Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s Armin Shimerman says that Quark should have been “put away in jail” for a few episodes after committing a particularly terrible crime. In DS9 season 1, episode 9 “The Passenger”, the Kobliad are a dying species who require deuridium to stabilize their cell structures. Demand is greater than the supply, so Quark capitalizes on the opportunity to assist Kobliad criminal Rao Vantika (James Harper) in illegally seizing an incoming shipment from the Gamma Quadrant. At this point, Quark is still characterized by Ferengi stereotypes, and engages in profit-driven schemes that pose more of a threat to the characters on DS9 than Quark’s later activities.
Armin Shimerman adamantly disapproves of Quark’s actions, which put an entire species at risk, even as an accomplice instead of the primary perpetrator. On The Delta Flyers podcast season 9, episode 8, while discussing “The Passenger” in depth with co-hosts Robert Duncan McNeill and Garrett Wang, Shimerman sets aside time near the end of the show to take Quark to task, even though jailing his own character would mean Shimerman missing episodes. Read his quote below and listen to The Delta Flyers, starting at the 1:13:22 timestamp.
[Quark] is absolutely on the wrong side of this story. I don’t understand why he isn’t put away for a couple episodes, in jail for what he’s done. This was wrong, what he’s done. These people need deuridium in order to survive, and he’s jeopardizing an entire planet’s welfare. … They give him an out a little later on, but it’s not much of anything. He should’ve been punished. This was always the problem on Deep Space Nine. If Quark does anything like this, why isn’t he being punished?
Star Trek: DS9 Never Punished Quark For An Unforgivable Crime
Quark committed various crimes during Star Trek: DS9, but one particular indiscretion was so severe that it’s lack of consequences feels wrong.
Star Trek: DS9 Can’t Punish Quark (Yet)
Quark is wrong in “The Passenger”, but DS9 still needs the Ferengi bartender.
Although the crimes Quark commited on DS9 in pursuit of his own profit are numerous and terrible, both Starfleet security and Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) seem to look the other way in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1. As Shimerman also points out in The Delta Flyers, it makes everyone in charge look bad when they ignore the serious transgressions taking place right under their own collective noses. Realistically, Quark should face consequences that are far harsher than what amounts to a slap on the wrist, but Quark goes free for the simple reason that Quark is a main character on DS9, and might be a part of next week’s script.
The problem is eventually solved thanks to two ways that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine evolves from DS9 season 1. First, by leaning more heavily on serialization, DS9 can plan to show the effects of characters’ actions lasting for several episodes, if not entire seasons. Second, Deep Space Nine critically examines Ferengi culture, which provides context for Quark’s motivations. Quark himself changes, too, by recognizing that the needs of Quark’s family might actually outweigh the needs of one single Ferengi bar owner. Ultimately, Quark’s dealings on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine are downgraded from truly heinous to just kind of shady, thereby keeping Quark out of jail.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Release Date
- January 3, 1993
- Cast
- Avery Brooks , Rene Auberjonois , Cirroc Lofton , Colm Meaney , Armin Shimerman , Alexander Siddig , Nana Visitor , Michael Dorn , Nicole de Boer
- Seasons
- 7
- Writers
- Rick Berman , Michael Piller
- Network
- CBS
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+
- Franchise(s)
- Star Trek
- Showrunner
- Michael Piller , Ira Steven Behr
