Vic Fontaine

[DrBeverly]

I was watching a S7 episode of DS9 for the first time in ages last night (The Siege of AR-558), and it reminded me how much I hated the character of Vic Fontaine and all the plots that revolved around him - and I know there are more to come too!

I was wondering... was I alone in this dislike, or did others feel the same at the time and/or now? I remember feeling very alone in it at the time, as Star Trek Monthly could barely let an episode go by without talking about how great he was.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I hated Vic Fontaine. I think the whole concept is cheesy and it never made sense to me how the entire crew became so obsessed with a recreation of a lounge crooner.

The one episode of his I did like was It's Only A Paper Moon, but that's more because it happened to fit exactly what Nog needed after he lost his leg.

 

[The Grim Ghost]

The 1st time I watched the series I disliked Vic, the Ferengi comedy episodes and anything else that took away from the war stuff. Later I came to enjoy most of these and welcomed them as a bit of a break from how serious everything else was.

Did you dislike the episode where Vic helps Nog accept the loss of his leg?

I did strongly dislike Mirror Universe Vic and found that to be a very stupid idea. But I dislike all of the DS9 MU stuff for many reasons.

 

[jmiller]

It's a love/hate thing with me regarding Vic. I certainly didn't hate him as an idea but he was a bit overplayed.

 

[The Hanuk Kai]

There were only three episodes that focused on Vic. One was clearly awesome. One was the kind of holodeck/holosuite romp a lot of Trekkies like (but to which I am indifferent). And there's the one where Odo pretends to play Jazz piano: forgettable, but not terrible. Beyond that, Vic added some texture to episodes. He inserted more personality than most of the holodeck/holosuite episodes afforded. I wouldn't miss Vic if he were gone, but I would prefer him over Sandrine's or stereotyped Irish village. And I wasn't pressed endlessly on whether or not he was sentient, like Data, the Doctor, and Harry Kim.

 

[UnknownSample]

Mirror Vic was priceless. It was absolutely impossible, but there he was. At the last moment, you see he's an android (a smoking electronic wound) rather than flesh and blood...

 

[Timo]

I loved the concept and the metaconcept of Vic both. Here we have our entertaining heroes make entertainment out of an entertainer for their entertainment, and it smacks oh so true. Plus the particular form of entertainer (lounge lizard herder from across an ocean) is to me at least as alien as the type of entertainment they make out of him (holoadventure), upping the ante.

It's just a nice bonus that Vic is an interesting side character in his own right, well executed and acted. Listening to him is easier on the ear and eye than listening to Guinan, say. And giving Quark competition is always a hoot!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Relayer1]

I unreservedly loved Vic. James Darren was terrific and he always added to an episode.

Paper Moon was a superb story and Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang was a great pastiche of the 60's 'Caper' movie such as the original (and best) Oceans 11.

 

[The Lonely Man]

If i was ever feeling depressed or upset about something I'd love a holographic Vic to go visit.

I though he was an excellent character and James Darren played him to perfection.

 

[Amaris]

"It's Only A Paper Moon," is still one of my favorite DS9 episodes of all time. I love Vic.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Mirror Vic was priceless. It was absolutely impossible, but there he was. At the last moment, you see he's an android (a smoking electronic wound) rather than flesh and blood...

There seems to be some disagreement on that last point.

Me, I'm sticking with my theory that the "Mirror Vic" is actually Mirror Felix. You'll notice they never call him by his first name... And it makes sense, really. If the regular Felix is (as I suggest) some kind of overworked, unappreciated cubicle drone - who wrote Vic to live out his dream of being a lounge singer - his MU counterpart gets to be the badass warrior.

Besides, how could MU "Fontaine" be an android? Humans are slaves in the mirror universe, and there's no way they could manage to create any androids.

 

[UnknownSample]

Besides, how could MU "Fontaine" be an android? Humans are slaves in the mirror universe, and there's no way they could manage to create any androids.

Because of a very bizarre set of circumstances which no doubt would be hilarious, if we were to hear about them. Stop being so linear! The joke IS about how improbable it is! Yet, not impossible!
--------------------
Felix who?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Felix is the programmer who created Vic.

 

[kkt]

I really liked Vic and I think they used him about the right amount. Much more would have been overdoing it, but it worked really well as it was and I admire DS9 for going with the idea and pulling it off.

 

[Jono]

I was definitely in the camp of disliking Vic on first viewing. Over time and multiple viewings my opinion of him has changed and I now like what he brought to the show for the most part. MU Vic was just...idiotic.

 

[Six of Twelve]

I can't stand him, either. He's a sleazy, oily, smarmy lounge lizard type with ties to the Mafia. I cringed every time he called someone Pally.

 

[FPAlpha]

I liked him a lot. He was one of the main reasons why, for me, DS9 is the best Trek show because whenever he was in a scene (or had entire episodes revolving around him) it was pure fun and that's what the other shows often enough lacked (chief amongst them TNG which is the second best show).

I love the Sinatra style 60s and the music after which Vic was modelled with all the clichées (though Sinatra was heavily rumored to have been involved with the Mafia) but that gave the show much needed levity, especially in season 7 that got progressively darker and more violent.

I think that's why the crew also responded so well to him because in "reality" they were in a pretty bad place and Vic's seemed like a haven where you you could go to escape for the moment.. he wasn't also the garden variety holo character. He was given much more leeway and a more complete character that only evolved over time.. he gave Nog a place to be after he lost his leg (and kicked his ass when it was time to do so), he was responsible for Kira and Odo to finally get over themselves and go all in and he even managed to get realist Sisko to join in on the fun and become a fan.

So for all acounts and purposes he was the morale officer the crew needed at the time and he did a good job.

 

[UnknownSample]

I couldn't help liking seeing Tony from Time Tunnel back. I actually got to enjoy those songs through those episodes-- not my era at all. By the way, my name on another board was MirrorRobotVicFontaine...

 

[Draculasaurus]

I love the Vic episodes.
I wish they'd thought of him sooner and had more time to develop him.
It would have been cool if he eventually got bored with his own program and started a real club on the promenade.

 

[Kor]

This is one of my favorite musical styles, so I didn't mind it much, except that it did take away a bit of time that could have been used for plot development.

Kor