History Recap / StarTrekVoyagerS3E5FalseProfits

* BittersweetEnding: The ''Voyager'' crew try desperately to get through the wormhole but don't succeed [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption (as if there could be any other outcome)]], and they warp away from the planet, crestfallen. On the planet, the population they saved from oppression look up and see their ship flying away. Though the crew can't hear it, someone cries, "The holy ones are returning home!" followed by a chorus of cheers. They ''did'' wind up improving peoples' lives for the better.

* DownerEnding: The biggest one in a while. Though the Alpha Quadrant is almost literally within their grasp, the crew of ''Voyager'' can only watch as the wormhole destabilizes completely on ''both'' ends, rendering it useless as a way to return home.

''Voyager'' detects a wormhole near a primitive planet, which is currently being exploited by a pair of Ferengi. It turns out to be the same wormhole that the Ferengi pair traveled through in the ''[[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Next Generation]]'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E8ThePrice The Price]]", which was thought to be unstable, and so while ''Voyager'' tries to use the same wormhole to get back home, they also deal with the Ferengi on the planet they landed on.

** Averted when there isn't a rule they can use. [[IndyPloy So they decide to make one up!]]

* ChangedMyJumper: Averted; the away team scan and replicate some local clothing before beaming down. It helps that the locals are HumanAliens too.

* KillTheMessenger: For once they've got a good excuse.

* TimeForPlanB: Having decided they can't just make the Sages "disappear", Janeway decides to bluff them into leaving voluntarily by having Neelix pose as the Grand Proxy (messenger of the Grand Nagus), come to take over their operation and order them back home. When Neelix is forced to reveal his true identity to avoid getting murdered, he tells the locals that he's a Holy Pilgrim come to announce the Sages imminent departure, with ''Voyager'' faking the requisite portents.

* ALadyOnEachArm: Koll getting oo-mox!

* FalseProphet: Two Ferengi, a materialistic alien race, land on a planet where the locals mistake them for three deities known as the Sages, who were said to arrive in a prophecy. The Ferengi go along with this and pretend to be the Sages for profit.

* KarmaHoudini: After they spent seven years brutally exploiting the locals, the worst that happens to Arridor and Kol is that they get to go home -- without their beloved possessions, but still. Meanwhile, ''Voyager'' remains stranded in the Delta Quadrant ([[StatusQuoIsGod naturally]]).

* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: Parodied to Hell and back, however, with a Bronze Age civilization venerating two Ferengi refugees as their sages (sort of ersatz deities) because their crash-landing's appearance was a lot like something prophesied in one of their sacred poems. All efforts to remove the Ferengi failed until the Voyager's crew realized the same poem ended with the appearance of certain easily-arranged celestial signs and the ascension of the sages back into the heavens, all of which could be arranged using some futuristic flares and transporter technology. Since technically this means every one of the prophecies came true, there was arguably nothing to outgrow about these people's "silly superstitions" at all! (Though admittedly the prophecies ''also'' said the sages would lead the people to prosperity, instead of making their lives measurably worse.)

* BurnTheWitch: Unfortunately the locals decide to take the verse about the Sages 'ascending on wings of fire' a bit literally.

* BittersweetEnding: The Voyager crew try desperately to get through the wormhole but don't succeed [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption (as if there could be any other outcome)]], and they warp away from the planet, crestfallen. On the planet, the population they saved from oppression look up and see their ship flying away. Though the crew can't hear it, someone cries, "The holy ones are returning home!" followed by a chorus of cheers. They ''did'' wind up improving peoples' lives for the better.

* IdiotBall: Voyager's crew missing a chance to get home because they were outwitted by a pair of [[HarmlessVillain Ferengi]] did not put them in a good light.

* SwissCheeseSecurity: ''Voyager's'' security is overpowered by two unarmed Ferengi, who then proceed to escape to parts unknown in their shuttle. It does bear mentioning that canon has established Ferengi as being quite fast and deceptively strong for their size.
* TeleportationRescue: As the 'Sages' and Neelix are about to burn, Voyager beams them out, making it look like they really did ascend.
* TimeForPlanB: Having decided they can't just make the Sages 'disappear', Janeway decides to bluff them into leaving voluntarily by having Neelix pose as the Grand Proxy (messenger of the Grand Nagus), come to take over their operation and order them back home. When Neelix is forced to reveal his true identity to avoid getting murdered, he tells the locals that he's a Holy Pilgrim come to announce the Sages imminent departure, with Voyager faking the requisite portents.

* ImposterForgotOneDetail: The Ferengi suspect that Neelix is not who he says he is when he quotes the (non-existent) 299th Rule of Acquisition. However, Neelix is able to maneuver this by implying that new rules have been added during their absence.

* LoopholeAbuse in the AlienNonInterferenceClause: If the Ferengi leave of their own free will, Janeway won't have violated the Prime Directive.

* SkewedPriorities: As they're about to be burnt to death, the Ferengi comfort themselves with the thought that they made seven years pure profit.
** Even by Ferengi standards this is rather silly. Since they possess a working replicator, all of the local goods and currency they've accumulated is worthless monopoly money that they could have reproduced on their first day if they so desired. They were just messing around to amuse themselves.

* SwissCheeseSecurity: ''Voyager's'' security is overpowered by two unarmed Ferengi, who then proceed to escape to parts unknown in their shuttle.
** It does bear mentioning that canon has established Ferengi as being quite fast and deceptively strong for their size.

* ActorAllusion: Neelix tries to pretend he's the Ferengi Grand Proxy to make the Ferengi stop. Ethan Phillips also played the Ferengi Dr. Farek in TNG's "Menage a Troi" (also from its third season), and later plays another Ferengi in the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]] episode "Acquisition".

* EyepatchOfPower: Unfortunately the poet forgets [[ThrowingOffTheDisability which eye he's supposed to be wearing it over]].

** The Ferengi argue this point when Janeway just beams them out, saying the whole society will collapse because their gods have disappeared. [[IdiotPlot The argument is less than convincing]], given that the only response we saw to the Sages being beamed up was their minion eagerly helping himself to their couch (though ''Voyager's'' crew don't know that).

* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: Parodied to Hell and back, however, with a Bronze Age civilization venerating two Ferengi refugees as their sages (sort of ersatz deities) because their crash-landing's appearance was a lot like something prophesied in one of their sacred poems. All efforts to remove the Ferengi failed until the Voyager's crew realized the same poem ended with the appearance of certain easily-arranged celestial signs and the ascension of the sages back into the heavens, all of which could be arranged using some futuristic flares and transporter technology. Since technically this means every one of the prophecies came true, there was arguably nothing to outgrow about these people's "silly superstitions" at all!

* ClarkesThirdLaw