DS9 Flashback: Profit and Lace

Even a long-running show that has hit its stride is going to have the occasional bad episode. For a series that ran as many episodes a year as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (26! Simply unthinkable by today's standards!), it was even more inevitable. Still, many fans hold particular disdain for the sixth season's "Profit and Lace."

After changing Ferengi law to grant more equality to women, Grand Nagus Zek has been deposed and may soon lose his position to Brunt. There is hope: an influential Ferengi businessman has agreed to meet Quark's revolutionary mother Ishka. But when Ishka suffers a heart attack during an argument with Quark, a replacement business-savvy female is needed for the all-important meeting. Quark undergoes surgery to fill the role.

Ferengi-centric episodes of Deep Space Nine were already less popular with the fans. Add the scrambled tone of this one, and the result has "won" multiple polls declaring it the worst episode of the entire series. The writers were going for a light "Some Like It Hot" style romp. But actor Armin Shimerman used Dustin Hoffman's performance in Tootsie as more of a touchstone, and director Alexander Siddig directed with a hand so serious that he was asked to reshoot at least one major scene (Moogie's heart attack).

You can kind of see what both sides were going for. There's no way to read "Acting Grand Nagus Brunt" as anything but a running gag (and it does start to be funny, with enough repetition). There's Worf deadpanning that "I cannot think of any" repercussions to the fall of Ferenginar. Singing the Slug-o-Cola jingle (which I think would work better if they all sang the tune in the same key). The stare-down of the two giant, silent Nagus bodymen. There is comedy here, and you certainly have enough comedic talent among these guest stars to do something with it.

But the dramatic approach makes sense too. Quark's world is literally in upheaval, and it's a far better story for him if he actually learns something from his experience here. Plus, a darker touch that honored the truth of the situation would run less risk of being offensive. Shimerman reported later that the original script had even more of Quark/Lumba breaking down in emotional sobs, a negative stereotype he flat-out refused to play. And beyond the potential demeaning of women is the collateral insensitivity to the transgender community, who surely weren't in the writers' minds in the 1990s.

For sure, Quark's opening scene, in which he sexually harasses an employee, is awful. (Don't worry, though, she's into it! Ugh.) The group reaction to Rom's skill at moving like a woman isn't great either. (Though it helps that Leeta doesn't share that reaction.) Quark having to fend off unwanted advances, played for comedy? Well.... yes, there is some terrible stuff in here. Yet overall, this episode doesn't feel remotely as sexist as say, The Next Generation's "Code of Honor" was racist. I think? Faint praise, for sure. I guess I'm saying: worst episode of Deep Space Nine? Worse than "The Muse?"

Other observations:

• Director Alexander Siddig does have a lot of fun with the visuals. The "cloud of smoke" transition from Zek's beetlesnuff box into the "phone call" montage is just wild. That montage is filled with strange zooms and fast cuts. And a shot of the group sulking at the bar is accented with color by a row of glasses prominently visible at the bottom of the frame.

• Laugh-In re-runs were on Nick at Nite a bunch when I was younger, so I know who Henry Gibson is. Still, my impression of him is of a soft-spoken, timid character. It's great to see him put on Ferengi makeup and act larger than life here as Nilva.

I certainly wouldn't tell someone to watch "Profit and Lace" if they weren't just watching all Deep Space Nine in order. But I also think there are worst Star Trek episodes (of various series). So.... call it a C?