I liked. Quark was the underdog who outsmarted the Klingon still gaining their respect. But he is actually a quite poor ferengi in many ways. He is not successful enough so that he can leave his small his small bar in a remote outpost to do big business elsewere. His heart is much bigger than it seems to be. He has more honour and conscience than he likes to show. He makes us look on things from another point of view.

This is one of my favorite episodes with one of the funniest scenes in all of startrek. When quark gives all those Klingons those tablets and he's explaining dgors financial manipulation to Gowron and it shows a hilariously confused looking Gowron doing his signature EYE thing while looking at quark then at the tablet then back at quark. It's the funniest thing in the universe haha

Definitely comedy gold when the Klingons are trying to follow Quark's spreadsheets. The Klingons being uninterested in finance highlights the fact that the Klingon Empire is in a state of advanced decline brought on by the warrior caste becoming dominant. You can actually believe those Klingons in Undiscovered Country could run an interstellar empire. Gowron and the others? Not so much.

Agree with @Silly and others above: The idea that the Klingons could operate even a wheelbarrow, let alone run an interstellar empire, is ludicrous. They're basically cavemen with funny foreheads; even their grunts and mating rituals fit the part. That notwithstanding, this was a highly enjoyable little episode. There wasn't a lot of action but there was genuinely intriguing, um, intrigue. Quark (did I mention he's my favorite character a dozen times over yet?) shows himself to be way more mature, serious, intelligent, and resourceful than the lazy Ferengi stock caricature would have us believe. Great ending, too.

Great episode, one of my favorites. In the beginning there must be a good story. No movie, show, series or play is going to be worth much without a good story, and "House of Quark" just has that spark of brilliance that qualifies. I can only wonder how it came to be that Tom Benko put Quark, the uber-Ferengi, together with the Klingons, especially Grilka. Tom is no Peter Alan Fields ("Inner Light" - TNG; "Dax," "Duet," "Necessary Evil," "Blood Oath," "Crossover," "In the Pale Moonlight" and more - DS9), in fact, Tom is known most of all for his work as an editor for TNG (40 episodes), DS9 (16 episodes) and Voyager (57 episodes). Benko, however, also has two directing credits for TNG ("Transfigurations" and "Devil's Due", and then two writing credits for DS9: "House of Quark" and "Return to Grace." He is (and think this is still true) the only person to have directed, written, and edited Trek episodes. But for each of the writing credits, Benko is listed as "Story By ..." and another person worked the story into a teleplay. For "House of Quark," that was Ronald D. Moore. So I can only imagine Benko, the editor, working with all the characters every day for years. And some day, he's driving across LA into Paramount or maybe he's thinking at home some evening or something and the idea comes to him, "Let's mix Quark and the Klingons." He pitches the idea to the showrunners, and ... the rest is history. It's just one of those lightning-strike stories that lies behind several great episodes. Once the story is set, it's up to the director and cast to execute. Here, whoever cast Mary Kay Adams as "Grilka" made an inspired choice. There are few teams of actors who brought their characters and their relationship to life as Adams and Shimerman did with Grilka and Quark. It's an improbable attraction of polar opposites but boy do they make it work! There are episodes I rate higher, but I think "House of Quark" is solid, great fun.

I never got into DS9 but I have now seen probably half the episodes. I really liked this episode, especially Quark. And Gowron is always fun.

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Little Green Men (episode)

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Reception
• 3.5 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.5 References
• 4.6 External links

Summary [ ]

A crowd has gathered at Quark's . Rom tells the assembled crowd that Nog will soon be heading off to Starfleet Academy , and, as is Ferengi tradition, is selling off his childhood possessions to raise capital. Rom encourages everyone to show their support, and kicks off the auction by volunteering to buy Nog's pajamas – which Nog says will cost him three strips of gold-pressed latinum . Rom, in typical Ferengi fashion, haggles his way down to two. Nog accepts, and encourages the crowd to buy their own keepsakes.

Worf stands off to one side, and is approached by Miles O'Brien , who is surprised to see him there. Worf explains it was a personal request of Captain Sisko 's, and says he seems to have taken some interest in the boy. The chief tells him that Sisko had sponsored Nog's application to the Academy , and Worf says it just doesn't seem right: a Ferengi at the Academy. The chief comments that not so long ago, someone would have said the same about a Klingon attending the Academy. Sisko comes up behind them and tells them to buy something before it is all gone. Despite his annoyance, Worf is quickly impressed with Nog's tooth sharpener after trying it and buys it to Nog's surprise.

Quark walks into the bar and, looking irritated, walks over to Rom. Rom is surprised to see Quark, and tells him that if he hurries, there may still be some choice items left to buy. Quark tells him he's not there for the sale; Nog has no place going off to the Academy, and Quark won't have any part of it. Quark tells Rom to come with him; the sale is over, as far as Rom is concerned. The brothers' cousin Gaila has finally made good on a ten-year-old promise and has finally bought Quark a ship. Knowing Gaila, it is probably defective, so he wants Rom to check it out thoroughly.

Upon inspection, Rom finds the ship is in perfect shape, but Quark feels they need to take it on a shakedown cruise. Rom suggests Earth , and Quark says it is a wonderful idea. Rom runs off to tell Nog, and Quark says to himself that it will be a profitable trip. " All I ask is a tall ship… and a load of contraband to fill it with, " Quark grins while he sits in his ship's command chair .

Act One [ ]

Quark makes arrangements with Morn to watch the bar while he's gone, and tells him to keep a close eye on Odo . Odo tells Quark Morn is a good choice, as long as he doesn't drink up all of the profits. Odo comments that it is nice of Quark to take Nog to Earth; Quark remarks that he's a generous person.

Jake and Nog are at their usual spot on the upper level of the Promenade when Julian Bashir and the chief walk up. They present Nog with a PADD containing all of Earth's customs, geography, history... everything he'll need to know to get by on Earth. Nog looks at them in surprise, and asks if it will tell him all he needs to know about attracting Human females; they chuckle and say, " Well, maybe not everything. " Nog says his goodbyes to Bashir and the chief, and Jake offers to walk him to the airlock . He turns around one last time to look at the spot where he and Jake used to spend all their time hanging out on the Promenade. Jake says, " That was a good spot. " Nog replies, " The best. " Jake walks his friend to the airlock.

In Ops , Dax tells Sisko and Kira Nerys that the Ferengi shuttle Quark's Treasure has just departed. Kira says she wouldn't want to be stuck on that shuttle with the three of them all the way to Earth; Sisko says he's just worried that no one warned Earth they were coming.

On the shuttle, Quark complains that the trip is taking too long, but Rom says not to worry; he knows that kemocite is unstable, but another day or two won't make any difference. Quark feigns ignorance, but Rom knows all about the shipment of kemocite Quark is smuggling , and how dangerous and profitable it is, especially if they make a side trip to Orion on the way back from Earth. Quark asks when he got so smart; Rom tells him he's always been smart, he just lacks self-confidence. He says he could be convinced to forget what he knows… for 20% of the profits. Quark rolls his eyes, and asks Nog if he wants a cut, too. Nog says that as a Starfleet cadet, he's sworn to report any violation of Federation law to his superiors – but he hasn't been sworn in yet, he says he'll take 10%. Quark agrees, and tells Rom to push the shuttle faster.

As they approach Earth, Nog comes in from the crew quarters , and, reading on his PADD about the Bell Riots , asks his father if the picture of Gabriel Bell looks a lot like Sisko. Quark comments that all Humans look alike, then tells Rom to take the ship out of warp but Rom says it is not responding; the command sequencer has been disabled. Gaila found a way to sabotage the ship that Rom couldn't normally detect, and he can't shut it down. Rom says that if he can flood the cargo hold with plasma , its reaction with the kemocite should allow him to shut down the warp core , forcing them back into normal space. Quark says he's a genius. Rom asks if he really thinks so, and Quark replies he has no idea… he didn't understand a word he just said, but to do it anyway. Rom says he thinks he can get close enough to Earth to make an emergency landing. The ship streaks through space at high warp… and disappears.

Quark wakes up and sits bolt upright, covered by a white sheet. He looks around, and sees Rom and Nog lying next to him in what appears to be a dark laboratory. They both appear to be dead. Outside the lab, a Human male dressed in a 1940s US Army officer uniform picks up an old-fashioned phone and tells the party on the other end to contact Lieutenant General Denning … one of the " Martians " is awake. A calendar is hanging on the wall… a pin-up calendar featuring Rita Hayworth , set to July , 1947 .

Act Two [ ]

A military base, 1947 – one man in a suit, a doctor, and several men and women in US military uniforms stand on the other side of a two-way mirror, watching Quark, Rom, and Nog interact with each other. They have the farmer who found the ship, and they've convinced the "idiot in Roswell " who told the local paper they captured a flying saucer to issue a retraction… turns out, it was just a weather balloon . They're afraid that if word gets out that beings from another planet have landed on Earth, they'll create a nationwide panic. They're not telling anyone about the "Martians" until they know what they're up against. They turn on a speaker and hear the Ferengi speaking in their native language. Quark walks over to the door and tries to get it to open, but can't figure out how to use the door knob. The Humans watch this all with great interest.

Inside the room, the Ferengi try to figure out where they are. They figure they must be on Earth, but they don't know where, except that it is not Starfleet Academy. Quark starts beating on the door, yelling at them to give him his ship back. The soldiers on the other side of the door pull their guns , thinking he's trying to escape. A female officer grabs the doctor's arm and tells him not to let the soldiers hurt Quark; he's just scared. He tells the general they need to try and communicate with them; the general tells him the President agrees… that's why he's here. Back inside the room, Quark is complaining that Earth was a bad idea, and that it is all Nog's fault because he insisted on joining Starfleet. Rom defends Nog, Quark yells at Rom, Nog yells at Quark, and Rom says maybe they're all dead, and this is the Divine Treasury , the Ferengi version of Heaven. Quark says that's not possible; the Treasury is made of solid gold-pressed latinum, the Blessed Exchequer and the Celestial Auctioneers are missing, and they should be bidding for new lives right now. Rom says maybe they're in the other place... Nog suggests the Vault of Eternal Destitution ? Quark scoffs and says that's impossible; the bar was turning a profit.

Humans mimic the three Ferengi, believing that what they do is a form of greeting

The door opens, and two armed military policemen enter the room, followed by the female nurse, one of the officers, and the doctor. He tries to communicate with the Ferengi; they don't understand a word he says. Rom figures their universal translators must not be working, and they all three start hitting their heads, trying to reset the translators. The Humans think they must be some sort of greeting, and start hitting their heads in return. Quark looks at them in amazement; Rom says maybe their universal translators are broken, too. Nog says they don't have universal translators; he recognizes the uniforms from the PADD about Earth Bashir gave him back on Deep Space 9. The uniforms are from the 20th century , one of Earth's old nation-states , Australia , or something. They figure out they've traveled back in time almost four hundred years. Rom asks if they don't have universal translators, then why are they banging their heads. Quark hits his head, and the Humans do it too. Quark repeats the action, and so do they. Quark figures out they are just mimicking the Ferengi. He says he never realized primitive Humans were so stupid. Nog says they were also violent, petty, bigoted, and selfish. Quark says, " The three of us, and millions of primitive hew-mons… I like those odds. "

Act Three [ ]

Nurse Garland, 20th century Human

The nurse takes Quark's blood pressure , and Quark asks for oo-mox in his native language. She has no idea what he says, of course. She smiles, and walks over to the doctor. She tells him she has run every test she can think of, and all she can tell him is, they're not Human. They watch Rom try to repair Nog's universal translator, and think they're involved in some kind of grooming ritual, like gorillas . She correctly assumes they are father and son, and the doctor wonders if Quark is related somehow. She says for all they know, he could be the mother. The doctor says if that's true, Quark is quite a shrew.

Rom figures out that the interference disrupting their translators is coming from beta radiation from nuclear fission . Quark tells him not to be an idiot; fission doesn't happen within planetary atmospheres. Nog explains that here, it does. In the 20th century, Humans used crude fission reactors as weapons, calling them " atom bombs ." Quark can't believe how stupid the Humans are for polluting their own planet. Quark tells Rom to hurry up and fix the translators; the sooner they start communicating with these "savages," the better.

Rom sees the female playing with a hairpin , and points at it. The man figures out that Rom wants it, and she gives it to him. Rom takes the hairpin and jabs it in Nog's ear, looking for the reset button on his translator. The Humans recoil, thinking it must hurt. The doctor lights up two cigarettes , one for the nurse and one for himself, and expresses dismay at not having enough help to try and communicate with the Ferengi, and the woman says she's sure he'll find a way. She can't wait to find out how much they can learn from the Ferengi; how maybe, in a few years, Humans will have rocket ships of their own and travel the galaxy , "exploring new worlds and new civilizations." He chuckles, and says that she's a dreamer; she replies, that's why you love me. He smiles, and says that here they are, in the middle of one of the biggest discoveries in Human history, and all he can think about is how she'll look in her wedding dress . She smiles bashfully and says her mother keeps asking where they're going on their honeymoon ; she thinks they should go to Niagara Falls . He says who knows… maybe they'll go to Mars . Quark notices the smell from the cigarettes burning, and Nog tells him about tobacco , how poisonous and addictive it is. Rom asks where they get it; Nog tells them it is readily available in stores. Quark is amazed; he says if they'll buy poison, they'll buy anything. Nog says he hopes he wouldn't do anything to disrupt the timeline; they could all cease to exist.

In the hangar, the soldiers are examining the ship, but they can't figure out how it runs. The doctor is out for a stroll, and he kneels down to pet a German Shepherd . The general asks him if they've made any progress. The doctor says he would think that creatures as technologically advanced as they seem to be would communicate telepathically, but they seem to have a developed language. He says, in time, a team of linguists should be able to figure it out. The captain says no one else is getting called in on the project there is already too many people who know about the Ferengi. The general says that president Truman is an impatient man and wants answers, and he wants them now. The nurse comes outside, and tells them they need to get in there, now. They come inside, and the dog follows them in. Quark announces, so that they understand, that he is Quark, the chief financial officer of the Ferengi Alliance, and he has a business proposition for them.

Act Four [ ]

The general looks in Quark's ear with a flashlight and says he sees no universal translator; Quark says trust me, it is in there. The general asks how it works, and Quark says it is simple, if you know how. Anything is possible with advanced technology. In typical Ferengi fashion he then goes into his sales pitch: he is there to open up a market for advanced Ferengi technology with the people of 20th century Earth. Ships , transporters , medicine , replicators , weapons, are all available in exchange for gold. The general says Quark reminds him of his brother-in-law … a used car salesman , and not a very good one. Bottom line: he doesn't trust him. Quark threatens to take his "business" to the Russians , and the general doesn't like that. He says he'll have to get clearance from the president. Quark agrees, and offers some free advice: stop poisoning themselves with tobacco and atom bombs... they'll kill you. The general asks what he knows about atom bombs. Quark improvises and says the Ferengi has watched them for years, and know all about Humans. He proceeds to showcase this by referencing baseball , root beer , darts , and atom bombs (activities and objects he's learned about from the station's crew over the years). He tells the general to go talk to the president.

Rom and Nog are talking to the doctor and his fiancée , telling them all about Ferenginar . The German Shepherd is sitting on the counter. Rom has just told the doctor that women on Ferenginar go around naked, and it is the law; Nurse Garland tells them she's never visiting there, and neither is he. Nog manipulates Garland into innocently giving him oo-mox . Quark comes back to the room, and Rom asks how his meeting with the general went. He gets Nurse Garland and the doctor to leave the room, and tells them everything is fine. The German Shepherd barks at Quark, and he complains that the Humans forgot to take it with them. It runs over to him and puts its front paws on his shoulders. The German Shepherd morphs into Odo, who tells him he is placing Quark under arrest for attempting to smuggle kemocite. He tells them he hid on board the ship, which is in a hangar on the other side of the base. It is damaged, but the engines are functional. They can use it to get away from the base. Nog says that they'll be stuck four hundred years in the past. Rom tells them all that if there is enough kemocite left, and if he can find a powerful enough energy source, he might be able to trigger a temporal surge in the subspace continuum and re-create the same kind of time warp that deposited them in this time period, bringing them back to their own time. Odo asks what kind of energy source, but Quark interrupts, and tells them all they're not going anywhere, that inside a year, they'll be running the whole place. The Humans here are cruel, gullible, and greedy… and he can manipulate them. Once they run the whole planet, they'll contact the Ferengi of this time and sell them their ship. Ferengi will have warp drive before any other power in the quadrant, and set up a financial empire the likes of which even Grand Nagus Zek couldn't dream of… and Quark can run it all. Odo says he has a very vivid imagination, but the only place they're going is back to their own time. He'll have the ship ready in six hours… and they're all going to be on it. Quark says he's not going back, and neither is his ship. Odo says we'll see about that. He morphs back into a dog and waits by the door.

