Greedy, Misogynistic, Untrustworthy, Little Trolls are a lot of fun!

Jim’s Take on Episode 2.7 “Rules of Acquisition”

As is always the case, in all things, Jadzia Dax is correct. The Ferengi may well be, as Kira calls them, “greedy, misogynistic, untrustworthy, little trolls”, but they are a lot of fun! Unlike Dax, I wouldn’t want to hang out and play Tongo with them, because I’m certain I’d lose everything I owned, or would ever own at any point in the future, but I love watching others do it. Some fans may find them annoying, but I always love a Ferengi episode and this is an excellent example of the Ferengi in top form. We learn a lot of hitherto unknown details about Ferengi culture, we acquire at least six new Rules of Acquisition, we get a return appearance of Grand Nagus Zek, AND Quark is the first person in the Alpha Quadrant to learn something about the mysterious “Dominion.”

It is perhaps no surprise, based on Quark’s frequently terrible attitudes towards women, to learn that the Ferengi not only keep their women at home, but to discover they aren’t allowed to wear clothes, read, or acquire profit, which is pretty appalling. It’s even a crime for a Ferengi male to accept any kind of business advice from a female! Considering the culture he comes from, Quark’s casual sexism suddenly seems quite “woke.” He may flirt inappropriately and put his hands where he shouldn’t, but he does demonstrate occasional respect for both Kira and Dax, never questioning their authority, competence, or ability to put him in his place when he goes too far. That makes him a pretty progressive Ferengi, all things considered!

Any time Grand Nagus Zek turns up on the station, you know two things: Quark is in for a very bad few days, and Zek has schemes within schemes that will ultimately only profit himself. Wallace Shawn’s performance makes Zek such a comical and grotesque figure, that it’s easy to forget he’s the Grand Nagus for very good reasons. He is the number one manipulator from an entire planet of people out to con, scam, and rip-off everyone around them. The fact that Zek has made it to the top, and successfully stayed there, shows he is not to be trifled with and that he is much sharper than he may at first seem. But he’s so much fun to watch! The scene whenever he is seemingly out-negotiated by Sisko, but in the end got exactly what he wanted, is a great example. For all his snorting and sneezing his way through some excellent beetle snuff, he is a canny operator. As for his attempts to seduce Major Kira…well, he’s certainly fearless in the face of a terrifying adversary.

The tragic love story between Quark and Pel is also surprisingly sweet. The fact that Pel just wants the opportunity to be her own person, and use her excellent, if feminine, lobes for business, makes her a truly trailblazing Ferengi feminist. Quark, as a product of his own deeply flawed culture, is horrified to discover Pel’s secret, but displays an understanding for her point of view, and even some affection for her, that also makes him a credit to his people. He might not be as supportive or understanding as we’d like him to be, but he’s way ahead of other Ferengi, even Rom, who, later in the series, will evolve quite a bit on such matters. Star Trek is at it’s best when it uses sci-fi to draw connections to the world we live in. The message here may not be subtle, but the sexism and misogyny on display isn’t much more ridiculous than some of the nonsense people seem to believe in our society to this day. Subtlety may not be needed to point out just how ridiculous such attitudes are!

As to The Dominion, well, if you’ve never seen the show before, let’s just say they’re going to be a pretty big deal. I’d rather play Tongo with a bunch of Ferengi than have anything to do with anyone from The Dominion. Heck, I’d rather drink tulaberry wine with the Dosi. Both of which Jadzia Dax can handle with style and coolness to spare. Like the Ferengi, she’s just so much fun!