Pel was a female Ferengi who lived during the late-24th century.
Pel was an advocate of women's rights, believing females were just as capable at making profit as males. Unlike most of her race, especially the males, she was not greedy and was extremely rebellious towards the Grand Nagus.
In 2370, while going against Ferengi customs, Pel made herelf a pair of synthetic lobes to disguise herself as a male, and gained employment as a waiter at Quark's bar on Deep Space 9. She claimed she had specifically chose to work there because she "wanted to learn from the very best."
Shortly after her hire, she joined a tongo game with Quark, Jadzia Dax, Rom, and others, when Pel advised Quark to stock Gramilian sand peas as a complementary dish to double his beverage profits.
Following the arrival of Grand Nagus Zek at the station, Pel warned Quark to be careful with the opportunity Zek offered him with in leading negotiations with the Dosi to purchase Tulaberry wine. She explained that "[i]f the negotiations are profitable, then the Nagus becomes a greater hero than ever. But if they fail, he's going to need someone to take the blame." Upon taking Pel's advice, he offered her to join him as an assistant for twenty percent of Quark's profits.
Pel became fast friends with Dax, who joined her another day in the replimat, after Dax' curiosity was piqued as she found it unusual to see a Ferengi there eating non-Ferengi food, admitting that she liked to try new things. When Dax shared how she had observed the way Pel looked at Quark, Pel confided in Dax that she was a female, and while she had broke tradition to earn profit, she never intended to fall in love with Quark.
Later, after joining Quark on a mission to the Dosi homeworld, were her advice was instrumental in obtaining an extended contact with the Dosi. During the mission, she kissed Quark.
Meanwhile, on the station, Rom, who was jealous of Pel, went through Pel's quarters and discovered the case for her synthetic ears. Following Quark and Pel's return, Rom threatened to expose Pel as a female, but was convinced to keep her secret in exchange for ownership of Quark's Bar.
Pel ultimately revealed her secret to Grand Nagus Zek anyway after he promised her a bright future. Zek was going to have Pel and Quark arrested, because it was against Ferengi law to take financial advice from a female, but Quark pointed out to the Nagus that he, too, was guilty, as he had also taken advice from her. The Nagus agreed to keep Pel's secret in exchange for Quark's Gamma Quadrant profits. Pel told Quark that she loved him, but he told her she would not be happy as a Ferengi wife. He gave her ten bars of latinum to start a new life somewhere else.
Pel then left the station on an Andorian transport destined for the Gamma Quadrant, as there was no place for a clothed Ferengi female with good business sense. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")
Appendices[]
Background information[]
Pel was played by actress Hélène Udy.
The character is the first Ferengi female seen on-screen. Quark's mother Ishka would later make an appearance in "Family Business".
"Rules of Acquisition" was initially to be a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Writer Hilary J. Bader's pitch had Pel becoming involved with William Riker. Beverly Crusher then finds out, and she and Pel develop a kind of sisterhood. The story was subsequently deemed more suitable for Deep Space Nine that was populated with Ferengi. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 96)
The script for "Rules of Acquisition" describes the relationship between Quark and Pel; "There's a real rapport between these two that Dax picks up on. Rom can see it too and it leaves him seething with jealousy." Later, of the scene in which Pel removes her fake lobes, it says, "Pel opens the case up (we don't see its contents) and then stares back for a beat at the mirror before reaching up and gently PULLING OFF HIS LOBES revealing the small delicately shaped ears of a Ferengi female. Yes, that's right, Quark's assistant and friend is really a woman. She carefully places the synthetic ears into the case which we now see houses two extra pair of lobes. The interior of the case has all kinds of tech devices to keep them looking and feeling real. Pel then takes off her jacket revealing the outline of her breasts." [1]
Udy enjoyed playing Pel, whom she described as "a very determined young woman who was trying to change the role of females within her species. She had tremendous courage and tremendous honour. And she was a boundary breaker. The character was an absolute honour to play because the character’s soul was so full of honour." In preparation for the role, the actress called one of her boyfriend's friends who was a Star Trek fan, staying on the phone for over an hour discussing the Ferengi. Aside from this, however, she didn't do too much studying so as not to get caught up in what was expected of her. "Once I found the voice, I found the character," she explained. "I loved the characters courage. That was my grounding post. I did not actually study too much on Ferengis except with the information I was given. I am glad of this. It allowed me to look at the needs of the script and the story and form the character form there, as opposed to getting caught up in what the producers might expect, and getting lost in that vortex of people pleasing. The need to please can often kill the ability to venture out. It is always best for me, to come from my own heart and hope for the best." [2] [3]