Outside, the captain is pacing by the door when the general pulls up. He tells that the captain the president said no deal, not until they know more about the aliens. The captain says he'll find out, and the general gives his okay. The captain goes inside the building. Inside, Quark is trying to convince Rom and Nog to stay, but they want to go. Six MPs enter the room, three with pistols drawn. The other three put bags over the Ferengi's heads, and escort them none too gently from the room. They are tied to chairs, and the captain begins to interrogate Quark. He tells them if they don't let him go, he'll take his business to the Russians. The captain says that's a good place to start… telling them what he know about the Russians. Nurse Garland walks up to Quark with a syringe full of liquid, and Quark realizes he's in a lot more trouble than he thought.

Act Five [ ]

Nurse Garland sticks the needle in Quark's arm and he starts to scream. After five injections of Sodium Pentathol , she tells the captain it is not working. She tells the captain it is wrong: " these people are our guests ". The captain says they're not people, they're things, invaders from another world, and it is up to them to put an end to whatever the Ferengi might be planning. He grabs a scalpel and threatens to cut Quark open if he doesn't tell him what he wants to hear. Nog asks if there are laws against this kind of thing; the captain tells him not when it comes to national security. He threatens each of them in turn, until Rom breaks, and tells them it was an accident, that they never meant to come to Earth in the 1940s, and they're from the future, all the while, crying for his moogie . Nog tells the captain what he wants to hear, saying that they're the advance scouts for the Ferengi invasion fleet, confirming the captain's fears. He tells the "puny Earthlings" that they have been studying them for centuries, and they are ripe for conquest. He calls Quark the "Supreme Commander" and tells the Humans that three hundred " Marauder -class " attack cruisers are orbiting the planet, preparing to attack. Quark tries to convince them they just want to sell them things, and the doctor says he doesn't believe the invasion story, all while Rom is crying for his moogie. Nog keeps up the invasion story, telling them that when the appointed hour arrives, the ships will decloak and begin transporting Klingon shock troops directly to the landing zone, killing all the males and taking all the females to mate with. The captain asks where the landing zone is; Nog will show him on the map if he unties him. One of the MPs unties Nog, and the other goes to get the general. Nog points to the Great Lakes area, saying the first landing parties will invade here. The captain leans over to get a closer look at the map, and Nog hits him in the stomach and over the head, causing him to drop his M1911 . The MP pulls his M1911, and Nurse Garland tells him not to hurt Nog. Nog says it was an accident, he didn't mean to hit the captain, he tripped. The captain tells the MP to shoot Nog, but the doctor takes out the MP before he can fire. Nurse Garland hits the captain over the head with a tray and unties Quark. They tell the Ferengi they are helping them escape, and Rom asks if they'll get in trouble. Quark says of course not, since they forced the Humans to help them using… Nurse Garland fills in the blank: "your insidious mind control powers." Quark compliments her on her quick thinking, and they make their way to the ship.

Rom, Nog, Odo, and Quark prepare to leave for the 24th century

The general and two MPs stop them. Quark grabs Nurse Garland and points his finger at her, telling them he'll disintegrate the hostage with his "death ray." The general says it looks a lot like a finger to him. With the distraction, Odo shape-shifts out of a nearby truck and takes out the two MPs and the general. They commandeer a Jeep and get to the hangar. The doctor tells them an atomic blast will occur in seven minutes. Quark thanks the two "hew-mons," and Nurse Garland says that she only hopes one day man can travel the stars and take its place among a vast alliance of planets. Rom corrects her: " Federation. " Quark stops him from explaining further, saying that he is an idiot. The Ferengi get in their ship and take off. The captain gets to the general and asks " What do we do now? " The general says " About what, captain? All we ever found was a crashed weather balloon. "

Rom tells them all they have to do is fly directly into the atomic blast, expose the kemocite to the beta radiation and engage the warp engines, and it will cause a reverse time warp that they can just ride home. Odo tells Quark if it doesn't work, he'll hold him personally responsible. At the target site, the bomb goes off, and the ship gets buffeted by the explosion. The ship materializes in Earth orbit back in their own time.

Back on DS9, Quark complains to Rom he could have ruled the galaxy and now has nothing, not even a shuttle. Rom reminds him he still has the bar, and at least he got enough from selling the shuttle for salvage to book them passage home. Odo grabs Quark and tells him he's under arrest for kemocite smuggling; Quark tells him he has no evidence, since they used up all the kemocite getting back to the 24th century. Odo tells him to tell it to the arbiter . Quark tells Rom to get him out of this; Rom says he'll contact cousin Gaila; he's sure to know a good lawyer.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" They irradiated their own planet?! " " If Nog says so they did. He knows all about Earth history. " " You better fix those translators fast. The sooner we start talking to these savages the better off we'll be. "

" Ferengi at the Academy … I am not sure that is wise. " " Oh, I don't know about that… not so long ago, someone might've said the same thing about you. "

" Quark, Rom, and Nog, together on that ship, all the way to Earth… glad I'm not going with them… " " Only thing that worries me… no one warned Earth that they're coming! "

" It says here that Humans didn't even have currency until five thousand years ago , let alone banking , speculative investments, or a unified global economy. " " They're a primitive, backward people Nog. Pity them. " " But think about it, uncle. That means they went from being savages with a simple barter system to leaders of a vast interstellar Federation in only five thousand years! It took us twice as long to establish the Ferengi Alliance and we had to buy warp technology from the… " " Five thousand… ten thousand… what's the difference? The speed of technological advancement isn't nearly as important as short-term quarterly gains. "

" The kemocite ! If we vent plasma from the warp core into the cargo hold, we may be able to start a cascade reaction in the kemocite! Then we can modulate the reaction to create an inversion wave in the warp field and force the ship back into normal space! If I time it just right, I should be able to get us close enough to Earth to make an emergency landing! " " Rom, you're a genius! " " Think so? " " How should I know?! I have no idea what you're talking about! Just do it! "

" I'd always heard primitive hew-mons lacked intelligence, but I had no idea they were this stupid! "

" They weren't just stupid. They were violent, petty, bigoted, and selfish. "

" If they'll buy poison, they'll buy anything!"

" Imagine the possibilities. Who knows what they could teach us? A few years from now, mankind could have rocket ships of our own. We could travel the galaxy, exploring new worlds and new civilizations. "

" We're helpless! We're harmless! We just want to sell you things! "

" I only hope that one day mankind will travel to the stars and take its place in a vast alliance of planets. " " Fe-e-ederation, of planets . " " Excuse me? " " Don't listen to him, he's an idiot ."

" The first landing parties will arrive here. " " Where? " " Here, right by this blue blob. " " You mean your people are going to invade… Cleveland? "

" I know everything about you people… baseball, root beer, darts… atom bombs. "

" For a primitive female, she's pretty smart! "

" Stay back, or I'll disintegrate this hostage. " " With your finger? " " With my death ray. " " Looks a lot like a finger to me. "

" Who's he? " " My hero. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• This episode was written and designed to be an homage to '50s B-movies. ( Deep Space Nine Chronicles )
• Indeed, as Robert Hewitt Wolfe explains, " All the characters are archetypes from those movies; the sort of Human nurse who sees beyond appearance, and the tough, cigar chomping general, and the sort of traitorous mid-level military officer, and the noble scientist, and it was just like so much fun just to play with all those archetypal science fiction characters, sort of give a nod even beyond The Original Series , but a nod to all these great movies from the fifties which made Star Trek possible in the first place ." ( Charting New Territory: Deep Space Nine Season 4 , DS9 Season 4 DVD special features)
• The title of this episode is a nod to a line spoken in TOS : " Tomorrow is Yesterday ". John Christopher states " …and I never have believed in little green men ." In that episode, the USS Enterprise and her crew are transported to the late 1960s and much of the action takes place inside a US Air Force base.
• Toni Marberry and Jack Treviño pitched the story during the first season of Deep Space Nine , but Michael Piller wasn't keen on the concept. Early in the fourth season , with the 50th anniversary of the Roswell incident approaching, René Echevarria proposed that they do the "Roswell show", and everyone agreed. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? )
• The scene where all of the Humans observing the "Martians" behind the one-way mirror were smoking was a deliberate commentary on the use of tobacco in the 1940s. Indeed, the studio was originally against having anybody at all smoking in the episode, but Ira Steven Behr pointed out that they couldn't do an homage to '50s B-movies without seeing the characters smoke. A lot. In particular, he cites the 1951 Sam Newfield movie Lost Continent as taking cigarette smoking to an unprecedented extreme. According to Behr, " You see smoking in fifties movies all the time, from war movies to bug-eyed monster films, but Continent took it to an art form that is just jaw-dropping to watch. Every time there is a problem, everyone just starts handing out cigarettes ." ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? )
• However, Behr was not entirely happy with how the commentary on nicotine came across in the finished episode. He feels that because nicotine is such an easy target for criticism, he and Robert Hewitt Wolfe should have been more subtle; " Knocking cigarettes is such an easy target. We thought it would speak for itself, but we actually verbalized it and I wish we hadn't. We got a little self-righteous, and it was like shooting ducks in a barrel ." ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. ? )
• Behr wanted to have Quark become addicted to cigarettes and have to learn to do without. ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 109)
• If Behr was unhappy with how the criticisms of nicotine turned out, he has no such reservations about the criticisms of the A-bomb . Behr says that while writing the teleplay for this episode he saw the 1994 James Cameron movie True Lies , starring Arnold Schwarzenegger . According to Behr, the movie incensed him because an A-bomb is used as the backdrop for a kiss between the lead character and his wife. This led him to deduce that " the difference in movie-making between Dr. Strangelove and True Lies exemplifies a culture that has lost its way, where the blast of an atomic bomb literally seems to have lost its meaning. I thought that if the everyday coded messages of 'what things mean' has become so tainted, and so lost that we are no longer able to identify the world clearly and understandably because of our inability to use the language and the visualization of things, then let's just take it and make it even stupider ." This is why, at the end of the episode, Behr had an atomic bomb save Quark , as a commentary on the absurdity of the scene in True Lies and on a society that accepts such a scene as perfectly okay; the greatest weapon known to man is employed in a deus ex machina style ending to save the hero. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 286)
• Lieutenant General Denning was named after actor Richard Denning ( Creature from the Black Lagoon , Day the World Ended ); Nurse Faith Garland was named after actress Beverly Garland ( Swamp Women , It Conquered the World ); Professor Jeff was named after actor Richard Carlson ( The Magnetic Monster , It Came from Outer Space ). ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 287)

Production [ ]

• According to Megan Gallagher, there was a casting breakdown for the episode which described the role of Garland as looking for a “Megan Gallagher type.” Her then-agent called and said, “You know, Megan might be able to do it.”. The role was then offered to Gallagher directly. [1]
• Both Jonathan Haze (from the 1960 Roger Corman film The Little Shop of Horrors ) and Gregory Walcott (from the 1959 Edward D. Wood, Jr. film Plan 9 From Outer Space ) auditioned for the role of Lieutenant General Denning . Ken Tobey was also considered, although as he had already guest starred in " Shadowplay " the writers ruled him out. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine , issue 6)
• Glenn Neufeld located an original negative of the footage of the nuclear detonation and cleaned it up substantially for the episode. ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine , issue 6)
• This episode is directed by James L. Conway . In this episode, Quark's ship is stored in Hangar 18 at the base. Not coincidentally, Conway directed a movie called Hangar 18 , a film about the Roswell incident. As soon as Conway heard about the upcoming "Hangar 18 episode", he expressed his interest to Ira Steven Behr . He noted, " Directing this was like coming full circle. " Hangar 18 was represented by Paramount Stage 18 . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , p. 287)
• This is the first episode where entire sentences of Ferengi language are heard. Shimerman commented: " Once we open that door about language, then people will probably like to see a Ferengi language develop the way the Klingon language has developed . ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine , issue 6)

Reception [ ]

