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!
