The Ferengi --- are you a fan?
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I have mixed feelings about the Ferengi.
I'm a fan of the Ferengi race before they got bastardized. After they got bastardized into carbon copies of hewmons, I am no longer a fan of the race.
I am a fan of Quark across the board. I'm also a fan of Rom, Brunt, Nog, and the Nagus.
However, I am not a fan of Ishka and find every single scene with her in it to be unwatchable because of her; likewise for all the plots related to her.
I'm a fan of the Ferengi race before they got bastardized. After they got bastardized into carbon copies of hewmons, I am no longer a fan of the race.
I am a fan of Quark across the board. I'm also a fan of Rom, Brunt, Nog, and the Nagus.
However, I am not a fan of Ishka and find every single scene with her in it to be unwatchable because of her; likewise for all the plots related to her.
Ferengi episodes were largely hit and miss.
"Profit and Lace" was one of the most embarassing hours of Star Trek I've ever seen in my entire life. "The Emperor's New Cloak" and a couple of others were also pretty cringeworthy.
On the other hand, episodes like "Little Green Man", "The House of Quark" or "The Magnificient Ferengi" were hilarious. And "The Nagus" was one of the few decent episodes of Season 1 (along with "Emissary", "Captive Pursuit", "Duet", and "In the Hands of the Prophets").
Quark was a cool character, and Nog probably got twice as much character development as Harry Kim (basically going from an illiterate, sexist, good-for-nothing who had frequent run-ins with the law to the first Ferengi officer in Starfleet).
"Profit and Lace" was one of the most embarassing hours of Star Trek I've ever seen in my entire life. "The Emperor's New Cloak" and a couple of others were also pretty cringeworthy.
On the other hand, episodes like "Little Green Man", "The House of Quark" or "The Magnificient Ferengi" were hilarious. And "The Nagus" was one of the few decent episodes of Season 1 (along with "Emissary", "Captive Pursuit", "Duet", and "In the Hands of the Prophets").
Quark was a cool character, and Nog probably got twice as much character development as Harry Kim (basically going from an illiterate, sexist, good-for-nothing who had frequent run-ins with the law to the first Ferengi officer in Starfleet).
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Saquist
Commodore
I agree.
I ended up flipping away from certain episodes, I'm not a real ha ha kinda person unless it's really funny.
RobertScorpio
Pariah
I agree with Saquist. I think Prophet and Lace was a low point on the show...but I loved the House of Quark and its sequel with Worf. But most of the time I just saw them as meh...
Rob
Rob
Before I started watching DS9, I wasn't interested in the Ferengi at all because they are SO ugly. But pretty soon I became a big Quark fan - I love his interactions with Odo (the episode "Ascent" when they have to climb the mountain together is great - they can be so immature around each other) and his interactions with Nog and Rom. Shimmerman did a fantastic job with the character. The Ferengi culture is also very interesting: a great satire of capitalism, patriarchy, and religion (the Grand Exchequer, haha).
One thing that I have always thought was hilarious about Ferengi: the deal with their "lobes." Insults like "limp-lobes" or not having the "lobes for business" are just too funny. I especially like in "The Ascent" when Quark temporarily loses hearing in one ear, and is freaking out because now he's "only half a man!"
The Ferengi on TNG seem more sinister, and not as funny. I think that DS9 offers the most sucessful portrayal of that species.
One thing that I have always thought was hilarious about Ferengi: the deal with their "lobes." Insults like "limp-lobes" or not having the "lobes for business" are just too funny. I especially like in "The Ascent" when Quark temporarily loses hearing in one ear, and is freaking out because now he's "only half a man!"
The Ferengi on TNG seem more sinister, and not as funny. I think that DS9 offers the most sucessful portrayal of that species.
Quark is great, especially in his interactions with the main cast. In the early seasons, he is one of the best things about the show. Nog also worked as Jake's friend and later as an over-eager ensign.
Beyond that, there are a few amusing Ferengi episodes, but overall I could do without them. It's just not worth the time spent on it in my view, considering how many other, more interesting plot threads DS9 has going on. The show has some absolutely hilarious moments, but mostly those flow naturally from the character interactions. The Ferengi episodes end up being mediocre farce, basically, with a somewhat heavy-handed satire of capitalism blended in. Meh. It has its merits, I suppose, but it's not a part of the show I relish at all, and I almost never end up rewatching the Ferengi episodes.
