The Orb 154: All About the Greed / by Trek fm

“The Nagus” 30th-anniversary reflections.

Running Time: 39 minutes 25 seconds
Download / RSS / Send us a message / Discuss the show / Support Trek.fm

Having heard that some of Quark’s holosuite programs are quite alluring, Grand Nagus Zek, leader of the Ferengi Alliance, pays an unexpected visit to the station. As he shares his plans for Ferengi business expansion into the Gamma Quadrant, he also reveals that it’s time to retire and pass the golden staff to the next Grand Nagus: Quark.

Zek’s sudden death puts a target on Quark’s back as Zek’s son, Krax, teams up with Rom for a power grab. In the end, Zek returns from the dead at just the right moment to save Quark’s life and teach Krax a lesson. And Rom, who understands that a Ferengi should never allow family to stand in the way of opportunity, gets a promotion to assistant manager for policy and clientele as a reward for his treachery.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 30th-anniversary retrospective that will take you through all of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss “The Nagus,” the way in which the DS9 writers reset the Ferengi as tool for telling Star Trek stories at their best, the absurdity of the main story, and the important messages about fatherhood that drive the secondary plot.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)
Redeeming the Ferengi (00:03:11)
DS9 Does the Best Comedy and Commentary (00:06:49)
Culture Clash (00:09:12)
Subtle Morality (00:14:05)
Benjamin Sisko the Father (00:16:31)
Zek the Father (00:26:32)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:42)
Closing (00:34:29)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

More recent episodes of The Orb…
The Orb 159: Imagination Station
The Orb 159: Imagination Station

“If Wishes Were Horses” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the story's fun veneer, the wealth of character and social commentary that lies beneath, and why Miles must be feeling like Lando Calrissian.

The Orb 158: Even the Birds Stayed Away
The Orb 158: Even the Birds Stayed Away

“Progress” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story of a stubborn landowner continues Kira’s incredible character development and focuses the DS9 narrative on everyday people.

The Orb 157: Dal’Rok Has Left the Building
The Orb 157: Dal’Rok Has Left the Building

“The Storyteller” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how a long-dismissed idea finally found a home on DS9, the search for Bajoran identity, and what the story has to say about the importance of fathers and the power of collective belief.

The Orb 156: Welcome to the Hotel California
The Orb 156: Welcome to the Hotel California

“Battle Lines” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how Opaka’s new calling changes not only her life but also Kira’s, why it was necessary to remove Opaka from her role on Bajor, what the story says about conflict, punishment, and redemption, and more.

The Orb 155: Double Your Danger
The Orb 155: Double Your Danger

“Vortex” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss revelations about Odo's people and how the story sets up the Dominion and why it's important to always keep an extra glass around.

The Orb 154: All About the Greed
The Orb 154: All About the Greed

“The Nagus” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the resetting the Ferengi, subtle morality, the importance of fathers, and more.

The Orb 153: Down the Wrong Warp Pipe
The Orb 153: Down the Wrong Warp Pipe

“Move Along Home” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the Wadi, whether budget was really the problem, why the crew should have played more Legend of Zelda, and more. Shap 6!

The Orb 152: Dead Giveaways
The Orb 152: Dead Giveaways

“The Passenger” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how it works as a Bashir story, the introduction of Primmin, the Odo connection, the original concept, and more.

The Orb 151: Who Is What and What Is Where?!
The Orb 151: Who Is What and What Is Where?!

“Dax” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the complex matter of where the line between host and symbiont begins and ends, how the story helps build the mythos of the Trill, some potential inspiration from Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges, and much more.

The Orb 150: Like Oil and Water
The Orb 150: Like Oil and Water

“Q-Less” 30th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the appearance of John de Lancie’s fan favorite on DS9, the original premise compared with what we got, why it does (and doesn’t) make sense, and how the story makes more sense if you shift how you look at it.