• This episode is a favorite of Armin Shimerman , who comments, " It's a favorite of the fans, it's a favorite of mine. It was a major catalyst in the investigation of the family relationship. It's one of the first episode where we see the Ferengi working together as a family, and that was the beginning of an avalanche of stories about that. It was a delight to work because the writers gave me wonderful, I can't put this any other way, Spock -like comments, where I'm outside of Humanity, as a Ferengi, and talking about how they act, having some point of view about what they do right, what they do wrong, and letting them know about it. There were more episodes where that happened, but "Little Green Men" was perhaps the most delightful. It also gave Quark a ship. It was the only time I got to captain a ship, even for a brief moment in time, but for a Star Trek actor, those little things can be very important ." (Hidden File 02, DS9 Season 4 DVD special features)
• Ira Steven Behr commented " I would think – though I could be wrong – that even the fans who despise the Ferengi might be won over by "Little Green Men". I thought it was a wonderful show, it worked on cylinders, and it's gotten a great response ". ("The Behr Necessities, Star Trek Monthly , issue 12 )
• Behr was also pleased with the casting of the guest characters. Behr commented: " I thought the performances from everyone was great. In a way, I felt it was the best cast show – in terms of the guest cast – since " Past Tense ". When people get to play Humans in contemporary time or close to contemporary time, you just get a wider range of actors you can use. The casting sessions for those shows for me were just great because we had a lot of actors in from science fiction movies of yore. So it was a lot of fun ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 109)
• René Echevarria commented " "Little Green Men" and " The Trouble with Tribbles " are probably the two best Star Trek comedic episodes ever filmed. It was just a delight ". ( Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages , p 109)
• In Star Trek 101 (p. 125), Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block list "Little Green Men" as being one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
• Cinefantastique ranked "Little Green Men" as the fifth best episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 32, No. 4/5, p. 98)
• On the popularity of "Little Green Men", Megan Gallagher commented, " Not to brag, but I've got a long resume. I've done six television series as a regular and recurred on a lot of other shows, and I have gotten more fan mail about that individual episode than anything else I've ever done, including the entire run of Millennium . Actually, I'd say "Little Green Men" and Larry Sanders are on a par with each other. But I think people loved "Little Green Men" because it was funny and different, and because of the whole mythology and mystery surrounding Roswell. When you mix Star Trek and Roswell, I think it just triggers various parts of the sci-fi brain simultaneously. And the episode was just really beautifully done, the way they shot it, the Dutch angles, all of the period stuff, the sort of It Came from Outer Space way it looked. It had all these great inside jokes. It just combined so many different and fun things about being a sci-fi fan. " [2]
• " All I ask is a tall ship… and a load of contraband to fill it with " is a paraphrase of John Masefield 's famous poem, Sea-Fever , which includes the line, " All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by ", which is also the quote on the USS Defiant 's dedication plaque . It was also quoted twice before, by James T. Kirk in TOS : " The Ultimate Computer " and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier .
• Referenced Rules of Acquisition : #203 (" New customers are like razor-toothed gree-worms . They can be succulent, but sometimes they bite back ") and #62 (" The riskier the road, the greater the profit "). Note: only #203 is mentioned by number.
• Charles Napier played the musical and free-spirited Adam , in the Star Trek: The Original Series third season episode " The Way to Eden "; a major contrast from the hard-nosed General he plays here.
• Five years after this episode, Charles Napier appeared in the Roswell episode Summer of 47 , in which his character, as a young man (portrayed in flashbacks by Brendan Fehr ), was an Army officer who had witnessed the 1947 Roswell incident.
• A calendar on the wall of one of the base's rooms has a "cheesecake" illustration captioned "My Love Has Wings," a reference to Nightingale Woman , which was recited in TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before ". The poem was originally written by Gene Roddenberry while working as an airplane pilot.
• In this episode, Ferengi do not always use their traditional mis-pronunciation of "Human" as "hew-mon."
• Nog notes that Gabriel Bell from the Bell Riots looked a lot like Captain Sisko , referencing the events of DS9 : " Past Tense, Part I " and " Past Tense, Part II ".
• This episode first aired more than a year before the premiere of Star Trek: First Contact , and hints that Vulcans were the first alien race to have official contact with Humans.
• General Denning says, " Did you take care of that idiot in Roswell, who told the press we captured a flying saucer? " He is referring to press release of Colonel William H. Blanchard on July 8th, 1947, in which he stated that the Air Force "had in [their] possession a flying saucer." Blanchard was the commander of the 509th Bomb Group at Roswell Army Air Field. A second statement was released shortly thereafter which denied Blanchard's claim, saying that the debris was simply from a crashed weather balloon.
• Denning's description of President Truman as a "piano-playing Democrat " is the only time in all of Star Trek that a democratically elected figure is identified by the political party he or she is affiliated with.
• This episode firmly establishes, via the universal translator, that Quark, Rom, and Nog are never actually speaking English in the series. It's reasonable, though, that Nog will have to learn at least a basic common language of the Federation (not necessarily actual English), in case of translator's malfunction.
• The pajamas purchased by Rom at the start of the episode seem to be the same shirt worn by Sovak (also played by Max Grodénchik ) in the Star Trek: The Next Generation third season episode " Captain's Holiday ".
• Avery Brooks ( Benjamin Sisko ) has only two lines in this episode.
• When Quark speaks of his cousin Gaila and mentions to Rom that he "loaned him the Latinum to start up his munitions consortium" , the "munitions consortium" will be seen in the fifth season episode " Business as Usual " when Gaila tries to recruit Quark into it.
• There were no nuclear weapon tests in the United States (or anywhere else in the world) in 1947. At that time, all atomic testing was being conducted at the Pacific Proving Ground (Enewetak and Bikini atolls, in the Pacific Ocean). The Nevada Proving Ground, which plays a pivotal role in getting the Ferengi back to their own time, did not open for business until January 1951. (Citation required)
• Based on Quark 's line "Once we get things in order here, we'll contact the Ferengi homeworld and sell them our ship. The Ferengi will have warp drive technology centuries before Humans or Klingons or even the Vulcans ." , it is established that Qo'noS and Vulcan had not yet become warp-capable by 1947 . However, in Star Trek: First Contact (released a year after "Little Green Men" aired) it was established that Humans would achieve warp drive in only another 116 years from 1947, so not exactly "centuries" later. It was also established in ENT : " Carbon Creek " that Vulcans had warp-capable ships only ten years later . Moreover, it has been established in several episodes that Vulcans and Klingons possessed interstellar travel capability long before 1947. Based on ENT : " The Andorian Incident ", the first known instance of Vulcan interstellar travel was around 850 BC , when the Vulcan P'Jem monastery was built outside the Vulcan system . According to TNG : " Rightful Heir ", the Klingon monastery in the star system with the planet Boreth was built shortly after the death of Kahless . According to the Star Trek: Voyager third season episode " Day of Honor ", Kahless lived in the 9th century . It has however not been established what propulsion technology was used for interstellar travel on these early voyages. That Quark may have been inaccurate with his "centuries" statement might however indicate he was also inaccurate about the fact that Vulcans and Klingons were not yet warp-capable; he would presumably know approximately when his people acquired warp drive, but might know little about Klingon history. Nevertheless, there are two suggestions in canon that Quark may be wrong. The first lies in Soval 's statement in " The Forge " that " it took my people nearly 1,500 years to rebuild our world and travel to the stars. You Humans did the same in less than a century "; since Humans didn't "travel to the stars" until they invented warp drive, if Vulcans "did the same" in 1,500 years from the time of Surak , that would mean they developed warp drive in the mid-19th century. The second suggestion comes from " First Flight ", where it is stated that it took Vulcan a hundred years after the invention of warp drive to break the warp 2 barrier. Counting from 1947 or later this would imply that Vulcans became warp 2-capable in the mid-21st century, i.e., around the same time as Humans became warp-capable.
• Ronald D. Moore speculated that the Vulcans did not have warp drive but: " possibly a variant of the contained singularity used by the Romulans. That might've been a much more dangerous and inefficient technology which was quickly abandoned by most of the galaxy when Cochrane 's system was introduced. But that's all just speculation ". ( citation needed • edit )

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 4.4, 22 April 1996
• As part of the DS9 Season 4 DVD collection
• As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Time Travel collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Avery Brooks as Captain Sisko

Also starring [ ]

• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Commander Worf
• Terry Farrell as Lt. Commander Dax
• Cirroc Lofton as Jake Sisko
• Colm Meaney as Chief O'Brien
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir
• Nana Visitor as Major Kira

Guest stars [ ]

• Megan Gallagher as Garland
• Charles Napier as Denning
• Max Grodénchik as Rom
• Aron Eisenberg as Nog
• Conor O'Farrell as Jeff
• James G. MacDonald as Wainwright

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Patrick Barnitt as Bajoran officer
• Scott Barry
• Patti Begley
• Brian Demonbreun as sciences officer
• Kathleen Demor
• Steve Diamond
• Jasmine Gagnier
• Anthony Giger as command officer
• Randy James
• Mark Lentry
• Ken Lesco as MP
• Shauna Lewis
• Mary Mascari as Bajoran woman
• James Minor
• Tom Morga as MP
• Robin Morselli as Bajoran officer
• Stuart Nixon
• Sherry O'Keefe
• Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn
• Kristian Sorensen as MP guard #1
• James Lee Stanley
• Chester E. Tripp III as MP
• MP guard #2
• US Army Air Forces soldier

References [ ]

10,000 years ago ; 5,000 years ago ; 20th century ; 1947 ; 1987 ; 2024 ; 24th century ; 2362 ; 2370 ; .45 automatic ; acceleration ; addiction ; Alpha Quadrant ; American ; Arbiter ; atmosphere ; atomic bomb ; attack cruiser ; Australian ; automobile ; banking ; barter ; baseball ; Bell, Gabriel ; Bell Riots ; beta radiation ; biochemistry ; Blessed Exchequer ; BOQ ; brother-in-law ; businessman ; cadet ; Cadet's Guide to Sector 001 Earth, A ; captain ; car salesman ; Celestial Auctioneers ; chewstick ; chief financial officer ; Cleveland ; cloaking device ; command sequencer ; contraband ; credit ; dabo girl ; darts ; data link death ray ; decipher ; Democrat ; Denning's brother-in-law ; Divine Treasury ; dilithium ; disruptor ; dollar ; dom-jot ; Earth ; Earth Cold War ; Earth Orbital Control ; empire ; eye chart ; farmer ; Federation ; Federation law ; Ferengi ; Ferengi Alliance ; Ferengi history ; Ferengi language ; Ferengi shuttle ; Ferenginar ; flying saucer ; gadget ; Gaila ; Garland's mother ; German Shepherd ; GMC CCKW 2.5 ton cargo truck ; going-away present ; gold ; Grand Nagus ; Great Lakes ; gree-worm ; grooming ritual ; guidebook ; hairpin ; Hangar 18 ; Hayworth, Rita ; heart attack ; holding cell ; holosuite ; honeymoon ; Humans ; Human history ; impulse engines ; Interface ; internal organ ; ionic interference ; Ishka ; isolinear rod ; Jeep ; kemacite ; Klingons ; Klingon shock troops ; landing zone ; latinum ; lawyer ; leader ; lieutenant general ; linguist ; M1 Garand ; Marauder -class ; Mars ; Martians ; medical test ; military base ; Milky Way Galaxy ; money ; Moogie ; national security ; Nevada ; New Mexico ; Niagara Falls ; nuclear fission ; nuclear reactor ; oo-mox ; Orion ; PADD ; photon torpedo ; phaser ; piano ; poison ; President of the United States ; Promenade ; Post-Modern Reformism ; proving ground ; quantum torpedo ; Quark's ; Quark's Treasure ; racket ; replicator ; reporter ; retirement ; retraction ; rob ; rocket ship ; Romulan interceptor ; root beer ; Roswell ; Roswell Incident ; Rules of Acquisition ; Russians ; San Francisco ; Sanctuary District A ; " Sea-Fever "; self-confidence ; shrew ; smoking ; smuggling ; Sodium Pentathol ; Sol system ; solar flare ; speculative investment ; sponsor ; springball ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; subspace continuum ; Supreme Commander ; tall ship ; technology ; telepathy ; telephone ; temporal surge ; time warp ; tobacco ; tooth sharpener ; trade negotiation ; transport ; transporter ; Truman, Harry S. ; Unidentified flying object ; United States Army Air Forces ; United States Government ; United States of America ; universal translator ; uprising ; Vault of Eternal Destitution ; verbal language ; Visit with the Pleasure Goddess of Rixx, A ; Vulcan ; warp drive ; warp core ; waste extraction ; weather balloon ; wedding dress ; Zek

External links [ ]

• " Little Green Men " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Little Green Men " at Wikipedia
• " Little Green Men " at the Internet Movie Database
• " Little Green Men " at MissionLogPodcast.com
• "Little Green Men" script at Star Trek Minutiae
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)

Constable Odo's 10 Best Star Trek: DS9 Episodes

• Odo's best DS9 episodes focus on criminal investigations, his origins, and ideological clashes with Changeling Founders.
• Odo's relationships with Quark and Kira define many episodes, showcasing his softer side and developing romantic connections.
• Odo's characterization shines in episodes like "The Begotten" and "Treachery, Faith and the Great River" with emotional depth.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's best episodes about Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) focus on his criminal investigations, the search for his origins, and his ideological clash with the Changeling Founders. Played by acclaimed actor Rene Auberjonois, Odo's best episodes of DS9 are characterized by some incredible acting, delivered from underneath heavy layers of prosthetics . Across seven seasons, the beloved Star Trek: DS9 character had to grapple with prejudice, unrequited love, and the sins of his past in episodes that showcased the thematic heft of the Star Trek: The Next Generation spinoff.

Odo's relationships with Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) also define many of the Constable's best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes . As DS9's Chief of Security, Odo was the perfect foil for the Ferengi bartender, but Quark and Odo's rivalry had an undercurrent of mutual respect that bordered on affection . Odo also had a close friendship with Kira, formed by a fateful moment from years earlier. Odo and Kira's friendship eventually developed into a romantic relationship, and that progression can be seen in some of the Constable's best DS9 episodes.

Every Star Trek: DS9 Episode Directed By Rene Auberjonois

Star trek: ds9 season 1, episode 17, "the forsaken", teleplay by don carlos dunaway & michael piller, story by jim trombetta.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1, episode 17, "The Forsaken" is one of the more successful DS9 and Star Trek: The Next Generation crossover episodes . The episode paired up the unlikely duo of Constable Odo and Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) for a two-hander that revealed the insecurities of both characters. Odo's relationship with Lwaxana allowed DS9 's gruff Chief of Security to show his softer and more vulnerable side , improving the character as a result.

In the episode, the incorrigible Lwaxana Troi falls in love with Odo, and tries to woo the irascible Constable. Lwaxana's attempts are hindered by an alien intelligence that saps Deep Space Nine's power, stranding her in a lift with Odo. "The Forsaken" was one of Rene Auberjonois' favorite episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Discussing the episode in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion , Auberjonois stated that:

" It helped to establish Odo and give him more dimension than he'd had up to that point "

Star Trek: DS9, Season 7, Episode 22, "Tacking into the Wind"

Written by ronald d. moore.

"Tacking into the Wind" is one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's best Worf episodes , as it primarily focuses on his attempts to bring Chancellor Gowron (Robert O'Reilly) into line. However, there's also some very strong and emotional material for Odo and Kira as the morphogenic virus continues to ravage the Changeling's system . Kira, Odo, and Garak (Andrew Robinson) are sent on a dangerous mission to retrieve information about a devastating Breen weapon.

By infecting Odo, Section 31 effectively prove the Founders' belief that the "Solids" are barbaric and cruel.

Odo's determination to continue the mission despite his worsening health is heartbreaking. However, it speaks to the strength of Odo's character that he never lets Section 31's betrayal cloud his feelings about the "Solids". By infecting Odo, Section 31 effectively prove the Founders' belief that the "Solids" are barbaric and cruel , but despite the cruelty meted out to him by Section 31, Odo knows that it's wrong to reduce all of Starfleet to the actions of some rogue operatives.

Section 31s 5 Worst Crimes During Star Trek DS9s Dominion War

Star trek: ds9, season 7, episode 6, "treachery, faith and the great river", teleplay by david weddle & bradley thompson, story by philip kim.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , season 7, episode 6, "Treachery, Faith and the Great River" explores Odo's status as a god . Odo is shocked to discover that Weyoun ( Jeffrey Combs ) wishes to defect from the Dominion to the Federation. However, the Dominion and the Cardassians are determined that Odo and Weyoun 6 never return to DS9.

What follows is an exciting prisoner transport thriller that also tackles some big themes around religious belief. "Treachery, Faith and the Great River" showcases Odo's courage under fire , as he tries every trick in the book to avoid the combined forces of the Cardassians and the Jem'Hadar. Weyoun 6 eventually sacrifices his life to save Odo in the episode's heartbreaking climax, forcing the Changeling to confront how his people have turned themselves into deities.

Star Trek: DS9, Season 3, Episode 14, "Heart of Stone"

Written by ira steven behr & robert hewitt wolfe.

For the majority of "Heart of Stone", Odo believes that Kira has become trapped in an expanding silicon rock formation. The more the formation increases in size, the more it consumes Kira, slowly crushing her to death. Tragically, Odo realizes that he's not trying to save the real Kira when the Major professes her love for him , revealing that it's an elaborate ruse by the Female Changeling (Salome Jens).

"Heart of Stone" is a great Odo episode because the impossible situation forces him to confront, and finally vocalize, his feelings for Kira . That journey is fascinating to watch, and Rene Auberjonois' performance of Odo, recognizing that he's been duped, is incredible. Veering from pragmatism about how Kira sees him as a friend to fury at the Female Changeling's plan, it's exactly the sort of multi-faceted performance that audiences have come to expect from Rene Auberjonois at this point in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Nana Visitor wasn't a fan of the rock prop in "Heart of Stone", telling the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion that it made her look " like a big old hot fudge sundae ".

DS9's 7 Best Love Stories & Romances Ranked

Star trek: ds9, season 2, episode 12, "the alternate", teleplay by bill dial, story by jim trombetti and bill dial.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 12, "The Alternate" is an early episode that sheds more light on Odo's origins. It introduces the character of Dr. Mora Pol (James Sloyan), the Bajoran scientist who first discovered Odo in his liquid form . Dr. Mora believes that he's found clues as to where Odo originated from, but their research mission is cut short when the away team are stricken by some noxious gas, triggered by the removal of an ancient monument. The gas also has an adverse effect on Odo, turning him into a terrifying monster.

[Odo] comes to realize that this problematic scientist is actually the closest thing he's ever had to a father figure.

"The Alternate" is a brilliant take on Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde , that gives Odo actor Rene Auberjonois some challenging material to perform. The scenes between Odo and Mora are incredibly powerful, as the Changeling comes to realize that this problematic scientist is actually the closest thing he's ever had to a father figure. The scene in which Odo implies that he doesn't trust Mora while becoming the monster is an incredible moment .

Star Trek: DS9, Season 6, Episode 20, "His Way"

Written by ira steven behr & hans beimler.

When Odo hears that holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine (James Darren) gave Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) some helpful pointers on love, he decides to seek the singer's advice about Kira. Fontaine helps to bring Odo out of his shell, turning him into a suave pianist, while also making him more at ease socially. Eventually, Vic orchestrates a first date for Kira and Odo, albeit under false pretenses .

