Memory Alpha

  • View history

Morn was a male Lurian courier of the 24th century . He owned a shipping business that specialized in the transport of various mundane cargos . Morn gained a reputation while living on Deep Space 9 of being social and highly talkative, and he enjoyed a wide variety of alcoholic beverages as a frequent patron of Quark's and his best customer. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

  • 1 Lissepian Mother's Day Heist
  • 2 Life on Deep Space 9
  • 3 Personal life
  • 4 Alternate timeline
  • 5.1 Appearances
  • 5.2 Background information
  • 5.3 Apocrypha
  • 5.4 External links

Lissepian Mother's Day Heist [ ]

Morn was one of five thieves who stole a thousand bricks of gold -pressed latinum from the Central Bank of Lissepia in the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist of 2365 . Morn somehow extracted the latinum from the bricks, then deposited the gold in the Bank of Bolias and stored the liquid latinum in his second stomach , causing most of his hair to fall out. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

Life on Deep Space 9 [ ]

Morn, 2371

Morn during a typical day at Quark's

The first time Morn walked into Quark's was around 2364 , a time when he still had his hair. Quark thought he was just another customer passing through, when he sat down in what would soon be known as "his stool ". Little did Quark know he would become such an important figure in his life, and to his bar (indeed, one of Quark's personal " Rules of Acquisition " was " When Morn leaves, it's all over "). ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ", " The House of Quark ")

After the Cardassians retreated from Bajor in 2369 , Morn remained on Deep Space 9, which was then under Federation control. Morn spent most of his time at Quark's, becoming his most reliable customer and occasional business partner (notably in an attempt to setup an illegal Cardassian vole fighting ring; he was discovered painting numbers on the voles, and the operation was halted). ( DS9 : " Through the Looking Glass ", " Emissary ") Morn, while walking on the upper level of the Promenade in 2369, viewed Lursa and B'Etor arriving on Deep Space 9. ( DS9 : " Past Prologue ") In 2370 , with his freighter rendered inoperable during a warp core retrofit , Morn was seen evacuating the space station on the last available runabout , the USS Ganges , during a short-lived Bajoran coup . ( DS9 : " The Siege ") In 2371 , Morn sat near Tom Paris in Quark's and watched as Quark tried to scam Ensign Harry Kim into buying worthless Lobi crystals , which Quark said he had obtained from a strange creature called a "Morn". ( VOY : " Caretaker ")

Morn and Darts

Morn, after getting darts thrown at him by Quark

Odo saved Morn from becoming a victim of illegal search and seizure by a belligerent Klingon posse on the Promenade, who asked Morn " …what he was doing so far away from the Ionite Nebula . " ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ") Quark even let Morn run the bar temporarily while he was on a trip to Earth in 2372 . ( DS9 : " Little Green Men ")

In the weeks leading up to the Dominion War , Morn went berserk after hearing Quark predict the coming doom. He hit Quark with a barstool and ran out of the bar and through the Promenade, screaming, " We're all doomed! " He then ran into the Bajoran shrine , stark naked , and began crying to the Prophets for protection. ( DS9 : " Blaze of Glory ")

Morn Dennis Madalone

Morn at Quark's

During the Dominion 's control of Terok Nor , Morn took a trip to see his mother on her birthday , and brought an encoded message to Captain Benjamin Sisko from the resistance forces on the station, containing vital information about the Cardassians' timetable for disabling the minefield blocking the Bajoran wormhole from the Dominion's forces in the Gamma Quadrant . When Admiral Ross questioned whether the message was reliable, Sisko responded that he had known Morn for five years and trusted him. Morn's actions spurred the Federation to launch Operation Return , thereby saving the Alpha Quadrant . ( DS9 : " Favor the Bold ")

Morn attended the pre- wedding party thrown by Jadzia Dax in her quarters . He almost got into a fight with a Bolian , but the two managed to work things out. He eventually passed out behind the couch , leaving the following morning with an obvious hangover . ( DS9 : " You Are Cordially Invited ")

Morn jumja stick

Morn enjoys a jumja stick

In mid- 2374 , Morn went away on a business trip, leaving a shipment of Livanian beets in Cargo Bay 3 .

The previous time Morn went away, Quark's sales dropped almost five percent . So, while he was gone, Quark created a hologram of the Lurian because his bar was incomplete without him. People loved Morn, and he felt that he was a mascot – everyone who came into the bar expected to see him, and if they didn't, it didn't feel like home, which wasn't good for Quark's business.

After a period of over two weeks, the beets Morn had left in the cargo bay began to rot, prompting Odo to seek him out in Quark's and ask that he remove them from the cargo bay. At the time, however, Morn was gone, and Quark had placed the hologram of the Lurian at "his stool", temporarily fooling Odo, to Quark's delight.

Morn art and Bajoran mourner

Morn's funeral display at Quark's (2374)

Moments later, Quark got word that Morn's cargo ship had been caught in an ion storm , where he had died . Following Morn's memorial , Quark learned from Benjamin Sisko , who unsealed Morn's will , that everything of Morn's was left to Quark: four cargo containers of beets, a mud bath " bed ", a painting of a matador , and one-thousand bricks of gold-pressed latinum (in assay office locker 137).

It was later determined that Morn had faked his own death, after the statute of limitations ran out against the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist, in order to throw his fellow thieves off his trail. In return for Quark's assistance in getting the four other thieves off of his back, he offered Quark a quantity of the latinum that he had hidden in his second stomach. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

Personal life [ ]

Morns hot tub

Morn's "hot mud tub"

Morn had seventeen brothers and sisters . ( DS9 : " Starship Down ", " Chrysalis ")

Although he owned his own ship , Morn kept his quarters aboard Deep Space 9. His quarters were exceptionally spartan, containing a "hot tub" of mud, where he slept , and a painting of a matador. ( DS9 : " In the Cards ", " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

Morn in love

Morn in love

Morn was quite the ladies' man and was often seen with a beautiful woman by his side. Starfleet officer Jadzia Dax once asked out Morn, who declined. She did say she thought he was cute, ( DS9 : " Progress ") and prior to 2372 , later admitted that she used to have a little crush on him. As she explained it, however, he wasn't interested. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ") Morn was attracted to several other females aboard the station and was frequently seen flirting with some, such as a Bajoran woman who received a hand kiss from him ( DS9 : " The Forsaken "), as well as a Kobheerian ( DS9 : " Dramatis Personae "), and a Human Starfleet officer , to whom he gave a flower in exchange for a kiss on the cheek, before walking away arm-in-arm. ( DS9 : " Let He Who Is Without Sin... ")

Morn also enjoyed playing dabo , but couldn't get the hang of darts . ( DS9 : " Accession ") He and Worf frequently sparred, having weekly combat in the holosuite . Worf thought that he was an excellent sparring partner. ( DS9 : " Who Mourns for Morn? ")

In 2401 , "Morn of Luria" was identified as a known associate of the Ferengi Sneed in his Starfleet Criminal Record . ( PIC : " Disengage ", " Imposters ")

Alternate timeline [ ]

In an alternate future , Morn attended the memorial service for Benjamin Sisko on the Promenade. He also ran Quark's in 2405 , with the station under Klingon control. In 2422 , he still ran the bar, which was named Morn's . Julian Bashir mentioned that Dax, Nog , and Jake Sisko could visit Morn's for a drink. ( DS9 : " The Visitor ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

  • " Emissary " (Season One)
  • " A Man Alone "
  • " Past Prologue "
  • " Captive Pursuit "
  • " The Passenger "
  • " Move Along Home "
  • " The Nagus "
  • " Battle Lines "
  • " The Storyteller "
  • " Progress "
  • " If Wishes Were Horses "
  • " The Forsaken "
  • " Dramatis Personae "
  • " In the Hands of the Prophets "
  • " The Siege " (Season Two)
  • " Rules of Acquisition "
  • " Necessary Evil "
  • " Sanctuary "
  • " The Alternate "
  • " Playing God "
  • " Profit and Loss "
  • " The Wire "
  • " The Jem'Hadar "
  • " The House of Quark " (Season Three)
  • " Fascination "
  • " Prophet Motive "
  • " Visionary "
  • " Explorers "
  • " Family Business "
  • " Shakaar "
  • " The Way of the Warrior " (Season Four)
  • " The Visitor "
  • " Rejoined "
  • " Little Green Men "
  • " Starship Down "
  • " Homefront "
  • " Sons of Mogh "
  • " Bar Association "
  • " Accession "
  • " Rules of Engagement "
  • " Body Parts "
  • " Apocalypse Rising " (Season Five)
  • " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places "
  • " Trials and Tribble-ations "
  • " The Assignment "
  • " Let He Who Is Without Sin... "
  • " Rapture "
  • " In Purgatory's Shadow "
  • " Doctor Bashir, I Presume "
  • " A Simple Investigation "
  • " Business as Usual "
  • " Ferengi Love Songs "
  • " Empok Nor "
  • " In the Cards "
  • " Call to Arms "
  • " A Time to Stand " (Season Six)
  • " Behind the Lines "
  • " Favor the Bold "
  • " You Are Cordially Invited "
  • " Resurrection "
  • " Statistical Probabilities "
  • " The Magnificent Ferengi "
  • " Who Mourns for Morn? "
  • " One Little Ship "
  • " Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night "
  • " Inquisition "
  • " His Way "
  • " The Reckoning "
  • " Valiant "
  • " Profit and Lace "
  • " Time's Orphan "
  • " The Sound of Her Voice "
  • " Tears of the Prophets "
  • " Image in the Sand " (Season Seven)
  • " Afterimage "
  • " Take Me Out to the Holosuite "
  • " Chrysalis "
  • " Once More Unto the Breach "
  • " The Emperor's New Cloak "
  • " Field of Fire "
  • " Chimera "
  • " Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang "
  • " Penumbra "
  • " The Dogs of War "
  • " What You Leave Behind "
  • TNG : " Birthright, Part I "
  • VOY : " Caretaker "
  • LD : " Hear All, Trust Nothing "

Background information [ ]

Livingston directing Morn

In his guise as Morn, Mark Allen Shepherd receives directions from David Livingston

Morn was played by actor Mark Allen Shepherd . However, Ira Steven Behr once joked, " Actually, I play Morn. Marc Shephard is just an actor I've hired to confuse the fans at conventions … but don't tell anyone… It's a secret… " Behr also referred to the character as "our favorite barfly." ( AOL chat , 1997 )

The character of Morn was, essentially, something of a gag that the program's producers were playing on just about everyone else. Though other characters repeatedly referred to him as being talkative, social, and excitable, Morn was never actually shown doing anything much other than imbibing, and quietly at that, at Quark's bar.

Before the series was aired, Morn was simply known by staff as "the Grinch". Mark Allen Shepherd almost did not become Morn. Despite being hired for the role, the production crew accidentally left him off the calling list when they began filming DS9 series premiere " Emissary ". By what Shepherd claims was intuition, he decided one day to wander onto the Paramount lot and see what was going on. Coincidentally that very day, Morn was to be filmed, so Shepherd ended up making his first appearance as Morn in "Emissary". The actor's contribution impressed the producers so much that Morn was made a recurring character. ( The Making of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine )

"Morn" is an anagram for Norm , the barfly played by George Wendt in the TV show Cheers . ( Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 54)) Morn was first identified by name in " Vortex " (although his name had previously been used in the scripts for " Dax " and "The Nagus").

It is possible that Morn was androgynous since Odo, while making an announcement to passers-by on the Promenade of Deep Space 9 in " If Wishes Were Horses ", says " Ladies and gentlemen (noticing Morn walking by) … and all androgynous species… " It is reasonable to assume Odo was making a joke at Morn's expense, though given the gravity of the situation, he could have been serious. The former seems to be true since Morn is referred to as male in subsequent episodes.

According to Mark Allen Shepherd, over the years a number of episodes were written during which Morn spoke various snippets of dialogue, but his lines were always removed by the time the script was being shot. In one particular example, Morn was to come down the spiral staircase in Quark's wearing a tuxedo, having been in the holosuite using the Julian Bashir, Secret Agent holoprogram . Quark was mixing a drink for Morn at the bar, and Morn looked over at him and said, " Shaken, not stirred ." This scene remained through a number of script rewrites, to the point that Shepherd (in full Morn makeup) was actually fitted for a tuxedo, but at the last minute, the scene was removed. ("Morn Speaks", DS9 Season 7 DVD special features)

Shepherd also added: " There have been numerous scripts where they originally had Morn speaking. One such script had to do with the alternate universe. Unfortunately, they always got written out ". [1]

Aside from Mark Allen Shepherd, Dennis Madalone is the only stunt performer or actor to have portrayed Morn. In " Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places ", there is one stunt scene in which Morn is thrown from his bar stool by Worf, a stunt that was performed by Madalone.

During the fifth season , Ronald D. Moore , in an AOL chat, gave a summary of what was going on in the show, ending by joking that Morn had become President of the Federation . ( AOL chat , 1997 ) Moore later declined to comment on allegations that Morn had accepted illegal campaign contributions from the Ferengi or the Romulans , as a special counsel investigation on the matter was underway. ( AOL chat , 1997 )

In the episode " Who Mourns for Morn? ", Shepherd, without the Morn makeup, briefly appeared as the Bajoran customer whom Quark asks to fill Morn's seat. In relation to the character's namesake, the manner in which Dax shouts Morn's name upon seeing the hologram at Quark's, in "Who Mourns for Morn?", is reminiscent of the greeting Norm usually received as soon as he walked into Cheers. Morn was first identified by species in "Who Mourns for Morn?".