Basically, for me: Quark, the Bar, Nog, yes. The rest, not so much.
Beyond that, there are a few amusing Ferengi episodes, but overall I could do without them. It's just not worth the time spent on it in my view, considering how many other, more interesting plot threads DS9 has going on. The show has some absolutely hilarious moments, but mostly those flow naturally from the character interactions. The Ferengi episodes end up being mediocre farce, basically, with a somewhat heavy-handed satire of capitalism blended in. Meh. It has its merits, I suppose, but it's not a part of the show I relish at all, and I almost never end up rewatching the Ferengi episodes.
Basically, for me: Quark, the Bar, Nog, yes. The rest, not so much.
I agree. Quark is great; the Ferengi are usually great in interaction with other characters (Federation Humans, Klingons...), providing a different perspective; but Ferengi farce episodes that focus only on Ferengi characters tend to be very poor. In fact, the best and funniest Ferengi episodes are usually those that are a satire on another culture, rather than on the Ferengi themselves (The House of Quark - Klingons, Little Green Men - 20th century humans). The Ferengi culture is just too silly in itself, making fun of it like flogging a dead horse.
I couldn't take them seriously as villains in early TNG. The best reinvention Trek ever did was the comedy-ifying of the Ferengi. I loved them after DS9. Many of the Quark episodes were a laugh riot.
I wouldn't have liked an entire 'Ferengi' spin-off, it would get old fast, but the way they had 1 or 2 Ferengi outings a year perfectly broke up the drama a bit, and made for some fun light relief. I've always loved the variety you get in Trek shows (one week you get a mystery, the next a high-concept sci fi premise, the next a romance, the next a comedy, etc). DS9 is often accused of being too dark, but I thought it actually did humour the best of all the series.
I wouldn't have liked an entire 'Ferengi' spin-off, it would get old fast, but the way they had 1 or 2 Ferengi outings a year perfectly broke up the drama a bit, and made for some fun light relief. I've always loved the variety you get in Trek shows (one week you get a mystery, the next a high-concept sci fi premise, the next a romance, the next a comedy, etc). DS9 is often accused of being too dark, but I thought it actually did humour the best of all the series.
I totally agree. DS9 did a great job of balancing all the different genres of episodes, including comedy, and I think that's one reason why the show was so awesome. Watching the show never 'got old.' I became a fan of Ferengi pretty quickly after beginning to watch DS9.
They are not my favourite. Quark is funny at times but he does get annoying. Now know how Odo felt. 
I have to say, I thought the Ferengi were an inspired creation. A race that go totally against what most of the others (say they) stand for, are interested in profit and only profit (and uumax), are great fun on one level and on another level the most honest race in the galaxy. They never make any secret about the fact that they're "in it for the money", and the Rules of Acquisition is one of the sharpest, most insightful pieces of satire I have ever read.
Favourite Ferengi line: "The latinum's gone! No! It's gold! Nothing but worthless gold!"
Like many others I wasn't a fan of the Ferengi and the rather cheap way they were introduced in TNG (as the anti-future uber-Capitalist society of mostly one-dimensional, rogue scoundrels). Ds9 really saved the Ferengi race and made them somewhat interesting.
What's cool about Quark is that he can be funny without being clumsy or stupid. He's the sarcastic civilian who can speak his mind.
Yeah I like the Fergs, the DS9 Fergs that is. Shawn, Grodenchik, Combs, Eisenberg and, most of all, Shimerman brought this bizarre culture to life. It was great fun.
Sure there was the occasional Ferengi ep where it was just too much somehow. But that's inevitable in seven seasons.
Yeah I like the Fergs, the DS9 Fergs that is. Shawn, Grodenchik, Combs, Eisenberg and, most of all, Shimerman brought this bizarre culture to life. It was great fun.
Sure there was the occasional Ferengi ep where it was just too much somehow. But that's inevitable in seven seasons.
I didn't like them until DS9 gave them a voice and began to flush them out. In TNG they were just too stereotypical and one-note. They were one of those species where you constantly had to ask how did these guys ever evolve out of the caves because they are so stupid and cliche. DS9 not only gave us a good character in Quark, but flushed out the whole society as well. While there was still a lot of cliches remaining there was some strong points as well. Some of the bravest writing ever in Trek was during DS9's The Siege of AR-558 when Quark of all people criticized human morality and pretensions. For the first time humanity wasn't seen as uber-perfect.
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