"The Last Outpost" is the fifth episode of the first season of Star Trek the Next Generation. This one was written by Herbert Wright, based on a story by Richard Krzemien, and it first aired on October 19, 1987. The most notable thing about this episode is that it introduces the Ferringi, with the captain Letek played by Armin Shimmerman, later to play the role of Quark in Star Trek Deep Space Nine. The basic plot summary is this:

The Enterprise is in pursuit of a Ferengi vessel that has stolen an energy converter from an unmanned Federation outpost. While the Federation and the Enterprise crew have heard of the Ferengi, this is the first time they have actually encountered them (a situation that evokes the 1966 original series episode "Balance of Terror," and the irrational fears about the Romulans (though alas, this episode doesn't even approach the quality of that one). The two ships make contact, but both are affected by a mysterious "energy field," and experience inexplicable power losses. Eventually an away team beams down to the planet below, with a corresponding team from the Feringi vessel, in an attempt to discover the cause of their mutual immobility. The Ferengi ambush the Enterprise away team. Eventually, all is revealed; they meet a "guardian of the Tkon Empire," one Portal, who protects the planet, and first asks if they wish to join the Tkon empire, not realizing it's been dead for millennia. Portal charges both races with being uncivilized. Riker saves the day by quoting Sun Tzu, and refusing to kill the Ferengi. Look here for a detailed plot summary.

There are some odd allusions to original series Trek in this episode. There's the initial evocative similarity with "Balance of Terror," Data's "isn't he a cute fake human" fascination with the Chinese finger-puzzle toy, the decision to transport a number of the toys over to the Ferengi as the end is much like Scotty's decision to transport the tribbles at the conclusion of the "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode. But mostly, this episode is all about the Ferengi. The name for the species has good solid Indo-European roots, cognate with Persian farangi, or "foreigner." Wil Wheaton notes that they were originally envisioned as something very much like the Reavers of Joss Whedon's Firefly, instead of a trading, commerce valuing culture. In this episode, the Ferengi are very much treated as "other," as a lesser, cruder, more primitive species with mannerisms and body language that mimics that of chimps. It's pretty embarrassing.

The official trailer for "The Last Outpost"

The previous episode was "Code of Honor"; the next episode is "Where No One Has Gone Before".