In an ultimately unused scene from the first draft script of " The Changing Face of Evil ", Morn was applauded and took a bow in Quark's, having read a poem , then made a quick exit from the bar. Kira Nerys and Julian Bashir were amazed by the poetry recital Morn had delivered. Bashir and Ezri Dax , who had just missed the event, assumed Morn had written the poem, though it was actually " Howl " by Allen Ginsberg , as Kira pointed out. Nonetheless, Ezri Dax admitted the incident showed there was more to Morn than they'd expected.

Although Morn does not feature in the next episode, " When It Rains... ", he was to have appeared at the start of a scene from that episode's first draft script. In it, he and Ezri Dax were on the Promenade, outside the infirmary , and Morn had apparently just given Dax some relationship advice regarding her feelings for Bashir, as Ezri stated, " You're right, I should just go in there and tell him how I feel. Thanks, Morn. " He nodded in response, and Ezri, now with a determined expression on her face, then left him.

Shepherd speculated, in a 1996 interview for Star Trek Monthly ( citation needed • edit ) , that Morn would probably speak the last line of the series – but that was ultimately spoken by Quark.

With ninety-three appearances, Morn appeared in more episodes of Deep Space Nine than Jake Sisko ( Cirroc Lofton ), a regular cast member with only seventy-one appearances.

Morn never spoke a single word throughout all of Deep Space Nine , with the only time he was ever depicted vocalizing being his laugh in the episode "The Nagus". In the German version of the episode " The Jem'Hadar ", however, he does speak; he is just about to tell Quark what has been troubling him when Quark simply walks away. Resigned, Morn mutters, " Dann nicht… " (roughly meaning " So much for that… "). These words are not uttered in the original English version. A very rare occurrence of Morn laughing can be heard at one point in " The Nagus ". ( Listen to Morn and Quark laughing  file info )

Morn, Julian Bashir, Quark, Gul Evek , and Admiral Chekote are the only characters to appear in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine prior to appearing in Star Trek: The Next Generation . Along with Quark, Q , and Evek, Morn is one of only four characters to appear in all of the first three Star Trek series based in the 24th century : Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager . Morn is one of five characters to appear in two series premieres ( DS9 : " Emissary " and VOY : " Caretaker "), the others being Quark, Jean-Luc Picard , Broik , and Miles O'Brien .

A character named Morn owns a pub in the Inheritance fantasy book series by Christopher Paolini . According to The Inheritance Almanac , the character was named after the Morn character from Deep Space Nine .

Apocrypha [ ]

In the short story "Mirror Eyes", from the anthology Tales of the Dominion War , the narrator, a Romulan Tal Shiar agent working undercover aboard DS9, identifies Morn as the only inhabitant of the station with whom she feels "an intellectual kinship."

In the video game Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Crossroads of Time , Morn can be found on the upper level at Quark's. He is the only character in the game that doesn't talk.

In the video game Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen , Morn makes several appearances on the Promenade between missions.

In Star Trek Online , Morn can still be found in Quark's bar. True to form, he has no spoken dialogue: in fact, anytime an opportunity arises for him to speak with the player, the screen cuts to black, and it is only in the aftermath that a third person descriptor is given of whatever it was he said.

In the Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Dawn of the Eagles , Morn first arrived on Terok Nor in 2365 during the events of " Necessary Evil ". He almost immediately sat down in what became his regular spot in Quark's. Although Morn would ultimately become his best customer, Quark was initially reluctant to serve him as he regarded Lurians as bad for business.

External links [ ]

  • Morn at StarTrek.com
  • Morn at Wikipedia
  • Morn at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • Morn at the Star Trek Online Wiki
  • Morn at Mornopedia - A Mornography – fan project of Morn's appearances in DS9 and other Star Trek shows
  • 3 Hoshi Sato

Star Trek home

  • More to Explore
  • Series & Movies

Published Apr 13, 2011

Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn - Part 2

star trek deep space nine morn

Yesterday, Mark Allen Shepherd shared his memories of playing the enigmatic and popular – and unheard – character Morn for seven seasons on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Here, in the second half of our conversation with Shepherd, he talks more about Morn, recounts how the show’s production team came to use his artwork on set, and fills us in on what he’s been up to since DS9 ended its run.

Did you love or hate your makeup team?

Shepherd: Award-winning makeup artists Hank Edds and  David Quashnick were my makeup artists, although there were others. David probably did the makeup for Morn more than anyone else. I have nothing but love and respect for those guys. They were my buddies. From 4:30 a.m. til the makeup came off when I was wrapped for the day, whenever the makeup needed touch up on the set or cleanup after lunch, (they were there). They were there when the mask became unglued around my eyes or needed a little extra color or KY jelly to give it a healthy shine.

What more can you tell us about the Morn mask?

Shepherd: I will always be very proud of the work that I did on DS9. Wearing the Morn mask is an inseparable part of that and at the time I just accepted it. An average work day in makeup was about 13 hours. Vincent Niebla, I understand, sculpted the first Morn head that was then used to make the mold from which all of the future Morn masks would come. I think there were 12 or possibly 13 masks made that I know of that were used in filming of DS9. The average was about two masks per season of filming. The first Morn mask was filled and set with glass eyes and went on the Star Trek traveling world tour. Other Morn masks were filled and sent out to various Star Trek exhibits. After the end of the show, Michael Westmore told me, “I think you should have one of these,” and he gave me the last Morn mask. I asked Michael if he liked I would be very proud to give him one of my art pieces. So I went to visit Michael at his home with about five or six of my favorite pieces. The one that Michael picked was a photo mosaic made up of black and white photos that were cut into one inch squares and glued onto an A3-size piece of showerboard that I finished with a clear polyurethane coat.  It´s a dark and complex composition with abstracted faces that somehow has a Picasso-esque charm in an alien or otherworldly sort of way.  Definitely one of my favorites.

How amazed were you by just how popular a cult figure Morn became? Fans loved – and still love -- him. You were everywhere, magazine covers, etc.

Shepherd: I was so amazed that I had to collect at least one copy of every magazine that had Morn on the cover or featured somehow inside: covers of Entertainment Weekly, Starburst, MAD magazine, Fangoria, DS9 comic books, as well as Newsweek, TV Guide, Star Trek Magazine, Starlog, Deep Space Nine Magazine, etc. It was unbelievable when the studio started delivering me large manila envelopes filled with fan mail. That went on during the entire run of the show. I´m told that every piece of fan mail represents an estimated 15,000 fans and when I received 1,000 pieces of fan mail that means that some 15 million fans love Morn -- a character that never said a word in the seven years that he was on the show. That´s how amazed I was. I was told by a publicist for the show “Did you know that we´ve been told by production to tone down your character a bit because we are starting to get more requests for pictures of Morn in print than some of the stars of the show.” In Germany, where I live now, there was a Star Trek 50th anniversary feature done in the local TV Guide & Movie magazine that had Morn listed number five in a top 10 list of the Most Curious Stories in Star Trek History. It´s just one of those things that has almost a magical quality to it and seems to take on a life of its own – and it’s something I´m very grateful for.

You also provided your artwork to the show. Take us through that. How did it happen? What pieces were you proudest to see on TV?

Shepherd: Well, I remember the week after Morn appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine that at lunchtime the production crew opened the big doors to the stage and in walked Mickey Michaels and Penny Juday of the DS9 art department. And they both at some point noticed me and said something about the magazine cover and my reply was, “Thank you and, if you like, I´m also an artist and would love to show you some of my work.” I was working the next day, so I brought in a large-format 24x48-inch Kodak photo pager box filled with paintings that I did. I showed it that day to Penny and Mickey Michaels, who were immediately impressed and told me that it was exactly the sort of thing they were looking for to use as set dressing in quarters of the main characters on the show.

So, the following day, I had the day off and came back and worked out a deal. And since then I had some 24 works of art of mine used as set dressing, including bold and colorful abstract water color paintings, photomosaics, collages, as well as works of mixed media. I was also referred to a local prop house that supplies props for set dressing to the entertainment industry in Hollywood. There I was fortunate to have several other works of mine, including large format photographs, paintings and others that continue even to this day to go out periodically to work as set dressing on various productions. I still get checks a couple times a year from them for the use of my artwork.

Where are those pieces now?

Shepherd: Not all of the pieces were accounted for. After the show ended and I went to pick up my art, it was discovered that some pieces had mysteriously disappeared. For those that disappeared, I can´t say. Many pieces got auctioned for charity at William Campbell´s Fantasticon, which donated proceeds to the Motion Picture and Television Fund -- which supports the Country House and Hospital for Actors and their families. Campbell some might remember played the Klingon Captain Koloth in the TOS “ The Trouble with Tribbles ” and the super-being Trelane in “ The Squire of Gothos ” (and also guest starred as Koloth on DS9) . Some of my prop art pieces were sold and some I still have.

Who from the old days are you still in touch with?

Shepherd: I am always happy to see old friends from DS9 , other shows and of course the fans at conventions. I have a Facebook page, which I find is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family that I would probably be out of touch with otherwise. I have a lovely wife and a family, which take up most of my time. Other than that, I´m in love with my private life, which, fortunately for me, (was protected by) wearing the mask of Morn for seven seasons of DS9 . I can go anywhere I like and be anonymous, with the exception of conventions or when I choose to break my anonymity.  That´s not to say I´m not interested. I love to work and will work with anyone that wants to work with me.

What would you like to think Morn is doing these days?

Shepherd: Morn found life outside of the bar and is perhaps gallivanting across the galaxy somewhere on the adventure of a lifetime. Morn will be back though, if only to visit Quark´s -- his favorite bar. It’s a familiar haunt that possibly still echoes with the laughter of his friends and the sound of his name.

What have you been up to post- DS9 ?

Shepherd: I act whenever I can. I have an English conversation class that I teach every week and a qigong class I´ll teach that starts later this month. I’m continually studying photography and now work mostly in Camera Raw, a professional digital format. Most of my artwork today is digital as well and exists virtually by the miracle of computers. I spend two or more hours a day studying my craft.

I played the character role of King Fernando in a feature film that takes place in the Middle Ages and has a story that centers around the Knights Templar. It’s called the Knights of St. Albans , directed and produced by Axel Loh, a German filmmaker. That is scheduled to be finished sometime next year. I periodically get asked to do English-speaking voiceover work. I produced a DS9 parody music video to the Steppenwolf song “Born to be Wild” called “Morn to be Wild.” My lovely wife Tanja and two beautiful kids are by far my greatest achievement and what I´m most proud of. And I´m involved in project called Gatekeeper , which I´ll be filming in Sweden and Norway later this year. That also coincides with a sci-fi convention in Stockholm, Sweden, in the beginning of December.

Where do you keep your Morn action figure?

Shepherd: Morn stands just in back of the right-hand corner of my computer keyboard and in front of my computer screen. He´s always there in front of me, just a little reminder of my own adventure of a lifetime and the tremendous experience I had playing Morn on DS9.

To read part one of our interview with Mark Allen Shepherd, click HERE . And to visit Shepherd’s official site, click HERE .

Get Updates By Email

  • Space Exploration

Screen Rant

Star trek's dax thought morn was cute & 9 other ds9 reveals.

Star Trek's Morn may have kept to himself, but Dax's favorite Lurian courier had a wild life that became a running joke on Deep Space Nine.

  • Morn, the beloved barfly in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, appeared in more episodes than Jake Sisko without uttering a single word.
  • Morn's criminal past was revealed in an episode where he faked his death after being involved in a heist.
  • Morn had various love interests and was even Worf's sparring partner in the holosuites.

From Lt. Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) finding him cute, to his gift for poetry, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine revealed a number of wild details about its resident barfly Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd) across its seven seasons. Named after the beloved Norm (George Wendt) in the classic sitcom Cheers , Morn propped up the bar at Quark's throughout seven seasons of DS9 . Morn never uttered a word on screen, despite actor Mark Allen Shepherd claiming that lines would be written for the character before being cut from the finished script. One notable example was an apparent scene where Morn is dressed in a tuxedo and ordering a drink " shaken not stirred " after playing a James Bond holonovel.

Incredibly, Morn is one Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character who appeared in more episodes than Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton). Mark Allen Shepherd has 93 DS9 credits to his name, while Cirroc Lofton only has 71, without uttering a single word. Morn became such a beloved character that he took center stage in the classic Star Trek: DS9 episode, "Who Mourns for Morn?" However, Morn's gruff and quiet exterior belies a wild life of criminality, romance, and artistry that would regularly be hinted at throughout DS9 .

RELATED: Before Voyager, A Borg Queen Actor Romanced Star Trek: DS9’s Dax

10 DS9's Dax Thought Morn Was Cute

Star trek: deep space nine, season 1, episode 15, "progress".

Traveling to Bajor's fifth moon, Jerrada, Dax and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) discuss the Quark's Bar regular in the Runabout. Morn has recently asked Jadzia out for dinner, much to Kira's shock and mild horror. Although Dax says she turned Morn's offer down, she does note that the " seven or eight little wiry hairs that come out of his forehead " make him look kind of cute. Kira is visibly bewildered by this revelation, but as one of Star Trek: DS9 's Trill , Dax is clearly a lot more open-minded than the Bajoran Major. Later, in "Who Mourns For Morn?" Dax reveals that she did indeed have a crush on him, but he turned her down.

9 Morn Speaks German

Star trek: deep space nine, season 2, episode 26, "the jem'hadar".

In the whole of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Morn is only ever heard laughing, and even that is rare. However, there is a bizarre exception in the German language edit of the season 2 finale, "The Jem'Hadar." In a scene at Quark's Bar, Morn is about to explain to Quark (Armin Shimerman) what was bothering him, but the Ferengi bartender walked away before he could speak. In the original version, Morn stays silent, but in the German edit, Morn says " Dann nicht… " which roughly translates as " So much for that… " It's possible that this is one of the lines that was written for Morn but cut, but remained in translated scripts for the German dub.

