Although he’s best known for playing Quark, one of Armin Shimerman’s favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes has nothing to do with the Ferengi. DS9‘s Quark was at the center of some of the show’s best episodes, including beloved Ferengi comedies like “Little Green Men.” However, there’s very little to laugh about in Armin Shimerman’s favorite episode from DS9 season 1.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1 is notoriously uneven, but it contains flashes of brilliance that demonstrate the potential of the premise. DS9‘s ability to explore the gray areas of morality and its gift for writing nuanced characters comes to the fore as season 1 goes on. Nowhere is this more apparent than in “Duet”, in which Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) attempts to prove that a Cardassian accountant, Aamin Marritza (Harris Yulin) is actually a war criminal called Gul Darhe’el. It’s one of Nana Visitor’s favorite Major Kira DS9 episodes, and is also a firm favorite of Quark actor Armin Shimerman.
Armin Shimerman Interview: FanFair Signatures & Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Legacy
Screen Rant interviews Armin Shimerman about working with FanFair Signatures, Quark’s comeback, and his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine legacy.
DS9’s “Duet” is Armin Shimerman’s Favorite Star Trek Episode
Quark only has one notable scene in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s “Duet.” When news gets out that a Cardassian war criminal is being held by Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois), survivors of the brutality of the Gallitep labor camp protest outside DS9’s security office. Quark and Odo discuss the horrific conditions of the Cardassian labor camp and commend the strength of the camp’s survivors. It’s a rare moment of empathy and tenderness for Quark, long before DS9 would develop the character beyond Star Trek‘s Ferengi archetypes. However, this isn’t why Armin Shimerman selects “Duet” as one of his favorite episodes of Star Trek: DS9.
Armin Shimerman and guest actor Harris Yulin had previously worked together on stage on Broadway, so the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode was a fond reunion for the two actors. The material clearly appealed to a stage actor like Yulin, not least because this particular episode of DS9 was influenced by Leonard Nimoy in Robert Shaw’s play The Man in the Glass Booth. Discussing the episode in the book The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years, Armin Shimerman discussed his love of the classic DS9 episode saying:
“It’s a fascinating episode dealing with Bajor and nationalism and with Cardassian war crimes. I love these kinds of scripts, because they deal with social issues placed in the context of space.“
What Is Armin Shimerman’s Favorite Ferengi Episode?
Armin Shimerman has singled out various favorite Ferengi episodes from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine canon. In line with his love of “Duet”, Armin Shimerman was very fond of “Bar Association”, because it dealt with the social issue of worker’s rights in a sci-fi context. Shimerman is a former union official with the Screen Actor’s Guild, and he was on the picket lines with the striking Star Trek actors during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Speaking about “Bar Association” in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, Armin Shimerman flagged that the struggle of Rom (Max Grodénchik) and the staff of Quark’s Bar happens all the time in America, and continues to this day.
Armin Shimerman is also fond of the fan-favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Little Green Men”, in which Quark, Rom, and Nog (Aron Eisenberg) are stranded in 1940s Roswell, New Mexico. In the special features on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4 DVDs, Armin Shimerman says that “Little Green Men” was a favorite because it was a chance to explore the Ferengi family’s dynamics. It was a “catalyst” that led to many more classic Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes about the show’s Ferengi ensemble, firmly establishing Armin Shimerman’s Quark as one of the most beloved Star Trek characters.
