Ferengi Episodes
- Thread starter Tachyon
- Start date
Possibly might have been correct back during the shows first run but it doesn't seem reflect the current feeling of fans if you take the results from the small sample taken from this board in a recent thread that asked this very question.
Do you love or hate the Ferengi episodes, overall?
Do you love or hate the Ferengi episodes, overall?
The magnificent Ferengi was great (mostly because Iggy Pop made a surprisingly good Vorta) but the rest of the episodes were the weak link for DS9 IMO.
For me, it depends on two things - the quality of the episode itself, and the timing of it.
Just like anything else, there are both good and bad Ferengi episodes. Little Green Men, The Magnificent Ferengi, The House of Quark and others were good episodes. But there were some duds too.
But with DS9, you have a unique consideration - timing of the episodes, especially during the last 3 seasons of the show, when the Dominion War arc was developing. A couple of the Ferengi episodes were stuck into the show at inopportune times, and really broke the stride of the show, IMO. Here we were, yearning to find out what would happen next in the war...and what would come on but a Ferengi episode.
That was rather annoying a couple of times, during DS9's first run. And I think that soured a few people on a group of episodes that, on any other Trek show, would have been great.
Just like anything else, there are both good and bad Ferengi episodes. Little Green Men, The Magnificent Ferengi, The House of Quark and others were good episodes. But there were some duds too.
But with DS9, you have a unique consideration - timing of the episodes, especially during the last 3 seasons of the show, when the Dominion War arc was developing. A couple of the Ferengi episodes were stuck into the show at inopportune times, and really broke the stride of the show, IMO. Here we were, yearning to find out what would happen next in the war...and what would come on but a Ferengi episode.
That was rather annoying a couple of times, during DS9's first run. And I think that soured a few people on a group of episodes that, on any other Trek show, would have been great.
The funny thing is that I've just watched that episode and yes it is not that good. More like Carry on up Quark's or Some like it Slimy, it really jarred with an otherwise great season.
I liked what the intent was for the whole Ferengi Storyline more than I liked the episodes themselves. Episodes like Rules of Acquisition, Bar Association, and Body Parts were great episodes, but then you had stupid ones like Ferengi Love Songs, Prophet Motive, and Profit and Lace and those episodes were just one big mixed bag for me.
There was something brilliantly entertaining about the Ferengi for me and they were so anti-Trek that it was nice to have an episode centred around them. Although it's not the best, I even like Ferengi Love Songs.
But then it could be down to loving watching Armin Shimmerman as Quark and him bouncing well off others.
But then it could be down to loving watching Armin Shimmerman as Quark and him bouncing well off others.
I loved the Ferengi episodes. It added to the whole variety that DS9 offered, in that one day there'd be an emotional Bajoran episode, then a tense Starfleet episode, an adventurous Klingon episode, an intriguing Cardassian episode, etc. And then, for comic relief, the Ferengi come in. 
I'm watching one of them right now on Virgin 1. (It's that one.)
I'm watching one of them right now on Virgin 1. (It's that one.)
I've always thought that people were way too hard on them. Some of the Ferengi eps. were really great and even the bad ones were a nice change of pace from the usual ds9 fare.
It was all right. Mediocre, but passable. My girlfriend liked it, for whatever reason.
I enjoyed them but they were always second rate episodes for me - a bit of light entertainment. I think the way the ferengi were portrayed in a different light in TNG, they were quite mysterious initially and seen as a threat. However in DS9 I think they were not really taken seriously and were seen as a bit of a joke.
Seeing it again this week, it was certainly more entertaining than I remembered.
It was also the only episode with Aluura, the "nice" Dabo girl....
I quite enjoyed them, over all. P&L not nearly as much as the rest, but generally I'm a big fan.
I guess they're generally meant to relieve the tension between darker, more dramatic episodes, but I usually find them to be an annoyance. They'd make me frustrated, as I'd be thinking, 'enough of this silliness, let's get back to the ACTION!'. There are some exceptions, though. I think "Little Green Men" was delightful. For me, the hardest thing about watching these episodes is Rom's make-up and voice. I can't stand his voice and that unsightly crooked tooth!
Ferengi made an irreplaceable dimension of DS9. All the episodes were superb imo, and Quark was definitely my favorite character
I never really liked them during the run of the show, but they've grown on me now. I watched Profit and Lace on Virgin 1 this week and found it to be quite funny and nowhere near as bad as some people make it out to be.
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