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As the Cerritos stumbles into an interstellar poaching ring, they discover the culprits are none other than Star Trek’s Ferengi.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2, Episode 4 “Mugato, Gumato,” streaming now on Paramount+.
While the U.S.S. Cerritos may tackle the more menial, mundane tasks around Federation space that Starfleet has to offer, the crew has still confronted numerous classic antagonists from throughout Star Trek history. And while a mission that begins as a routine expedition to investigate a sighted invasive species on a remote planet in Federation space, the crew of the Cerritos find themselves coming into conflict with one of the original antagonists that menaced the U.S.S. Enterprise in the early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Ferengi.
Investigating the planet Frylon IV after a rogue Mugato sighting, the Cerritos landing party discovers that a ring of Ferengi poachers have set up a smuggling operation that illegally sells Mugato, and parts harvested from the beasts, on the black market. Determined to ensure that no further harm befalls the Mugato, the landing party attacks the Ferengi camp, only to find themselves outnumbered and outgunned as the conflict unfolds. And in order to reach a peaceful resolution that benefits all parties, including the Mugato, Brad Boimler and Sam Rutherford decide to appeal to the Ferengi in the most effective way they know how: Business negotiations.
With Ferengi society modeled around and driven entirely by mercantilism, Rutherford and Boimler appeal to the Ferengi’s inherent love of profit. Rather than sell Mugato contraband on the black market, the two Starfleet junior officers suggest that they use the creatures for a more lasting investment, one that could lead to even more lucrative returns: creating a wildlife preserve on Frylon for the beasts while charging for admission and selling merchandise. Seeing the wisdom in this business strategy, the Ferengi accept Boimler and Rutherford’s offer, freeing the Starfleet personnel they captured and creating the preserve to allow the Mugato to roam free of overt torment in their new habitat while the Ferengi waste no time manufacturing merchandise and other theme park attractions.
Debuting in TNG‘s fourth episode, “The Last Outpost,” the Ferengi were envisioned as an antagonistic alien race to menace the Enterprise just as the Klingons and Romulans did to the crew of the Enterprise in The Original Series. With the Ferengi never quite connecting with the audience as a serious threat over the course of TNG, the rival civilization became largely relegated to comedic relief for the remainder of the series while Ferengi culture would be more prominently explored in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine through major characters Quark and Rom, both of whom lived on the eponymous Starfleet space station.
The Ferengi’s appearance on Lower Decks Season 2 is a reminder that relations remain tense between the Federation and the Ferengi Alliance. While a peaceful resolution is reached, both the Ferengi poachers and Starfleet landing party were eager to come to blows over the fate of the Mugato, with the Ferengi proving themselves to be just as formidable as they first appeared on TNG. Fortunately, Boimler and Rutherford are well aware of how best to appeal to Ferengi interests, shifting what began as a violent confrontation between the two factions into a thriving business that benefited one of Star Trek‘s strangest alien species. Their actions are also a reminder that Boimler and Rutherford can think just as quick on their feet as their more experienced comrades.
To see the separate missions, Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 2 is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes premiering every Thursday.
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