"His Way" was the first appearance of Vic Fontaine in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

By showing a completely new side of Odo in "His Way", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showrunner Ira Steven Behr and writer Hans Beimler make this one of the character's best episodes. The transition from the drab brown Bajoran security uniform into a sharp tuxedo is a hugely positive one for Odo , not least because it finally allows Kira to see just how charismatic and charming he can actually be.

Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonois never wanted Kira and Odo to become a couple in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , preferring their bond to be purely platonic.

Star Trek: DS9, Season 5, Episode 12, "The Begotten"

Written by rené echevarria.

For the first half of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Odo is turned into a "Solid" . It's fascinating to see how Odo contends with the frailty of a humanoid body, but it's equally fascinating to see how this plot thread is resolved. After he buys an ailing Changeling infant from Quark, Odo teams up with Doctors Bashir and Maura to cure the sick child and teach it to shapeshift. Odo becomes a doting father, and it's a strong sequel to "The Alternate", as he seeks to avoid the mistakes made by his own surrogate father.

Tragically, the infant Changeling in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is too sick to live, but it does give Odo a parting gift. By bonding with the infant, Odo regains his shapeshifting abilities, giving him a renewed sense of purpose. It's a touching metaphor for parenthood that finally allows Odo and Mora Pol to reconcile their differences. "The Begotten" is a standout episode for Rene Auberjonois in a strong season for the character of Odo .

Star Trek: DS9, Season 5, Episode 9, "The Ascent"

"The Ascent" is the best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode about Quark and Odo's antagonistic relationship. Transporting Quark to testify against the Orion Syndicate, Odo's runabout explodes and strands the two old enemies on a barren planet. Watching Odo and Quark work together to survive is an absolute joy , and Rene Auberjonois gets some fine opportunities to deploy his dry wit. The scene in which Odo requests his ashes be tossed into his bucket and launched into the Gamma Quadrant is darkly funny.

The final scene of "The Ascent" is one of the best moments, as it sees Odo and Quark come closer than ever to telling each other how they feel. While they both say they hate each other, it's very clear from their laughter that the two Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters love each other. "The Ascent" is also a great Odo episode because it shows a new side to him, as he has to deal with the fragility of his humanoid body , succumbing to the cold and breaking his leg.

Star Trek: DS9, Season 5, Episode 8 "Things Past"

Written by michael taylor.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5 has two classic Odo episodes in a row, as "The Ascent" is preceded by "Things Past". The episode sends Odo, Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) and Elim Garak (Andrew Robinson) back in time to when DS9 was Terok Nor . They're forced to live through a brutal tragedy from Odo's past, when he accidentally condemned three Bajoran men to death .

Rene Auberjonois is excellent as a repentant Odo, who is realizing with gut-churning inevitability what's about to happen. The final scene, in which Odo and Kira discuss his culpability in the execution is a quietly devastating exchange between the two friends. "Things Past" is, therefore, a spiritual sequel to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Necessary Evil" , which revealed how Odo and Kira first met.

Star Trek: DS9, Season 2, Episode 8, "Necessary Evil"

Written by peter allan fields.

"Necessary Evil" is the best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode about Odo , because it firmly establishes the Constable's moral code. While investigating the attempted murder of Quark, Odo discovers that the crime is linked to his first case. Through flashbacks, "Necessary Evil" reveals how Odo came to Terok Nor, employed by Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) as a security officer. Tasked with investigating the murder of a Bajoran collaborator, Odo was unable to close the case, letting the killer walk free.

The killer is revealed to be Major Kira Nerys, and in one of the most complicated scenes in all of Star Trek , Odo and Kira contend with this new information. It's a crucial episode in Odo's Star Trek: Deep Space Nine story. Not only does it establish his origins as Chief of Security, it also reveals the depth of Odo's relationship with Kira, and how it's strong enough to weather the storm of her past crimes.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are available to stream on Paramount

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Cast Cirroc Lofton, Rene Auberjonois, Nicole de Boer, Michael Dorn, Nana Visitor, Avery Brooks, Colm Meaney, Armin Shimerman, Alexander Siddig

Release Date January 3, 1993

Network CBS

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Showrunner Ira Steven Behr, Michael Piller

Screen Rant

All 5 star trek roles played by armin shimerman (including ds9’s quark).

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I’m Glad Voyager’s Tom And B’Elanna Are No Longer Star Trek's Only Successful Romance

Star trek officially brands a surprising deep space nine hero as a war criminal, star trek explains why it uses 'quadrants' despite the universe being infinite.

• Armin Shimerman, known for playing Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, has appeared as various characters throughout the Star Trek franchise, showcasing his versatility as a character actor.
• In his earlier appearances as a Ferengi in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Shimerman's performances were considered less serious and more ridiculous, but he later redeemed himself with his portrayal of Quark in DS9.
• Shimerman's role as Quark on DS9 allowed him to bring depth and complexity to the Ferengi character, earning respect from both his fellow characters and the audience, highlighting his range as an actor.

Armin Shimerman most famously played Ferengi bartender Quark on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but he has also appeared as four other characters throughout the Star Trek franchise. A prolific character actor, Shimerman has worked on over 200 different projects, including television shows, movies, and video games, since he began acting in 1979. Outside of Star Trek , Shimerman is perhaps best known for portraying Principal Snyder in Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and his video game voiceover work for franchises such as Bioshock and Mass Effect , as well as the recent Xbox hit, Starfield .

Shimerman's first appearance in Star Trek came in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 , "The Last Outpost," in which Armin played one of the first Ferengi to appear on screen. He appeared as a different Ferengi in the TNG season 2 episode "Peak Performance" and as a Betazoid gift box in the episode "Haven," the latter of which was uncredited. It was after all of these roles that Shimerman landed the role of Quark, who he would play throughout all seven seasons of DS9 . Shimerman continues to be involved in the Star Trek fandom, appearing at conventions and on Trek -related podcasts. He recently reprised the role of Quark in the Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3 episode "Hear All, Trust Nothing."

Related: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Cast & Character Guide

5 Letek in TNG Season 1, Episode 5 - "The Last Outpost"

In his first Star Trek role, Armin Shimerman portrayed the Ferengi Letek in the early season 1 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation , "The Last Outpost." This episode introduced the Ferengi to the Star Trek franchise, and they were initially meant to serve as the main antagonists for Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D. However, both the creative team behind TNG and the fans felt the Ferengi were too ridiculous to be taken seriously as villains. In "The Last Outpost," Shimerman plays the leader of a Ferengi away team who beam down to investigate a planet alongside some of the Enterprise crew. Appearing on The Shuttlepod Show podcast (filmed before the SAG-AFTRA strike), Shimerman took the blame for the Ferengi 's botched first outing, citing his performance in "The Last Outpost."

4 Betazoid Gift Box in TNG Season 1, Episode 11 - "Haven"

After "The Last Outpost," Armin Shimerman appears in one more season 1 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation: episode 11, "Haven." "Haven" focuses on Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) and introduces her mother, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) , who would become a popular recurring Star Trek guest star. When Lwaxana summons Deanna to the planet Haven to fulfill a marriage agreement, Deanna struggles to accept the arrangement. Shimerman appears only briefly in the opening scene of "Haven" as the face on a Betazoid gift box. He announces the impending arrival of Lwaxana and Deanna's betrothed before opening to reveal a wedding gift of jewelry. Although Shimerman was not credited for his appearance as the gift box, it was technically his first Star Trek role, as "Haven" was filmed before "The Last Outpost" despite airing after it.

3 DaiMon Bractor in TNG Season 2, Episode 21 - "Peak Performance"

In TNG season 2, episode 21, "Peak Performance," the USS Enterprise engages in a war games exercise with another Federation ship, the USS Hathaway. When the Ferengi marauder Kreechta stumbles upon the scene, the crew does not realize that the two Federation ships are performing combat exercises. Always on the lookout for a profit, the Ferengi assume that the smaller Federation ship must be valuable if the Enterprise wants it. Armin Shimerman plays DaiMon Bractor, the commander of the Kreechta, who demands that Captain Picard give him the Hathaway. The Enterprise and the Hathaway work together to trick the Ferengi into believing the Hathaway has been destroyed, and the Ferengi depart.

Related: "We Didn't Laugh": Star Trek’s Quark Actor Explains DS9 Cast's Big Difference From TNG

2 Herbert Rossoff in DS9 Season 6, Episode 13 - "Far Beyond the Stars"

In one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's best episodes , Armin Shimerman plays Herbert Rossoff, a science fiction author from the 1950s. It's Armin Shimerman's only Star Trek outing where he plays a human. "Far Beyond the Stars" follows Captain Sisko as he experiences visions of himself as struggling sci-fi author Benny Russell in 1950s New York City. In Sisko's visions, Shimerman's Rossoff calls for racial equality and stands up for Russell at the office of the Incredible Tales magazine where they work. Though unlike Quark in many ways, Rossoff did use his position as one of the magazine's more established writers to negotiate for raises for himself and extra donuts for the office.

1 Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

As one of the main characters of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Quark, along with his brother Rom (Max Grodénchik), brought more depth to the Ferengi . Quark runs a lucrative bar on space station Deep Space Nine and sometimes gets involved in shady business deals because of his desire to make as much Latinum as possible. This often puts him at odds with his frenemy, Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois), the Chief of Security on DS9. Over time, however, Quark earns even Odo's grudging respect, as well as the respect of Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the other Federation officers on the station.

There were several times throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when Armin Shimerman portrayed different variations of Quark. In the DS9 season 2 episode "Crossover," Shimerman appears as the Mirror Universe Quark, who is eventually executed for helping slaves escape the space station. Multiple holographic versions of Quark appear in holodeck programs, including one in which Quark's head appears on the body of Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor). Quark appears as a simulation in the DS9 season 3 episode "The Search, Part 2," and embodies the personality of a previous Trill host of Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) in "Facets." Quark also appears in a memory in the episode "Things Past," and as part of an educational computer program in "Children of Time." As Quark, Armin Shimerman got to redeem his earlier Star Trek Ferengi performances by portraying a three-dimensional, intelligent, and surprisingly compassionate character.

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy. In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy. In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

• Rick Berman
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• Trivia Kira was a last-minute addition to the cast. The original plan was to include the Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) character of Ro Laren, but Michelle Forbes didn't want to do a series at the time.
• Goofs In the first three seasons, CDR Sisko refers to his father in the past tense, even talking about his slow demise and death from some unknown ailment. But starting in the fourth season ("Homefront"), Joseph Sisko is alive and well running a restaurant in New Orleans. Joseph appears in a total of six episodes throughout the last 4 seasons.

Garak : [Cornered by a group of Klingons in his store] Well, let me guess! You're either lost, or desperately searching for a good tailor.

• Crazy credits The opening credits for "Emissary" lacked the wormhole opening that all future episodes featured. Starting with Season 4, the opening credits included additional spacecraft and activity around the station, including the Defiant flying into the wormhole.
• Alternate versions Several episodes were originally shown as 2-hour movies. They were later edited into two-part 60 minute episodes for later airings.
• Connections Edited into Star Trek: Voyager: Unity (1997)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Main Title Written by Dennis McCarthy

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Quark's Bar » Characters

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Main Character Index Starfleet Crew | Federation and Bajor | Quark's Bar, Family, and Other Ferengi | Cardassian Union | Klingon Empire | The Dominion | Mirror Universe

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Odo: Don't worry, I plan to investigate the Klingons, the Bajorans, Quark, the visiting Terrelians... Sisko: You think Quark had something to do with this? Odo: (perplexed) I always investigate Quark. —"Visionary"

• To Kira; Quark simply cannot take a hint. When caught with their hand in a till, a good Ferengi will shout, 'Thief! Thief!' Likewise, whenever Quark makes a pass and gets shot down, he says to everyone within earshot, 'The woman simply can not get over her latent attraction to me! '
• In "Fascination" , when he falls under the influence of Lwaxana Troi's Xanthi fever , he briefly starts making the moves on Keiko O'Brien. Needless to say she is not remotely interested, and Miles drags him away by his ears.

