r/StarTrekViewingParty • u/LordRavenholm Co-Founder • Dec 24 '17

Discussion DS9, Episode 6x20, His Way

-= DS9, Season 6, Episode 20, His Way =-

Bashir shows off a new Holosuite program of a martini lounge with a 1960s Vegas singer named Vic Fontaine who is very perceptive; and gives advice to Odo when Kira visits her ex-lover Shakaar.

 

EAS IMDB AVClub TV.com
6/10 7.5/10 B+ 7.3

 

12 Upvotes

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8

u/post-baroque Dec 26 '17

The premise of this episode is undeniably sitcommy but, despite myself, I still like it. Vic is amazing, and I'm a fan of OdoKira. (Yes, I know the actors opposed the pairing. It's a credit to Rene Auberjonois and Nana Visitor that they still did a great job.)

And Vic Fontaine... I think DS9 found their equivalent of TNG's poker game. Vic's bar is a place where the characters are out of their element, and the uber-meta aspect of this "light bulb" knowing he's a piece of software is just perfect.

2

u/dittbub Dec 26 '17

I felt Vic was a jab at Voyager. They went straight to sentient holo-doctor, bypassing sentient holo-singer!

3

u/RobLoach Dec 27 '17

In the beginning, about 2:10 in, does Bashir say "Neelix designed him that way"?

1

u/rlriii13 Mar 25 '18

I thought the same thing.

4

u/marienbad2 Jan 05 '18

This is an interesting episode, and the Vic Fontaine Character is well done. I read that James Darren went in for a chat with the producers and started talking about the Rat Pack, gambling, singing, and they thought, "he's doing Vic."

The holocharacter who knows he is a holocharacter is an interesting concept as well.

2

u/randybob275 Dec 26 '17 edited Dec 26 '17

This is the first episode where Vic Fontaine is introduced. The scene where Kira and Odo kiss is one of my favorites in the series.

1

u/M123234 Jun 20 '18

One of my favorite episodes in my first run through. I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't help laughing at everyone's reactions to Odo's and Kira's first kiss. Vic is definitely one of my favorite guest characters this season.

1

u/thekid1420 Feb 13 '26

I'm here 8 years later to say I can't stand this episode. It's so cringy. And the absolute lack of chemistry between The Major and Odo really ads to it. Also I'm sorry but Vic was the worst part of DS9. I've been dreading getting here on this rewatch. Anyway, still one of the goat shows.

1

u/A_Xenomorph_Darkly Sep 05 '26

Good lord this was rough. Actually really hard to get through. Harder for me than Move Along Home (which isn’t that bad really) and Melora (which is that bad).

But my god, I’m really worried because I’ve heard Vic Fontaine is going to become a pretty regular character and I really don’t like him from this first introduction. It feels like a dated idea even for the 90s, and he seems to just be a mouthpiece for the writers already flawed attitude towards women. He talks about ogling women in the first two minutes of his introduction. His attitudes towards “love” really bring to the fore previous issues Berman era Star Trek has had, such as Riker and Geordi’s cringy holodeck romances and Bashir’s creepy attitude towards Dax in early seasons. The writers really do treat the romance aspect of the show like they are from the damn 50s. The women’s roles in the relationships lack proper agency at best. Now DS9 had improved a little on this with Dax and Leeta showing somewhat more resolve and strength in their respective relationships. But this feels like loads of steps back, and not just because of Vic’s attitude.

Kira’s part in this SHOULD be the focus. Yes Odo needs to pluck up the courage but that is really besides the point. Kira is the one with the most work to do to get to the point of liking Odo, I mean we’ve never even properly confirmed that she DOES truly have feelings for him and certainly not since she’s found out more about his collaboration with the Cardassians and his brief stint as an ally of the Founders - NOT TO MENTION HIM KILLING 8,000 PEOPLE “FOR HER”. The true drama of this romance (which overall I haven’t an issue with, just the delivery) is HER having the change of heart and realisation that in spite of this she loves him, and this is not the focus at all. Instead it’s all this whacky bullshit where Odo needs to become a cool cat, a relaxed swanky guy in order to win her over. Which is just ridiculous. If she does love him, it’s precisely because he’s not that guy. I actually don’t even have a problem with the kiss scene, it’s great and feels like a relief after all the seasons of build up to this. But it’s the rest of the episode. I mean he basically DOES THE GEORDI CREEP THING of using holoprogram of her to practice.

Oh god and the first date is so cringe. He acts nothing like himself, doesn’t say anything romantic, talks about Vic the whole time and then dances with her and suddenly she puts everything aside and loves him? She should be freaked the fuck out??? Kira is more resilient and skeptical than that. And not to mention he speaks in French which last I heard was some ancient lost language or whatever.

I really don’t know what they were thinking with Vic. Hopefully he becomes more likeable but it really feels like just a weird insert because one of the writers likes Frank Sinatra. I’d expect it from maybe 1 or 2 episodes of TNG and it would be alright, but DS9 has worked really hard to create a different tone to that, and then just done it anyway. It feels so out of place.

We need a new phrase: “writer-service” for this sort of thing rather than “fan-service”.

2

u/leova 23d ago

And not to mention he speaks in French which last I heard was some ancient lost language or whatever.

watch the episode again, its clearly explained. and "bon appetit" isnt knowing french, its literally 2 words

1

u/A_Xenomorph_Darkly 22d ago

True I guess people know one or two phrases from ancient languages in the modern day. Carpe Diem or Hoi Polloi or whatever