Prophet Motive: Difference between revisions

| season_article = Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 3)

"'''Prophet Motive'''" is the 62nd episode of the television series ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' and is the sixteenth episode of the [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 3)|third season]]. In the episode, Grand Nagus Zek comes to the station to present Quark with a revised copy of the Rules of Acquisition, which is now a guide for generosity and benevolence.

Quark forcibly takes Zek back to the wormhole to ask the Prophets what they did to him. The Prophets, being immaterial creatures who do not experience time linearly, found Zek's obsession with accumulation of material wealth to be strange and adversarial. They "de-evolved" him to a more primitive state, resembling the less greedy ancestors of the Ferengi. They threaten to de-evolve Quark as well, but Quark warns them that if he is also changed, more curious Ferengi will visit the wormhole looking for answers. Because the Prophets like their privacy and find Ferengi annoying, they release Quark and restore Zek to normal.

The episode was written by Ira Steven Behr &and Robert Hewitt Wolfe and was the first of eight episodes directed by cast[[René regularAuberjonois]], who also plays Odo.<ref name="directors">{{cite web |title=Trek Directors' School: Rene Auberjonois |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/trek-directors-school-rene-auberjonois |website=StarTrek.com |date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Rene Auberjonois Dies at 79|url=https://comicbook.com/startrek/news/star-trek-rene-auberjonois-deep-space-nine-odo-death-dead-obituary/ |website=Comicbook.com |access-date=2021-05-17 }}</ref><ref name="tor.com" /> The story was inspired by a story by William N. Stape.<ref name="UCR">Sullivan, Al. [http://www.hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/2415138/article--Beam-me-up--Scotty--Local-writer-makes-name-in-Star-Trek-universe?instance=search_results "'Beam me up, Scotty'; Local writer makes name in Star Trek universe"], ''[[The Hudson Reporter]]'', March 28, 2008. Accessed March 19, 2017. "A resident of Bayonne since he was 10 years old, William Stape, 39, has become a part of the Star Trek universe, both as the author of scripts for ''The Next Generation'' and ''Deep Space Nine'' TV series, but also by recently unveiling details concerning the sets of the upcoming Star Trek movie.... 'I've always been a science fiction, fantasy, and horror fan,' he said, recalling times at Bayonne High School when he used to discuss the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, who authored ''The Lord of the Rings.''... Born in Jersey City, Stape moved with his family to the Toms River area before relocating to Bayonne."</ref><ref name="tor.com" />

Zack Handlen of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' notes that when humor is marked out as "comic relief" and draws attention to itself, that usually means it's not working, "But sometimes, it works, and “Prophet Motive” is one of those times."<ref>{{cite web |date=2012-10-25 |author=Zack Handlen |title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: "Destiny"/"Prophet Motive" |url=https://www.avclub.com/star-trek-deep-space-nine-destiny-prophet-motive-1798174764 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] }}</ref>

Keith R.A. DeCandido of ''[[Tor.com]]'' gave the episode 3two out of 10ten.<ref name="tor.com">{{Cite web |date=2013-12-13 |last=DeCandido |first=Keith R. A. |title=Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Rewatch: "Prophet Motive" |url=https://www.tor.com/2013/12/13/star-trek-deep-space-nine-rewatch-prophet-motive/ |website=[[Tor.com]] |access-date=2021-05-16 }}</ref>

* {{MemoryalphaMemory Alpha}}

* {{StarTrek.com episode|prophet-motive}}

[[Category:Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 3) episodes]]