8 DS9's Morn Appears In 4 Star Trek Shows

Ds9, tng, voyager, and lower decks.

As well as appearing in 93 episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Morn made cameo appearances in three other Trek shows in the 1990s and 2020s. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Birthright", Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) passes Morn while trying to locate the information broker who claims to have the location of his father. Later, in the pilot episode of Star Trek: Voyager , Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) is stood next to Morn at the bar while he intervenes in Quark's conning of Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang). Years later, in Star Trek: Lower Decks ' DS9 crossover, Morn was seen in his usual spot at Quark's Bar.

7 Morn Had A Criminal Past

Star trek: deep space nine, season 6, episode 12, "who mourns for morn".

Morn's criminal past was revealed in the classic Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Who Mourns for Morn", in which he faked his death. This was because he could no longer be punished for his role in the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist , meaning that his co-conspirators could come looking for him and the missing latinum. Quark and Odo end up becoming involved in the aftermath of the heist, as Morn's associates come calling. It was revealed that Morn had stored the latinum in his second stomach, the poisonous effects of which had made him lose his hair. Quark and Morn later shared the proceeds of the heist, after the Ferengi helped dispatch Morn's former associates.

6 Morn Was An Associate Of Star Trek: Picard's Sneed

Star trek: picard, season 3, episode 2, "disengage".

Star Trek: Picard 's Ferengi villain , Sneed (Aaron Stanford) was connected to several of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's less reputable characters. As well as Quark and Liquidator Brunt (Jeffrey Combs), Sneed was also a known associate of Morn, perhaps from his days pulling heists. One of Sneed's many crimes was arson aboard Deep Space Nine, though it's unclear whether it was Morn or Quark who was the target of Sneed's fire-raising.

RELATED: Every New DS9 Reveal In Star Trek Since Sisko's Show Ended

5 Morn Inherited Quark's Bar In An Alternate Timeline

Star trek: deep space nine, season 4, episode 3, "the visitor".

In the best-ever Jake and Benjamin Sisko episode , the disappearance of Captain Sisko created an alternate timeline in which an older Jake Sisko (Tony Todd) dedicated his life to finding his missing father. Of the many changes to Star Trek history caused by Sisko's disappearance, Deep Space Nine was handed over into Klingon hands. Quark left the station and Morn took over the running of operations, later calling the bar Morn's Bar.

4 Morn Played A Vital Role In The Dominion War

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 6, episode 5, "Favor the Bold"

When the station was retaken by the Cardassians at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, it appeared that all hope was lost. Morn was so panicked by the precarious state of the station that he got drunk, attacked Quark, stripped off and nakedly pleaded for the Bajoran prophets to protect him. However, in DS9 season 6, he played a key role in the Dominion War, when he passed a vital message between the resistance movement on the station and Captain Sisko. The information contained in the message allowed Sisko to lead Operation Return , retaking the station from the Dominion and regaining a tactical advantage, all thanks to Morn!

3 Morn Was A Ladies Man

Various star trek: deep space nine episodes.

It's not just Jadzia Dax who found Morn attractive, many other women fell under his spell. Despite the lies of the criminal Larell (Bridget Ann White), Morn never married, but he certainly had more than a few love interests. For example, he goes on a date with a female Starfleet officer in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Let He Who Is Without Sin." He's also seen successfully flirting with Bajoran and Kobheerian women in DS9 season 1. Sadly for Jadzia, he never asked her out for dinner again after her first rejection.

2 Morn Was Worf's Sparring Partner

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) revealed in "Who Mourns for Morn?" that the Lurian was an excellent sparring partner. Apparently, the two men would have weekly combat sessions in the holosuites at Quark's Bar. It's one of many unseen adventures for DS9 's enigmatic bar patron that are far funnier in the viewer's imagination than they would ever be when realized on screen.

1 Morn Never Shut Up

Star trek: deep space nine, season 1, episode 12, "vortex".

If there's a point at which the long-running Morn gag is established, it's possibly in the episode, "Vortex." Investigating a mysterious criminal visitor, Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) gains information from Morn that Quark bought the suspicious character a meal. This inspires Quark to reflect that Morn should " keep his big mouth shut. " This was something that Morn would regularly do when viewers were watching, but when he was off-screen, it was apparently impossible to get a word in edgeways. Morn's big mouth was first mentioned way back in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 1, and would be one of the longest-running gags in the entire show.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Mark Allen Shepherd Logo

Welcome to the Official

Mark allen shepherd website..

Mark Allen Shepherd plays Morn, a humanoid alien from the Ionite Nebula that frequents the space station at Deep Space Nine. He’s found to be quite the regular at Quark’s bar. Morn is a ladies man, even Dax has commented that she finds the few hairs on the top of Morn’s head attractive.

Mark Allen Shepherd’s story is one of Star Trek’s coolest, quirkiest and most unusual tales. For the entire seven-year run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Shepherd played Morn, the alien barfly who frequented Quark’s, apparently was the life of the party, but never uttered a word – at least not on camera.

We have links his multiple listings on the internet, along with his original videos, original writings, photo galleries, and will continue to add content as we get it from Mark.

Morn Live @ EM-CON

June 10-11, 2023.

star trek deep space nine morn

Mark Allen Shepherd is going to Appear June 10 & 11th 2023 as a Guest at EM-Con in Nottingham, UK

EM-CON Website: https://nottingham.em-con.co.uk

Mark's Music on HearNow

Hear Now

You can now listen to and purchase

my original music on HearNow.

Click Here to go to my music selection

Mark Allen Shepherd

Mark Allen Shepherd

Actor who played Morn on the Television series: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Artist.

2 months ago

Mark Allen Shepherd

Everything Everywhere All At Once

facebook.com

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

1 years ago

Ufo's Are Real

markallenshepherd.hearnow.com

This content isn't available right now

EM-Con - EM-Con Nottingham - East Midlands biggest Pop Culture event - 10th & 11th June 2023

nottingham.em-con.co.uk

Photo of the Moment

Mark_on_a_hike.jpg

Morn Shopping Cart

All products created by mark himself.

Quark

Additional information: I, Mark Allen Shepherd am the Artist and the Actor that played the character of Morn on the television series of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Also, had some 25 watercolor paintings, collage, photmosaics and works of mixed media used as set dressing on the sets of Deep Space 9 from 1992 til 1999. I Started making handmade Christmas cards relating to the character Morn in 1992 while playing the character on Deep Space Nine and gave the cards to family, friends, DS9 Cast, Production staff and Crew members. Each year I hand made some 200 to 300 cards from 1992 til 1999 when DS9 finnished filming.

Recent Posts

star trek deep space nine morn

Morn To Be Wild

star trek deep space nine morn

Newsletter October 2018

star trek deep space nine morn

Official STAR TREK 2015 Las Vegas Convention

star trek deep space nine morn

GRINSTON: Mickey MarZ

star trek deep space nine morn

Morn Speaks: “Good You´re Here!”

star trek deep space nine morn

Mark in the German News

star trek deep space nine morn

GRINSTON: Bikinis

star trek deep space nine morn

GRINSTON#7 “IN SpringTime”

star trek deep space nine morn

MORN SPEAKS#2 “In A LIGHTBulb”

star trek deep space nine morn

Morn Man Shepherd Toasts “Who Mourns?”

star trek deep space nine morn

Morn Speaks: Top 10 list of things Morn would say

star trek deep space nine morn

GRINSTON “Horace” episode #6

star trek deep space nine morn

Greetings Earthlings sketch rap

star trek deep space nine morn

Big Dick Energy Drink

star trek deep space nine morn

A Grinston Christmas Carol

star trek deep space nine morn

Ho Ho Jingle Bells

star trek deep space nine morn

Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn – Part 2

Logo

Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn – Part 1

May 2004 news letter.

star trek deep space nine morn

November 2001

star trek deep space nine morn

October 2000

Home Page

Search this site

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

“Who Mourns for Morn?”

2.5 stars.

Air date: 2/2/1998 Written by Mark Gehred-O'Connell Directed by Victor Lobl

Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan

"I wonder who came up with the idea of suspending liquid latinum inside worthless bits of gold." "Probably someone who got tired of making change with an eyedropper." — Quark and Dax

Review Text

Nutshell: Quite enjoyable, but also wholly forgettable, with characterizations and plot turns that can be predicted a mile away.

Over the years, Morn has become something of a DS9 icon—a "mascot," as Quark even calls him early in the episode, for the promenade bar. He's the resident barfly with an obscure life and past; about all we really know is that he's a guy who sits around, drinks, and talks a lot. At least, we think he talks a lot. He talks a lot off-screen.

It makes one wonder what the always-uncredited Mark Allan Shephard, who "plays" the popular seen-but-never-heard figure, thinks of his own role on the series. He's become almost a legendary figure of the Trekkian mythos, yet he has never spoken a single line. By the rules of the screen actor's guild, the producers are only required to pay him as an "extra."

For a while in DS9 's early run, this guy didn't even have a name. He'd loom subtly in the background of shots until he gradually became a familiar, recognizable figure. Finally, the producers gave him a name (many say with the understanding that he is an interstellar version of Cheers ' Norm, from whom his name was derived), and then, of course, the single joke that has become the embodiment of who Morn is: a guy who supposedly talks to everybody, yet a guy who's never permitted to say anything while the cameras are present.

I've always found the concept of Morn itself amusing and intriguing. His presence is "fourth-wall breaking"—he exists in that area that separates the self-aware television audience from the fictional DS9 universe. More specifically, Morn has become a running gag of permanence. No matter what is going on, there's Morn, sitting on that bar stool. Years later in the alternate future of " The Visitor ," after the station was no longer under Federation control and Quark had moved on to other things, who was still in that bar? Why, Morn, naturally.

The legend of Morn as a piece of this series is what makes "Who Mourns for Morn?" an infectious hour. But what keeps the story grounded in the pedestrian is its surprisingly unimaginative plot—in which Morn is presumed dead when his ship is destroyed, following which Quark inherits Morn's mysterious fortune of gold-pressed latinum.

This episode is really a Quark story surrounding the plot device of Morn's death—and as Quark stories go, it's more or less routine. It's performed with a light hand of amicability, but there's just nothing here worth getting excited about. Quark finds out that Morn had 1,000 bricks of latinum stashed away somewhere (he's not sure where, so the hunt begins), but things get complicated when others show up on the station staking claim to part of the loot.

The plot itself is quite predictable, and so are the various characters' actions. Consider, for example, the first person who comes looking for Quark: Larell (Bridget Ann White), who claims to be Morn's ex-wife. As with all female seductresses, she makes an appeal to Quark's libido, hoping to con him out of a substantial part of the loot. This is a very, very tired slant on the material. In fact, I think just about any other slant would've seemed fresh in comparison. It's pretty obvious that she's lying through her teeth (and even Quark has his suspicions about her)—but he plays along because there's a chance he might get laid. Yipee. Bridget Ann White, alas, didn't impress me much; she fills the stock role capably, but certainly doesn't make it memorable.

The plot makes another predictable turn with the introduction of the two "heavies"—a couple of brothers, Krit (Brad Greenquist) and Nahsk (Cyril O'Reilly), who tell Quark that Morn owed them money, and that Quark has now inherited the debt. These two were substantially more interesting than Larell, mostly because they were portrayed with more amusing quirkiness. I particularly liked Nahsk, the "slower" of the two, who makes Quark "wear" Morn's favorite painting—and then later tells him how "sorry" he was for doing so.

The other guest character, Hain (Gregory Itzin), shows up claiming to be a security officer who intends to seize the latinum in the name of a distant royal government, to which Morn was apparently connected in unfathomable ways.

So what's really going on here with this myriad of characters and their alleged premises? The bottom line is hardly surprising. Really, I don't see how anyone couldn't see that all parties were playing Quark from the first step. It turns out they're all Morn's ex-partners in crime, who were long ago involved in a cooperative heist of—you guessed it—1,000 bricks of gold-pressed latinum.

Their plotting against Quark and each other comprises a series of watchable if not completely engaging cons. Quark plays the role he has played a dozen times before: the guy who has gotten himself in over his head, and just wants to get out while hopefully turning a respectable profit in the meantime. Shimerman plays this personality with his typically likable shtick, but his actions and reactions can nevertheless be predicted far in advance.

"Who Mourns for Morn?" is at its best when ... well, when everyone is mourning for Morn. Early in the episode Quark holds a service in his bar which is good for some affecting, low-key laughs. And the notion that "Morn's bar stool must never be empty" was particularly appropriate and thus reasonably amusing. Quark walking the line between sincere grief and canned melodramatic speeches for the sake of inducing his profits seemed pretty real—and even pretty sincere in a Quark kind of way. Similarly, hearing the bogus stories about Morn's secret lives from his old partners also made for amiable dialog, as the story toys with unlikely premises such as, for example, the notion that Morn was a prince.

Ah, but who watching this episode really believed Morn was dead, anyway? In my mind, the likelihood that Morn had actually been killed was about as probable as the likelihood of Bajor blowing up. You simply don't kill off your resident in-joke symbol of permanence for a comedy plot involving a bunch of greedy people holding out for a treasure. Since Morn is obviously not a guy who just goes away, I knew the plot was a con from the outset. That in itself isn't bad, but the use of Quark and Morn's old pals just wasn't enough to keep me interested. Diverted, yes, but hardly compelled. Ultimately, this episode could've benefited from more analysis of Morn as a symbol (or "mascot" or whatever), and fewer predictable money-grabbing schemes and double-crosses.