• Accidental Proposal : Quark always wished for a statuesque alien babe of his own, but he probably didn’t count on getting married at knife-point to a Klingon woman whose husband he accidentally killed! Oddly enough, it works out pretty well.
• Anti-Hero : A Pragmatic Hero who's pretty much in for himself and his family, but there's no cruelty in his heart and he'll reluctantly help when things get too hot.
• Art Evolution : Early in the series the area around Quark's eyes darken to a violet/purple hue.
• Bartender Confidant : He's more self-serving than the average example, but genuinely enjoys talking to his customers and getting to know them. It's why he chose running a bar over something more impersonal (like arms dealing).
• Because I'm Good At It : The sad truth of the matter is he is really good at selling weapons, with his holosuite arrangements (useful for product demonstrations) and his way with people. It's precisely the sort of career he might have pursued if he'd remained in the Ferengi Alliance.
• And in "Bar Association", he refuses to let Rom take time off to treat a life-threatening ear infection, but it's later revealed that he cut everyone's salary so he wouldn't have to fire anyone.
• Quark's status as either is largely dependent on viewpoints. By hew-mon standards, he's an appalling boss. By Ferengi standards, however, he's astoundingly benevolent (to the point where Brunt outright accuses him of being a Philanthropist which judging by Quark's reaction is possibly the worst insult one Ferengi can level at another). He only takes 30% of their tips, and even gives them vacations .
• Also, remember: he can and has crushed gold bars into pieces .
• Big Brother Instinct : Definitely doesn't come through most of the time, but Quark was willing to risk his life when Rom was going to be executed by the Dominion.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : Part of the reason that Quark comes across as a Small Name, Big Ego is that much of what non-Ferengi see as his flaws, he considers his best qualities.
• Book Ends : Being threatened with physical violence by Kira. It happens at the end of the pilot and series finale. Quark practically winks at the camera.
• Sisko is insistent he be kept around and active for his role as community leader; Quark had to be blackmailed into not leaving the station on his own in the pilot. Most of his revealed schemes are actually fairly petty, like low-level smuggling and trying to start a rat-fighting ring. He's also been shown acting as an informant for Odo when Worf accidentally broke up a sting operation they were pulling.
• Casual Kink : Despite ostensibly believing in traditional Ferengi values, it's hinted that Quark does get off on aggressive alien females. He appears to have enjoyed his Destructo-Nookie with Grilka, and when a leather-clad Ezri Tigan from the Mirror Universe walks into his quarters and puts a knife to his throat, Quark thinks it's kinky roleplay and is quite eager to play along. "Spare me from beings who think pain is pleasure. [beat] In small doses, perhaps..."
• The Chew Toy : Quark's long list of injuries and near-death experiences rivals that of Harry Kim! (Who he incidentally tried to swindle in "Caretaker".) Most of these accidents occurred during a botched business deal or illegal exchange.
• Chivalrous Pervert : He has his moments, such as the time he protected one of his Dabo girls from being assaulted by a drunken customer.
• The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes : He's burned through quite a few girlfriends because they mattered less to him than furthering his businesses. And yet he hectors Odo over lacking a heart and nonexistent personal life.
• Cool and Unusual Punishment : Quark shows a surprising sense of willpower by dragging Odo up an icy mountain and refusing to give up — he refuses to let his brother get the bar, his nephew be completely corrupted by Federation values and to die with his body unsold! ("The Ascent")
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass : Quark's usually portrayed as a coward, but just count the number of times he kills veteran Jem'Hadar soldiers over the course of the series.
• A Day in the Limelight : He's pretty much the star of the show for all the Ferengi-centric episodes. Particularly the ones that take place almost entirely on Ferenginar.
• Determinator : Not often, but as shown in "The Ascent", Quark, crashed on a uninhabited planet, refuses to die and attempts to signal for help simply to spite Odo. In one episode, he even survives a hit from a phaser that was shown killing someone just a few minutes earlier (showing it wasn't set to stun). The only reason they can think of for why Quark doesn't die from it is that he absolutely does not want Rom getting the bar.
• Subverted by Major Kira, who was extremely upset about him putting Jadzia's life at risk, even though he ultimately helped her. (Quark making a sexual hologram of her without her permission can't have helped either.) It was only after he risked his life to help out the Deep Space 9 resistance cell at the beginning of season 6 that she decided to forgive him.
• He goes into business with his cousin Gaila, an arms merchant, but changes his mind and ultimately wrecks Gaila's business because he can't stand to sell the death of millions.
• When the Dominion takes over the station, Quark is initially okay with it. Sure, he misses the Federation, but business is good and (as he says) the current occupation is nowhere near as bad as the Cardassian one. However, his viewpoint changes over the course of the arc. Towards the end, he bemoans the current situation, saying he doesn't like the Cardassians and finds the Jem'Hadar creepy (not to mention they don't ever buy anything so all they do is take up space and scare away business). He culminates by saying, "I wanna sell root beer again!"
• Brunt's scheme to crash the Ferengi stock market to become the Grand Nagus is too power hungry even for him.
• Despite his frequent antagonism of Odo, he's one of the first to stand up for Odo when he's framed for murder.
• Extreme Omnisexual : Bajorans, Vulcans, Klingons, Cardassians, Trill.. you know, it might be easier to list the species Quark hasn't hit on.
• Lampooned when Quark got temporarily promoted to Nagus. His office suite, pet-stroking, and dialogue ("and yet now you call me Nagus...") evokes Vito Corleone . ("The Nagus")
• Fang Thpeak : Especially in early episodes, as with many Ferengi and Klingons, thanks to the prosthetic fangs.
• Faster Than They Look : Quark despite his short stature is an amazing sprinter as shown in "The Magnificent Ferengi" where it took other Ferengi including the Starfleet-trained young Nog minutes to catch up with him. He's also a good quickdraw with a disruptor.
• The Fettered : Ironically, Quark is insanely principled and does his best to always adhere to his ideals. It's just that he follows the Ferengi's greed-based Blue-and-Orange Morality , meaning he comes off as totally amoral to everyone else.
• Foil : Quark, like all Ferengi, is anti-Trek personified. Anything the Federation is for, Quark is against — and he even offers up some counter-arguments.
• Meanwhile, in the first season episode "A Man Alone", he remarks that, as his oldest adversary, he's the closest thing Odo has to a friend.
• In "Fascination," Odo makes an offhanded remark basically admitting to stalking Quark.
• In the finale, Odo pointedly defies this trope, though Quark takes it completely in stride. Quark is ultimately proven right, thus playing the trope straight, Odo simply wouldn't admit it to Quark's face.
• The Gambler : Self-proclaimed in "Starship Down," and the reason why Quark prefers a risky investment to a safe one.
• Vic's nightclub is a nested example of a bar-within-a-bar. His program was originally intended to run for only an hour or two, since the holosuite is a rental. However, Nog later arranged it for it to run continuously.
• Good Old Ways : Why he doesn't get on with his 'ahead of the times' mother and why he's skeptical of Rom's new Ferenginar. Over the course of the show, he went from being an unusually progressive boss to behind the times just by standing still.
• His comment in "Bar Association" is telling; he can either cut everyone's hours (and salaries) by a third to keep the bar running, or fire half his staff. He chooses to keep everyone's job. He almost never resorts to violence to get anything done (other Ferengi have no such compunctions), and the reason why he gets so many invoked Strawman / Jerkass Has a Point moments is that he is entirely too human and can relate (his "Root Beer" speech is classic Quark). He gets into constant trouble with the Ferengi Commerce Authority because of his strangely compassionate side. Comes to a head in "Body Parts," where Brunt explains that his hatred of Quark is not due to any particular misdeed, but rather that he is a philanthropist by Ferengi standards note  During the Occupation, he sold supplies to the Bajoran Resistance at slightly above cost rather than gouging them for all he could .
• On the other hand, this also explains why he's such a traditionalist. While other Ferengi are often shallow and greedy enough to do just about anything for profit, he considers the public welfare just as important.
• He's also deeply religious, almost as spiritual as Kira in his own way. He's been seen praying and in one episode even had a dream about visiting the Ferengi equivalent of Heaven.
• He's often capable of providing good advice, even if it's to people he (cordially) can't stand. One time he out-logic'd a Vulcan.
• For all his Ferengi sexism and lechery, Quark feels attraction toward strong, independent women such as Grilka and Pel. Over the series, Quark also respectfully assists Kira, Jadzia Dax, and other strong women.
• He defies the Dominion and joins Ziyal in freeing Kira and Rom from certain death by holding Jem'Hadar at gunpoint. Even Quark seems surprised by his actions.
• Among a people who traditionally regard self-preservation as a higher virtue than courageous sacrifice, Quark has often risked his own life and limb even when strategic withdrawal and writing off the losses would be more immediately profitable , and often seems to resent his people's reputation for cowardice.
• Honest John's Dealership : The Ferengi's Hat . Lampshaded in "Little Green Men", when one of the 20th Century humans mentions that Quark reminds him of his brother-in-law, who is a used car salesman.

• Hypocrite : Disgusted by the decline in traditional Ferengi values (unrelenting greed), he decides he's going to turn down the job of Grand Negus unless Zek rolls back his reforms. It doesn't seem to occur to him that by turning down a job that would make him obscenely wealthy on principle, he was himself rejecting those very same traditional Ferengi values.
• He's still fuming over turning down his cousin's offer to go into business with him. Oh, you remember Cousin Gaila; the guy with his own moon? Unsurprisingly, Garak — who knows 80 ways to kill someone and now ekes out a living mending pants — is a little less than sympathetic. (Quark may not be filthy rich but he is pretty well off.)
• That said, background imagery and throwaway lines in both Picard and Lower Decks , if taken at face value, show that years after the events of the series, Quark did well enough for himself that his bar is now a Quadrant spanning franchise! Mariner: (regarding a storefront on Starbase 25) Oh, they have a Quark's here now! That used to just be an abandoned lot where teens made mistakes!
• That being said, a season 3 episode of Lower Decks does show that Quark's copying Karemma technology and nearly causing Tendi and Rutherford to get taken to the Gamma Quadrant resulted in a deal where the Karemma dropped the charges against Quark in exchange for a hefty chunk of his profits, so he's definitely not as successful thanks to that screwup.
• Interspecies Romance : With Grilka, a female Klingon; over the course of two episodes she kidnaps and marries him to save her House from being taken by an enemy, he saves her House, they divorce, and then they start falling in love. She only appears in two episodes without further mention, so it's unknown where things went after the first time they had sex. In the continuity of Star Trek Online , it's mentioned she ended up marrying Worf in 2386 and they have a son together. Also with Natima Lang, a Cardassian woman who Quark was genuinely deeply in love with.
• Iron Butt Monkey : Quark takes an amazing amount of pounding on occasions, include one severe Naussican-inflicted breakdown that among other things shattered one of his eye sockets. But he always bounces back (though it probably helps that there's a doctor right across the Promenade from his bar).
• He doesn't get along with either his mother or his brother, and rarely interacts with his nephew at all, but it's made clear in several scenes with Rom; as much as Quark may belittle or argue with them, he clearly loves them. When the station came under attack and he thought Rom might have been killed, he abandoned the bar and went to help search the wreckage, sounding incredibly worried as he asked Kira if she had seen his brother.
• While everybody else, especially Worf, wasn't sure how to react to Ezri Dax's arrival at Deep Space Nine, Quark was the first person outside the Siskos to welcome her.
• He allegedly sold supplies to the Bajorans at cost during the occupation. He denied the allegation, claiming it was just above cost (which still counts, as he surely could've gouged them if he really wanted to). He makes comments throughout the series about how awful the Cardassian Occupation was, and it's implied he's owed a lot of favors on Bajor because of all the times he provided subtle assistance to Bajoran laborers... and to the resistance.
• Though it was in an Alternate Timeline , when Sisko had apparently died and a depressed Jake wanted to spend time with Nog, Quark gave his nephew the day off with zero hesitation despite the bar being very busy.
• Kavorka Man : Quark beds an absurd number of women throughout his career despite being a short gonk with a mostly obnoxious personality. He was well on his way to "melting a Vulcan heart" before she got jammed up for her Maquis activities.
• By the end of the series, Quark is on a first-name basis with the Federation Ambassador to Qo'nos, has a more than passing acquaintance with the most powerful Klingon Chancellor in generations, is the on-again off-again of the leader of a Klingon Great House who he helped install (remember, Klingon Great Houses field fleets ), is well-acquainted with one of the most powerful members of the Bajoran military, his nephew is destined to become one of the Federation's greatest captains, he's the beloved bartender of one of the Federation's most brilliant physicians and its one of its most highly-regarded engineers, he's Enemy Mine with the de facto contact point between the Dominion and the Alpha Quadrant, and his brother is the Grand Nagus . You can find richer Ferengi, but you'll never find one with better connections, or one who's better-liked by more powerful people outside of his own species. His influence continues after the series, too. In Picard season one, an important piece of plot-driving information passes to Jean-Luc Picard through the hands of none other than Mister Quark of Ferenginar .
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste : Trust Quark to try and make a profit out of the accidental death of a Klingon customer.
• Like an Old Married Couple : Rom's first marriage failed when he left to work on DS9 . Quark's a confirmed bachelor note  his marriage to Grilka notwithstanding , and was the only character to not earn a Last-Minute Hookup in the final season. They're basically a couple, like it or not. Armin Shimerman confirmed that his arc in Season 7 was mending fences with his family, particularly Rom.
• Like Parent, Like Spouse : For all Quark's protestations about how Ferengi women should be - docile, submissive, naked - he's not attracted to women like that, except maybe the naked part. He's attracted to aggressive, strong-willed, highly intelligent women. And then you meet his Moogie...
• Loser Son of Loser Dad : According to Ishka, her husband wasn't a very successful businessman. Rom seems to have inherited his lack of financial acumen, and Quark's luck isn't so hot either, though he's certainly more savvy than his brother.
• Loveable Rogue : Quark may be a money-grubbing, penny-pinching, manipulative little swindler who lies and cheats as easily as sucking air, but he ultimately means no harm, and when push comes to shove, he will do the right thing to help his friends, his family, and his home. Besides, compared to the numerous real villains in the series, he's practically a saint.
• Loveable Sex Maniac : Tries to sleep with the Dabo girls he hires, although this gets toned down later. They wound up unionizing to improve the bar's working conditions, but that doesn't entirely stop his wandering hands.
• Mayor of a Ghost Town : Began the series as this. Cunningly, Sisko snatches Quark before he can leave the station and appoints him " community leader "; a nice way of saying that if Quark doesn't stay, his nephew goes to jail.
• The Millstone : Particularly in the show's early years. Quark often endangers the entire station in pursuit of an illegal transaction. One such incident (smuggling Verad onboard) almost got Jadzia killed — this caused him to tone it down a little.
• Necessarily Evil : Odo regularly allows Quark to break the law, while using him to get a bead on the more significant criminals Quark interacts with.
• Never My Fault : When he's caught out, you can always count on Quark to throw Rom under the bus. (In fact, there's a provision in the employee contracts that anything that goes wrong in the bar is automatically Rom's fault .) He did it in the pilot episode, he does it every other week, and it's a wonder Rom hasn't buried a spanner in his head by now. It's no surprise that Rom eventually left the bar to pursue his true talent — engineering.
• No True Scotsman : Quark catches heat from the Ferengi Commerce Authority for failing to adhere to proper business practices. For a time, the bar is liquidated by the FCA, and Quark himself barred from doing business anywhere within the Ferengi Alliance. Quark : I can reform! I'll start gouging the customers again! I'll revoke all my employees' vacation time! Brunt: ...You gave them vacations ?
• Papa Wolf : Contrary to appearances, he's fiercely protective of his nephew Nog. Although sometimes what he does to "help" is wrong (like sabotaging his entry exam to Starfleet Academy), sometimes it isn't (like gunning down Jem'Hadar soldiers to protect a comatose Nog during the Siege of AR-558). The whole reason he ended up staying on Deep Space Nine to begin with is because if he'd refused, Nog would have been stuck in jail for years.
• Persona Non Grata : In "Body Parts", he breaks a contract with his nemesis Brunt. For being in violation of the 17th Rule of Acquisition note  A contract is a contract is a contract (but only between Ferengi) , his business license was revoked, he was legally barred from doing business with other Ferengi, and he was banished from the Ferengi homeworld. He would regain his license and good standing in Season 6.
• He's not afraid to pour some drinks on the house when O'Brien and Bashir are believed to have been killed, or to offer Odo romantic evidence.
• He's genuinely happy to hear that Keiko is pregnant and then proceeds to wax nostalgic about Nog being a cute baby; Quark even read what's implied to be the Ferengi equivalent of the Dick and Jane books to the infant Nog ("Acquire, Brok, acquire!").
• While he often exploits his bar staff and especially the Dabo girls, he will sometimes come to their defence when patrons get a bit too familiar; at one point during "In The Pale Moonlight" one of the girls is being harassed by a drunken customer, so Quark intervenes (and gets stabbed for his trouble).
• Pragmatic Villainy : Quark is an incorrigible smuggler and black marketeer. However, "Things Past" revealed that he refuses to sell maraji crystals (an illegal drug) because the Cardassians don't like them and the Bajorans can't afford them.
• Professional Butt-Kisser : To Zek, the Grand Nagus. Zek treats him like pocket lint, but Quark still holds out hope for a reward one day. He never gets it. In fact, being a Professional Butt-Kisser is one of the Rules of Acquisition: "It never hurts to suck up to the boss."
• There's also a provision that anything that goes wrong in the bar is automatically Rom's fault.
• Company policy dictates that the staff is not responsible for lost (read: stolen ) property. Said policy is spelled out on a small sign hanging over the exit that is easily missable. Ambassador Troi was not pleased.
• Real Men Hate Affection : Rom and Quark can never quite be nice to each other and have to express their affection through trading insults. It gets especially tangled during wartime, as Quark becomes the stand-in for every family who waits to hear news from the front. Even he can't keep up pretenses forever. Rom: You're my brother. Whatever happens, we belong together. Quark: Well, like I said, you're an idiot. (goes to leave, then kisses Rom on the head)
• Rule-Abiding Rebel : By Ferengi standards, Quark is a radical due to such controversial opinions as "women should be allowed to spend and make money", "employees should have bonuses and vacation time", and "deals should be made in good faith." From a modern capitalist point of view - and as he points out himself several times - he's simply making pragmatic economic decisions to maximize his profits, and thus more closely keeping to (stated) Ferengi cultural norms than anyone else.
• Sharp-Dressed Man : Always has a snazzy and colourful blazer and shirt combo.
• Shipper on Deck : As the station's eyes and ears ( Ha! ), Quark comments on the pairings occurring all around him. Even some that never actually took off , such as Sisko/Jadzia.
• Subverted with Liquidator Brunt , who would be happy to see Quark dead, or, short of that, shunned by Ferengi society, for watering down traditional Ferengi values.
• It's also thrown in his face during "The Ascent". Part of the reason Odo pursued him all those years was because he thought Quark was (or had connections with) part of the Orion Syndicate, and he couldn't even afford the entrance fee. Quark shoots back that this means Odo wasted years hounding him for bearing a failure.
• Also this parting shot from "Body Parts": Quark: Look, I've broken the contract, so do your job. Take my assets, revoke my Ferengi business licence. Do whatever you have to do, then get out. And if I ever see you walk into my bar again... Brunt: Yes? Quark: You won't walk out.
• Kills at least half a dozen Jem'Hadar Super Soldiers in shootouts over the course of the series, despite how often he insists fighting is no way for a Ferengi to behave. He's a blindingly fast draw with a disruptor pistol and a very good shot.
• When circumstances forced him into a duel with a Klingon, he escaped with his life by showing up anyway, throwing the fight and saying how it's effectively an execution ("Killing an unarmed Ferengi... half his size "), calling out the Klingon High Council for letting the farce of an inheritance dispuse continue, goading his opponent into fighting anyway and causing Chancellor Gowron to intervene and admonish his opponent for such a dishonor. Quite a little Batman Gambit on his part.
• Was fully intent on defending his bar during the Klingon attack on his own, if not for Rom without his knowledge taking parts of his old service disruptor to fix the replicators.
• In "Business As Usual" he was willing to give up his life to sabotage a weapons deal that would have led to the deaths of twenty-two million innocent civilians. "One life for twenty-two million. Best deal I ever made."
• Status Quo Is God : Many things change throughout Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but one thing never does: Quark will always, ALWAYS end up back tending his bar by the end of any given storyline. Quark's business opportunities never go anywhere significant or backfire and whenever he's handed the opportunity to be rich it's either taken away from him or he's forced to give it up. Conversely, Quark is constantly getting away with things that should have gotten him arrested by Odo likely before the series even started and if his bar is taken away from him he always gets it back.
• Super-Senses : Like all Ferengi, Quark's got good ears. Odo uses it to torment him by pacing out his room when Quark's trying to sleep. Even when he's something like a mouse, Quark can still hear him, and it bugs the hell out of him.
• After a whole series-worth of failing to ever get ahead, it's shown by the time of Star Trek: Lower Decks that Quark has become a successful brand unto himself, with a line of (if Mariner's reaction is any indication) a fairly decent line of chain restaurants (themed after himself) and even toys based off the station. Apparently other Ferengi underestimated how much latinum there is in branding.
• That said, by the end of his The Bus Came Back trip in "Hear All, Trust Nothing" of Lower Decks , he's immediately back to being on the off-foot again after being caught for being successful for too long off of stolen Karemma technology, with Quark being forced to give up 76% of all of his franchises profits to them as to help facilitate trade relations with the Federation as compensation for his crimes against the Karemma. Something he takes rather poorly when Freeman asks if he's happier being poor than in jail .
• Token Heroic Orc : Like any good Ferengi, Quark has a keen eye for profit and a self-serving nature. When push comes to shove, however, he will set aside profit to help Sisko and the crew of DS9 .
• The Unfavorite : His mother always preferred Rom, partly because Rom takes a lot after his late father. Quark and his mother have a lot in common, but are on opposite ends opinion-wise. As she herself puts it, Rom is always her little boy but Quark grew up young and is more of an equal.
• Unrequited Love : Implied to be the case with Jadzia Dax, especially by the time she is married to Worf. After she is killed, his feelings are still there for her successor Ezri.
• Unusual Ears : Like all Ferengi.
• Vitriolic Best Buds : He and Odo snark and bicker at each other all the time, but Quark will defend Odo if others are against him.
• Worthy Opponent : Feels this way about Odo. Even in the second episode, he defends Odo against accusations of murder.
• Your Approval Fills Me with Shame : Quark absolutely hates the fact that his most successful business venture — the bar and casino — is a legitimate one. According to him, Quark is mockingly known as "the Synthehol King" back on Feringinar, a reference to his squeaky-clean reputation amongst the Federation citizens whom he ought to be fleecing left and right. (Synthehol, as the name implies, is a beverage which mimics the taste of alcohol without any of the deleterious effects. It's an absolute joke compared to Ferengi alcohol, which perfectly sums up his homeworld's opinion of him as toothless and non-threatening.)

