Star Trek DS9 - Season 4 - Episode 16
Star Trek DS9 - 4x16 - Bar Association
Originally Aired: 1996-2-19
Synopsis:
Tired of workplace mistreatment at the hands of his brother, Rom organizes all of Quark's employees into a union and goes on strike against the bar. [DVD]
Filler Quotient:
0, not filler, do not skip this episode.
- While largely a minor character development piece, the little details we see in this episode regarding Rom, Leeta, Worf, Bashir, and O'Brien are all significant later.
Problems
None
Factoids
None
Remarkable Scenes
- Worf nitpicking the Defiant.
- Bashir and O'Brien dressed up for their holosuite program.
- Bashir suggesting to Rom that he should form a union.
- Quark to Rom: "The only thing I regret is not being an only child."
- Odo listing all the security breaches on the Enterprise to rub it in Worf's face that Worf isn't a perfect security officer.
- O'Brien regarding a cyst on the back of his neck: "Either I paint a nose, eyes, and a mouth on it and pretend I've got two heads, or you take it off!"
- Worf lamenting about the station's constant breakdowns while O'Brien revels in it because he likes fixing things. I like how he complains about how boring sitting in the transporter room was. :)
- Holographic Quark approaching Odo.
- Sisko blackmailing Quark into settling the union dispute by threatening to charge him for back rent. ;)
- Worf moving his quarters to the Defiant.
- The Nausicaans throwing darts at one another.
- Rom to Quark: "What you were trying to do was make yourself feel important. Making me feel dumb made you feel smart. But I'm not dumb, and you're not half as smart as you think you are."
- Rules of Acquisition; 211. Employees are the rungs of the ladder of success. Don't hesitate to step on them. 263. Never allow doubt to tarnish your lust for latinum.
- Morn Appearances; 1. In front of Rom while he bemoans about his ear. 2. Gets up and leaves after Quark announces the pay cuts. 3. Seen in the background sleeping at the bar during the strike. 4. Next to Rom when he quit his job.
My Review
Worf loves the Defiant and hates the station, Quark's employees have unionized and are demanding better treatment. The FCA shows up and haves Quark beat up. Quark solves the problem by secretly giving into his workers' demands so long as the union is "officially" dissolved. Nothing particularly groundbreaking, but a good show and a decent watch.
The following are comments submitted by my readers.
Odo called the station "DS9" in this episode. I don't think we've heard this abbreviation on the show before.
I found this episode highly enjoyable, and the fact that it features Leeta has absolutely nothing to do with it. :)
Just dull and uninspired, and a plot where not much happens. And Leeta is not a good actress.
This is THE Rom episode. It provides all the reasons and feelings why Leeta will love Rom (soon after her affair with Bashir). It is very funny how O´Briens´ story of his ancestor Sean (made up or real) inspires Rom to stand his ground against Ferengi laws and tradition. Although Rom seems to trade his Union ideals in the end, he wins: all his conditions for the workers will be accepted by Quark and he gets his job in Starfleet as technician "junior grade"! Similar to Damar he will do things in the future that decide the war against the Dominion. Also, the tiny subplot of Dax and Worf prepares the basis of their relationship. A very great episode, if you know what is coming later on!
Nice episode.
One detail i couldn't stop noticing is Liquidator brunt's bodyguards are Nausicaan...the same nasty race that stabbed picard on the heart.