The Least Disliked Ferengi Episode

[Sakonna]

Hello all! I thought it would be fun to try a Least Disliked elimination game putting all the various showpiece eps of a single Trek antagonist race against each other. And the Ferengi seemed like a great race to start with -- the poor Ferengi episodes are so often the first out when we play the Least Disliked episode games in the show forums (mostly with good reason, though there's a handful I properly like and many others fall into the 'guilty pleasure' category for me). These episodes will never make it to the end of any of those games, so I was curious to see what happens when only Ferengi episodes are pitted against each other.

Anyway, THE RULES. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. Below is a list of Ferengi episodes from TNG, DS9, VOY, and ENT. Eliminate your least favorite or the one you deem the 'worst.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed. Finally, please leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel they would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win.

And thanks to @Farscape One for helping me vet this list!
Enjoy!

"The Last Outpost”, TNG Season 1
“The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“Profit & Lace”, DS9 Season 6
“The Emperor’s New Cloak”, DS9 Season 7
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
“False Profits”, VOY Season 3
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7
“Acquisition”, ENT Season 1

 

[Farscape One]

"The Last Outpost”, TNG Season 1
“The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“Profit & Lace”, DS9 Season 6
“The Emperor’s New Cloak”, DS9 Season 7
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
“False Profits”, VOY Season 3
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

I will begin by eliminating ENTERPRISE's "ACQUISITION". A totally unnecessary episode, made even worse by the fact it is an worse 'first contact' than "The Last Outpost", which is ridiculous that in 200 years the Federation still knows nothing about the Ferengi despite being that close in the 22nd century. This episode exemplifies why prequels can be dangerous ground to cover.

And my thanks to Sakonna for including me in these fun games.

 

[Sakonna]

I'm torn between starting with either of the final-season-DS9 eps, both of which I find offensively horrible for ruining other important DS9 elements -- the MU arc, and the last ep before the finale. I think I'll go with "Emperor's New Cloak", which... ugh. So, so stupid. And more offensive than any other DS9 ep in it's treatment of evil MU gayness!

"The Last Outpost”, TNG Season 1
“The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“Profit & Lace”, DS9 Season 6
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
“False Profits”, VOY Season 3
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

 

[USS Triumphant]

I don't remember most of the episodes I don't like well enough to recognize them by name and remember them - an episode has to be *truly* wretched or really good for its name to stick with me. So instead, I just want to go ahead and chime in with a prediction that the last three that are left in the list will be "Rascals", "Little Green Men", and "Captain's Holiday". Let's see if I get that right.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

False Profits is my "Worst. Episode. Ever".

It combined the worst things about Ferengi, with the worst things about Voyager, and the worst things about the franchise as a whole.

"The Last Outpost”, TNG Season 1
“The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“Profit & Lace”, DS9 Season 6
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

 

[Brennyren]

"The Last Outpost" was a long-winded and boring intro for the Ferengi -- or, rather, for a goofy, gyrating, whip-wielding version of them. I'm a little surprised it survived this long.

"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“Profit & Lace”, DS9 Season 6
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

 

[Takeru]

Profit & Lace. Ugh, it's basically one giant "Haha, look at Quark as a woman" joke, he even gets chased around the room by a horny guy, it's horribly offensive that the one time Star Trek portrays a sex change it's done as a joke.


"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Rascals”, TNG Season 6
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

 

[Defiler-Of-Redshirts]

I've always thought the best Ferengi episodes were the ones in DS9 that centered around Quark, Rom and Nog. DS9 was to the Ferengi what TNG was to the Klingons: it's the series that really fleshed them out and gave them heavily detailed depth as an alien culture.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Eliminating Rascals.

Besides that they surrender the flagship because they get one phaser on one person. After previous episodes when the slight possibility of the ship being stolen led to self destruct being set

And their observations about what would happen if adults had kids bodies again were just bad.


"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
“The Dogs Of War”, DS9 Season 7
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

I would be shocked if the winning ep were not from DS9.

 

[Sakonna]

Off, "Dogs Of War"! I was just posting over in the DS9 forum how perfectly "Tacking Into The Wind" wrapped the Klingons, and by contrast "Dogs Of War" could scarcely have done a worse job wrapping the Ferengi. What a slop of lazy, half-baked, stupid ideas.

