This one’s about fathers and sons

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 10: “The Nagus”

If you needed a palate cleanser after the run of weaker DS9 episodes, then “The Nagus” is definitely going to reset your love of Deep Space Nine. While Quark and Odo have stolen scenes in previous episodes, this is our first episode dedicated to our resident businessman whose wily ways are rewarded by the Grand Nagus.

Fathers and Sons: Functionally and The Power of Friendship

Before we get to that, I must detour to talk about the B story of this episode. For one thing, the secondary story of Jake and Nog’s friendship leads to some further development of the single fatherhood that Benjamin Sisko faces while also leading to one of my all-time favorite Trek scenes. After the A story is introduced with some Ferengi seemingly sneaking on board the station, we cut to Jake clumsily dropping computer discs as he tries to scarf down breakfast and get to class. Sisko offers Jake a wonderful opportunity for some father-son bonding time while the two travel to Bajor, soak in some culture, and adventure to Jake’s dream destination of the fire caves. Jake is up for it, until Sisko says it will be three days away from the station. Like teens everywhere, Jake opts to stay on the station because he already has plans with his friend. Later in the episode, Sisko asks O’Brien how his son is doing in school. The two discuss how neither wants Jake to be friends with the “bad influence” that is Nog. However, Sisko shows his wisdom about parenting—that he knows trying to stand between them will only drive his son further away. He also says, “I trust my son,” which turns out to be trust well placed. Further into the episode, Dax encourages Sisko to find Jake and drag him to dinner. This time, Sisko decides it is good advice and asks the computer to locate his son. He doesn’t, however, simply use the communications system to call Jake home. Rather, he goes to see what his son is doing. While he’s expecting to uncover some scheme the boys are working on, he, instead, overhears Nog struggling through a passage on a Padd. The realization on Sisko’s face that his son is being a good friend, as he’s raised him to be, brings a tear to my eye every time I think about it. This moment is so small in the scheme of DS9, but it is so poignant that it should not be overlooked.

The Inadequacy of Adults

One last detour before getting to the A story must be taken. This entire sequence points to the inadequacy of the adults. Let’s start with the implausibility that O’Brien has time to teach school AND continue his chief engineer duties. Why wouldn’t Keiko find her own substitute before leaving the station? Why couldn’t Kira find a Bajoran willing to implement substitute plans? After all, it does seem that Keiko has left a plan for O’Brien to follow. Wouldn’t this be an excellent opportunity for a broader cultural approach to the lessons? [Something to watch for: Later this season, science versus religion and how children are taught on the station will become an important topic of debate.] Perhaps it is the teacher in me or maybe I remembered more about the details of this episode than I thought, but the clues to Nog’s lack of education are apparent throughout. As soon as Nog says his homework was “stolen by Vulcans” and pulls Jake in to give credibility to the lie, we know he didn’t complete the essay. When O’Brien questions why Vulcans would steal his homework and Nog replies, “They don’t have ethics,” we see that Nog does not lack street smarts. As viewers, we might remember that Jake and Nog have completed numerous assignments together and we might already be piecing together that Jake has been Nog’s crutch in the classroom. I completely understand that the Ferengi hold xenophobic and misogynsitic attitudes to a “hu-mon fee-male” teaching Nog, but I can’t believe that the Ferengi don’t believe in educating their children. Yes, learning about profit is clearly experiential, but wouldn’t it be important to be able to read contracts or calculate profits and shouldn’t these be taught skills? We don’t know where any female Ferengi are at this point in the show, much less Nog’s mother, but it’s hard to believe neither Quark nor Rom, as the guardians of Nog, have bothered to educate him. When Jake tells his father that Nog has been forbidden from attending school and that it “is unfair. He doesn’t even know how to read,” Sisko dismisses this as a cultural difference that must be respected. Returning to that moment when Sisko discovers that Jake has continued teaching Nog, I can’t help but think that Sisko realizes that in some ways his son has surpassed him in understanding ethical dilemmas. My second favorite father-son moment in this episode is the last: Sisko hugs Jake, who returns the hug, but when Sisko goes to plant a kiss on Jake’s forehead, Jake shrugs him off. Sisko isn’t upset, rather he says, “Now, go be with your friend.”