(Also, was it me, or did anyone else see elements similar to " The Nagus "? In both instances everyone wants something from Quark, but they also want him dead; and in both cases Quark finds himself alarmed when the supposedly deceased party turns out to be alive. Just a thought.)

So, while "Who Mourns for Morn?" scores points for its likability, there's very little unexpected that comes along with it. The Quark angle is absolutely nothing new, and as for Morn, I wouldn't make this show out to be character development for him, because Morn isn't really a character. He's an icon, or maybe just a mascot.

Next week: Speaking of fourth walls coming down, Sisko is a 1950s writer who invents a place called DS9 ... and then encounters a very un-24th-century evil: racism.

Previous episode: Waltz Next episode: Far Beyond the Stars

Like this site? Support it by buying Jammer a coffee .

◄ Season Index

Comment Section

54 comments on this post.

"In my mind, the likelihood that Morn had actually been killed was about as probable as the likelihood of Bajor blowing up." It would have been so funny if you had used Vulcan in this comparison instead of Bajor... :D

The funniest part of the episode is when Quark asks a Bajoran played by Mark Allen Shepherd to fill Morn's seat.

Half-Blood Time Lord

Funny that in "Little Green Men" gold isn't worthless, but here it is.

You make a good point review writer. When it all comes down to it, you should know that Quark is blinded by the obvious when it comes to profit, or even aware of the ploys when it comes to someone else trying to get a piece of his action. In the end he still makes out, doesn't he? If you are expecting some new plot twist when it comes to Quark you are sadly mistaken. He only has one goal in life, although hu-mon social encounters may have slightly affected his moral judgment, he still claims to be the only true Ferengi out of his own family. Quark is who he is. So as predictable as the episode may seem, would you expect any less? That sort of thing makes me wonder if you would expect Worf not to uphold his "honor". The Star Trek universe, when it comes to lifeforms other than humans, tend to stick to the stereotypes given with the alien race associated. I still say it's a good episode. "Predictable" or not. (btw I love the antispam answer)

I prefer "Let He..." to this one. I'll let that speak for itself.

I really, really enjoyed this episode! It's a hoot, a fun joyride with double-crossing scoudrels that had me both very amused and guessing right thorugh to the very end. No, I didn't find it predictable. According to Jammer's review, that probably paints me as a simpleton - but then again, it might not. I didn't take anything for granted in this episode. Why not? Because of Morn. Here's a recurring character that we actually hardly now anything about - and the writers used that to full effect. He could easily have been married to a femme fatale, been a crown prince, been a bankrobber. I was entertained by the twists and turns, because I could imagine any, several or none of the lies his former associates told could just have easily been true. Morn has been a source for much enjoyment for me. The concept of this character is hillarious - he's sort of like the charcter we hear about, but don't ever see, just like Maris in "Frasier" and the neighbour in "Everybody Loves Raymond". Sure, we do SEE Morn, but apparantly we don't ever see him being himself - since we're told that he talks a lot and so on. That always makes me chuckle. In addition, whenever we see him onscreen, his mere presence is so much fun! The make-up department did great here, making him look like a cute, grey potato, that noone could ever hate. The slightly scraed, uncomfortable expression in his eyes whenever someone wants something from him is fantastic - I just want to reach through the screen and hug this guy! My favortie Morn moment is in "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" where he's included in the line-up of people interviewed about Bashir - he suddenly appears on the screen, staring into the camera with a blank expression, just as the interviewing doctor says something like "you're just not being any help here". Hahaaaa! Fantastic! The creators of the show definately succeeded in making Morn a likeable character - a mascot, as Jammer and Quark mentioned - without him ever taking much fokus at all. And now he's "dead", with everyone in the bar mourning him (great scene!). He leaves everything to Quark ... but who was he really? This plot was ingenious, well set up and well executed. 3.5 stars from me! And always remeber: "keep the seet warm for Morn!"

I was laughing and smiling the whole time. Best Quark episode so far. 9/10

I was bothered more than I should have been by them saying gold is worthless. This seems really stupid to me. Even if it's not a popular jewelry choice (extremely odd, that), the lines on circuit boards are made from pure gold -- there's even businesses out there that scrap computers for the gold. Obviously gold is useful in both machines and for its beauty.

'You know how he is! He never shuts up!" Tat really made me laugh. Anything beyond that, yuck. I skipped to the next episode a few minutes afterward...

eastwest101

I found this a nice light diversion and highly entertaining stuff, just enough twists and turns to keep the viewer interested.

I'm with Jammer. How many times has the ST franchise given us a female schemer whose tired MO involves prostituting herself for profit? And how many times have we seen Quark get his lobes stroked by young attractive women? Ugh. I absolutely loved the first five eps of this season - riveting! - but that only makes me extra impatient with boring fluff like this.

@Jammer and Torayo, as to the sexism in DS9 and beyond, the reason there are female schemers using their bodies is because men desire them and women in real life use their bodies. That is life, too bad.

This is a Quark episode, but if you appreciate the subtext, it's also a Morn episode: yes, Quark runs into shady people in the pursuit of latinum as always, but these people are ghosts from Morn's past that Quark inherited from him. Morn is the eternal question mark character of DS9 and we know nothing of his past, so these people are our only clues, each one showcasing an exotic side of Morn's life that we didn't know about. It's a continuous joke at the shallowness of Morn's character, which is why I laughed whenever they said he was a chattermouth or a James Bond-esque type or a crown prince. Because they were all absurd, yet possible, given his blank history. And all throughout the episode, Morn's spirit lives on as he continues to burden Quark as each layer of his past is brought into the fold. If you love to laugh at Morn's ambiguity and the DS9 crew's mythos surrounding him, then you'll laugh at this episode. It's not a great episode, but Morn's not a great character: it's about as deep as he is. And at the end of the day, we know little more about him than we did in the first place, except that he ultimately conned Quark (and everyone), effectively showing that there's wile behind that blank-faced visage of his, just as the DS9 crew have been alluding to us all along.

I also thought that Morn was a fitting character to kill off: yes, he was an icon of the bar, but on the grand scale of the show, who better to kill off than someone who everyone likes but has no relevance to the show's ongoing story?

A likable episode that gets from point A to point B with just enough pleasant diversion to make it worthwhile. If the only major flaw is its predictability then it's slightly overcome by the inherent lightweight and amusing nature. Good enough for a watch but DS9 has done better. Not bad. 2.5 stars.

It's a funny one and I'm glad Mourn got "an episode". I would have hated to go the entire 7 years with nothing. He sat on that stool and was the topic of others' conversation many times. Can't go over 2.5 stars though.

"I was bothered more than I should have been by them saying gold is worthless. This seems really stupid to me. Even if it's not a popular jewelry choice (extremely odd, that), the lines on circuit boards are made from pure gold -- there's even businesses out there that scrap computers for the gold. Obviously gold is useful in both machines and for its beauty." -------- @Nissa: Copper, Nickel, and Iron are all relatively worthless metals. I mean, yes, they do technically have a value and they are all useful materials for businesses, but if I handed you a 10-lb. brick of iron or copper, you'd probably just use it as a way to tone your biceps. If I handed you a 10-lb. brick of gold, you'd go buy a new house. "Worth" depends on scarcity, availability, and general acceptance as a currency. I'm sure gold in the Star Trek universe is useful (heck, they use it to encase the latinum), but it's also extremely abundant compared to latinum. When you have the ability to travel to thousands of star systems, the ability to easily extract minerals on a large scale, and even the ability to replicate matter at will, a lump of gold is as "worthless" as a lump of iron. Personally, I loved the little nod at our own obsession with gold and material wealth, which is what the Ferengi characters are supposed to represent. We care so much about this metal that futuristic alien civilizations regard as worthless, and they prize this liquid latinum as something we view as worthless. The idea of having gold-pressed latinum which both Ferengi and present-day Humans would obsess over but for completely opposite reasons is brilliant, IMO. And I loved Quark's little dig that there are probably some primitive cultures that would value it.

Transformer SWO

From the Ferengi's first appearance on The Last Outpost we know that gold is valuable to them. They were disgusted the use of gold in the combage as a despicable use of the valuable metal. Apart from that, a fun episode and quite a break from the intensity of Waltz.

I have to say, Worf's reaction to Jadzia's teasing comment that she once had a crush on Morn was hilarious! It was a good self-parody of his usual tendency to jealousy.

This one was okay. I couldn't really get into it, though. Morn doesn't do anything for me and while I like Quark a lot, seeing him in "fluff" episodes where he tries to get his hands on a fortune is just getting old.

The thing that mostly sapped the fun out of this episode is how slow Quark ends up being on the uptake -- he genuinely seems to believe each story he gets told, right down to the "Crown Prince" deal. This is part of the problem with "Ferengi Love Songs," too -- Quark can be greedy, but it's fatal for an episode him to be this stupid. That, and the fairly uninspired stock characters attached to Quark for the episode, set something of a ceiling on how high I can go with the rating. Still, it has pleasures. The episode is based around a belaboured but nevertheless pretty entertaining joke: Morn has this entire complicated life that has happened offscreen, without our seeing it, which nevertheless is "real" even as it becomes more and more absurd. It is to some degree an extratextual joke about the fact that we "know" that none of this Morn backstory had any reality before this episode, and will fade back into nothing after the episode ends, just as we are not ever going to hear Morn speak. It's a weird sort of dramatic irony, where the characters are unaware about the unreality of what they are discussing. But it also has meaning beyond just the meta-games, and the episode is somewhat asking: how well do we *really* know the bit players in our lives? That Morn of all people has this huge, complex existence is the signal that so does everyone we know. The episode also in some ways spins out from the darkly funny opening idea of Quark 1) replacing Morn with a holo-image of him, with the knowledge that people really do basically feel comfort that Morn exists without any need to talk to him, and 2) immediately searches for the way to make Morn's death benefit him. This greed in exploiting the death of an acquaintance/friend is actually pretty brazen and a little shocking while also being wholly believable and nonmalicious. It is that treatment of Morn-as-prop that makes Quark an easy mark for Morn and what makes the rest of what happens follow fairly naturally. Too naturally, of course, from an entertainment perspective, but hey. That Morn was banking on Quark's greed somewhat normalizes it; Morn, like Quark, is willing to use other people, which does not mean he does not fully care about them. The episode is cynical but mostly forgiving about how we treat our acquaintances -- the feeling of satisfaction that O'Brien gets for keeping Morn's seat warm for him and Dax's remembering how she found Morn so cute are in some senses just as self-absorbed a reaction to the passing of someone they only sort of knew as Quark's direct attempt to profit, but it's just a reality of life that people on the fringes of our lives will not be that vivid to us. I very genuinely like that Quark essentially tipped off Odo about the plan -- "1600 hours," he says pointedly -- and it marks this period in Odo and Quark's relationship which (while it should have been more seriously impacted by Odo's betrayal during the Occupation arc) shows definite progress post-"The Ascent." Quark and Odo have a sort of understanding now that they did not have all that much before. I enjoy the somewhat gentle cynicism of the early scenes but find most of the episode pretty tedious. 2 stars.

Diamond Dave

The best thing about this is Morn himself - the running Morn gag is inherently and consistently funny. This is best played out in the memorial scene, which has a variety of genuinely funny bits. But take that away and what are you left with? Actually a fairly pedestrian caper with a bunch of predictable characters, the gangster brothers being particularly on the nose. It just falls a little bit flat and when compared to the laugh riot that is The Magnificent Ferengi it falls well short. "What are you doing in my mud?" indeed. 2.5 stars.

While it's a somewhat enjoyable comedy, "Who Mourns for Morn?" certainly doesn't compare to the heights of "The Magnificent Ferengi". Writing entire episodes about one-note side characters is an error that a lot of shows make in their later seasons. They can be mildly diverting or downright horrible - they almost never end up being classics. This one works well enough, I suppose. It does have some genuine laughs (mostly between Quark and Odo) but the cost of those jokes is the total over-extension of the Morn joke. Up until now what has made Morn so likeable as a background character was that he was just a normal guy trying to live a normal life in extraordinary circumstances. He was a guy who just liked to hang out in the bar with his friends and every now and then chase some women. But now, we find out that he's really a brilliant, master thief who dates supermodels, is an expert bat'leth swordsman who spars weekly with Worf and is really, really, really, really rich. If you really enjoy the joke that Morn is just DS9's resident barfly, you almost have to pretend that this episode never happened. Add to that the fact that the plot - so to speak - is stretched remarkably thin. This was, at most, a story that should have taken twenty minutes to tell. Instead, it stretches over the entire forty-five minute run-time. The Hain character adds practically nothing to the mix other than to pad things out and make Quark look like a fool for falling for yet another obvious scam. "Who Mourns for Morn?" is an episode that desperately needed a B-plot of some kind in order to avoid all the padding. Still, some of the jokes work, it's not offensive in any way and it was nice that Quark got to get a little profit at the end of the day for once (usually in these comedy episodes focusing on his greedy nature he ends up with nothing to show for his troubles or he ends up worse off than when he started). So, it's not a total loss, but it certainly isn't memorable. 6/10

Over the history of Star Trek they've said different things, but I believe they eventually decided that gold was not valuable because it (like just about everything else) can be replicated. That means it's not scarce and, therefore, not valuable. Latinum cannot be replicated (they don't give a reason why), which allows it to be scarce, which means it can be valuable. As to the episode itself, I like it a bit more than Jammer, but I agree it's not a classic.

.Worf revealing that Morn was an excellent sparring partner (that Morn was a fighter good enough for that amount of praise from Worf) is fantastic. The Dax crush on the other hand was a bit predictable. At some point they really started to make her too sex crazed. (Sex with McCoy, hots for Spock, hots for Morn, hots for that fire dancer at her bachelorette party, hots for Captain Boday). I would have just chosen some other thing that made Morn an important part of her life.

