Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS | More
Does Star Trek: Enterprise have the lobes to bring back one of the franchises most reviled recurring aliens? Why yes, yes it does. “Acquisition” does deft dance with continuity as the Ferengi are brought back into the fold. Despite the fact that the Ferengi will not be “officially” introduced to the Federation for another 200 years, Enterprise has Archer and the crew run into the greedy, orange aliens. They just have to be careful to not violate continuity! So that means no probing questions and no arrests.
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Acquisition”:
As Enterprise drifts in space, an unknown alien cruiser scans the ship, then docks with it. As part of an unconventional and criminal first contact, two Ferengi, Muk and Grish, board wearing breathing filters, and the crew appear to have been knocked unconscious. In Engineering, the two locate and deactivate a gas-machine that the Starfleet crew brought up from the surface of a nearby moon. Unknown to the intruders, Commander Tucker is still conscious and makes his way to Engineering and uses the ship’s sensors to monitor the aliens as they plunder their latest acquisition.
Captain Archer is confined in a Cargo bay, and the aliens are unconvinced that Enterprise carries no currency or valuable materials. They set off to find the vault themselves, leaving Krem and Archer to transfer the loot. Archer sees Tucker and sends him to the launch-bay to retrieve the Ferengi’s hypospray. Doing so, Tucker revives Sub-Commander T’Pol, and they try to find a way to stop the Ferengi. She assumes the gas-machine was intentionally placed on the surface as a ‘Trojan Horse‘. In Sickbay, three of the four Ferengi search for the non-existent vault, and T’Pol uses a PADD to distract and then start an argument between them.
In Engineering, Archer tries to negotiate with Krem, who is tempted when Archer says that he will throw in T’Pol. In Archer’s quarters, Muk and Grish try interrogating Porthos, Archer’s pet beagle. Muk goes to the launch-bay and finds Tucker, who escapes, but Ulis subdues him with his electro-whip. The Ferengi, Archer and Trip meet in the launch-bay where Archer plays along with Tucker’s deception about “the vault”. T’Pol assists in subduing the intruders and the crew oversee the return of the stolen goods. Archer tells the Ferengi not to go within a light-year of a human or Vulcan vessel ever again.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss Enterprise’s failed attempt to reinvigorate the Ferengi. Plus, the guys talk about stroking their lobes, piles of women, and Trip refusing to pretend that he’s married to T’Pol!