Odo: I've had my eye on you for a long time, Rom. You're not as stupid as you look ! Rom : I am, too! — "Necessary Evil"

• All of the Other Reindeer : Rom's poor business sense and aptitude for engineering make him an outcast in Ferengi society. Lampshaded by Nog, who is bitterly aware that his father could've been Chief Engineer on a starship if he'd had the opportunity. Instead, he tried to fit the "good Ferengi" mold and go into sales — for which he has absolutely no talent. Nog's disappointment in him (and subsequent successes in Starfleet) is what motivates Rom to quit working for his brother.
• Almighty Janitor : Ostensibly a pit boss, Rom is basically forced to perform all of the dirty work Quark shovels on him: Repairs, waiting tables, and cleaning, too. His talents were eventually recognized by Starfleet, averting this trope and leading to a few promotions. Though he did come up with the self-replicating minefield trick, which suggests he's still underemployed. (He eventually became Grand Nagus.)
• Annoying Younger Sibling : But pretty much only as far as Quark is concerned.
• As shown under Papa Wolf , and Quark learned the hard way, you do not interfere with his son Nog.
• Cain and Abel : Once he realizes he could inherit the bar, he tries to convince Odo that Quark wouldn’t want to be kept alive by artificial means... Then there's the time he cooperated in Quark's (failed, repeatedly) assassination.
• His early appearances as depicted as a cold blooded opportunist who would gladly kill his own brother. Later episodes characterized him as a Kindhearted Simpleton .
• The Chew Toy : He's got clear self-esteem issues thanks to, among other things, being a poor businessman and having a domineering older brother in Quark. He's usually the one that gets blamed when something goes wrong.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder : Before he was characterized, he had this towards Quark.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass : Even in earlier characterizations where Rom isn't the hypercompetent mechanic he is later, he still manages this. Even Odo recognized him as being more devious than Quark, naming Rom along with Gaila (who owns his own moon) and the Grand Nagus.
• Ear Ache : At one point, he gets a nasty ear infection, on account of getting too much oomox... self-administered oomox.
• Early-Installment Weirdness : In the first season Rom is more ruthless (even trying to kill Quark in "The Nagus") and meaner to Nog. Later seasons depict him as a lovable idiot who wouldn't hurt a fly.
• Easily Forgiven : In "The Nagus," Rom actively takes part in a plot to murder Quark, yet Quark seems to hold no grudge and lets him keep working at the bar without ever mentioning this incident again. The rest of the officers and crew on Deep Space Nine don't seem to take issue with this either. Seems to be a case of Status Quo Is God . (Then again, Ferengi culture is only slightly less built on backstabbing duplicity than the Romulans or the Cardassians, so maybe Quark took this as a sign of positive growth on his brother's behalf and possibly even pride.)
• "Eureka!" Moment : His epiphany regarding the minefield came on the eve of his wedding, when Rom was freaking out over trivial matters like closet space.
• He off-handedly comes up with the idea of self-replicating anti-starship mines to blockade the Bajoran Wormhole against Dominion reinforcements while barely paying attention. While O'Brien is generally the only man keeping DS9 in general in a modicum of working order, Rom is responsible for all the high technology in Quark's Bar working at all (usually through MacGyvering stuff).
• Rom's skill with devices is shown at one point while he and Quark are away and the bar is locked. O'Brien, one of those famed Starfleet engineers who can turn rocks into replicators, is having trouble getting through the lock. Odo passes by and comments that he's never seen a more "convoluted" design.
• Nog states that his father is an engineering genius and could easily be the chief engineer of a starship, but is stuck being a waiter in Quark's bar.
• Genius Ditz : A damn fine engineer, completely lacking in common sense and, worse for a Ferengi, business sense, until near the end of the show. Quark: Looks like your stupidity has saved you again. Rom: It comes in handy sometimes.
• Grew a Spine : Over time, he gains more self-confidence (in part thanks to Nog), eventually becoming an engineer for the station rather than the minor partner (and Mr. Fixit ) at Quark's Bar.
• Happily Married : Him and Leeta.
• Hero-Worshipper : Although O'Brien is not an officer, we start to see how respected he is among the rank and file aboard DS9 . Nog follows the Chief around like a puppy, and Rom insists on copying his breakfast orders down to the letter. The mere mention of orange juice and bacon makes Quark look like he's about to hurl, suggesting it's far from the usual Ferengi diet.
• Hidden Depths : Very well-hidden- even Odo initially thought he was just an idiot who "couldn't fix a straw if it was bent" before reconsidering and realizing he was smarter than he looked . He turned out to be an engineering genius.
• I Coulda Been a Contender! : Nog is of the belief that Rom wasted his life as a second rate business man instead of becoming an engineer, which motivates Nog's decision to join Starfleet.
• Ignored Expert : He did tell Quark that the holosuites need downtime once a week for essential maintenance. Quark refuses to listen, then blames Rom when, surprise surprise, the holosuites go bust.
• Interspecies Romance : He dates and ultimately marries Leeta, a Bajoran Dabo girl.
• Klingon Scientists Get No Respect : The Ferengi value business acumen above all else, and tend to shun anyone who doesn't thrive in the cut-throat world of business. Unfortunately, for Rom, he's a terrible businessman, but a great engineer. Once he joins Chief O'Brien's maintenance crew, he blossoms.
• Loser Son of Loser Dad : His and Quark's father wasn't a very successful businessman, and Rom isn't so great at business either. Eventually subverted when Rom becomes the Grand Nagus.
• Love Makes You Stupid : How he wound up as a single father working for his brother. Ferengi marriages aren't exactly like human marriages - there's contracts involved. Rom was so head-over-heels with Nog's mother he never bothered checking the revised contract, and got swindled for all his money, and promptly dumped. Quark: Hooray for romance!
• Momma's Boy : Much to Quark's annoyance. Rom calls Ishka "Moogie". Ironically, Ishka is quick to point out that, while Rom has greater affection for his mother, Quark is the most like her in personality and financial skills.
• Mr. Fixit : Because Quark is so cheap when it comes to repairs, Rom has to be ridiculously inventive to keep everything running smoothly. For example, he uses a spatula as a key conductor in the holosuite's mechanisms (a mesh of Federation, Ferengi, and Cardassian technology only he understands).
• Nice Guy : While as self-centered and vicious as the worst Ferengi in early episodes (albeit bad at it ), he evolved into this in later seasons. He once gave the entirety of his net worth to a fund for war orphans.
• Papa Wolf : Mess with Nog at your peril. When Quark sabotages Nog's Starfleet admittance test, Rom was furious. Even though all the rest of the time he's completely dominated by Quark, he went as far as to threaten to burn the bar down because he cares more about Nog's happiness than anything.
• Real Men Wear Pink : Provides Quark with sage advice for passing himself off as a woman. In fact, Rom almost knows too much about the subject.
• Simpleton Voice : After his first appearance.
• Throw the Dog a Bone : After years of poor luck, Rom gets made Grand Naugus in the second-to-last episode.
• Took a Level in Kindness : Season One Rom was as unscrupulous as his brother—if a little slow on the uptake—with a penchant for fobbing work off on his son.
• By Ferengi standards Rom is considered something of a Brainless Beauty though.
• When they start to get serious he starts to have serious doubts about his good luck and starts to suspect she's after his money. When she's still interested after he donates it all to charity he knows it's real.
• Undying Loyalty : He may not impress on first impressions, but you can trust Rom with your life. Or, as O'Brien learned in "The Assignment", the life of your wife.
• Walking Disaster Area : An absolute menace on the baseball field, resulting in bat-related injuries for the entire team. (His jersey number is 13 .)

Rom : You remember my son Nog, don't you? He's the first Ferengi to join Starfleet. Zek : I'll try not to hold that against him. — "Profit and Lace"

• Almighty Janitor : Despite only being a cadet, he is able to work a Chain of Deals to get Chief O'Brien the supplies he needed while getting Martok a better batch of bloodwine, without Captain Sisko ever realizing his desk was gone . His Ferengi hearing came in handy during several missions. Other than Chief O'Brien and Rom, he is the only engineer on the station who understands the amalgam of Cardassian, Bajoran, and Starfleet technology that keeps the station running. And, he was the first Starfleet officer on the station to learn about the Romulans signing a non-aggression pact with the Dominion.
• Artificial Limbs : After the Siege of AR-558. It's actually a synthetically-grown replacement functionally identical to the one he lost, but he still struggles with getting used to it at first.
• Authority in Name Only : In "Blaze of Glory," Nog began goose-stepping around the promenade like a mall ninja. He baffled General Martok by marching right to some Klingons and telling them to clear off . "No loitering!"
• Book Dumb : At the beginning of the series, he can't read or write in English. Jake teaching him to do so is a big part of their friendship.
• Broken Pedestal : Initially, he hero-worships Red Squadron, the Academy's best of the best. His adventure with them in "Valiant" burns it out of him.
• Due to the Dead : By the time of the 32nd century, Starfleet would name an Eisenberg -class starship in his honor.
• Going Native : With humans to some degree. Not least in a quintessential human activity.
• Grammar Nazi : After his return from Starfleet Academy, Nog goes over one of Jake's attempts at writing. Despite Jake's hope for feedback, all he gets is spelling corrections.
• Gung Holier Than Thou : He is rather enthusiastic about militaristic behavior, especially for a Ferengi.
• Heroic BSoD : The episode "It's Only a Paper Moon" focuses on the psychological toll that AR-558 took on him—withdrawn, defensive, and unwilling to go back into reality after the trauma of losing his leg . He more or less has PTSD .
• Informed Flaw : He claims not to have the "lobes" for business, but he proves an extremely canny operator who can get just about any part or favor required. It's possible that he might not have the savvy or ruthlessness to go up against other Ferengi as adversaries, but as fixer for his comrades, he is eminently capable.
• Legendary in the Sequel : Star Trek: Discovery establishes that Nog made such a name for himself they named a ship after him in the 32nd century..
• Loser Son of Loser Dad : As he bluntly points out to Sisko, he is, by Ferengi standards, a failure from a family of failures. As such, he's desperate to prove himself.
• Neat Freak : Became one after attending Starfleet Academy, much to the annoyance of Jake, who's much more of a slob, when two became roommates.
• Never Learned to Read : An early subplot has Jake teaching Nog to read.
• No Indoor Voice : All but outright stated to be part of the whole Compensating for Something package.
• His friendship with Jake Sisko is something that both their parents initially try to discourage.
• He and General Martok aren't quite friends, given the huge discrepancies in culture and rank, but they're extremely respectful to each other. Martok always greets him before anyone else when he enters Ops as a result of Nog having the cajones to enforce station regulations to a Klingon general.
• Plucky Middie : Once the Dominion War starts, he's still a cadet for much of the initial invasion until he's field promoted to ensign.
• In the Finale, he is promoted to Lieutenant.
• In the expanded universe he would go on to become Chief Engineer of the Enterprise -E and eventually was promoted to captain of the USS Chimera (as implied in "The Visitor").
• Safe Cracking : Using his superior Ferengi hearing. Came into play during the heist in "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang".
• Sanity Slippage Song : Bashir brought some Vic Fontaine MP3s to AR-558 and Quark played "I'll Be Seeing You" for Nog while Nog was wounded and recovering in the infirmary, even during the pitched battle. When he came back from surgery, a traumatized Nog continued to replay the songs over and over again in his quarters. The Incessant Music Madness drove Jake to kick him out, and Nog limped his way upstairs to the Las Vegas hologram. ("It's Only a Paper Moon")
• The Scrounger : By the time he joins Starfleet, he's an expert at navigating the "Great Material Continuum", much to Chief O'Brien's bemusement (and relief).
• Shell-Shocked Veteran : After losing his leg in the Siege of AR-558 .
• Token Heroic Orc : At first, appears to be playing against the Ferengi hat of capitalistic greed full-tilt. However, once in Starfleet, he starts subverting it by using his innate Ferengi business sense to requisition needed supplies seemingly out of thin air (see The Scrounger above). He's still very much a Starfleet Officer after his Character Development , but he doesn't completely discard where he came from either.
• Toxic Friend Influence : Nog introduced Jake to the concept of whopper lies. Later (hilariously) reversed when Nog becomes the straight arrow, while Jake drags him into zany schemes .
• Space Cadet
• Unusual Ears

Leeta : I have brains! Quark : Sure you do, honey. That's why I hired you. Now, eat up, and then take those brains back to the dabo wheel where the customers can get a good looong look at them. — "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?"

