History Recap / StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS05E20FerengiLoveSongs

* ScatterbrainedSeniors: It turns out that the formerly razor-sharp Grand Nagus is going senile, to the point where he forgets the subject of a conversation that he and Quark started less than two minutes ago.

* BadBoss: Martok threw a crewmember over the edge of a railing in an argument and nearly hit a Bolian ambassador. Worf stands up for him, pointing out that the guy didn't die, and the Bolian ambassador didn't actually get hit.

* BatmanGambit: Quark pulls one on Zek and his mother to get them to fight. With Zek, he brings up the rumors of how Ishka didn't give back all the money and how she wants to make women equal in Ferengi society. While with his mother, he acts heavily depressed about his situation to play on her emotions to try and ask Zek to reconsider. With him addled by Quark's words she means to manipulate him on larger things, Zek perceives this manipulation as being the start of a coup, and yells at Ishka, leading to a fight and the ending of their relationship.
* BlatantLies: Rom, crying his eyes out after ruining his engagement to Leeta, insists that they're TearsOfJoy. Neither Sisko nor Odo believes him.

* {{Catchphrase}}: As always, Brunt will always announce his presence with, "Brunt. FCA." In the final scene, Quark gets a dig in by musing, "But for how much longer?"

** Although he's not seen, Martok gets mentioned as having been arrested for tossing one of his own men into a wall. Worf, who was established to admire Martok, defends him.

* DelayedReaction: Quark comes home, goes into his room, opens the closet door, hands the Grand Nagus his bag, and closes the door. ''Then'' he realises what he just saw and goes back. Zek yells at him for being on Ferenginar at all, and Quark goes to leave. It's only when he's almost at the door that he starts thinking about ''why'' the Nagus is in his closet in the first place.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Essentially sums up the reason Quark dislikes the idea of Brunt as Nagus, because while Ferengi are meant to focus on personal profit, a Nagus has to think of the wider profit of the Ferengi people rather than just his own agenda.

*** While he encourages greedy, manipulative behavior, he also acts to temper it and make sure the society's greed is genuinely beneficial to growth. Tanking the whole economy in a power grab, like Brunt does here, is an action a Grand Nagus should never take.
*** He also refuses to intercede with the [=FCA=]'s ban on Quark doing business with other Ferengi. While it’s within his power to help Quark, Quark broke a serious law in their society. To undo the [=FCA=]'s punishment for a personal favor to his lover and her son would undermine their nation's rule of law.
** Sisko shows his skills in diplomacy in handling Martok being arrested for throwing one of his men off the bridge in the Promenade. Though he was barely injured or shaken, he narrowly missed an ambassador by a centimeter. Sisko has Odo release Martok, but then has Worf tell the General there is to be no more of this punishment on the station or Sisko will have Chancellor Gowron send a replacement.

** Sisko shows his skills in diplomacy in handling Odo arresting Martok for shoving Martok's officer off the bridge in the promenade. He has the General released by Odo but also has Worf tell the General there is to be no more of this punishment on the station or the General will deal with Sisko personally.

* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Rom decided to forego the Ferengi contract of marriage due for his love for Leeta.

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: This happens when Dax and Chief comment that Rom is least like a Ferengi they meet. It causes him to reconsider things and tries to get Leeta to sign a prenup which strips her of all of her money and any money she has is turned over to her husband.

Quark is feeling depressed over the loss of his business license and an infestation of voles in the bar. Rom tries to cheer him up by announcing that he's engaged to marry Leeta, but that doesn't help. Rom then suggests he go visit their mother Ishka for some unconditional love. Quark grumpily agrees and arrives at his mother's house on Ferenginar unannounced. Quark still hasn't reconciled that his mother wears clothes or champions civil rights for females, so their initial greeting is rough. But he becomes even more alarmed when he discovers there's someone hiding in his childhood closet, and it's Grand Negus Zek! Ishka and Zek reveal that they're in a secret love affair, and Quark can't wait to use this to his advantage.

Quark isn't so happy on Ferenginar. During his first meeting as First Clerk, he realizes that Zek is having serious memory problems. Without Ishka to help him, Zek makes blunders that drive the market into a tailspin. The whole Ferengi economy could go down, but this has all been part of the plan for Brunt, who plans to use the crisis to overthrow Zek and become Nagus. In spite of it all, Quark and Ishka decide side with Zek and help him pass the FCA's tests, retaining his position. Zek realizes that he needs help to continue ruling and tries to enlist Quark, but Quark presents his own financial adviser as a replacement: Ishka. Zek initially bristles but quickly falls back into his former loving ways.

** Quark helping coach Zek through the meeting with the FCA liquidators, apparently leaving Brunt dumbstrucked.

*** He also refuses to intercede with the [=FCA=]'s ban on Quark doing business with other Ferengi. While it is within his power to help Quark, Quark broke a serious law in their society. To undo the [=FCA=]'s punishment for a personal favor to his lover and her son would undermine their nation's rule of law.