Although we are done with DS9 and are now in the Delta Quadrant with Voyager, that doesn’t mean you can’t go back and catch up on the episodes you missed. You can find the rest here!
Klingon and Ferengi culture collide when Quark tells a white lie. Originally airing on October 10, 1994 this is The House of Quark.
The Episode:
Station Log Stardate Undetermined: The House of Quark.
Quark finds himself betrothed to the widow of a Klingon he claims to have killed in his bar.
The Breakdown:
Story A: The Brave Ferengi
Quark is complaining to Rom that the bar is empty and there is only a drunken Klingon in his establishment. After taking offence from how Quark spoke to him, the Klingon attacks Quark and inadvertently impales himself on a knife. Quark is shocked to have accidentally survived a fight with the Klingon.
As the Doctor and Odo examine the body, Quark notes that a crowd is forming around the bar. He soon decides that he will tell everyone that he killed the Klingon in a bar fight seeing this as an opportunity for profit. Odo is less than convinced.
The Shapeshifter informs Quark that the Klingon Quark killed, Kozak, was the head of a large Klingon House, indicating that the family may be out to claim vengeance soon. Before long, Kozak’s brother, D’Ghor, arrives demanding an explanation as to how his brother died. The Klingon informs Quark that if the Ferengi killed Kozak in personal combat he would be able to accept it as an honorable death which would require no vengeance. D’Ghor, hearing the story of his brothers death, lets quark go and walks away. Something tells me this isn’t over yet.
Soon a woman claiming to be Kozak’s wife arrives and introduces herself as Grilka. She pulls a knife and attacks the Ferengi Bartender only to find him run and hide from the attack. Grilka is not surprised by his reaction and demands to know the truth. After telling her, Grilka knocks Quark out with a hypo-spray telling the Ferengi that she requires his gift for lying. He soon awakes to find himself on Qo’noS facing Tumek, Grilka’s adviser.
Tumek explains that D’Ghor used the story that Kozak’s honorable death causes the House of Kozak to fall. Grilka believes that the only way to save her house is to marry Quark and she does, much to the Ferengi’s surprise.
In front of the Klingon High Council, D’Ghor demands that his brothers estate be transferred to him in the absence of a male heir. Just as they are about to agree, Grilka arrives and informs the council that she has performed the Brek’tal ritual and has chosen a new husband to claim the house. Quark offers up a deal to Gowron, who is presiding over the Klingon High council. Gowron agrees that the House of Kozak is gone, and that from now on it will be known as The House of Quirk Quark.
Back at their home, Quark suggests an equal partnership so that he can help Grilka in her claims. She reveals that Kozak nearly destroyed their house through debt and gambling, much of which was owed to D’Ghor. Quark thinks he can find a way to help going through the families financial records using his Ferengi prowess to find a solution for his new wife.
Quark finds that D’Ghor has been manipulating the House of Kozak using very non-Klingon means much to Grilka’s dismay. Quark knows that if he can explain the situation to the High Council, he can cause shame to D’Ghor. The Council refuses to listen any further and, when D’Ghor calls in Rom to testify that Kozak died in an accident, Quark realizes that their gamble has come to an end.
That night, Quark tries to run but is stopped by Grilka who explains that it is dishonorable to run from a fight. She is dissapointed to learn that he is a coward and tells him to run as she is ashamed. Both he and Rom soon realize that they can not abandon Grilka and the next day they show up to face ritual combat. However, just as the fight begins, Quark tosses his Bat’leth to the ground and offers D’Ghor a chance to strike down an unarmed opponent. D’Ghor decides to go for the kill inadvertently dishonoring himself in the process. D’Ghor is cast out of the council chambers and the house is awarded to Grilka based on a special dispensation for unusual circumstances.
Story B: How Keiko got her grove back.
O’Brien returns home to discover Keiko has closed the school as people are afraid of the Dominion and fewer kids will be at the station. it is clear she is upset but he is unsure how to help. Throwing his wife a surprise date, he is please to see her happy for a short time but it soon becomes clear that she wants something more.
Determined to figure out how he can help Keiko, Miles goes to Ben Sisko and talks to his Commander. Requesting that he be allowed to install an arboretum for Keiko, Miles agrees and allows Miles to begin the retrofit of one of the cargo bays for this project.
After talking with Julian, Miles realizes that changing her profession into a hobby is only a temporary solution to the problem. Julian tells his friend that only when he finds a way to get Keiko to be a botanist again, she will never be happy.
Later at dinner, Miles tells Keiko that he has found out that there is an expedition on Bajor that needs a Botanist. It is a six month expedition and she is elated to get a chance to join it with her husbands blessing.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
I love Klingon episodes and I love Ferengi episodes so when the two combine it is pretty magical.
Mostly a Quark episode, this one really shows just how good a guy Quark is. While much of the events are his fault, he really comes to the table being the brave Ferengi he vehemently denies being. Quark is a conundrum and, while we learn a lot about the Ferengi people through this character, he is far from your stereotypical Ferengi. As we see more and more of the Ferengi through our Bar tending representative, it becomes clear that he is quite the opposite in many ways making him one of the most progressive Ferengi of his time and, ultimately, one of the major influences in how the Ferengi culture evolves.
I particularly love that Robert O’Reilly appears as Gowron in this one, foreshadowing some really cool stories to come when another Klingon makes his more permanent appearance on the series. I’m getting ahead of myself though.
All in all, great fun episode to break the dark tone of our two part premiere. Sometimes, you just need a little levity.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
Rule of Acquisition #286 When morn leaves its all over. okay, it’s not a real rule, but it should be.
This is not the last we see of Grilka and Tumek. They will be back.
This episode is the last time we see the Klingon Home-world Qo’noS until the series Enterprise.
This is the last we see of Keiko for a while, allowing another certain friendship to blossom.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Equilibrium
If you would like to read more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more retro TV goodness check out the rest of the Retro TV Reviews here.
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Late To The Game 4/24/2021 (Originally published 6/14/2019)
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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