Acquisition

[Voth commando1]

Okay so apparently Archer and the gang encounter some ferengi(yay Philips and Combs).

Question it seems the ferengi have incapacitated most of the crew. How exactly? Some sort of chemical or ion?

Unlike some people I don't have a problem per se with some ferengi Raiders appearing apparently far from their natural raiding grounds but was the incident ever recorded?

If so what is a plausible IU reason why Starfleet had no knowledge of the ferengi when Picard and company handled them two hundred years later?

The name ferengi is never mentioned(like Borg is never mentioned in Regeneration).

So we're they classified or what?

 

[Captain Rob]

Considering how stupid the Ferengi acted. When later on Archer and company were trying to identify them through the Vulcan database. They probably mistakenly identified them as Pakleds.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If the Ferengi never reveal the name of their species, how is Starfleet supposed to know who they are?

 

[Voth commando1]

Wouldn't they have physical descriptions?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Sure, but you asked why the name Ferengi is never mentioned. That's because the Ferengi themselves never mentioned it.

And as we know from TNG, there were rumors about the Ferengi for years prior to Farpoint. Looks like this is how those rumors got started!

 

[F. King Daniel]

Wouldn't they have physical descriptions?

Plus video footage plus bioscans...

Unless they planned to have Enterprise destroyed and Starfleet HQ nuked, obliterating all records in the Romulan war, it's not plausible they wouldn't immediately link the Ferengi to the guys who invaded Archer's Enterprise on-sight or description. Especially with walking database Data on the Next Gen crew!

 

[Kemaiku]

The NX-01 had no internal cameras that they ever mentioned, the Ferengi accessed the computer systems and could have taken out what ever little evidence there was being powering down the internal security sensors.

There was no UT at this point, the Ferengi would have had one and downloaded English to it to converse with the crew, so none of their language to analyse.

At best, a verbal desciption and some residual DNA for Phlox to exmaine is all they would have had. And that would have been filed away with the dozens of others Enterprise encountered over the years, not standing out too much from the others that attacked them. Maybe less since they failed so thoroughly in the episode and promised to stay away from Human ships in future. (well, for a little over a century).

 

[F. King Daniel]

We saw security cameras in use (and get hacked) on NX-01 in "Silent Enemy"

Which directly contradicts "The Minagerie" where they're amazed by video of events inside a starship. But, such is Trek...

 

[Kemaiku]

Which is the only time we ever see them, during the entire season 3 arc they're never used when the ship gets boarded, they're never used in Catwalk, etc

The ship mysteriously has them for one episode then they disappear.

 

[Voth commando1]

Well the ferengi in Acquisition seem like privateers/space pirates so potentially they were operating far from their standard territory.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Maybe Ferengi normally wear/use tech that scrambles AV pickups directed at them? If they didn't, it seems like they would be *constantly* having their business schemes stolen or sabotaged by business rivals in the Alliance - never mind securing themselves from outsiders.

 

[Prax]

Which is the only time we ever see them, during the entire season 3 arc they're never used when the ship gets boarded, they're never used in Catwalk, etc

The ship mysteriously has them for one episode then they disappear.

They ARE used in "Catwalk" by Tucker. He has to put on an EV suit to check Engineering when he sees intruders. He makes it to T'Pols quarters and turns on a view screen showing the bridge. He zooms in too.

 

[Iamnotspock]

We saw security cameras in use (and get hacked) on NX-01 in "Silent Enemy"

Which directly contradicts "The Minagerie" where they're amazed by video of events inside a starship. But, such is Trek...

Didn't "Court Martial" contradict that a couple of weeks later, with its record tapes that were doctored by Finney?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Wouldn't they have physical descriptions?

How would the description give Starfleet their name? Until someone connects snaggletoothed big eared alien with Ferengi there's no way to know they're the same species.

We saw security cameras in use (and get hacked) on NX-01 in "Silent Enemy"

Which directly contradicts "The Minagerie" where they're amazed by video of events inside a starship. But, such is Trek...

Kirk is amazed by the detail not by the existence of video records.

 

[Nebusj]

How would the description give Starfleet their name? Until someone connects snaggletoothed big eared alien with Ferengi there's no way to know they're the same species.

They could have asked the Velakians and Menk, whom Ferengi visited and didn't mind sharing names with.

Kirk is amazed by the detail not by the existence of video records.

And by records like that from a decade before.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They could have asked the Velakians and Menk, whom Ferengi visited and didn't mind sharing names with.

Did they see the Ferengi though? Starfleet knew their name, technology and reputations without ever seeing them.

And by records like that from a decade before.

For reference

KIRK: Screen off. Chris, was that really you on the screen? (flash) That's impossible. Mister Spock, no vessel makes record tapes in that detail, that perfect. What were we watching?
SPOCK: I cannot tell you at this time, sir.
MENDEZ: Captain Pike, were any record tapes of this nature made during your voyage? (flash, flash) The court is not obliged to view evidence without knowing its source.

 

[Voth commando1]

Did they see the Ferengi though? Starfleet knew their name, technology and reputations without ever seeing them.

I think they stated that if the federation didn't help them they would seek them out which is kind of weird because they didn't have FTL travel. I dunno maybe they had extremely advanced STL apparently.

 

[Will M.]

Well the ferengi in Acquisition seem like privateers/space pirates so potentially they were operating far from their standard territory.

I actually would like to see this as a plot point in future Star Trek series. A break between the Ferengi who are essentially con artists and ultra unchecked capitalists and the "privateers" who felt that gang boarding ships was great.

 

[Timo]

It was already used, sort of. In DS9 "The Nagus", the Ferengi gather to ponder strategy. The Nagus states his key concern: that the reputation of the Ferengi precedes them. The only way for them to make profit is to stay ahead of the rumors (in this episode, by expanding to Gamma). So, far-ranging nameless pirates probing for victims, followed by waves of merchants who know more about their victims than they do about the Ferengi, followed by the dust trail they leave for their creditors to follow... The pirates and the traders must have a love-hate relationship in that the former provide both vital intel and unwelcome rep!

The Ferengi prefer namelessness and facelessness, and are pretty good at it. Although they no doubt also like those rumors about them being fearsome man-eaters... Really, the dichotomy of Ferengi piracy vs. Ferengi swindling was established in TNG already, as in "The Last Outpost" the Ferengi were described as shady traders by reputation yet conducted simple piracy, and did so at a distant outpost - distant from the UFP authorities, but also from Ferengi home turf as we later learn.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm not seeing a lot of continuity violation in this episode, but I do see some being established: Maybe this is how that holosuite program "Vulcan Love Slave" got started. Just have one of the Ferengi from this episode be the author of that program (indeed, one of the DS9 novels suggests that this is exactly the case). T'Pol sure gave them a lot to think about, didn't she?