For my money, Deep Space Nine is easily the most consistent of the various Star Trek series. The strength of the characters meant that even weaker episodes were redeemed because it was just fun to see them interact and get into conflicts with each other. But if there was one stinker in DS9's run, it was most certainly Profit And Lace. The Ferengi-based episodes divide Trek fans in general, but I quite like them. Quark was a great character and so wonderfully played by Armin Shimerman that they were very watchable, but this one was just awful. The dumb plot involves Quark proving to a leading Ferengi politician that female Ferengis can be just as effective in business as the blokes, by - how else - changing his gender and becoming a woman named Lumba. Of course, the politician falls in love with Quark/Lumba and hilarity doesn't come close to ensuing. Allegedly Shimerman hated this episode, and during filming there were tensions between him and the show's producers - the Quark actor wanted to play it straight, while the higher-ups envisioned the episode as pure comedy (because it's clearly such a funny premise). In the end, straddling the line between comedy and serious drama does Profit And Lace no favours, being neither humorous nor engaging. What we're left with is the worst show of the best Trek series.
Northern Irish man living and working in London. Heroes include Ledley King, James Ellroy and whoever invented elasticated sweatshorts. Follow me on Twitter - @MJLowry23
