Any episode with such a blatant pun title as this is ok by me. Getting to see an episode play with what it means to be a Ferengi like this is really cool, and having it all be the wormhole aliens/prophets actually makes it make some sense. The B story about Bashir being nominated for a prestigious medical award I think may be the writers starting to get us ready for the idea that Bashir is more than he appears. Specifically he has been genetically engineered to be smarter than a normal person, but I am not sure when they actually decided this was the case.
The episode opens with Quark getting his lobes rubbed by a woman he is also negotiating a business deal with. She is surprised he is more interested in getting his lobes rubbed than in making a profit, but he explains he isn't just any Ferengi. They are interrupted by Rom bursting in, Quark tries to get rid of him, but he is with the Nagus! Grand Nagus Zek has arrived on the station and takes over Quark's quarters for his new mission. Bashir is working away in the infirmary when he is called to the wardroom, it is full of his friends who hand him a glass of champagne before telling him he has been nominated for the most prestigious medical award in starfleet. Not only that, he is the youngest person ever nominated. This is too much for him and he rushes back to the infirmary.
Quark can't stand living with Rom and the two decide to visit the Nagus to figure out what he is up to. He welcomes them in and Quark is shocked to find all his furniture gone. The Nagus give them his big project, a new rules of acquisition. But something is wrong, the rules are now all about helping people and respecting your family, not rules for making the most profit. The Nagus' assistant doesn't know what to say, he is as shocked as the rest of them. The middle part of the episode is all Quark freaking out about the new rules, Rom getting a job working for the new Ferengi benevolent society, and Julian being excited and also worried about his nomination.
Quark eventually learns that the Nagus has a gift for the people of Bajor and this is too much for him. He and Rom try to break into the Nagus' ship, but are caught by his assistant. Luckily the assistant is as upset as they are and lets them in. They find that the gift the Nagus plans to give is a one of the Bajoran orbs. They accidently open the Orb and Quark has an experience that shows him the Nagus' outlook is a "gift" from the prophets. The three of them kidnap the Nagus and head for the wormhole. Back on the station Julian learns he didn't win the prize. Quark is luckier though, he manages to get some time with the wormhole aliens by opening the orb inside the wormhole. They tell him that they changed the Nagus since his incessant drive for profit is dangerous. Quark tries to tell them how important profit is, but they won't listen. However they do listen when he explains that lots of Ferengi will keep coming to the wormhole the figure out what happened to the Nagus unless they fix what they did. Quark wakes up and finds the Nagus back to his old self.
Review: I really like what DS9 did with the Ferengi, they are probably my favorite race from the series. This episode isn't the most remarkable episode, but having it be about Ferengi gives it at least one extra point.
7 out of 10
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