The Battle

TNG Season 1 Episode 9
Air Date: November 16th, 1987

Plot

The Ferengi make an arrangement to meet the Enterprise, specifically Picard to give him a gift. The identify Picard as the "Hero of Maxia" where Picard as captain of the USS Stargazer destroyed an unknown ship when they were attacked. The unknown ship turned out to be a Ferengi ship. DaiMon Bak gives the ship to Picard but leaves a mind control device on the ship that is tuned to Picard's brain waves. Picard starts getting headaches and eventually believes he is back on the Stargazer flying into battle.

He almost destroys the Enterprise but Data was able to calculate a counter to the expected attack. They are able to communicate with Picard and get him to destroy the mind control device. The first officer of the Ferengi vessel takes Bok into custody as he decides revenge was not profitable and broke Ferengi law.

Commentary

I didn't realize how prevalent the Ferengi are in the first season. Only 9 episodes in and they have been mentioned once and are the main protagonist of two of the episodes. This episode started to focus the Ferengi into a species where profit is priority.

This episode defined the Picard maneuver, which was the trick he used to defeat the Ferengi in the Stargazer. The maneuver involved making a micro warp jump towards he ship you wanted to attack which for a split second would make the ship appear to be in two places at once making it less likely that the ship would shoot the correct ship. Later we will see a variant called the Riker maneuver.

Quotes

"The android was mentioned, too. What is its price? We should like to purchase it." - Kazago
"He is not for sale. Commander Data is, um, is, um" - Picard
"is second-hand merchandise, and you wouldn't want him." - Riker

"As you Humans say, I'm all ears." - Kazago

"Die well, Captain." - DaiMon Bok

"Where is Bok?" - Picard
"Removed from command, sir, and placed under guard for his act of personal vengeance. Seems there was no profit in it." - Riker
"In revenge there never is." - Picard