Though she enjoyed playing the character, Udy did experience a number of issues with the Ferengi makeup. "We had the hardest time with the kiss, because the dentures were modelled very carefully after Piranha teeth. And they were extremely sharp. We had a few painful encounters. But Armin was such a lovely and welcoming guy. And very funny. He had great comic timing. We got over it." As a result of wearing the makeup for long periods of time, Udy also learned that she was in fact claustrophobic. "This uncontrollable need to tear my face off as the day wore on almost overcame me one very long 14 hour day. In my delusion, I called my then boyfriend and told him that I was very close to pulling my face off. Lucky for me, we lived 5 minutes from the set and he appeared immediately to make sure I did nothing stupid. But I do think the producer was aware that I was losing my mind." As a result of her unfortunate experience, the producers of the show warned future guest stars against auditioning if they had claustrophobia, something Udy thought was a shame. "Kind of a pity." she recalled. "Pel had the potential to recur, but they knew in that first episode that my claustrophobia would make that unlikely." [4]
The case in which Pel carried her lobes was designed by Illustrator Jim Martin, while Makeup Designer Michael Westmore created the lobes themselves. Property Master Joe Longo was charged with making the case, which he did from scratch. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 98)
The idea of putting breasts on Pel so the audience knew she was a female was the idea of Director David Livingston. "A director has to take what's in the script and then make sure that all of the intentions are realized visually," he recalled. "I asked them to give her breasts. Because just taking off an ear, to a Human audience, doesn't necessarily signal a female." Indeed, Livingston thought Udy as Pel was, "just extraordinary. I've talked to people who've said that they didn't know she was a woman until she took off her vest." Ira Steven Behr said in agreement, "One of the problems of doing science fiction is you're ultimately dealing with Human actors and Human concepts and a TV show isn't a book where you can imagine all kinds of things. So, yeah, it's very important that the audience gets it, up front, right away." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion, p. 97; Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p.65)
Though he was happy with some elements of Pel's episode, Behr had mixed feelings overall, especially in relation to the kiss between her and Quark. "I thought they blew the big scene in the tent when [Pel] kisses [Quark]. It was not done the way I expected it to be. It was too schticky and slapstick and it should have been a wonderful, confusing scene. I was not a happy camper when I saw those dailies." (Captains' Logs Supplemental - The Unauthorized Guide to the New Trek Voyages, p.65)
Armin Shimerman hoped that Pel would make a reappearance: “Well we might see Pel again because the writers like her”. (Dreamwatch #29, “Quark Express”)
In his review of "Rules of Acquisition", Star Trek author Keith R.A. DeCandido wrote that Udy, "does a fine job as Pel", going on to describe Pel herself as, "an interesting character, who earns Quark’s respect (and Rom’s ire), but she ruins all of it by letting her infatuation with Quark get in the way of her mission, which is to earn profit as a female. It cuts the episode off at the knees by not letting her be what she can be because of a romance." [5]
Apocrypha[]
In Legends of the Ferengi, Pel is shown under Rule of Acquisition #33; "It never hurts to suck up to the boss." An image from "Rules of Acquisition" showing Quark groveling to Grand Nagus Zek with Pel looking on is included with the caption, "Some would call this groveling. To a good businessman, it's tactical. It also impresses the females. Note the admiration in Pel's eyes."
Pel also appears in the Seven Deadly Sins novella Reservoir Ferengi, in which she becomes stuck on the planet Solamin Prime during the Dominion War, where she learns how to pilot shuttlecraft. Later, in 2377, Pel partners up with Gaila, serving as his pilot aboard the Golden Handshake. At the same time, Brunt becomes another partner of hers, causing Gaila to suspect that they are plotting against him. He orders his Breen guards to kill them both, though Brunt saves Pel and the two began a new partnership.
In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine eBook Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found), Pel works with Rionoj and T'lana to get Quark to help them publish Vulcan Love Slave IV: Lust's Latinum Lost.
External links[]
- Pel at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works