Ferengi are kind of like the oddball relatives or kooky neighbors that sometimes visit your home- they can be fun and amusing in small doses but can quickly wear out their welcome if they stay too long.
That starts to happen in "The Nagus", an amusing episode about Quark's sudden rise (and fall) from power in Ferengi affairs. The Ferengi, with their screechy over-the-top voices, wild appearance, and annoying mannerisms, are the "court jesters" of the Star Trek Universe, and usually pop up (and disappear just as fast)to provide quick comic relief in the middle of a serious storyline.
Here, however, we're treated to a full hour devoted almost exclusively to them, and their outrageous antics (especially the exaggerated voices) begin to grate on the nerves after a while, especially the voice of Zek, The Grand Negus, played by veteran character actor Wallace Shawn, a talented performer who specializes in portraying nerdy, whiny, over-the-top characters. I can only compare listening to his character talk to the sound of long fingernails screeching down a chalkboard (except the latter would be more tolerable).
For those who journey to Star Trek looking for serious dramatic content, action, and adventure, you won't find it here- this one is played strictly for laughs from the very beginning, with nary a hostile Klingon, menacing Borg, or angry Cardassion in sight. For those that enjoy broad farce and slapstick comedy, however, you might find a chuckle or two.
Fans of the talented Armin Shimermin have a real treat here, as Quark learns that "being the boss" is not always what it's cracked up to be. Shimermin, in the midst of outrageous comedy, manages to inject some thoughtful dramatic moments as he struggles with his new found power and the added responsibilities (and dangers) it brings.
Aside from the comedy involving the Ferengi, there is a kids oriented sub-plot involving Jake & Nog, which apparently was intended to make a point about children's relationships, but, unfortunately, only serves to slow down the plot and pacing of the episode. Part of the problem lies with the child actors, who are simply too wooden and 2-dimensional in their dialog & portrayals to be of any real interest. This is often a pitfall with child actors in a drama- unless they are really good (the Harry Potter kids, for example), scenes with kids can quickly become stilted, forced, and annoying, especially if the child actors are just not skilled enough/experienced enough to carry the scene. That's what happens here and the scenes with Jake & Nog come off as flat, dull, and uninteresting, especially when interspersed with scenes featuring the outrageous & amusing Ferengi.
In general, though, this is a fun and amusing episode, the highlight being a hilarious (and lovingly crafted) send-up to "The Godfather"(1972) during the scene where Quark meets with Nava to discuss a business opportunity. This scene alone makes the whole worth watching.
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