I Forgot Star Trek: DS9’s Quark Had The Weirdest TNG Season 1 Appearance

I had forgotten that Star Trek actor Armin Shimerman, best known for playing Ferengi bartender Quark in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also made an incredibly weird appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1. Because the Star Trek franchise has been going for almost 60 years, you'll often find familiar Star Trek actors in minor roles before becoming iconic characters. This is especially true for actors like Shimerman, who are not only versatile character actors, but also able to tolerate long days in heavy makeup, as Star Trek so often demands.

In the cold open of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 11, "Haven", a strange silver box with a humanoid face transports onto the USS Enterprise-D. Once Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) enters the transporter room, the box seems to come to life and recites a gleeful programmed message courtesy of Deanna's mother, Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry). When Lt. Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby) curiously approaches the silver box, a hidden compartment spills jewels onto the transporter pad. This, Troi uneasily explains, is a bonding gift for her upcoming wedding.

Star Trek: DS9’s Armin Shimerman Played Troi’s Wedding Box In TNG Season 1

I'm Glad Betazoid Wedding Boxes Didn't Stick Around ... They're Creepy

Deanna Troi's wedding box in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 11, "Haven", was played by none other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Armin Shimerman. It's easy to understand how Shimerman's weird TNG role can be forgotten, because Troi's wedding box only appears in the TNG episode's cold open, and this is long before Quark became Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's best Ferengi. As such a minor part, Shimerman's Star Trek: The Next Generation role goes uncredited, but after hearing the voice that issues from the silver-faced artifact, there's no doubt that it's DS9's future Quark actor.

Ostensibly, the talking gift box is a staple of Betazoid culture, but it seems to be one of the weird things about Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 that didn't last. It could be that Betazoids only use gift boxes with "bonding gifts" like the one from "Haven" in conjunction with arranged marriages, since we don't see a wedding box used for either Lwaxana's wedding in DS9 or Deanna's wedding in Star Trek: Nemesis. The Betazoid gift box does, however, show up in Star Trek: Lower Decks, which makes perfect sense for the animated series' love of obscure references.

Armin Shimerman Also Played Ferengi On Star Trek: TNG Before Quark - And He Hated It

Early Ferengi Characters On TNG Were Not As Interesting As Quark

Before making Quark an iconic Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character, Armin Shimerman was cast as one of Star Trek's first Ferengi characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 5, "The Last Outpost". Shimerman didn't like the one-note interpretation of the Ferengi as TNG's newest—and greediest—aliens. These early Ferengi were supposed to contrast the ideals of the Federation's post-scarcity, equitable utopia, but TNG was guilty of reducing the Ferengi to their materialistic desires and sexist attitudes. Ferengi in TNG season 1 lacked the complexity that made the Klingons and Romulans such captivating Star Trek villains.

Armin Shimerman sought to change that when he was cast as Quark. Because Quark was a series regular on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, there was more room to explore what truly motivated Quark, and what the values of the Ferengi culture actually were. Quark was still materialistic and casually misogynistic, but Shimerman's expertise as a theatrical character actor meant there were reasons for Quark's behavior. Shimerman's portrayal of Quark as a complex individual helped DS9 redefine the Ferengi as aliens with a rich culture. That's a far cry from being a talking box in Star Trek: The Next Generation