User:Pupununu/Ferengi episode

Ferengi episodes were not generally well received. (DS9: "Profit and Lace")

"Another season, another Ferengi episode! Didja miss me?" (DS9: "Prophet Motive")

A Ferengi episode, or Annual Ferengi Outing^TM is the term used for Star Trek stories which revolve around Quark and other Ferengi. Largely used as comic relief to balance the dark nature of DS9, the Ferengi episodes have become notorious among Trekkies. So pervasive was the Ferengi influence that some Trekkies, notably Ira Steven Behr, even came to like the episodes. Thankfully, most normal people are immune to the effects of the Ferengi phenomenon.

The Ferengi phenomenon originally started with TNG and was intended to be taken seriously, but for some reason, big-eared Jewish stereotypes who only cared about making money didn't seem that threatening. The Ferengi were quickly relegated to comic relief status and paired with another phenomenon that has plagued fans, appearances by Lwaxana Troi, in "Menage a Troi" (the bad pun in the title should have been warning enough. However, the TNG crew have gone on record as stating that they felt the introduction of the Ferengi was a mistake. Which is why DS9 picked the plot line up and expanded upon it. They were "re-imagined" and turned into a recurring sitcom, which for unexplained reasons didn't resonate well with viewers. I guess the viewers couldn't "Behr" with it (now imagine a full hour of nothing but bad puns like that one... and repeat at least twice per season).

After DS9, later incarnations gave their tip of the hat to the Ferengi phenomenon as well. In VOY: "False Profits" (see what I meant about the god damn puns) a pair of Ferengi accidentally find their way to the Delta Quadrant and manipulate a planet into thinking they are gods. Because as all Voyager fans know, everything and anything can mysteriously end up 30,000 light years from where it belongs. Meanwhile, "Acquisition" fulfills ENT's legacy of destroying all things canon by introducing the Ferengi (who were unknown prior to the TNG era) in the 22nd century.

Ultimately, the Ferengi ended up in sitcom hell. Along with DS9's ratings.

List of Ferengi episodes

"What do you mean, 'We're doing another Ferengi episode'?" (ENT: "Acquisition")

This list is totally incomplete and waiting for someone to complete it, because the previous author was too damn lazy to do so.

External link

• Ferengi
• Profit and Lace