Fathers and Sons: Dysfunctionally

Now, to the A story, which is also a story of fathers and sons, although the dysfunctional example this time! Armin Shimerman has been wearing the skin of Quark since the first episode of the series, but “The Nagus” really gives us a full understanding of the depth of Shimerman’s performing abilities. He wears some of the heaviest prosthetics of any of our main cast between his lobes, nose, and teeth, yet Shimerman can convey both subtle emotion and broad humor in his expressions. While he and Rom are honored by Grand Nagus Zek’s visit to their establishment, Quark is more concerned that the nagus is there to buy him out (little does he know how accurate his assumption is). I love all the innuendo about what goes on in the holosuites throughout the episode as Krax says the nagus has heard about Quark’s “alluring” holosuite programs and Quark worries that the nagus’s advanced years might lead to injury. When the nagus is done trying Quark’s five favorite programs and needs rest, Quark expresses how he is not surprised, implying that Zek has had a workout.

We learn so much about Ferengi culture in this episode: Quark abuses Rom because the younger sibling doesn’t have the lobes for business, then when Rom nearly tosses Quark out an airlock, Quark isn’t angry, he is excited his brother finally showed some lobes. We learn that there’s a cabal of Ferengi businessmen as they arrive at the station and are seated at a table in Quark’s bar. Quark, however, is not welcome at the table, which makes the nagus’s announcement that Quark will be his successor even more surprising. This is one of the moments where Shimerman, well, shimmers as Quark. As the announcement is made and the cabal storms out, Quark’s face goes through initial surprise into utter glee. As Quark promenades on the Promenade in his purple silks with the golden sceptre, Shimerman struts with confidence until the Ferengi businessman threatens his life if he doesn’t get the best deal. Quark scuttles to Zek for advice, which is given in contradictory terms before Zek freezes mid-sentence as if in the clutches of death. We learn two rules of acquisition: The first rule is that once you have their money, you never return their money. The sixth rule of acquisition is never to allow family to stand in the way of opportunity. We learn that Ferengi of high stature are desiccated upon their death and sold as collectibles to the highest bidders. We learn that Zek’s Hupyrian servant comes from a race known for their unfailing dedication to their masters. It is further enforced that Ferengi are an insular culture as the nagus questions Rom about allowing his son to be educated by a “hu-mon, fee-male.” Rom blames his actions on the “do-gooders” from Starfleet, forbids Nog to attend school, and sends him to his room where there will be “no studying!” During the meeting of Ferengi leaders, they bemoan that their underhanded reputation precedes them in the Alpha Quadrant, and celebrate that they will be free of it in the Gamma Quadrant. “Our word will be our bond,” one Ferengi declares. “Until we decide to break it,” another declares. The room bursts into laughter and the famous Ferengi finger waggles.

Command Performances

In addition to Shimerman’s command performance, Wallace Shawn as Grand Nagus Zek and Max Groedénchik as Rom embody their characters. Shawn titters memorably as the nagus over what he has to look forward to in the holosuites or the “voluptuous Risan women” that await his retirement. Groedénchik is finally the Rom we will see in later episodes as he snivels under Quark’s chastisements and caves to the nagus about Nog attending school. Groedénchik has nailed Rom’s half-bent shuffle and toadying mannerisms. We feel some empathy for Rom as he whines to Quark, “You have so much and I have so little,” and Quark rebukes him, “As it was meant to be!”  

Let’s not ignore the minor character developments in this episode either. Morn is finally seated at the bar to listen to Quark’s ramblings. When Dax comes to Sisko’s quarters, she flips the chair around to straddle it with masculine flair. She mentions having been both a mother and a father. She is excited by the aubergine soup, which she scoops into her bowl as Sisko leaves.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to talk about the music. I’d forgotten how melodramatic music cues were in the nineties! This is particularly noticeable when Krax and Rom are leading Quark to the airlock. In case the audience missed the dramatic irony that Krax and Rom are plotting against Quark and that the trip he thinks he is embarking on is a lie, the music emphasizes the dark notes of Krax’s comment that Quark “won’t need” a Dabo girl. As the music crescendos and Rom hesitates before hitting the release on the airlock, we are holding our breath expecting Odo to grab Rom’s hand away. That happens, but not before we get the unexpected reveal that Grand Nagus Zek is still alive, that he learned a breathing technique from his servant to trick them, and that Krax has failed his father’s test. The bar, after all, was the key to the Gamma Quadrant. His son missed the point that being Grand Nagus is actually a distraction from pursuing profit and power. Quark’s Bar will remain Quark’s, for now, but Zek might return to buy him out. We hope he won’t, but we are looking forward to another appearance by Zek and Maihar’du.

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