@RJ - Having the hots for Spock? All she said is "He's so much more handsome in person. And those eyes." He's a legend. It'd be like going back in time and finding that say... Rasputin is better looking in person than his pictures. I don't think there's anything wrong with such a line.... if a man said it, nobody would blink. And if she had sex with McCoy then it was Emony! As to Boday, he's just an ex boyfriend with a transparent skull. I will say the whole fire dancer thing bothered me though.

David Pirtle

Fun and silly. Nothing to brag about. But a solid episode.

I expected half a star for this episode... I usually don't enjoy the Ferengi episodes, and this is no exception. On the other hand, the previous one (the magnificent ferengi) was, so I cannot complain too much, I guess!

Quarkissnyder

This episode was cute. I hate it when the writers make Quark stupid. He is not. His character deserves better.

This ep was basically a sub plot story stretched out to fill an entire episode - it works though. Love the nod to Reservoir Dogs near the end.

"Who Mourns For Mourn" is a thoroughly well made and entertaining fluff. I wish we got more episodes relevant to the Dominion War storyline instead of fluff, but at least it's good. 3 stars.

RandomThoughts

Hello Everyone! Years ago, a friend of mine and I went to see Mark Allan Shephard at a, well, it wasn't a convention really, just some time with him up on stage. And I really enjoyed it. It was very personal and cozy, with around 60 or 70 of us there. While I don't remember the exact things he said any longer, it was nice to get a different perspective on the show from one of the other characters, instead of one of the stars. He seemed a genuinely likable fellow. I think this show had just aired recently, and I asked him his thoughts about it, especially how it showcased his character, though he was actually in a very small part of it (beginning and end). He said with a smile that he was very happy they'd done a show about Morn, but appreciated the irony that he'd been in the episode for only a few moments. He'd said he was hoping for a line of dialogue before the series ended, and they had been seeing about that, but his prosthetic was pretty much a single piece, and not made with a mouth intended for talking. He never did get to say anything. And yes, that was Mark taking Morn's seat, and they didn't let him talk either! :) Have a great day Everyone... RT

Full of cliches, predictable, and kind of an insult to Trek fans -- a tolerable hour of a Quark episode. Have always wondered about Morn and here we find a bit about him -- wonder what the other people on DS9 will say when they realize he faked his death after all the gifts etc...but that's unimportant. Of course we know Quark isn't going to get 1000 bars to himself and a bunch of cliche characters pop out of the woodwork each spinning their own lies wanting their share. The hot chick routine was dumb and Quark tried playing her back, the 2 heavies was a bit better (you know 1 of them had to be slow in some way) and then a more serious-looking guy shows up. Morn getting into a crime syndicate with these 4 very different characters seems improbable (but then we don't know squat about Morn). 1.5 stars for "Who Mourns for Morn?" -- Quark's character is good for these light-hearted stories although here we don't get any improvement in morals or character development. It's just very superficial entertainment and entirely forgettable with no other main cast member having anything significant to do. There have been better Ferengi episodes.

It would have been a great in joke if Morn had spoken a lot in the Mirror Universe episodes. Maybe in our universe he "never shuts up" but the viewer never heard from him while in the Mirror Universe he's known to be quiet but he gets loads of on screen lines.

I’m surprised Quark played Tongo with Jadzia so much... I don’t think he ever won a single hand against her.

I stand corrected. Quark finally won a Tongo game about 4 episodes after this, which apparently was his 207th win in a row. Which begs the question: Why does everyone else keep playing with Jadzia and Quark? Presumably they’re playing for money, so everyone else must be down a ton. (Yes, this is all tongue in cheek, and it can be argued that they don’t show the hands where a non-main character wins, because the show isn’t about those people)

A bad guy turning against his brother for calling him dim is one of the funniest things I've seen but the ending felt halfhearted and like too much of a copout-Morn isn't really dead (not surprising, OK) but he also didn't just trick Quark to exploit him, well he did but he gives him a reward that satisfies Quark.

Hello Everyone! @Matt I always figured Quark kept playing with Dax, even it it often showed him losing, because he liked her, she probably brought a different perspective on how to play, and learning how to beat here could only make Quark better at defeating everyone else. I think the rest play because, to be the best, you have to try to beat the best. Just a thought... RT

Watching and commenting: --Oh, no. Morn died in an ion storm. --Why must we get a "jealous Neelix" vibe from Worf again? It doesn't fit Worf at all. --Will Quark find the latinum? --Shady people come after Quark. Not a great scene. --Not much to say. It's holding my interest, but it's not particularly great. Some decent gags. --Ok. So Morn is alive. With latinum in his stomach. His second stomach. The ep seems to be about value - how we assign value, how subjective that is. Overall, a silly ep. Not horrible, but below average.

@Real Ric (2017) The ending may be an homage to “Reservoir Dogs”, but, when the container filled with gold-pressed latinum is opened, the fact that it is shot from inside the container and we see all the characters looking in is surely an homage to what is called a “trunk shot”, which is used in every Quentin Tarantino movie set in the modern world. @Elnis (2013) You suggest that Morn is similar to Maris in “Frasier”. Although I have watched this episode on more than one occasion, having just wTched it today, I have only just realised that Morn is the DS9 equivalent of Norm from “Cheers”: like Norm he has the same seat at the bar; like Norm he is heavily built; like Norm he is popular (in “Cheers” everyone shouts ‘Norm’ when Norm enters; in “DS9” whoever enters shouts ‘Morn’). And his name is an anagram of Norm.

Bobbington Mc Bob

Never realised latinum was a liquid bound up in gold dust. Finally makes sense of the pressing and the gold and the latinum and the whatsits whatsyer doodle. "Gold... some primitive cultures consider it quite valuable" But for pete's sake, just give Morn a bloody line. The entire ep centres around his existence, and they couldn't give the guy a credit? Side note: I have never, ever before noticed the credits that crawl across the opening few minutes of each show, I usually phase them out. God there's a lot of producers. Not as many as on discovery (11) but still, a lot. HIS NAME IS MARK ALLEN SHEPHERD YOU CHEAP B*ST*RDS

@Bob "But for pete's sake, just give Morn a bloody line." Europeans might not catch this, but it's a running gag that's also an homage to the tv series, Cheers. You see, both DS9 and Cheers were produced by Paramount Television and Cheers also had a character (Norm's wife, Vera) who was always talked about but never had a line. Cheers' spin-off series, Frasier, also had a character (Maris) who had the same gag. Incidentally, Morn spelled backwards is Norm. :-)

@Chrome I'm not sure why you would think that about Cheers. Europe had Cheers and Frasier on repeats (re-runs) for years and were massive hit shows, and its written all over the place that Morn is an anagram of Norm. We all get the joke, that much is old news. However none of that explains why they wouldn't just give the guy a credit, which of course was because of the Actor's Guild rules and a touch of Paramount Quark-level penny pinching. Unlike Vera he did at least appear in the episode. Sure he didn't speak, but the * entire episode was based around his character *. I just think they could have bent the rules a little this time.

@Bob Oh, I didn't know that about Europe and Cheers. Interesting to hear. :-) Morn not speaking *is* the joke. It's like Mr. Burns not remembering Homer's name. You might say, well, he could remember Homer's name *just one* episode because Homer saved his life and that's super important(!) - but then the joke would be over and a small part of Mr. Burn's character would disappear forever.

For me, this episode is hilarious. The premise is beguiling and the preposterous plot twists are clever and entertaining.

trill me not

@chrome... he didn't have lines because that's the joke... paramount wasn't being cheap... i knew people who worked there and i can tell you that wasnt the case... you're talking about a show that had like 30 recurring characters... tossing morn a line here and there wouldn't have broken the bank... it was much more charming that he never spoke but you always heard how he never shuts up... plus the makeup was not the best for talking... he just moved his eyes for a reason... he started out as a minor joke in the background then just grew... it was organic and funny and worked perfectly great fun episode... 3 to 3.5 stars

Maybe Morn *did* have lines but we just didn’t hear them as they were muffled by his suit?

An entertaining and lightweight episode about DS9's resident and silent in-joke. And part of the joke is that he' s not actually in most of the episode... There's not really much else to say about it. The idea that gold is completely worthless is mildly entertaining, but odd - after all, it's one of the best conductors of electricity around, and the fact that it's chemically inert is part of the reason (alongside it's scarcity and colour) why it's so valuable in our society. The ending is also a little too forced; having Morn sit silently while Quark rails at him is entertaining, but goes on a little too long. Still, at least it's not a full-blown Ferengi episode...

Decent, entertaining episode.. The highlight definitely was Quark's self serving eulogy for Morn

A bottle episode that punches above it's weight and yes I agree with Jammer it's almost a copy paste of the season 1 Nagus episode. Highlight of the episode is probably the adoration towards Morn everyone shows at the makeshift funeral. Also I couldn't hold it when Kira and Odo came to the baffled conclusion that when it mattered, Quark can make it count (the eulogy speech)

Agreeing wholeheartedly with previous commenters chagrined regarding the complete absence of lines for the Morn character e.g., @ Bobbington Mc Bob (July 29, 2019). Morn took silence to a whole new level. He never said a word and it's understandable because he really couldn't. When one contrasts what Harpo Marx was able to communicate without lines, Morn, while lovable in a way, is pretty embarassing. Of course, I was mystified by the continued use of a character whose mask had no operable mouth. I must conjecture that this prosthetics failure may have been the real in-joke....like the show runners said: 'let's use that goofy mask that doesn't really work, after all, we spent serious money having it created.' We the viewers then revel at the frustration of the bit player forced to tote that 400 lb. suit around in show after show. Could he really breathe properly in there? Morn reminds me of little bit of the 'hunter whose head has been shrunken' in the movie Beetlejuice. That guy just looks perplexed by his own sorry state.Then again, some impossibly burdened characters do manage to get something a little like "lines" in other Scifi vehicles. Take for instance that weird co-pilot of Lando in Star Wars whose non-functional mouth can basically only manage gibberish, but who is reverse-translated by Lando, who answers him as if he actually understands the 'blub blib dbl-blubb' sounds spewed out. LANDO: "I know, I know he's late... but don't worry, Luke won't let us down. He's my friend...." (paraphrase).

I clocked this walrus-type character right at the start and always wondered about him so I enjoyed this eppy for that reason alone. He's very...endearing. I also liked the plot, cheesy though it was in parts, cartoonish in others. Give me this over a simian-ass Klingon "culture"-centric episode any day of the week! Three stars, easily three and a half! P.S. @Sigh2000: If you ever watched Frasier, then you're familiar with the Maris character who not only never spoke but was never even seen, yet, she featured in dozens of episodes, sometimes even as the main focus.

I was on the edge of my seat at the end, only to see if Morn would finally speak. Yes, it's fairly pedestrian, but writers need a break from the heavy stuff too. The side characters were a pleasant distraction, and I always feel that while Quark seems 9blivious to every turn, he's only biding time until he gets the information he wants. A fun distraction.

I thought the two green alien brothers were excellent in this.

Submit a comment

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Rotten Tomatoes Newsletter

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

  • Upcoming Movies and TV shows
  • Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
  • Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

  • What's the Tomatometer®?
  • Login/signup

star trek deep space nine morn

Movies in theaters

  • Opening this week
  • Top box office
  • Coming soon to theaters
  • Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

  • Netflix streaming
  • Prime Video
  • Most popular streaming movies
  • What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

  • Love Lies Bleeding Link to Love Lies Bleeding
  • One Life Link to One Life
  • Frida Link to Frida

New TV Tonight

  • Invincible: Season 2
  • Girls5eva: Season 3
  • The Academy Awards: Season 96
  • Manhunt: Season 1
  • The Girls on the Bus: Season 1
  • Apples Never Fall: Season 1
  • Boat Story: Season 1
  • Young Royals: Season 3
  • Chicken Nugget: Season 1
  • The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

  • The Gentlemen: Season 1
  • Shōgun: Season 1
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Season 1
  • The Signal: Season 1
  • The Tourist: Season 2
  • Bandidos: Season 1
  • Constellation: Season 1
  • 3 Body Problem: Season 1
  • The Regime: Season 1
  • One Day: Season 1
  • Best TV Shows
  • Most Popular TV
  • TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

  • Elsbeth: Season 1 Link to Elsbeth: Season 1
  • All-Time Lists
  • Binge Guide
  • Comics on TV
  • Five Favorite Films
  • Video Interviews
  • Weekend Box Office
  • Weekly Ketchup
  • What to Watch

Best Horror Movies of 2024 Ranked – New Scary Movies to Watch

SXSW 2024: Movie Scorecard

Women’s History

Awards Tour

Watch the X-Men Take Down an Army of Sentinels in An Exclusive Sneak Peek of X-Men ’97

The Fall Guy First Reviews: Critics at SXSW Say It’s ‘Clever, Charming, and Full of laughs’

  • Trending on RT
  • Play Movie Trivia
  • Love Lies Bleeding
  • Dune: Part 2

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Season 6, Episode 12

Who mourns for morn, where to watch, star trek: deep space nine — season 6, episode 12.

Watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 6, Episode 12 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Popular TV on Streaming

Cast & crew.

Avery Brooks

Capt. Benjamin Sisko

Rene Auberjonois

Michael Dorn

Lt. Cmdr. Worf

Terry Farrell

Lt. Cmdr. Jadzia Dax

Cirroc Lofton

Colm Meaney

Chief Miles O'Brien

Episode Info

  • Show Spoilers
  • Night Vision
  • Sticky Header
  • Highlight Links

star trek deep space nine morn

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineS06E12WhoMournsForMorn

Recap / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S06E12 "Who Mourns for Morn?"

