Star Trek actors would have liked to see a lot more of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s female Ferengi. The gender inequality baked into Ferengi society means Ferengi women aren’t allowed to wear clothing or travel, while they are expected to remain quiet and pre-chew food for the males in their life, so we don’t see too many female Ferengi visiting Deep Space Nine at all. Among Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s recurring characters is Ishka (Cecily Adams, Andrea Martin), a Ferengi feminist and the mother of Quark (Armin Shimerman) and Rom (Max Grodénchik). Before Ishka, however, there was another Ferengi woman who appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 7, “Rules of Acquisition”, introduces Pel (Hélène Udy), an entrepreneurial female Ferengi who adopts a male identity in order to work in Quark’s bar, because Ferengi women are barred from participating in business and earning their own profit. Pel earns a coveted spot alongside Quark on an expedition to Star Trek‘s Gamma Quadrant to expand Ferengi trade routes, while Pel’s romantic feelings for Quark threaten to complicate their business relationship and the deal that Grand Nagus Zek (Wallace Shawn) wants to cut with the Dosi. Pel is an interesting character, but she’s only in one Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode.

Star Trek Actors Wish Female Ferengi Pel Was Established Sooner in DS9

Pel’s Return Later In DS9 Would Have Been Great, Too

In The Delta Flyers podcast episode discussing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 2, episode 7, “Rules of Acquisition,” DS9‘s Armin Shimerman joins Star Trek: Voyager‘s Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang. Both Shimerman and McNeill say that they would have liked it if Pel had been featured in more episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, either before or after Pel’s sole appearance in DS9 season 2. Read their quotes below and listen to The Delta Flyers, starting at the 1:10:48 timestamp:

Armin Shimerman: “I feel for Pel as well, and I wish we would have seen more of her in the shows that followed.”

Robert Duncan McNeill: “I agree. I would have liked to have seen her established before this, in a couple little scenes where she was just working. Just a brief interaction where you can establish her. She could have done a lot of episodes.”

Pel’s later return could have vastly improved one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s lowest-ranked episodes, DS9 season 6, episode 23, “Profit and Lace”, in which Quark poses as a woman to help Zek retain the title of Grand Nagus. Quark’s discomfort at being perceived as a woman is played for cheap laughs. It’s also completely unnecessary, because Pel, an actual Ferengi woman with the business acumen that Zek is looking for, could have stepped in to argue in favor of rights for Ferengi women. It would have been a completely different episode, to be sure, but it might have been better with Pel included.

Star Trek: DS9’s Female Ferengi Pel Could Have Been Quark’s True Love

Would Pel Sticking Around Change Quark For The Better?

Pel, the first Ferengi woman seen in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, could have been Quark’s true love. To save Quark from potential ruin, Pel puts herself on the line by confessing to Grand Nagus Zek that she’s a woman, but only after Pel and Quark have successfully obtained information to put the Nagus in contact with the Dominion. Pel can’t return to Ferenginar or stay on DS9, and Quark won’t depart for places unknown with Pel. Any potential for a relationship between Quark and Pel is squashed then and there, despite Quark showing that he reciprocates Pel’s feelings. Pel’s competence is attractive, but Quark isn’t ready to admit that.

Quark probably wouldn’t have gotten along with a typical Ferengi female as a mate, no matter how much Quark buys into the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. Pel breaks the barriers placed on Ferengi women, and proves she’s more than capable in business, a lot like Quark’s own mother does. Having been raised by Ishka, Quark already knows that women are competent, but doubles down on supporting misogyny to fit in with traditional Ferengi society. In a romantic relationship, Pel could have challenged Quark’s outward attitudes, and pushed Quark to be honest about his feelings. It really is unfortunate that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s female Ferengi, Pel, wasn’t in more episodes.

Source: The Delta Flyers, “Rules of Acquisition”