Body Parts (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

"Body Parts" is the 97th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 25th episode of the fourth season. Quark runs afoul of Ferengi traditions, again.

"Body Parts"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 24
Directed byAvery Brooks
Story byLouis P. DeSantis
Robert J. Bolivar
Teleplay byHans Beimler
Featured musicDennis McCarthy
Production code497
Original air dateJune 10, 1996 (1996-06-10)
Guest appearance(s)

Meanwhile, a major crisis afflicts the O'Brien family (Miles, Keiko, and Molly) and their unborn child after an away mission gone wrong on a Danube-class Runabout spacecraft.

When it was broadcast on television in 1996, "Body Parts" achieved 5.1 Nielsen Points.[1] This was the lowest rating yet in DS9 Season 4 and for all of DS9 up to that time, although the ratings did drop further.[2]

This episode writes in Nana Visitor's pregnancy by transferring Keiko's pregnancy to Major Kira following an accident.[3]

Plot

Quark learns from his doctor that he has a rare disease that will kill him within a week. To raise money to pay his debts before he dies, he auctions off his remains, accepting an anonymous bid for 500 bars of gold-pressed latinum. A few hours later, he finds out that his medical exam was in error, and he is not about to die.

The bidder turns out to be Quark's old adversary Brunt, from the Ferengi Commerce Authority. Brunt demands that Quark fulfill his end of the contract by providing his own remains, ignoring Quark's protests that he will live. Quark faces the options of killing himself, having someone kill him, or breaking the contract—an act that will lead to the loss of his business license, confiscation of his family's property, and ostracism by other Ferengi.

Quark decides to honor his contract and attempts to hire ex-spy Elim Garak to kill him. However, he is afraid to approve any of the killing methods that Garak proposes. That night, Quark has a dream in which he meets Gint, the first Grand Nagus of the Ferengi and author of the sacred Rules of Acquisition. Gint tells him the Rules are really only "suggestions" (called "rules" merely for marketing purposes), and advises him to break the contract.

The next morning, Quark refunds Brunt's latinum and breaks the contract. Brunt immediately revokes Quark's business license and seizes all of his assets. To Quark's astonishment, his customers and the Deep Space Nine station staff come to his aid by carrying in all the supplies and equipment he needs to resume operations, on pretext of using the bar as a storage room. Even though Quark is cut off from Ferengi society (except for his brother Rom), he is back in business and feeling richer than before due to the friends he never imagined he had.

Meanwhile, the pregnant Keiko O'Brien is injured in a runabout accident; to save both her and the pregnancy, Dr. Bashir performs emergency surgery to transfer the fetus into Major Kira's body. Kira has no problem with being a surrogate mother, but Keiko and her husband Miles are at first uncomfortable with the thought of another woman carrying their child. They eventually come to terms with it, and ask Kira to move in with them so they can be closer to the child.

Reception

In 2018, SyFy recommend this episode for its abbreviated watch guide for the Bajoran character Kira Nerys.[4] This episode is noted for Kira taking on a pregnancy with a science fiction twist.[4] The episode has another plot line that follows the adventures of the bartender Quark.[4]

References
  3. People Magazine - Michael A. Lipton - July 15, 1996
  4. Krishna, Swapna (January 16, 2018). "A binge-watching guide to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Kira Nerys". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
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