• Ascended Extra : She was initially brought in as a vapid, superficial one-off Love Interest for Dr. Bashir. Fan response was strong, and she would appear in over a dozen subsequent episodes, becoming a fairly prominent secondary character by mid-series.
• Buxom Beauty Standard : She has a very busty figure, which often causes men to stare.
• Cute, but Cacophonic : When she gets upset by Rom's calm acceptance of his impending Dominion-mandated execution, she starts wailing.
• A Day in the Limelight : To a certain extent in the Season 4 episode "Bar Association". Once the midpoint of the show passes she no longer qualifies for this as she's more or less a recurring character by that point.
• Dude, Where's My Respect? : She's not a Disposable Sex Worker , but Quark treats her like one. She and Rom later let him have it.
• Fanservice with a Smile : Her duties as a Dabo Girl require her to be overly flirtatious, and overtly friendly with her clientele.
• Girly Girl : One of the most girlish and feminine characters in the crew. This actually comes in handy one time, when she needs to help Quark act like a female in "Profit and Lace".
• Good Stepmother : Not a consistent part of their dynamic, but she explicitly refers to herself as Nog's stepmother at least once; in a spin-off novel, Nog explicitly observes that Leeta has been a better mother to him than his own mother. Nog later takes to calling her "Moogie", the Ferengi term of endearment for mothers and grandmothers.
• Good with Numbers : A must-have skill for any good Dabo Girl.
• Ms. Fanservice : She was introduced as blatant eye-candy, being fairly attractive and often getting gratuitous fanservice scenes.
• Opposites Attract : She's a gorgeous, charismatic, outgoing young woman. And he's easygoing, loyal, passive, and underestimated. They're both ditzy, though.
• Remember the New Guy? : In "Facets," Jadzia invites her seven closest friends to join her in a Trill ritual, including Leeta, who had had one scene in the last three seasons prior to that point. This was a function of the Dax symbiont having had three female hosts prior to Jadzia, but Nana Visitor was the only other female member of the main cast. Even after including Leeta, that still left one (handled by Quark, figuratively playing in drag long before "Profit and Lace").
• Shameless Fanservice Girl : She doesn't seem to care much for modesty. In "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" she greets Dr. Zimmerman at her door in only a Modesty Towel before going to get dressed. Then promptly walks out of her dressing room without it, and without finishing dressing, when she learns of a new job opportunity . She only notes her state of undress due to Zimmerman staring , and just casually apologizes before retreating to finish getting dressed for his sake.
• Smarter Than You Look : Despite Leeta's bubbly, somewhat ditzy demeanor, she is a keen observer and seasoned student of sociology.
• The Social Expert : She's an amateur sociologist and is very good at socializing and befriending people.
• The Tease : She often has a flirtatious demeanor, even when not working.
• Ugly Guy, Hot Wife : She's the hot wife to Rom 's ugly guy.
• What Does She See in Him? : Everyone is dumbfounded when she dumps Julian Bashir for Rom. Well, Quark and Bashir are, anyway.

• The Ace : Played for laughs, and entirely an Informed Attribute by the rest of the cast through the show, with none of his actual supposed abilities and personality ever seen on screen.
• Amusing Alien : They get a lot of mileage out of someone who never actually speaks.
• Bizarre Alien Biology : He's got two (apparently metal-resistant) stomachs, more than one heart, and at least four lungs .
• Casting Gag : In "Who Mourns For Morn?", Quark tries to get a customer to sit on Morn's stool after he dies - that customer is Mark Shepherd out of his normal make-up.
• Character Shilling : Played for Laughs . The rest of the cast constantly talks up how funny, talented, talkative, charming, handsome, etc., Morn is, none of which the audience ever gets to see.
• Other ideas were batted around for preserving Morn's stool, including a holographic recreation of everyone's favorite barfly. Hilariously, after Morn returns from the dead and cheats Quark out of a fat inheritance, Quark, in a fit of rage, tries wrestling the stool out of the floor.
• Expy : For Norm of Cheers . His name is even an anagram.
• Faking the Dead : Has to pull this in the above episode due to his checkered past.
• To be fair, Li Nalas was specifically talking to the Bajorans and asking them to stay and help so that the runabouts could transfer non-Bajorans (like Morn) to safety.
• Off-screen; described afterwards by Kira, Odo, and Quark. After Quark speculated that a Dominion attack on Deep Space Nine would leave them all dead, Morn hit Quark with a barstool and ran through the Promenade screaming "We're all doomed!", then ran naked into the station's Bajoran shrine (interrupting Kira's meditation) and begged the Prophets for protection.
• Hidden Depths : Apparently, he has a beautiful singing voice and used to practice bat'leth with Worf.
• It might be a case of him avoiding Suspicious Spending , as he had to wait ten years for the statute of limitations to expire on the robbery. After that you'd think he'd quit his day job as a freighter captain, but apparently he likes his job (though he did give Quark a large tip for his troubles).
• He's also there the morning after Dax's bachelorette party.
• Massive Numbered Siblings : He has seventeen brothers and sisters.
• Momma's Boy : A vital message that changed the course of the Dominion War only got through because he smuggled it in one of the many presents he was rushing home to give his mother for her birthday. Of course, it's presented that this is sort of a cultural thing for all Lurians: "Mother's Day" is such a huge holiday on their homeworld that everyone was too busy celebrating it to guard the planetary bank, allowing Morn and a team of four other thieves to rob it.
• Noodle Incident : Pretty much Morn's whole backstory is a series of these.
• Odd Friendship : With everyone! Amazingly, Morn seems to get along with practically everyone on the station. When he faked his death, pretty much everyone on DS9 showed up to pay their respects. His friendship even goes as high up as Sisko, who's trust in him convinced him the secret messsage smugged out during the height of the Dominion War was genuine.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome : Morn's smuggling of the warning message to Sisko that the minefield around the wormhole was soon to be destroyed, his success in passing on the message led to Sisko reaching the wormhole in time and asking for help from the Prophets to destroy the massive Dominion fleet coming through it, saving the entire Alpha Quadrant, Federation and more in the process.
• Parody Sue : Morn basically does nothing onscreen throughout the entire series but is constantly and consistently praised as the greatest thing since James T. Kirk. Apparently , he's talkative, charming, funny, a ladies man, an excellent fighter in Klingon martial arts, has a beautiful singing voice, and single-handedly altered the course of the Dominion War by smuggling out vital secrets to the Federation. Jadzia even talks about how attractive she found him, but thought that he was "way out of her league." Jadzia.
• Pretty Boy : According to Odo, he's considered quite androgynous for a Lurian, though to the viewers Lurians all look pretty much the same .
• Running Gag : Everyone always talks about qualities he has or actions he took we never get to see. Such as him being very talkative and sociable. He is usually just seen quietly drinking in the bar. Quark : You know Morn; he never shuts up.
• Small Role, Big Impact : Largely just a comedic background character, but if it weren't for him, the Federation wouldn't have found out the wormhole minefield was going to be disabled until it was too late, and a Dominion armada would have conquered the entire Alpha Quadrant.
• Spear Carrier : His role is to be a regular face at Quark's... and not much else.
• Stomach of Holding : He kept over 1000 bricks worth of liquid-latinum in his second stomach for over ten years with no ill effects, apart from massive hair-loss.
• Take Our Word for It : Comedic version. He's quite the blabbermouth. You'd never know from watching. He's also referred to as the resident Boisterous Bruiser on a couple of occasions and apparently has a tremendous singing voice. Apparently also a ladies' man. See Kavorka Man .
• He does, however, laugh. Once . He also yelped in pain another time when Quark was trying his hand at darts and accidentally threw them at Morn instead of the dartboard.

Zek : The Gamma Quadrant, gentlemen — millions of new worlds at our very doorstep. The potential for Ferengi business expansion is staggering. Zek's crony: And best of all, no one there has ever heard the name "Ferengi"! — "The Nagus"

• Abhorrent Admirer : He spends one episode hitting on Kira. She's almost too bewildered to be disgusted.
• Annoying Laugh : A high-pitched, grating giggle, serving as an effective shorthand for a Grand Nagus's right and privilege to be the most irritating little git in this or any other room. Then again, he is played by Wallace Shawn, an expert at annoying laughs.
• Assassin Outclassin' : According to Zek himself, being Nagus comes with regular attempts of assassination. He's been out-stepping them for eight decades .
• Blue-and-Orange Morality : He encourages successors to want to usurp his position, but only approves it due the Ferengi way through profits. He doesn't approve of trying to gain the position through assassination.
• Characterization Marches On : In his first appearance, he messes with Quark's head and sets him up for a fall, but that's about it. In later episodes Quark is his chosen agent when dealing with the Gamma Quadrant and for several other matters and is barely aware of Rom (who takes advantage of the situation to skim the profits). In his last few appearances he seems to actively hate Quark and love Rom apropos of nothing (although the shift can be attributed to a mix of his growing senility and his new relationship with Ishka).
• Celebrity Paradox : Indirectly so. Wallace Shawn was Grand Nagus Zek on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which is a Spin-Off of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and Dr. John Sturgis on Young Sheldon . Wil Wheaton was Wesley Crusher on Next Generation and also was on The Big Bang Theory As Himself .
• Dead Alternate Counterpart : In the Confederation timeline his skull is one of many displayed in Picard's trophy case.
• Dirty Old Man : Has a healthy libido, similar to most Ferengi. He can out-compete them, too, as shown when Quark hands him a holosuite menu. "The Nagus will try all five." His idea of a retirement plan is to find a planet of babes and spend his twilight years getting it on.
• Everyone Has Standards : Quark observes that the Grand Nagus has to think of the collective good of the Ferengi Alliance rather than their personal benefit, observing that this quality is what made Zek a better Grand Nagus than Brunt would be.
• Hospitality for Heroes : More or less the reason why he continues to hang out with a bartender and his brother.
• Jerkass : One of the reasons the position of Grand Nagus is so prized amongst Ferengi is that it lets you be a petty-minded asshole to everyone with zero repercussions. Zek is only too happy to oblige.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold : 'Gold' might be pushing it, but his advancing age does mellow him out, as does his marriage to Ishka .
• Married to the Job : Greed is hard work. The Nagus has been running the Ferengi Alliance non-stop for eighty-five years, with no vacations. The Ferengi work ethic seems to frown on vacation time or luxuries.
• Money Fetish : Like all Ferengi.
• Parent with New Paramour : He's the paramour to Quark's parent Ishka. He regularly browbeats and insults Quark into respecting Ishka and threatens him whenever Quark gives him any lip.
• Pet the Dog : In "Favor The Bold" he, with some convincing from Quark, offered to buy Rom's freedom. Sadly it didn't work since the Dominion didn't care about money.
• Reasonable Authority Figure : By Ferengi standards. Zek is greedy but he puts the common financial good of the Ferengi over his own personal greed.
• Scatterbrained Senior : His advanced age has caused him to become increasingly absent-minded and forgetting a lot of the basic things one needs to know to run the Ferengi government. This eventually leads to Ishka becoming The Female Behind the Male , helping him keep the empire together.
• Screw Politeness, I'm a Senior! : And also Grand Nagus. Time to throw out the etiquette books, people.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money! : Basically his response when the FCA tries to shoot down his social reform. Overlaps with Screw the Rules, I Make Them! , because in Ferengi society, those who have the money make the rules.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts : With Ishka.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute : Zek uses his diplomatic immunity (and a healthy amount of extortion) to enjoy free reign of the station, as well as Quark's home on Ferignar. This irritating behavior is similar to Lwaxana Troi. He's even got a mute bodyguard.
• The Thing That Would Not Leave : In every appearance, Zek monopolizes Quark's bar, reserves his holosuites free of charge, demands to use his quarters, and delights in imposing himself everywhere.
• We Want Our Jerk Back! : After the Prophets turn him into a friendly, generous philanthropist via a Heel-Face Mind Screw , Quark is horrified. It's not just because a Heel-Face Mind Screw is inherently creepy, either - Ferengi culture is literally built on venal, money-grubbing dickery, and having the Grand Nagus turned like that could have apocalyptic consequences - it's basically the Ferengi equivalent of the Pope being caught by paparazzi blowing money at a strip club/brothel. (Ironically, given Zek once almost literally did show up to blow money on Deep Space Nine at a strip club/brothel, but that's just in line with what the Ferengi consider healthy moral values for their religious leaders.)

• Battle Butler : Like any Grand Nagus, Zek employs a hulking, mute manservant from the Hupyrian race to taste-test his food and flatten any enemies. He's the reason why Quark resists the urge to push Zek out an airlock. Maihar'du's vow of silence and grim countenance are probably a reference to Lurch from The Addams Family .
• Elective Mute : Hupyrian servants are sworn to a vow of silence, speaking to no one except their masters. Maihar'du is no exception.
• Inelegant Blubbering : When Zek is zapped by the Prophets, Maihar'du knows what's been done to him but due to his vow can't say anything, so all he can do is sob to himself.

"Your father might have bought you your first copy of the Rules of Acquisition, but who helped you memorize them?" — To Quark, "Family Business"

• Abusive Parents : Though not thoroughly abusive and getting along really well with her son Rom, she was rather neglectful and patronizing of Quark in his youth and in his adulthood. She almost gets Quark in deep financial trouble with the FCA by breaking cultural taboos through earning profit and nearly gets Quark bankrupted with no apologies. In "The Magnificent Ferengi", Quark risks his life to save Ishka from the Dominion and she still treats him as The Unfavorite later on.
• The Ace : At least by profit worshiping Ferengi standards. Ishka is a genius when it comes to finances and business, eventually going so far as helping the Grand Nagus run his empire. It's worth noting she was able to do this despite living in a society that would not allow women to do anything except raise their children.
• Affectionate Nickname : Rom calls her 'Moogie' (implied to be the Ferengi version of 'Mommy').
• Cultural Rebel : A Ferengi woman who earns profit and wears clothes.
• Friendly Enemy : She happily gives investment advice to her Dominion captors (although the Ferengi are technically neutral).
• She says this about her relationship with her first husband: despite his inability to understand and manipulate finances, he provided a good home and was a loving husband and father.
• Sickeningly Sweethearts : With Grand Nagus Zek, or "Zekkie" as she calls him.
• The Smart Guy : She has great business sense, far more than her late husband or her sons. She was effectively the shadow Grand Nagus for a time when her paramour, Grand Nagus Zek, started slipping into dementia, before her son Rom took the position.
• Ungrateful Bastard : In "The Magnificent Ferengi", Quark risks his life to save Ishka from the Dominion. Half a season later in "Profit and Lace", she is still chastising Quark as her unfavorite.
• As Grand Nagus Zek's senility starts to catch up with him, she effectively becomes the shadow ruler of the Ferengi Alliance, with his cheerful assent.
• She filled this role in her first marriage as well; despite being a good man with good intentions, her first husband would have gone bankrupt if not for her helping him with the finances .

"You are a disease, Quark, a festering tumor on the lobes of Ferengi society; and it's my job to cut you off." — "Body Parts"

• Blatant Lies : "It's Nothing Personal , Quark." Brunt targets Quark endlessly because he sees Quark as betraying everything that Ferengi culture stands for.
• Dirty Coward : For all his posturing and bluster, he's just a petty bully at heart, visibly afraid when Quark physically threatens him.
• The Dreaded : All Ferengi fear the FCA, but Brunt strikes fear deep into the hearts of Quark and his family.
• The Fundamentalist : Brunt is basically the embodiment of the Ferengi at their worst; opportunistic, hostile, always scheming to get ahead, totally devoted to the Ferengi ideal ( except when he benefits from ignoring it ), and completely devoid of any of Quark's redeeming qualities.
• Internal Affairs : The FCA's role in Ferengi society, right down to everyone hating them for it.
• Intimidating Revenue Service : Because wealth is everything to Ferengi, the FCA is basically their equivalent of the Tal'Shiar or Obsidian Order . Brunt's first appearance has him walk into Quark's with a pair of leg-breakers and a writ shutting down the bar.
• Not-So-Harmless Villain : Not that Quark isn't terrified of him all the same, but even he's shocked when Brunt reveals that he's willing to use the terms of a contract to have Quark killed (or rather, have Quark kill himself) simply to prove a point, rather than simply having him beaten, or letting Quark pay back the difference.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat : His Rule-Fu is strong — strong enough to get Quark to try and commit suicide-by-Garak.
• Politically Incorrect Villain : Played with in that Brunt's values are more in line with what most of Ferenginar believes, even Quark himself, ostensibly. Ferengi hardly have what you could call progressive views on females, but Brunt is outright disgusted by the idea of Ishka earning profit for herself. Or wearing clothes, which Ferengi women are not allowed to do, for that matter. And Quark personally catches his ire for what Brunt considers "philanthropy", practically a four-letter word among Ferengi. "But Quark takes 30% of his employees' tips!" Why isn't he taking all of it? "But he hardly gives them any time off for vacations!" He lets them take vacations?!
• Professional Butt-Kisser : In his own words, paraphrasing one of the Rules of Acquisition, when he receives news that Quark will be named the Grand Nagus. : "It's never too early to begin sucking up to the boss!"
• Smug Snake : The FCA are some of the most powerful men on Ferenginar, and Brunt enjoys that fact immensely.
• Ungrateful Bastard : After being given his job back at the FCA for his part in rescuing Iska from the Dominion, (which he was fired from in the first place for his previous scheme involving trying to usurp Zek) he happily takes up the position of 'Acting Grand Nagus' after Zek is briefly forced into exile for 'daring' to grant business rights to females.
• Verbal Business Card : "Brunt, FCA." Though given both Brunt's personality and his occupation, this is less to introduce himself and more to cultivate the appropriate amount of terrified expressions at his arrival.

