Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1 Episode 4 -

At the Federation's first encounter with the hostile, thievish Ferengi race, both the Enterprise and their 'daimon' (captain) Tarr's spaceship are immobilized by a force field from a dead-presumed planet. It turns out to be the 'portal', a gatekeeper, last survivor of a superior civilization wiped out by their star's supernova. He captures both races' scouting teams and test if they deserve to be spared or put down as hopeless barbarians. The Ferengi try blaming the humans, Riker brutal, yet noble honesty.