Acquisition

DVD, Enterprise S1 (Acquisition)

Oddly, I didn't find this as funny as I remembered it, and I know I saw it twice because on its original run on Channel 4 they repeated the first half-season's episodes. It still is special though, because I thought I'd never see another Ferengi episode again after 'DS9' and 'Voyager' ended. So it was a brilliant surprise to see them turn up two hundred years before the supposed first contact in 'The Next Generation's' first season. Add to this the references to a Ferengi past, such as the electro-whip, not seen since 'TNG', almost half the number of Rules of Acquisition (we know they make up new ones as time goes on), and beetle snuff, and it's a fun little nostalgia trip.

The actors under the thick makeup all do a good job, with three of them having been other characters in Trek previously: most famous would be Ethan Phillips who was Neelix, then a link to the original series with Clint Howard (who appeared in one of the earliest episodes as a child) and the ever-wonderful Jeffrey Combs, the king of multiple roles. Once again he pulls off a completely different take on an established race, with the rather Rom-like Krem, more friendly and eager to please than cold, hard profiteer. A stark contrast to Brunt, FCA. Phillips had also played a Ferengi before so it was like coming home for him, and excellent to see him back in a Trek series again.

Most of the characters don't get a look in, and it's mostly Trip and Archer trying to retake the ship, but it's just fun to see the aliens systematically strip Enterprise in their quest to uncover 'the vault'. The alien ship looked good, Porthos appeared, and though there's no real threat, the bumbling antics of the invaders is enjoyable enough. For those concerned that continuity is upset, Archer makes it clear they must stay away, and they did, realising the profit was low on hew-mons agenda, no doubt. And those hew-mons never found out the name of their species either, so this isolated encounter is perfectly acceptable in canon terms. If you worry about that sort of thing it's good news!

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