The Ferengi are a race that the phrase 'the unacceptable face of
capitalism' could have been invented for. Hard-hearted businessmen,
their corporate greed is exercised only by the males of the species,
while their females are forced to parade themselves naked (yes, well
spotted - they were Gene Roddenberry's creation.)
Debuting in the Next Generation episode the Last Oupost (Season 1) the
Ferengi immediately made for lacklustre villains. The attempt to make
them on a par with the original series' Klingons back-fired: with their
grotesque, Dumbo-like ears and slack morals they were immediately comic
rather than threatening.
After a poor reaction from fans to their first appearance, the Ferengi
have slowly gained credibility. Much of this rehabilitation has centred
on the characters of Quark and, to a slightly lesser extent, Rom and Nog
in Deep Space Nine, who are frequently the best written and most
entertaining characters on the (still scandalously undervalued) show.
Genuine humour has arisen from Quark's lust for profit and his bar-room
sparring with the other station crew members - particularly Odo and
Sisko. The Ferengi are now portrayed as cantankerous troublemakers,
rather than enemies, and the shift from their initial premise has helped
make them a winning addition to Trek's pantheon of alien races.