"When you sing in as many joints as I have, you become a student of the human heart." — "His Way"

• The Ace : The epitome of cool.
• Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome : In the Mirror Universe, he's a gun-toting Android who is in the Alliance's employ (see the Klingon disruptor with Bajoran grips), who gets shot by Bashir. It seems all Bashir does in this universe is squeeze gats.
• Author Appeal : Basically a giant vanity piece by Ira Behr, who loves swing music and Bobby Darin.
• Bartender Confidant : Ironically for a character who was introduced shortly before Ezri, he fit the "Ship's Counselor" role quite nicely, himself...leading to a sort of battle-over-turf between them in "It's Only A Paper Moon".
• Brooklyn Rage : Vic's nemesis in the mob scenario, Frankie Eyes, has a bone to pick with him from their childhood. Vic: It goes back to the old neighborhood. I used to beat him at stickball. Bashir: ....AND?? Vic: And nothing. We've been rivals ever since.
• Catchphrase : "Crazy!"
• Gilded Cage : Like the EMH on Voyager , Vic dutifully performs his role, but secretly pines for a more autonomous life. When Nog becomes a recluse and starts living in the holosuite 24/7, it has the added effect of allowing Vic to roam free: to sleep in a real bed (instead of simply being shut off), to play cards with his band-mates, and to have the semblance of a real life. The opposite is just as true for Nog: he can pretend all he likes, but living the high-life in a tiny holosuite is neither enviable nor healthy. Despite this paradox, Vic selflessly shuts himself off rather than let Nog continue to wrap himself in a cocoon of delusions.
• Glamorous Wartime Singer : Has pretty sweet lungs for a light bulb! His audience is composed of weary Starfleet officers, just looking for a breather.
• Good Counterpart : To Professor Moriarty from TNG.
• Homage : He plays Sam to the grieving Worf's Rick. Worf insists that he " play the song " until Vic acquiesces and sings All the Way . Turns out that was Worf and Jadzia's song. After several visits, Vic and his band have begun to dread Worf's arrival, as the song usually ends with Worf smashing up the joint.
• "It's Only a Paper Moon" revealed the extent of Vic's powers. Not only can he unilaterally turn himself off (as he does while booting Nog out of his casino), and later re-materializing in the empty holosuite without being called. He's also able to appear through nearby holographic projectors, as when he visits Kira during His Way.
• Hostile Show Takeover : A scripted event in "Badda Bing, Badda Bang" causes Vic's nightclub to be taken over by the mob. His friends on the space station take time off from the war to help him out—because if they don't, his character will soon be wearing cement shoes .
• Jive Turkey : Vic: If you're gonna work Vegas in the sixties, you better know the score. Otherwise you're gonna look like a Clyde. Kira : A Clyde? Vic: A Harvey, you know. Worf: Har-vee? Vic : A square. (getting impatient) You know what a square is, right? O'Brien: (happily) It's one side of a cube! Vic : Well, I guess that answers my question .
• Lounge Lizard : Vic is an amalgamation of Frank Sinatra , Dean Martin , and other lounge singers from the sixties.
• Most Common Card Game : In the series finale "What You Leave Behind," Quark and Vic Fontaine play Go Fish while waiting to hear news on the outcome of the battle for Cardassia (since he is programmed to only play games indigenous to Earth of the Rat Pack era, it's the only game they both knew well enough to play together).
• Playing Cyrano : He was capable of scanning the crew and detecting any sexual tension within seconds. He helps Odo and Kira get together, with only a bit of deception.
• It's not as bad as Sisko paints it; the Rat Pack entertainers Vic is based on were instrumental in ending segregation in Vegas and supporters of the Civil Rights movement in general. The program is also set in 1962, two years after segregation ended.

• Blue-and-Orange Morality : By Ferengi standards, as he cares more for killing than latinum. That said, he does not shun wealth entirely: he was once mentioned seeking business advice from the Grand Nagus. He was also not pleased when it was revealed that Quark had tricked him into believing that the reward for Ishka's rescue was less than half of what it really was—he might not be motivated by latinum, but that doesn't mean he's going to tolerate being swindled.
• Challenge Seeker : His main motivation for joining Quark's rescue mission is to test his skills against the Jem'Hadar.
• Psycho for Hire : What his job as an eliminator amounts to.
• Sociopathic Hero : Downplayed. While his profession involves killing others for money, he is a good deal more likeable than either Brunt or Gaila. That said, when Nog's simulation of Ishka's rescue goes horribly awry, his first reaction is to simply shoot her, reasoning that since they weren't going to rescue Ishka, he might as well "put her out of her misery."

• Arms Dealer : How he makes his living.
• The Corrupter : When he finally makes his onscreen debut, it's to offer Quark a job as an arms dealer, which costs Quark all of his real friends as well as Quark's own self-respect. When Quark starts having doubts, Gaila gives him a rather dark little speech about how no one will really miss the loss of one star in the sky.
• Lack of Empathy : Not only does he brush off the deadly consequences of his business, he also laughs over Hagath's "bad temper" when Hagath has one of their associates murdered for vacation-time fraud.
• Phrase Catcher : Just about every mention of Gaila includes the fact that he owns (or used to own) his own moon.
• Riches to Rags : After "Business As Usual", the once wealthy Ferengi is reduced to being a vagrant after the arrest of his business partner Hagath.
• Vague Age : He looks somewhat older than Quark but not elderly. However, when he says he wants to retire from the weapons business, his justification is that he's been doing it for fifty years.

Alternative Title(s): Quarks Bar

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32 Star Trek Actors Who Played Multiple Characters

One role just wasn't enough for some.

If you watch Star Trek shows a lot, like I do, you start to notice some familiar faces. With decades of television shows and movies under its belt, it's only natural that the franchise has approached actors to play multiple roles over the years. Sometimes, it was because it made sense for the character, but other times, it just seemed like the franchise loved working with that person. 

Today, we acknowledge both of those roles. Some of these actors you'll know quite well, and others you might not even realize it was them beneath all of those prosthetics and makeup. Let's dive in, and talk about these special actors who took on multiple roles during their time in Star Trek . 

Brent Spiner

This one is fairly obvious if you've watched Star Trek: The Next Generation , you've seen Brent Spiner play more roles than just Data. He's played his Synth twins Lore and B4, as well as various members of the Soong family across several shows. It's a fun recurring bit, and one fans are never upset to see. 

Jason Alexander

Since  leaving the  Seinfeld  cast , Jason Alexander has performed a couple of Star Trek roles. He played the merchant Kuros in Star Trek: Voyager and is also the voice of Dr. Noum in the animated series Prodigy . Both characters are wildly different, and show a side of Alexander that casual viewers may not have seen before. 

Thomas Kopache

If Thomas Kopache's face looks familiar to Star Trek fans, it's because he's been in a good deal of shows. The actor has held minor roles in The Next Generation , Voyager , Enterprise , Deep Space Nine , and even the movie Star Trek Generations . From a Starfleet communications officer to a Vulcan, one might never know where he'll pop up!

While he may be more well-known for his role in Candyman which required a lot of bee stings , Tony Todd is a beloved figure in the Star Trek universe. He played a recurring role as the Klingon Kurn in TNG and DS9 , an Alpha Hirogen in Voyager , but many may most remember his role as the older Jake Sisko in "The Visitor."  

Tim Russ was a beloved part of Star Trek: Voyage r's main cast as the Vulcan Tuvok, but that wasn't his only role in the franchise. He first popped up in The Next Generation as the mercenary Devor, and later in Deep Space Nine as a Klingon named T'Kar.

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Diana Muldaur

Diana Muldaur had a few roles in the original Star Trek , but it was in The Next Generation she made her biggest contribution to the franchise. Dr. Katherine Pulaski served on the Enterprise while Beverly Crusher was away, and had a brief fling with Riker's father. Her tenure was short, though Bev fans would argue not short enough. 

Todd Stashwick

Star Trek: Picard fans will sooner remember Todd Stashwick as the prickly Captain Shaw from Season 3, but that was not the actor's first role in the franchise. He had a smaller role as the Vulcan Talok in Star Trek: Enterprise . It's far less notable compared to the anti-hero he played in Picard , but still worth checking out. 

Kurtwood Smith

While readers may know him better as the hot-headed Red Forman in That 70s Show , Kurtwood Smith also had a couple of high-profile roles in Star Trek . He was the Federation President in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country , as well as the obsessive captain Annorax in the iconic Voyager episode "Year of Hell." 

Jeffrey Combs

I don't think there's a more famous guest star among die-hard Star Trek fans. He's played many roles across all shows, even if you exclude the numerous clones of the Deep Space Nine character Weyoun. There are way too many to post for this entry, but personally, I would say his role as the Andorian Shran on Enterprise is among the best. 

Ken Mitchell

Actor Ken Mitchell was known for various roles across Star Trek: Discovery and Lower Decks and didn't let his diagnosis of ALS get in the way of interacting with the fandom along the way. The actor was remembered by many Trek actors and fans when he passed in February of 2024 . 

Aron Eisenberg

In addition to his incredible journey as Nog in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , actor Aron Eisenberg also had a brief role in Voyager . He played the young Kazon named Kardon in "Initiations," and once readers know that, they won't have trouble spotting him in the episode. 

Robert Duncan McNeill

Before he was the daring and sometimes troublesome Tom Paris on Star Trek: Voyager , Robert Duncan McNeill had played an almost identical character on The Next Generation by the name of Nicholas Locarno. Canonically, they're just two separate guys who look identical and have very similar personalities, as weird as that may be.  

Susanna Thompson

Before she stepped in as the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager , actress Susanna Thompson did some smaller guest roles for the franchise. She played roles like a Vulcan and an illusion in  The Next Generation  and was also a Trill scientist on  Deep Space Nine . 

J.G. Hertzler

J.G. Hertzler's Martok was a beloved character for Deep Space Nine fans, but the actor also played a litany of minor characters in the series as well. He also did the same for The Next Generation , and even did some voice work for Lower Decks . 

Majel Barrett

An accomplished actress and the wife of creator Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett was in Star Trek from the very beginning. While her role as "Number One" wasn't resurrected until Star Trek: Discovery and later in Strange New Worlds , she was featured in TOS as Nurse Chapel and was beloved as Lwaxana Troi in TNG and DS9 . She also did tons of voice work for the franchise, including the voice of most of the computers up until the modern era. 

Robin Curtis 

After Kirstie Alley was allegedly blocked from returning to play Saavik, actress Robin Curtis came in to fill the role in Star Trek III: The Search For Spock . Following her work on that, she was also welcomed onto the set of The Next Generation to play the Vulcan posing as a Romulan named Tallera. 

George Murdock

George Murdock had two notable roles in Star Trek, but it's fair to say they're both substantial. He played "God" in Star Trek V: The Voyage Home , as well as Picard's friend and Starfleet Vice Admiral J.P. Hanson in The Next Generation . With roles like that, one has to wonder, "What would an actor want with a third role?" 

John Fleck has been in a lot of Star Trek , but due to fact he was always wearing prosthetics, fans may not be aware. If they watched Enterprise , no doubt they remember his Suliban character, Silik, who was a bit of a rival to Archer throughout the run of the series. 

Malachi Throne

Malachi Throne was there at the very beginning of Star Trek , playing The Keeper in the pilot episode "The Cage." Throne would be welcomed back in a couple of TOS roles, and wrap up his time in TNG as the Romulan senator Pardek. Malachi passed in 2013, but it's fair to say he was instrumental in the success of the franchise with his first role. 

Elias Toufexis

Elias Toufexis played one of the main antagonists L'ak in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, but that wasn't the first time he appeared in the series. Go all the way back to Season 1, and he played the criminal Cold, who tried to jump Michael Burnham in the mess hall with another prisoner named Psycho. Not the best thing to be proud of for a role, but at least Toufexis got to play the first unmasked Breen in Trek history, which he was understandably thrilled about . 

Armin Shimerman

Armin Shimerman made us all laugh as Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , but it wasn't his only role in the franchise. Hilariously enough, he played a couple of other Ferengi in TNG , which might be why some fans think every Ferengi acts like him. He also played that weird Betazoid Gift Box in the "Haven" episode, though was not credited for the role. 

Michael Dorn

Michael Dorn famously played the Klingon Worf across more episodes than any other Star Trek character, but he also has another role people tend to forget. Some might forget his role as Colonel Worf in Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country , where he's an attorney meant to be an ancestor of the future Starfleet character. 

René Auberjonois

There are few characters in Star Trek as iconic as Odo, and if that were the only role René Auberjonois gave us before his untimely passing, many would be ok with that. It's not his only role, however, as we can see him without his prosthetics in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Colonel West. 

Barbara Babcock

Actress Barbara Babcock may have only had roles on the original Star Trek , but the show made the most of her. In addition to her two live-action roles, she did voice work for the cat Isis, Loskene, and the Zetarians just to name a few. Her prints are all over the original series, and she's definitely one of the more underrated guest stars of the bunch. 

Fionnula Flanagan

Fionnula Flanagan might've made all of us shed a tear playing the unaware Android Juliana Tainer, but also popped up in places outside of Star Trek: The Next Generation . She played the Vulcan diplomat V'Lar in Enterprise , and the former lover of Curzon Dax Enina Tandro in Deep Space Nine . 

Clint Howard

Few actors can say they started their career with a role in Star Trek , and later returned to play it in adulthood. I think perhaps the coolest thing about Howard's various roles is that he not only appeared in the original series, but was more recently in Season 2 of Strange New Worlds . Talk about sticking with a franchise across the decades!

Ethan Phillips

Ethan Phillips' Neelix brought a lot of personality to Star Trek: Voyager , so of course it makes sense it wasn't the only role the actor ever did. He had a small role as a waiter in First Contact and later showed up in TNG and Enterprise as a Ferengi. A pretty impressive run for someone who stood out as much on his original series, but well-deserved all the same. 

Mark Lenard

Mark Lenard is a national treasure in Star Trek , especially considering the powerful roles he had outside of playing Spock's father Sarek. We also see him as one of the unnamed commanders in the iconic episode "Balance Of Terror," and he also played a Klingon Captain in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . 

Robert O'Reilly

While the wild-eyed Gowron will always be the most notable role Robert O'Reilly ever did, he also had some smaller roles aside from that. This included playing a mobster in The Next Generation . He also played an accountant in Deep Space Nine , as well as a very creepy-looking Klingon in Enterprise , though I'd rather not talk about the last one because the visual freaks me out. 

James Cromwell

Beyond playing one of the most important characters in Star Trek , Zefram Cochrane, James Cromwell has had a couple of other random roles in the franchise. This includes the mole rat-looking Jaglom Shrek in The Next Generation , as well as the Karemma Hanok on Deep Space Nine . 

Brian Cousins

The actor who terrified Star Trek: The Next Generation fans as the Borg "Crosis" ended up making a couple of appearances as other characters. He played a Romulan named Parem two seasons before his Borg role, and would later be cast in Enterprise to play a character by the name of Paltani in the episode "The Catwalk." 

Patrick Kilpatrick

The Imhotep species of Voyager are some of the most unique aliens I've seen in the show, so it's a shame we only got a small bit of Patrick Kilpatrick's character. While the actor had the one-and-done appearance as that species, he also played a Kazon in the series, and later popped up in Deep Space Nine as a soldier in the Dominion War. 

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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