6.23 – Profit and Lace – DS9 Review
What on Ferenginar were they thinking? “Profit And Lace” is easily one of the worst episodes of television … ever. From start to finish it’s not only bad, it’s mind-numbingly annoying and insulting. There are, perhaps, a few moments where, morbidly, one might chuckle. But the rest of the time is like swallowing rusted metal shards.
Grand Nagus Zek has been deposed because he allowed women to wear clothes in public (Brunt is now acting Nagus). So Zek and Moogie (the mother of Rom and Quark) arrive at DS9 with a plan: contact the FCAs of the Ferengi Alliance and have Moogie wow them with her economical acumen. But when an argument between Quark and Moogie gives her a heart attack, Quark must dress as a female to deliver Moogie’s message.
So yeah. It doesn’t even sound like a good idea. The execution, though, is much, much worse than the idea. The Ferengi episodes have always been overrun with bad acting, bad voices, and stupid, stupid humor. This episode seems to elevate all of those issues to new lows.
It really isn’t worth detailing how many gags go awry, or how insidious the homophobia of the episode actually is. It’s enough to say that this episode is, simply, atrocious.
“Profit and Lace” doesn’t even begin to approach genuine humor or entertainment. You might want to watch this one for the trainwreck factor. But otherwise, you’d do well to steer well clear of this one.
Filed under: Deep Space Nine
Don’t listen to the critics! This episode was hilarious!
1. Each rival Nagus has his own tall silent servant.
2. Rom reveals his feminine side to his disconcerted friends. The look on his wife’s face was priceless.
3. Sluggo Cola: the slimiest drink in the galaxy.
4. How the initally annoying feminism of the episode is subverted: Quark persuades the Ferengi to clothe the females because they will become irrationally voracious consumers.
5. Countless other offensive jokes about gender relations.
@Tallifer, you do realize that you listed offensive gender-related jokes as an actual virtue?
The review is correct, particularly about the insidious homophobia pervading the entire episode.Not to mention the as-usual misogyny. Tasteless, dumb, offensive, and not at all funny.