Vic Fontaine: Deep Space Nine’s Safe Harbor In Wartime
James Darren passed away September 2, 2024. His legacy is massive, but for Star Trek fans, now and forever, he is Vic Fontaine. Here’s why.
Characters finding introduction late into a TV show’s run don’t typically receive warm receptions. They usually signify network interference or writers out of ideas. And by all accounts, the idea for the character of Vic Fontaine on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, on first blush, sounds like he could be either. Or both. I mean… a holographic Vegas lounge singer on a space station doling out advice with a heavy dose of mid 20th century slang? Why?
On April 22, 1998 when Vic Fontaine was first introduced, a cynical person might call him an obvious echo of more successful (at the time) Star Trek shows. After all, Daniel Davis’ performance as Professor James Moriarty saw success for both he and Star Trek: The Next Generation over the course just two episodes. And of course Robert Picardo’s Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager is one of the most deservedly beloved characters in all of Trek.
But Vic Fontaine occupies a totally different space than those two other lightbulbs (his word, not mine). And while he may have taken six seasons to appear, he remains one of the most important characters in Deep Space Nine. And upon the passing of James Darren, it’s worth reflecting on the best pal anyone could ask for.
Courtesy of CBS Television
“His Way”
Kira and Odo. The will they or won’t they of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. For years we watch Odo pine and wonder: does Kira feel this, too? Then there’s a whole alternate future episode where Kira finds out about Odo’s feelings. And, oh gosh are those feelings BIG. The mess just gets messier. They (and we) are in romantic limbo.
Then Vic Fontaine makes his debut performance in “His Way”. In one episode, Vic fixes everything. He takes Odo under his wing, thaws him out, teaches him how to appreciate jazz… and then he brings in Kira. Odo thinks he’s interacting with a hologram Kira. He shows Kira his hand. He admits his feelings. And after some genuine shock and betrayal, it all works out. Lips l0ck, love forms. It’s bliss—and it’s all thanks to Vic Fontaine.
If that’s all Vic is about, then he’s a one-off character whose first and last appearance is “His Way”. But there’s a lot more to Vic than meets the eye—and not just because he’s a self-aware hologram.
The most important thing to remember about Vic Fontaine is why he turns up in the story. It’s the middle of the Dominion War. Morale is down because people are dying in huge numbers. And then Doctor Bashir comes up with this idea to bring in a 20th century Vegas crooner to provide some much needed respite.
Courtesy of CBS Television
Vic Fontaine is More Than a Paper Moon
Vic is so popular among Starfleet crew that Bashir takes fresh recordings of all Vic’s greatest hits as he and the Defiant head off to AR-558. There, Captain Sisko encounters what remains of officers holding a Dominion communication center. They’ve been under siege for five months. Rather than leave them, Sisko volunteers his crew to stay and fight.
During that time Ensign Nog, the first ever Ferengi Starfleet officer, loses his leg in battle. As he lays prone and the remaining officers wait to fight a squad of Jem Hadar, Bashir plays Vic’s music. It’s one final moment’s peace before the breach. One last chance to feel human.
The moment calms Nog so much that when he returns to Deep Space Nine with his new leg and a boat load of trauma, he winds up taking residence with Vic. And this is where Vic really shines. Because while Nog absolutely needs Ezri Dax as his therapist, what he needs just as much is a friend who can seamlessly guide him.
And that’s what Vic Fontaine does. Vic never tells Nog he doesn’t need a cane. On the contrary he gives him one fit for a king. But then Vic gives things to run towards. Small things at first—inviting Nog to shows and watching movies together. Just things to distract. But eventually Vic gently nudges Nog towards livng again. First in the holosuite. Then in real life.
Vic gives Nog the space to figure out who he is now that he’s a wounded veteran. Nog loses (for lack of a better word) his humanity, but Vic guides him back to it. There’s a joke about Vic going on a USO tour, but that’s still effectively what he does, albeit one-on-one.
Courtesy of CBS Television
Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
The war is always outside Vic’s lounge. Almost. In “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang,” Vic’s program changes in a way that sees him out on his keister and at war with the mob. So after all the times Vic helps the DS9 crew, they show up to save him—with a good old fashioned heist. And in a seventh and final season that’s almost all Dominion War all the time, an Ocean’s Eleven romp with Vic is a break for the audience and the characters both.
Even in this episode, Vic Fontaine gifts us something—self awareness. Up until this story, everyone loves Vic’s—except for Benjamin Sisko. And the reason is simple: he knows that Vegas in the mid 20th century was unaccepting of Black people. Sisko doesn’t want to pretend the past isn’t what it is.
But because Vic has been such a friend to everyone (including Ben’s son Jake and his fiancé Kassidy), Sisko is able to enjoy this ahistorical world. He may not (and should not) forget the past, but in the 24th century there’s room on the stage for Vic and Sisko both. And they end the episode singing a duet of “The Best is Yet to Come”—ah hopeful tune in the midst of seemingly endless war.
Courtesy of CBS Television
One More Vic Fontaine Song For the Road
Music is powerful. The right notes strung across the right lyrics and with the right voice can transport you further than any starship. James Darren was the right voice. He was the right everything. So it’s no surprise that Star Trek: Deep Space Nine gives Vic Fontaine one last song before the curtain falls: “The Way You Look Tonight”. After the war is won and before everyone goes their separate ways, they all gather one last time in the only place they all feel safe—Vic’s.
None of this should work. Vic Fontaine, conceptually, is a cheesy lounge lizard—in space. That’s ridiculous. The only note that ought to ring is sour. Instead, Vic Fontaine, against all odds, is the voice that sings these characters we love home. He reminds them they are human even in times of war. He brings lovers together. And he’s the friend who sees you through the hard times. In a way, this “lightbulb” is the most human of them all.
A lot of credit belongs to the writers of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. But, hey. Pally. They’re good. But nobody’s that good. In the end if there’s one person to thank for the memories, it’s James Darren. Without him, the whole crazy Vic Fontaine gambit never would’ve worked.
So consider this an ode to James Darren: Star Trek’s own chairman of the board. The only man who croons us to the moon and back again. We all gotta go sometime. But holodeck characters? Baby, they live forever.
Here’s lookin’ at you, pally.
