Who Mourns for Morn?
"Who Mourns for Morn?" is the 136th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and the 12th episode of the sixth season. This episode is centered on the character Quark, who manages a bar on the Deep Space Nine space station.
| "Who Mourns for Morn?" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 12 |
| Directed by | Victor Lobl |
| Written by | Mark Gehred-O'Connell |
| Featured music | David Bell |
| Production code | 536 |
| Original air date | February 4, 1998 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
| |
Mark Allen Shepherd, who portrays Morn, a character that has no lines and whose presentation as an alien involves wearing a thick costume mask and suit,[1] gets a cameo as a Bajoran mourner at Morn’s memorial service (Quark asks him to keep Morn’s chair warm), revealing the actor’s normal appearance.[2][3]
Plot
The crew is shocked to learn that Morn has been killed in an ion storm. True to form, Quark sees an opportunity for profit and throws a memorial party at his bar. Sisko interrupts with surprising news — Morn has left Quark his entire estate. Although Morn's financial records indicate that he was broke, Quark searches Morn's quarters for hidden assets. Instead, he finds Morn's ex-wife, Larell, who tells Quark about Morn's hidden retirement fund of a thousand bricks of gold-pressed latinum. This episode clarifies for the first time that latinum is a fluid which is customarily "pressed", in small yet highly valuable ratios, into gold to make it easier to handle; the gold itself, which, unlike latinum, can easily be replicated, is worthless by 24th-century standards.
Quark offers Larell ten percent to keep her out of his hair, but he is unable to find the loot. He returns to his quarters to find two alien brothers, Krit and Nahsk. Claiming to be Morn's business associates, they tell Quark that Morn owes them all of the latinum. Quark tries to bargain when Nahsk smashes one of Morn's paintings over Quark's head. The two parties finally agree to a figure of fifty percent, and the brothers leave. Moments later, Quark discovers a storage locker claim slip woven into what's left of the painting.
Quark opens the locker, but finds only one brick of latinum inscribed with a message that the rest is in a Bank of Bolias. He hurries home to send for the rest of his inheritance, but another stranger, Hain, emerges from the shadows.
Claiming to be a security officer from Morn's home planet, Hain explains that Morn is a prince, and that his latinum is the property of the royal family. When he learns Larell is on the station, he offers Quark a reward for her capture. Later, Quark finds Larell waiting for him in his quarters. Krit and Nahsk soon show up, followed by Hain. Quark learns that their stories are all lies — the four of them robbed the central bank of Lissepia (aka the Lissepian Mother's Day heist) with Morn, who ran off with all of the money. With the statute of limitations now expired, they came to collect, and now that Quark has sent for the latinum, they no longer need him.
Quark reminds the group that he must be there to take the delivery, so they agree to split the money five ways. However, the "partners" try to double cross each other, and Quark runs for cover until Odo arrives to arrest the four thieves. Quark excitedly examines the latinum, only to discover that the bars have had all the latinum extracted, leaving mere gold. Resigned to his fate, Quark returns to the bar to find Morn, alive and well. He faked his own death, leaving Quark to get the others out of the way. Morn then reveals where he really hid the latinum — in his second stomach. He regurgitates a few milliliters (100 bricks worth) as a reward for Quark, making the whole experience a worthwhile one after all.
References
- The Making of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine by Judith Reeves-Stevens
- Who was Who on TV, Volume 3 By Norman Chance
- Reeves-Stevens, Judith; Reeves-Stevens, Garfield (1994). The Making of Star Trek, Deep Space Nine. Pocket Books. ISBN 9780671874308.