Edit locked.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ds9_whomournformorn_111.jpg

Odo arrives at Quark's to tell Morn that his shipment of Livanian beets is starting to spoil, but Quark reveals that Morn's image is actually a hologram he set up while the barfly is away on business so that customers don't miss him. When Dax and Sisko arrive, they're even more confused, because according to them, Morn just died in an ion storm. Quark holds a funeral for his favorite customer, though he seems to be mourning the loss of income more than the man. His spirits brighten considerably when he learns that the deceased left everything to him . Given how much he spends at the bar, he must be loaded!

Quark has a hard time tracking down Morn's wealth even after inspecting his accounts, his cargo and his quarters. But then a beautiful woman named Larell emerges from Morn's mud bed and claims to be his ex-wife. She's after Morn's fortune as well, stating that he won 1,000 bricks of gold-pressed latinum in a lottery. She threatens to tie Quark up in court unless he gives her a cut when he finds it, and he accepts. But then two alien brothers, Krit and Nahsk, surprise Quark in his quarters claiming that Morn owed them all the money. They bash Quark over the head with Morn's favorite painting to get their point across, which reveals a hidden message leading Quark to a storage box on the station. A clue!

As the creditors continue to hound him for their share, Quark takes possession of the box. It only contains one brick, but it's got a Bolian bank account number inscribed on it. Larell steals it from Quark after spending the night with him, but he's already memorized the number and he knows that the bank will only release the funds to him, since he's named as Morn's heir. As Quark is about to send for the money, he gets stuck up by a phaser-toting man named Hain, who claims to be an officer of Lurian security. He says that Morn was a devested Lurian prince whose fortune has defaulted to that planet's government upon his death. When Quark mentions Larell, Hain offers to give him a cut of the money if he'll help arrest her, since she's an infamous criminal. They agree to meet that night at Quark's quarters. Before the appointed meeting, both Larell and the alien brothers break into Quark's quarters and lie in wait for each other. When Hain arrives, all three parties confront each other .

The scoundrels all reveal themselves to actually be thieves who pulled off a bank robbery with Morn nine years earlier, but he double-crossed them and fled with the money. Now that the statute of limitations has expired, they've come to get their shares. Since only Quark can take possession of the money , they offer to spare his life and give him Morn's share. They all follow him to the cargo bay where Morn's fortune arrives. Just as Quark opens the lid, the greedy thieves turn on each other. Quark dives into the cargo container holding the bricks to avoid being caught in their crossfire, and is saved when Odo arrives to arrest them. Quark gleefully claims the shipment for himself, but discovers to his horror that all the latinum has been extracted from the bricks to leave only worthless gold.

Later, Odo arrives at Quark's bar with one more surprise: Morn, who is actually still alive. Bitter, Quark forbids the man from speaking and explains that he's already figured out that he faked his death when the statute of limitations expired to protect himself from his comrades. He then asks Morn where the real fortune has been stored. Morn regurgitates a small amount of liquid latinum from his second stomach, worth about 100 bricks, and offers it to Quark as a reward. Now back on friendly terms, Quark offers to partner with Morn on a future business venture.

Tropes in this episode:

  • Affably Evil : Morn's former accomplices seem like a fairly friendly bunch when they aren't threatening someone. They even all share a drink together in Quark's while waiting for the bank to send the latinum.
  • Affectionate Pickpocket : Larell bumps into Quark in a corridor and absconds with a brick of latinum from his jacket with the account number for the rest of it engraved on the bottom.
  • Artistic License – Gun Safety : Hain repeatedly scratches his head with the barrel of his phaser while he's thinking — with his finger on the trigger . This turns out to be Foreshadowing that he's not actually a law enforcement agent.
  • As You Know : Quark explains to Dax that latinum is a liquid suspended in otherwise worthless gold, something that Dax would certainly already know. This helps the audience understand why the gold bricks are Worthless Yellow Rocks , while Morn's regurgitated fluid is the real latinum.
  • Battle Discretion Shot : We only hear the phaser battle between the four thieves.
  • Berserk Button : Nahsk turns on his brother for calling him slow.
  • Big "NO!" : Quark lets out an epic one when he discovers his fortune of gold-pressed latinum is missing the latinum.
  • Borrowed Biometric Bypass : Discussed. The brothers would like to cut Quark's thumb off to sign the PADD, but it's pointed out by Hain that it'd look a little suspicious if they tried to sign with a severed thumb.
  • Breather Episode : A comedic romp that could have taken place during any season, yet is stuck right in the middle of an intergalactic war (and is sandwiched between two of the most noteworthy and emotionally intense episodes of the entire series, to boot).
  • Caper Crew : Morn used to be part of one.
  • Call-Back : The matador painting that Morn hid the isolinear rod in was purchased by him in "In the Cards."
  • Can't Kill You, Still Need You : The thieves can't kill Quark because he's the only one who can withdraw Morn's fortune.
  • Casting Gag : The Bajoran who Quark takes aside to keep Morn's barstool warm is Morn's actor.
  • Closet Shuffle : Twice, in rapid succession, Quark has to hide unexpected visitors to his room from each other—first Larell, who has to duck down around the corner in the next room, and then the brothers who have to hide in the actual bedroom. Amusingly, the discovery of the hidden visitors ends up being All for Nothing because they already knew each other, and most certainly expected each other to show up in pursuit of the latinum at some point.
  • A Day in the Limelight : Played with. This is the Morn episode, but as usual he barely shows up. It plays as more of a standard "Quark gets in trouble" episode.
  • Due to the Dead : In addition to the memorial service, Quark declares that Morn's stool will never be empty. Later in the episode, we see O'Brien and Bashir taking their turns keeping it warm. Quark: Everyone. Thank you all for coming. It means a great deal to me to see so many people cared about Morn as much as I did. I'll never forget the first time he walked in here and sat down on that very stool. It must have been almost ten years ago. He still had his hair then. I thought he was just another customer passing through. Little Did I Know he'd become such an important figure in my life, in all our lives. Morn was always someone we could count on for a cheerful smile and an entertaining story. Some of you might be thinking this place won't be the same without him. And it won't. But this was his home. And wherever he is, I'm sure he'd want to know that his favorite bar still echoed with the laughter of his dear friends. This was his chair and I think the greatest tribute we could ever pay him would be to make sure that it's never empty. (guides a Bajoran played by Mark Allen Shepherd into the chair) Keep it warm for Morn.
  • Easily Forgiven : Despite Quark's legitimate anger at Morn for getting him caught up in this scheme, he does forgive him (though Morn's peace offering of a 100 bricks worth of latinum certainly helps goose things along).
  • Eat the Evidence : Old Morn knew his associates would be coming for him. So he hid the liquid latinum in the most secure place he could: his second stomach .
  • Empty Chair Memorial : Inverted — Quark declares that from now on, there will always be someone keeping Morn's bar stool warm. It's a transparent effort to exploit the mourners for more business, but only Odo seems to see the plot for what it is. Kira is almost moved to tears when Quark makes the announcement, while both Bashir and O'Brien honor the tradition.
  • Expansion Pack Past : Morn, to a certain extent.
  • Failed a Spot Check : Quark mocks Odo for not realizing Morn had been away from the Station for two weeks (or that he was trying to talk to a hologram). He outright says the Constable's slipping.
  • Faking the Dead : Morn faked his own death to draw out his old associates. He returns after the entire hoopla, having outwitted everyone and kept the entire latinum haul for himself.
  • Faux Affably Evil : The two brothers are creepily polite while threatening Quark.
  • Fingore : The brothers suggest just cutting off Quark's thumb to sign the PADD transferring the latinum (Quark naturally is not enthused by this idea ), but Hain points out that presenting a severed thumb to the bank representatives is a good way to blow the whole plan .
  • Hear Me the Money : Quark seemingly has a fortune to himself and decides to gloat in front of Odo by tapping two bricks together, expecting the sweet *clink* of gold-pressed latinum. What he gets instead is the decidedly less wonderful *clunk* of two bricks of latinum-less gold, a fact Odo wastes no time mocking him for.
  • Informed Ability : Played for Laughs when the crew talk on and on about Morn and his many talents, which naturally the viewer never gets to see. Worf passingly mentions that Morn was often his sparring partner. Probably the only one that has proof outside this episode is Morn being a ladies' man.
  • Kavorka Man : Dax admits to Worf that she crushed on Morn at one point - and he turned her down. The beautiful Larell also claims to be Morn's ex-wife, though this is just a ruse.
  • King Incognito : Hain tells Quark that Morn is a prince on his homeworld. Of course, it's BS.
  • Mascot : Morn is finally, canonically established as the unofficial mascot of Quark's Bar.
  • Mexican Standoff : As a Funny Background Event behind Quark's head. Until he stands up.
  • Pet the Dog : To make up for Quark nearly getting killed (again), Morn coughs up a little liquid latinum for him which Quark states is worth at least 10% of the original amount of bricks that Morn stole.
  • Prematurely Bald : Apparently, hiding the latinum in his second stomach caused Morn's hair to fall out.
  • Retcon : The whole Worthless Yellow Rocks gag, which flies in the face of several times in the franchise that the Ferengi have been interested in gold. Hand Waved by Quark saying that while gold is infinitely less valuable than latinum, a skilled merchant can still make money with it on less advanced planets.
  • Shout-Out : The title is a reference to the TOS episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" .
  • Status Quo Is God : Played straight and averted. Morn doesn't die, but he does give Quark 100 bricks' worth of latinum (a small fortune in Ferengi society) for his trouble in dealing with the rest of the bank robbers.
  • Statute of Limitations : A major plot point. This is why it's taken Morn's former associates nearly a decade to come after him and recover the stolen loot from the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist. They and Morn were all waiting for the Statue of Limitations to expire (which finally happens two weeks before the events of the episode). The expiration is also what prompts Mourn to fake his death and drag Quark into his scheme.
  • Throw the Dog a Bone : After all the nonsense Quark had to go through this episode, Morn is kind enough to give him a fair share of his riches-namely 100 bars worth of pure latinum. Considering half that was considered a fair wage to rescue the Grand Nagus' mistress (and finance advisor), this is quite the reward.
  • Ugly Guy, Hot Wife : Morn's ex-wife is smoking hot. Subverted in that she's not actually his wife, it was just her story to ingratiate herself with Quark.
  • Unexpected Inheritance : Quark is surprised to be named Morn's sole heir.
  • The Voiceless : Parodied with the Morn Hologram in the Teaser, which is intentionally mute. Quark justifies its silence by as a cost-saving measure (interactive holograms are expensive)... and it because it's a relief to have a quiet Morn given his flesh and blood 'brother' never shuts up.
  • What the Hell, Hero? : Well, hero may be stretching it. But Quark is legitimately pissed at Morn for endangering his life by getting him embroiled in this scheme. In spite of being the resident barfly, Quark also does consider Morn a friend and his hurt does feel genuine.
  • Worthless Yellow Rocks : Provides the page quote. Quark: Someone's extracted all the latinum ! There's nothing here but worthless gold! Odo: [completely savoring the schadenfreude] And it's all yours . Quark: No! Nooooo! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Video Example(s):

Quark's worthless gold.

Quark obtains a great haul of latinum... but he's been double-crossed! All the latinum has been extracted, leaving him with nothing but a pile of worthless gold.

Example of: Worthless Yellow Rocks

  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S06E11 "Waltz"
  • Recap/Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S06E13 "Far Beyond the Stars"

Important Links

  • Action Adventure
  • Commercials
  • Crime & Punishment
  • Professional Wrestling
  • Speculative Fiction
  • Sports Story
  • Animation (Western)
  • Music And Sound Effects
  • Print Media
  • Sequential Art
  • Tabletop Games
  • Applied Phlebotinum
  • Characterization
  • Characters As Device
  • Narrative Devices
  • British Telly
  • The Contributors
  • Creator Speak
  • Derivative Works
  • Laws And Formulas
  • Show Business
  • Split Personality
  • Truth And Lies
  • Truth In Television
  • Fate And Prophecy
  • Edit Reasons
  • Isolated Pages
  • Images List
  • Recent Videos
  • Crowner Activity
  • Un-typed Pages
  • Recent Page Type Changes
  • Trope Entry
  • Character Sheet
  • Playing With
  • Creating New Redirects
  • Cross Wicking
  • Tips for Editing
  • Text Formatting Rules
  • Handling Spoilers
  • Administrivia
  • Trope Repair Shop
  • Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

How well does it match the trope?

Example of:

Media sources:

11,241--> Report

star trek deep space nine morn

  • The A.V. Club
  • The Takeout
  • The Inventory

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine : "Waltz"/"Who Mourns For Morn?"

“Waltz” (season 6, episode 11; originally aired 1/8/1998) In which Dukat and Sisko dance, but Dukat finds other partners…

(Available on Netflix , Hulu , and Amazon .)

How do you solve a problem like Gul Dukat? Former Gul Dukat, actually; I doubt he still retains his position post breakdown and capture. (Maybe he does. I’m not an expert on Cardassian bureaucracy/power structures.) But the point isn’t his title: the point is figuring out what to do with a character who’s had the most dramatic rises and falls of anyone on the series. Dukat has been a commandant, an officiant, a father bent on murder, a revolutionary, a dictator, and, lately, a man with a broken mind, tormented by the simultaneous loss of his daughter (who, let’s remember, he was once determined to kill) and his thorough beating at the hands of anti-Dominion forces. When we meet him at the start of “Waltz,” after a long introductory voice-over from Sisko explaining the current situation—Dukat’s been in therapy, and is now heading to the Federation for some preliminary legal proceedings—he seems well enough. But over the course of the hour, we learn that Dukat is a deeply damaged individual, fractured and tormented in ways that are very likely irreparable. After spending time with the Cardassian under unusual circumstances, Sisko draws certain conclusions, solving Dukat as neatly as Alexander solved a certain knot: the enemy is an evil man, and Sisko is determined to stop him.