And there were SO MANY BETTER IDEAS AVAILABLE. For the life of me, I don't understand how they missed the opportunity to braid the Ferengi into the Dominion War. The Ferengi were already in business with the Dominion! That's literally how the Dominion was introduced to the series! You have them working as double-agents somehow for the Federation with that backdoor access. It's a better expression of that "Magnificent Ferengi" idea... maybe the Ferengi can't heroically win a space battle, but they can sabotage the materials they're selling to the Dominion, get the ketracel white machines to introduce toxic imperfections into the supply, or whatever.

"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6
"Inside Man", VOY Season 7

 

[Farscape One]

"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Prophet Motive”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6


Taking out "INSIDE MAN". The final season of VOYAGER had several unnecessary episodes, and a plot by Ferengi to steal Borg nanoprobes definitely qualifies as one of them. It just didn't work on so many levels.

 

[Takeru]

Prophet Motive, the prophets changing the nagus' personality is pretty out of chracter for them, I didn't like it at all.


"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“Bloodlines”, TNG Season 7
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6

 

[BlueStuff]

TNG's "Bloodlines" gets the chop from me. A very stupid, pointless episode; no one on Earth needed a sequel to the Bok storyline.

"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“Ferengi Love Songs”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6

 

[Sakonna]

TNG's "Bloodlines" gets the chop from me. A very stupid, pointless episode; no one on Earth needed a sequel to the Bok storyline.

Agreed! But wasn't it Patrick Stewart's idea? And isn't he in the writers room for the upcoming Picard series? Maybe we have "Bok: Chapter 3" to look forward to...

False Profits is my "Worst. Episode. Ever".

It combined the worst things about Ferengi, with the worst things about Voyager, and the worst things about the franchise as a whole.

This is dead-on. "False Profits" is an ep I've tried to rewatch a few times, and I can barely make it 10 minutes. There's so many fun things they could have done with the Delta Quadrant Ferengi, and they went with all the dumbest and most obvious ideas. Such a missed opportunity.

 

[BigDaveX]

While I don't think DS9: Ferengi Love Songs is quite as bad as its reputation, for me it's still the weakest of the remaining episodes.

"The Battle”, TNG Season 1
“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6

 

[BlueStuff]

As an aside, couldn't DS9's Looking for Par'Mach in all the Wrong Places be included? It is a sequel to The House of Quark, after all.

 

[Sakonna]

As an aside, couldn't DS9's Looking for Par'Mach in all the Wrong Places be included? It is a sequel to The House of Quark, after all.

I thought about it, but it seemed like it was ultimately more a "Quark episode" (like "Rivals" and "Profit & Loss") than it was a "Ferengi episode." The primary relationship being explored in "House Of Quark" was Quark/Rom, so that seemed to definitely qualify it for inclusion, whereas Quark is the only Ferengi who appears in "Par'Mach."

Though of course "Par'Mach" spends time dealing with Quark's Ferengi-ness, so that does make an argument for it's inclusion. It was somewhat subjective where the cut-off was, and I didn't want the list to become too long. If I were to have added one more, it probably would have been "Par'Mach." I think we're far enough into this game that I'd rather not add it in now, but if re-running these every year or two becomes a regular think, I could cycle it in next time.

 

[Takeru]

The Battle, it's just not a good episode and Bok as a villain falls flat. Trying to portray ferengi as serious villains simply didn't work.


“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“Menage A Troi”, TNG Sesaon 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6

 

[Farscape One]

When I was looking at the list, I didn't think it should be included basically because it was a Worf episode. While Quark has more of a B+ - A- part of the plot, he was the only Ferengi in the episode, and as such didn't really warrant inclusion.

And while it is a sequel to "THE HOUSE OF QUARK", that episode at least had two Ferengi and dealt with how a Ferengi thinks vs. another alien culture, tge Klingons. And while "LOOKING..." somewhat does this, it is FAR more in the background than the former episode.

 

[BlueStuff]

Ménage a Troi. Oh dear. TNG really didn’t do Ferengi episodes very well at all.

“Peak Performance”, TNG Season 2
“The Price”, TNG Season 3
“Captain’s Holiday”, TNG Season 3
“The Perfect Mate”, TNG Season 5
“Suspicions”, TNG Season 6
“The Nagus”, DS9 Season 1
“Rules Of Acquisition”, DS9 Season 2
“The House Of Quark”, DS9 Season 3
“Family Business”, DS9 Season 3
“Little Green Men”, DS9 Season 4
“Bar Association”, DS9 Season 4
“Body Parts”, DS9 Season 4
“Business As Usual”, DS9 Season 5
“The Magnificent Ferengi”, DS9 Season 6