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Capsule Review: DS9 1.11 "The Nagus"
It was interesting to find out more about Ferengi society, something that would happen in further enjoyable episodes of the show. I'd have thought a race of market-obsessed capitalists, of all people, would believe in meritocracy and fair play, but it seems Ferengi society is a more "nature red in tooth and claw" sort of place. Maybe that's a statement on capitalism, that by itself it is not conducive to either peace or social progress. In fact, arguably much of our own history since the Industrial Revolution has been a history of curbing the worst impulses of unregulated capitalism, with varying degrees of success. Ferengi society may be in the beginning of its own change, but it's going to be a long and difficult process as later episodes will show.
A couple of moments in this episodes felt off to me, though. For one thing, why didn't Quark call security when he was trapped in the airlock? So maybe he didn't have a comm badge, but shouldn't sensitive installations like airlocks have some means of communication in case of emergencies like this? If our world can have telephones in elevators, there's no excuse for a world with Star Trek levels of technology not to take the same basic precaution. Maybe he wanted to keep the situation between Ferengi, but I can't believe that concern would override his concern for his own life. Even more seriously, I'm expected to believe that Odo witnessed a murder attempt and let the would-be murderers go, even if the victim was Quark?
Anyway, knowing some of Rom's later development it's interesting to imagine whether he could have gone through with killing Quark if he hadn't been interrupted by Odo. Maybe Rom's story is emblematic of what makes Ferengi society so cutthroat: those who can't acquire capital don't have a lot to fall back on nor much to lose, making murder an attractive option. It reminds me of psychology professor Steven Pinker's musing in his article on the history of violence that feminism has been very good to men because the decline in domestic violence and the ability to divorce have made it much likelier for men to make it through bad marriages without being murdered by their wives. Maybe reforms in Ferengi society, if they happen, will similarly make the haves safer by making life better for the have-nots, and men safer by improving the lot of women.
A couple of moments in this episodes felt off to me, though. For one thing, why didn't Quark call security when he was trapped in the airlock? So maybe he didn't have a comm badge, but shouldn't sensitive installations like airlocks have some means of communication in case of emergencies like this? If our world can have telephones in elevators, there's no excuse for a world with Star Trek levels of technology not to take the same basic precaution. Maybe he wanted to keep the situation between Ferengi, but I can't believe that concern would override his concern for his own life. Even more seriously, I'm expected to believe that Odo witnessed a murder attempt and let the would-be murderers go, even if the victim was Quark?
Anyway, knowing some of Rom's later development it's interesting to imagine whether he could have gone through with killing Quark if he hadn't been interrupted by Odo. Maybe Rom's story is emblematic of what makes Ferengi society so cutthroat: those who can't acquire capital don't have a lot to fall back on nor much to lose, making murder an attractive option. It reminds me of psychology professor Steven Pinker's musing in his article on the history of violence that feminism has been very good to men because the decline in domestic violence and the ability to divorce have made it much likelier for men to make it through bad marriages without being murdered by their wives. Maybe reforms in Ferengi society, if they happen, will similarly make the haves safer by making life better for the have-nots, and men safer by improving the lot of women.