While there’s no question Dukat has evil in him, I’m not sure I agree with Sisko’s line in the sand pronouncement. It makes sense from a character perspective; Sisko is a smart, determined fighter, but he’s always been more warrior than philosopher, and in situations where something he cares about is threatened, he’s not going to quibble too much about details. Sisko reacts to crises emotionally as much as intellectually, and that passion typically serves him well. His decision here, after seeing Dukat rant and rave for days before swearing to destroy all that Bajor is, is the sort of decision that DS9 handles better than any other Trek series before it: an in-character beat that is perfectly satisfying (if maybe a little over-the-top), but that doesn’t necessarily line up with our own view of the situation. Dukat doesn’t come across well in “Waltz,” and his final speech is a few screams shy of a Batman villain rant, but the fact that we get to see the demons he’s fighting against make him more complex than Sisko’s determination allows. The final shot of Dukat as he closes the shuttle’s rear door, with the trio of phantasms crowded behind him, is telling. He is a man haunted by his crimes, but incapable of understanding what’s haunting him. The only response left is to double down on villainy, and while it’s necessary to condemn such a choice, I find it hard not have some pity for the fool who makes it.

“Waltz” is a tricky episode, using a set-up that we’ve seen before—namely, characters alone together in less than ideal circumstances (it’s sort of what happened with Kira and Dukat in “Indiscretion” )—and a gimmick with a high chance of failure, ie “let’s visualize my madness through the power of imaginary people.” There are plenty of ways this could’ve gone wrong, and the crazed intensity of so much Marc Alaimo’s performance throughout regularly borders on camp, but it works. This is playing-at-the-edges stuff, trying to understand what drives Dukat without softening him or making that understanding too simplistic. Having phantom versions of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira appear at various times to allow Dukat’s inner turmoil external expression is a clever idea, but not an automatically effective one. At times, it threatens to make the various crises he’s struggling with too obvious. Weyoun appearing in a scene the first time we see Dukat alone is a heck of a shock, but once it’s clear that he’s just an imaginary friend (albeit one Dukat doesn’t realize is imaginary), his presence loses much of its impact. Weyoun and the others can’t effect events; they can only inform us of Dukat’s character, like how Dukat has doubts about whether or not he should keep Sisko alive, and how he also judges himself harshly for his failures. All of which is good information to have, but doesn’t in and of itself justify the gimmick.

What makes Dukat’s hallucinations work, I think, is how they build. Individually, Weyoun, Damar, and Kira are entertaining but unnecessary. Weyoun is Dukat’s loathing of his “weaker” self, while Damar is Dukat’s Cardassian pride speaking out; Kira is his complicated relationship with Bajor, manifesting both as a symbol of what he can never have, and proof that his enemy was always looking to misinterpret his actions to serve their own needs. They give the script a way to illuminate Dukat’s mind without resorting to simple monologues, but it’s such an obvious device that it’s a little distracting to watch. But once the figures start popping up while Dukat is arguing his case with Sisko, things get interesting. While the episode is often ostensibly through Dukat’s eyes (after all, we can see things that he sees, even when Sisko can’t), the primary tension comes from figuring out just why the Cardassian was willing to save his off-and-on nemesis, and what that decision means for Sisko’s immediate future. As Dukat’s desperation to win an ideological discussion with Sisko intensifies, the harbingers of his madness grow stronger; we’re privy to the interjections from Dukat’s psyche, but Sisko is not, which creates a fascinating, and unsettling, back and forth.

So why does Dukat save Sisko? He does it more than once, first saving his enemy when the ship they’re in is attacked, and then building Sisko a cast for his broken arm (Dukat claims he can’t use the bone regenerator device, which could very well be true; it could also be true that he wants to keep his edge). At the end of the episode, Sisko briefly gets an advantage over Dukat, only for the Cardassian to tackle him and beat him before fleeing in a shuttle. Dukat’s behavior in those final moments is, if anything, even stranger; before there was a sense that he was trying, in his fundamentally broken way, to justify himself, but his final speech is a declaration of war and he still lets Sisko live. (He even contacts the Defiant to let them know where the captain is.) Admittedly, Sisko has to live; between the two, Dukat is the only potentially expendable one, and it seems the writers still have stories they want to tell about him. But there’s also a decent in-story reason for why Sisko doesn’t die, and it’s something that works to keep this more complicated than a simple bad-guy-takes-good-guy-hostage scenario.

Ostensibly the conflict of the episode comes from Sisko’s attempts to contact a rescue ship, attempts which are first stymied by Dukat sabotaging the emergency beacon (I love the fake out when we think the Defiant finally got the signal; I also love how visibly disappointed everyone is when they beam two survivors aboard who aren’t Sisko), and then by Dukat’s decision to vaporize the beacon entirely. But while this conflict makes for solid suspense, it’s not really the heart of “Waltz.” The heart is Dukat’s increasingly deranged attempts to convince Sisko of his righteousness, attempts which ultimately only serve to push the two characters even further apart. These attempts fit in well with what we know of Dukat from the past, a man who once told Weyoun that the most important victory was in beating your enemies so thoroughly that they are forced to admit your inherent superiority. Something in him can’t just be satisfied with winning, the way, say, Damar would be satisfied. He needs to be acknowledged.

This is an odd quirk to have, although (credit to the writers and Marc Alaimo, who is never short of excellent) it’s one that always makes sense even if it’s difficult to grasp where it’s coming from. If Dukat really is a psychopath through and through, it’s curious that he would so desperately need the reassurance of others that he wasn’t. It’s especially curious that the people he turns to for that assurance—Sisko in this episode, Kira in the past (yes, he’s romantically interested in her, but a large part of the attraction comes from how much she loathes him; seducing her would be just another way of proving his point)—are the people least likely to accept his overtures.

This may be what turns Sisko so sharply against his enemy in the end: not just Dukat’s big villain speech (which is spectacular, although we’ll see how it plays out), but the manic determination with which Dukat demands his behavior be accepted as just. Because if Dukat can go this crazy in wanting his enemies to accept him, surely there’s some part of him that realizes what he’s done is wrong. He states repeatedly that the Bajorans are inferior to Cardassians, and yet it’s Bajorans—and a representative of Bajoran culture—whom he turns to to reassure him that he’s right. Which implies that deep down, in some small miserable part of himself, he must he recognize his error, and that recognition is what drives him mad. Sisko’s decision to turn on Dukat, to make their contest a him-or-me scenario, is probably the only choice he could make under the circumstances. But for us watching on the outside, it’s still possible to feel some kind of pity. Dukat is doomed by circumstance, culture, and his own brutal ambition. He’s a monster, but what made him?

Stray observations:

  • While I understand the need to show the rest of the ensemble doing their best to track Sisko down, the conflict of the Defiant having a strict deadline for their search is pretty forced. Yes, it’s a time of war, which means that resources are limited, but Kira’s insistence that “You only have 52 hours!” is really just there to create false tension. If Sisko had ended the episode unrescued, that would’ve been something, but as is, every scene off planet if kind of a waste of time. (Did you know that Worf values his honor? I did not. Also, Bashir does not care for Worf’s honor when Sisko is in danger. Gasp!)
  • “From the moment we arrived on Bajor, it was clear that we were the superior race.” The conversation isn’t in a courtroom, but that line is basically Dukat’s version of Col. Jessup’s “You’re goddamn right I did!” from A Few Good Men .
  • “I should have killed them all.” “And that is why you’re not an evil man.” Sisko, being sarcastic and knocking a dude out.

“Who Mourns For Morn?” (season 6, episode 12; originally aired 2/4/1998) …

What can you say about Morn? He’s a fine bit of effects work and a decent running gag. I’m not sure any of the jokes about him—he doesn’t talk, but everyone complains how he never shuts up, and Dax had a thing for him—have ever made me laugh, but they’re amusing enough. The jokes feel less like determined attempts at humor, and more like the writers intentionally winking at the audience; yeah, we know you’ve noticed this guy, let’s have some fun with him, hm? There’s something charming about the whole idea. “Fan service” doesn’t exactly apply (unless there is a very specific fetish out there for giant mute toadstool dudes), but there’s a definite meta vibe to the concept, in a way that seldom touches the rest of the show’s world. Deep Space Nine never pretends it’s a documentary, but it also doesn’t go out of its way to remind us that what we’re watching is staged. But Morn jokes do. It’s cute, and the sort of thing which could easily be over-played; so far, at least, the writers have avoided that trap.

“Who Mourns For Morn?” sounds like it could be a very bad idea. Morn dies! Quark has to deal with the aftermath! Delving into the secret past of a one-note character is a tricky proposition, especially if that past is supposed to have any weight at all; thankfully, Morn’s does not. Strip away the name, and what you have here is a familiar template for the show: Quark gets in over his head. This time, it’s not through any real fault of his own. He tries to make some profit off of Morn’s death, in his Quark-ish way (this pays off later when we learn that both O’Brien and Bashir are invested in keeping Morn’s seat warm), and then discovers, much to his delight, that the old barfly named Quark as the sole beneficiary of his will. Quicker than you can say “I saw this coming,” Quark soon learns that Morn left behind 1000 bars of gold-pressed latinum, as well as a group of rogues determined to get their share of the latinum by any means necessary.

It’s time for Quark to play increasingly annoyed straight (well, maybe slightly bent) man to a bunch of greedy, lying sociopaths. Which is fun—reminds me a bit of the first season episode “The Nagus,” in that someone fakes a death (spoiler!) and Quark has to deal with the fall out. Everyone keeps lying to everyone else for various reasons: there’s the seductive “ex-wife” Larell (Bridget White), who claims a share of the inheritance and keeps rubbing Quark’s ears to get what she wants; there are the brothers Krit (Brad Greenquist) and Nahsk (Cyril O’Reilly), creepy lizard-like dudes who insist Morn owes them money from a previous business arrangement; and then there’s Hain (Gregory Itzin, aka President Charles Logan from 24 ), ostensibly a member of law enforcement determined to return the bars of latinum to the Royal Family of Luria, who bequeathed the bars to Morn after he stepped down as Crown Prince. All of which is more or less bullshit. Turns out Morn got up to some shenanigans in his past, and when he did, this was the crew he used; together, they plotted and executed the Lissepian Mother’s Day heist, and have spent the last decade or so waiting for the statute of limitations to pass so they could claim their prize. With Morn “dead,” each member of the group targets Quark as their ticket to a bigger slice of the latinum, only to ultimately turn on each other when the money arrives and it’s just stacks of worthless gold.

It’s all pretty delightful, if somewhat limited. The attempts to fill in Morn’s character don’t have much value, because Morn is a prop, not a character; with all due respect to Mark Allen Shepherd (who, out of costume, was the first person Quark asked to fill Morn’s seat), the fact that Morn can speak but isn’t allowed to speak on camera means there’s only so much the writers can do with him. It would be different if Morn was mute, or incapable of communicating through language, but as it is, every scene with him has to be short and a little awkward. Hain lies about Morn being a member of the Royal Family, but the lie is neither more nor less convincing than the “truth” that he’s a criminal mastermind. The fact that Morn pulled off this whole scheme to screw over his former associates and make sure he ended up with the lion’s share of the loot makes sense, and it’s nice to know that we’ll be seeing him in the background of the bar in episode’s to come. Anything more in-depth than that is an impossibility, which is, to its credit, something that writer Mark Gehred-O’Connell seems to realize.

The real focus of “Who Mourns For Morn?” is Quark, and while it’s curious to see him get another focus episode so soon after the last, he’s really the only one who could’ve pulled this off. I mean, maybe Bashir, but as the only person on DS9 with even mildly shady ethics (apart from Garak, but if it’d been Garak, the rest of the crew would’ve never have stood a chance too obviously), Quark’s greed and fundamental likability means that it’s possible for him to get involved with some questionable figures without immediately calling in Odo; it also means we root for him to get some return on his investment, even while knowing that there’s no way in hell he’ll get the full 1000 bricks. In the end, Quark doesn’t learn a whole lot, except that clever people in his life have a tendency to exploit him for their own ends, which is something I would’ve hoped Quark would’ve realized a long time ago. He does end up with some latinum (regurgitated from Morn’s second stomach), and the bad guys are sent to jail, even though none of them seem all that much worse than Morn, who makes out fine. Still, it’s a happy ending all around, and to pick this one apart any further would be to ruin the fun.

  • Quark hits a level of minor irritation early on and just sticks with it throughout the hour. It sets the tone for the episode quite nicely.
  • The title, “Who Mourns For Morn,” is a play on “Who Mourns For Adonais?”, a title of an episode from the original Star Trek’s second season. (Which was, in turn, a reference to a Percy Bysshe Shelley poem, but my learning only goes so far.)
  • We get it: gold isn’t valuable in the future. No need to rub it in.

Next week : By popular request, we’re going to give “Far Beyond The Stars” its own slot.

  • Скидки дня
  • Справка и помощь
  • Адрес доставки Идет загрузка... Ошибка: повторите попытку ОК
  • Продажи
  • Список отслеживания Развернуть список отслеживаемых товаров Идет загрузка... Войдите в систему , чтобы просмотреть свои сведения о пользователе
  • Краткий обзор
  • Недавно просмотренные
  • Ставки/предложения
  • Список отслеживания
  • История покупок
  • Купить опять
  • Объявления о товарах
  • Сохраненные запросы поиска
  • Сохраненные продавцы
  • Сообщения
  • Уведомление
  • Развернуть корзину Идет загрузка... Произошла ошибка. Чтобы узнать подробнее, посмотрите корзину.

Oops! Looks like we're having trouble connecting to our server.

Refresh your browser window to try again.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Will Break a Longstanding Trek TV Tradition

Exclusive: Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman confirms Discovery season 5 won't follow its predecessors and bring back William T. Riker.

star trek deep space nine morn

  • Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
  • Share on email (opens in a new tab)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Discovery Season 5

Quick, who’s the most important person in Star Trek ? Jim Kirk? Jean-Luc Picard? Morn?

No, no, and maybe, but not who we had in mind. The most important person in Star Trek is the character who has appeared in every series, except The Original Series : William T. Riker, the character immortalized by Jonathan Frakes .

Of course, Frakes played Commander Riker for seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation . His twin/clone/variant Thomas Riker showed up as a Maquis agent on Deep Space Nine , while Q shenanigans brought Will to the Delta Quadrant on Voyager . No one, not even Frakes , likes Riker’s appearance with Troi in the finale of Enterprise . But everyone loved Riker and Troi’s vocal appearances on Lower Decks . And, yes, it takes some fudging, but Star Trek: Very Short Treks allowed Riker to blast his trombone with the Star Trek: The Animated Series crew, too.

With Star Trek: Discovery entering its final season, Trekkies want to know whether this means Riker will finally make an appearance in the 32nd century. Sadly, producer Alex Kurtzman had a simple answer for Den of Geek when we asked him about a Riker sighting in an exclusive interview during SXSW 2024 . “No,” Kurtzman says.

Ad – content continues below

Okay, fine. But we can preserve the Riker streak if we channel our inner Scotty and expand the perimeters a bit. Frakes has become the most consistent director within (and without) the Star Trek franchise, having helmed episodes of every post- TOS live action series. That includes one episode per season of Discovery . So let’s count it: Riker is in Discovery !

Even if fans won’t get to see Frakes and Doug Jones’ Saru doing the Riker maneuver together, the final season of Star Trek: Discovery promises an upbeat ending to the series. The final season sends the crew on an exciting quest, with a lighter tone setting in now that Starfleet has been restored and the Discovery crew used to their 32nd century home.

Fans might be more forgiving about the lack of Riker after hearing showrunner Michelle Paradise’s comments about the Discovery ‘s bridge crew. Even after four seasons, viewers still don’t know much about Lieutenant Commanders Rhys (Patrick Kwok-Choon) or Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo). However, Paradise promises that they won’t be forgotten in the final season.

“We love our bridge crew,” Paradise tells Den of Geek . “And we try to incorporate those characters into as much as we possibly can.” Paradise is careful to avoid spoilers, but she does assure us that “there are certain episodes where they feature more for sure.”

Given the bad taste left in the mouth of Enterprise fans, when Riker interacted with Archer and the crew through a holodeck simulation, it’s probably best that Frakes stay off camera for the final 10 Discovery episodes. As long as someone on the Disco crew listens to Jazz or grows a cool beard or has a holodeck girlfriend, the spirit of Will Riker is there. Plus, there’s always the chance we could see him back on Star Trek: Prodigy or Strange New Worlds …

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premieres on April 4 on Paramount+.

  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews

Who Mourns for Morn?

Who Mourns for Morn?

Star trek: deep space nine.

  • A former patron of Quark's bequeaths everything to him.
  • Morn dies in a shuttle crash, and Quark, who inherits all his debts and former dealings, wants to collect money from his now inherited mess with Morn's former associates. Morn's ex wife shows up and threatens to tie Quark up in legal holding, if he doesn't cut her in on the profits. — Jared Johnson

It looks like we don't have any synopsis for this title yet. Be the first to contribute.

Contribute to this page

  • IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
  • Learn more about contributing

More from this title

More to explore.

Product image

Recently viewed

WhatCulture

WhatCulture

Star Trek Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are They Now?

Posted: March 7, 2024 | Last updated: March 7, 2024

It's been over 20 years since DS9 wrapped: what have the cast been up to since?

More for You

Jordan threatens Willis with contempt of Congress if she doesn't comply with subpoena

Jordan threatens Willis with contempt of Congress if she doesn't comply with subpoena

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp shakes hands with former vice president Mike Pence during a rally in May 2022. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post)

Trump tried to destroy these Republicans. Now they’re backing him.

Russia Nuclear Missile Features In Moscow Parade.

China Responds to Putin's Nuclear Weapons Warning

Regina King opens up about her son’s death on ‘Good Morning America’

Regina King opens up about her son’s death on ‘Good Morning America’

Steelers Great Jerome Bettis Thinks Russell Wilson Signing Was Related To Mike Tomlin's 'Hot Seat'

Steelers Great Jerome Bettis Thinks Russell Wilson Signing Was Related To Mike Tomlin's 'Hot Seat'

I was a Crips member, then became a cop — here's what I learned about gangs

I was a Crips member, then became a cop — here's what I learned about gangs

‘If I’m Alvin Bragg, I'm livid’: Lisa Rubin on new evidence threatening to delay NY Hush Money trial

‘If I’m Alvin Bragg, I'm livid’: Lisa Rubin on new evidence threatening to delay NY Hush Money trial

Chris Hayes RNC Trump vote suppression

Chris Hayes Says Trump's GOP Would Rather 'Stop People From Voting' Than Just 'Win More Votes'

Social Security Cards On Top Of $100 Bill

This Social Security Spousal Rule Is Officially Finished in 2024 — But These 3 Strategies Remain

It’s Official: Ina Garten’s Favorite Butter Is the Best in the World

It’s Official: Ina Garten’s Favorite Butter Is the Best in the World

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.

Kevin Durant names player who will control the NBA for 'the next 10-12 years'

An artist's conception of two Kuiper Belt objects in the distant solar system.

Webb telescope makes unexpected find in outskirts of our solar system

Political operative and firms behind Biden AI robocall sued for millions

Political operative and firms behind Biden AI robocall sued for thousands

Rep. Matt Gaetz has given his support to several challengers to other members of the House GOP conference.

Matt Gaetz campaigns against fellow House Republican, despite leadership pleas not to

Pet owner has 13 golden retrievers: 'Happiness is an understatement'

Squatters would get booted immediately under bill lawmakers in this state unanimously passed

Steve Jobs in room full of computers in 1984

Steve Jobs adopted a no ‘bozos’ policy and said the best managers are those who never wanted the job—here are his 3 best management tips

Trump fundraising off Biden allegedly calling him a ‘sick f—’

Trump cleans up remarks about ‘cutting’ Social Security and Medicare

Landslide wrecks Los Angeles home, threatens others

Landslide wrecks Los Angeles home, threatens others

Bands pull out of Texas South by Southwest festival after discovering U.S. Army sponsorship

Bands pull out of Texas South by Southwest festival after discovering U.S. Army sponsorship

Our experts tell you who they think has the edge in the race as it stands

Who will win the US election? Our expert predictions on the next president

IMAGES

  1. Mark Allen Shepherd, born January 7, 1961, played Morn on Star Trek

    star trek deep space nine morn

  2. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Who Mourns for Morn? (TV Episode 1998)

    star trek deep space nine morn

  3. Morn Facts

    star trek deep space nine morn

  4. Morn from Star Trek Deep Space Nine on Star Trek: the Cruise III

    star trek deep space nine morn

  5. Morn holding a tribble

    star trek deep space nine morn

  6. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

    star trek deep space nine morn

COMMENTS

  1. Morn

    In the video game Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Fallen, Morn makes several appearances on the Promenade between missions. In Star Trek Online, Morn can still be found in Quark's bar. True to form, he has no spoken dialogue: in fact, anytime an opportunity arises for him to speak with the player, the screen cuts to black, and it is only in ...

  2. The Undeniable and Inescapable Charm of Morn

    Of all the Star Trek series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was undeniably the darkest. While light moments were woven in throughout the show's run, the levity that The Next Generation and Voyager exhibited was forgone in favor of a realistically depressing view of the devastation of war.. The comic relief of Quark the bartender is generally thought of as the one who brought some semblance of ...

  3. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Who Mourns for Morn? (TV Episode 1998)

    Who Mourns for Morn?: Directed by Victor Lobl. With Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Michael Dorn, Terry Farrell. A former patron of Quark's bequeaths everything to him.

  4. Who Mourns for Morn?

    List of episodes. " 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 . Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on the space station Deep Space Nine near the planet Bajor. This episode is centered on the character Quark, who manages a bar ...

  5. Mark Allen Shepherd

    California Institute of the Arts. Occupation (s) Actor, artist. Notable work. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Mark Allen Shepherd (born January 7, 1961) is an actor, best known for his role as Morn on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appeared as Morn (uncredited) in one episode each of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager .

  6. Morn Facts

    Mark Allen Shepherd plays Morn, a humanoid alien from the Ionite Nebula that frequents the space station at Deep Space Nine. He's found to be quite the regular at Quark's bar. Morn is a ladies man, even Dax has commented that she finds the few hairs on the top of Morn's head attractive. Quark knows that when Morn leaves the bar he might ...

  7. Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn

    Mark Allen Shepherd's story is one of Star Trek's coolest, quirkiest and most unusual tales. For the entire seven-year run of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Shepherd played Morn, the alien barfly who frequented Quark's, apparently was the life of the party, but never uttered a word - at least not on camera.Beyond portraying Morn, who was a Lurian, Shepherd appeared on DS9 as a Starfleet ...

  8. Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn

    Mark Allen Shepherd Was Born to be Morn - Part 2. Yesterday, Mark Allen Shepherd shared his memories of playing the enigmatic and popular - and unheard - character Morn for seven seasons on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Here, in the second half of our conversation with Shepherd, he talks more about Morn, recounts how the show's production ...

  9. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller.The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is centered ...

  10. Star Trek's Dax Thought Morn Was Cute & 9 Other DS9 Reveals

    In the whole of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Morn is only ever heard laughing, and even that is rare.However, there is a bizarre exception in the German language edit of the season 2 finale, "The Jem'Hadar." In a scene at Quark's Bar, Morn is about to explain to Quark (Armin Shimerman) what was bothering him, but the Ferengi bartender walked away before he could speak.

  11. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series 1993-1999)

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller. With Avery Brooks, Rene Auberjonois, Cirroc Lofton, Alexander Siddig. In the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, the Federation space station Deep Space Nine guards the opening of a stable wormhole to the far side of the galaxy.

  12. Home Page

    Add to cart. Additional information: I, Mark Allen Shepherd am the Artist and the Actor that played the character of Morn on the television series of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Also, had some 25 watercolor paintings, collage, photmosaics and works of mixed media used as set dressing on the sets of Deep Space 9 from 1992 til 1999.

  13. "Who Mourns for Morn?"

    In-depth critical reviews of Star Trek and some other sci-fi series. Includes all episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy, and Strange New Worlds. Also, Star Wars, the new Battlestar Galactica, and The Orville.

  14. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Season 6, Episode 12. Buy Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Season 6, Episode 12 on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV. When Morn is reported killed in an ion storm ...

  15. Recap / Star Trek: Deep Space Nine S06E12 "Who Mourns for Morn?"

    Quark has a hard time tracking down Morn's wealth even after inspecting his accounts, his cargo and his quarters. But then a beautiful woman named Larell emerges from Morn's mud bed and claims to be his ex-wife. She's after Morn's fortune as well, stating that he won 1,000 bricks of gold-pressed latinum in a lottery.

  16. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Who Mourns for Morn? (TV Episode 1998

    "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Who Mourns for Morn? (TV Episode 1998) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 6) a list of 26 titles created 20 Jun 2016 TV1990 a list of 656 titles ...

  17. Who Mourns for Morn?

    Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on the space station Deep Space Nine near the planet Bajor. This episode is centered on the character Quark, who manages a bar on Deep Space Nine, and the unexpected death of Morn, one of his regular customers. "Who Mourns for Morn?"

  18. Watch Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 6 Episode 12: Who Mourns For

    It is announced that Morn has died and has left his entire estate to Quark. But claiming his inheritance lands him in a web of lies and deceit over the nature of Morn's wealth.

  19. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: "Waltz"/"Who Mourns For Morn?"

    Dukat has been a commandant, an officiant, a father bent on murder, a revolutionary, a dictator, and, lately, a man with a broken mind, tormented by the simultaneous loss of his daughter (who, let ...

  20. List of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine cast members

    Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's cast in season five, after Michael Dorn (Worf) had joined in season four and before Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax) left at the end of season six. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is an American science fiction television series that debuted in broadcast syndication on January 3, 1993. The series ran for seven seasons until 1999. The show was spun off from Star Trek: The Next ...

  21. 1993 Star Trek Deep Space Nine Morn & The Next Generation ...

    Star Trek Deep Space Nine DS9 Morn Playmates Action Figure Toy 1993 NIB. $10.95.

  22. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Will Break a Longstanding Trek TV

    Of course, Frakes played Commander Riker for seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation.His twin/clone/variant Thomas Riker showed up as a Maquis agent on Deep Space Nine, while Q shenanigans ...

  23. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" Who Mourns for Morn? (TV Episode 1998

    Summaries. A former patron of Quark's bequeaths everything to him. Morn dies in a shuttle crash, and Quark, who inherits all his debts and former dealings, wants to collect money from his now inherited mess with Morn's former associates. Morn's ex wife shows up and threatens to tie Quark up in legal holding, if he doesn't cut her in on the profits.

  24. Star Trek Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are They Now?

    WhatCulture. Star Trek Deep Space Nine Cast: Where Are They Now? Posted: March 7, 2024 | Last updated: March 7, 2024. It's been over 20 years since DS9 wrapped: what have the cast been up to since?