The least disliked episode of DS9 - Season Seven

[MakeshiftPython]

It's easy for me to see why Vic became popular with the crew, he's just that cool. I strongly disagree about "Bada Bing" and "Holosuite" being among the series worst. They're both necessary lightweight episodes for a series to help provide some needed relief in a pretty dramatically heavy season. I especially enjoy "Bada Bing" as an Ocean's Eleven riff, which was originally meant to precede immediately before the Final Chapter arc as it's the last time we see the characters truly loosen up.


I also thought Ezri was an interesting addition to the show. It was unfortunate that Ferrell left, but I thought the writers were in the right to take advantage of the opportunity to let Dax live through someone unprepared to carry all the baggage. There was obviously a lot of focus to bring in a new main cast member, but I never thought it was intrusive or taking time away from other characters because as much as the episodes were about Dax they were also about how the characters felt, and that's always been an important aspect of the show: the crew dynamic.


The only episode of the season I truly dislike is "The Emperor's New Cloak". It's a very flat finale for the "Mirror" storyline.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I might be an outlier, but I think TMOTTH and Bada Bing are ok episodes. It seems everyone else has extreme opinions on these. I've seen those episodes, along with Our Man Bashir, list as some of the series' best, and I've seen them as the series worst. The reaction might depend on what you think about the holodeck/holosuite in general. On paper, I think Vic's was one of the more appropriate uses of the technology: it offered a change of venue with a personable AI. (Of course, I don't care for the Rat Pack thing.) Most other holodeck/holosuite episodes use the technology to make shortcuts through the premises of being in a confined space for long periods. I find Badda Bing less of a departure than Hollow Pursuits or Fistful of Datas. For that matter, the adventures of O'Brien and Bashir in the holosuite would have been more of a departure, although I suspect fans would have loved seeing the two shoot down BF109s over the English Channel.

 

[DonIago]

Yeah, I don't have any problems with BB or Holosuite other than that I'm a little surprised to see a Vulcan captain being that incredibly snide.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's easy for me to see why Vic became popular with the crew, he's just that cool. I strongly disagree about "Bada Bing" and "Holosuite" being among the series worst.

The only episode of the season I truly dislike is "The Emperor's New Cloak". It's a very flat finale for the "Mirror" storyline.

Vic Fontaine seems like somebody who would appeal to 20th century pop culture hipsters, and Julian is the only crew member that describes. Maybe Tom Paris would be into him too, but it doesn't make sense to me for anyone else on DS9. We have 24th century people getting deeply obsessed with an idealized version of 1960s Vegas lounge culture.

You don't think Field of Fire is an incredibly terrible episode? I think the exact lowest point of the entire series is when Joran suggests that because there are smiling people in pictures the killer must be a Vulcan. If it weren't for Threshold I'd place it as the lowest point in all of Trek.

I don't have an issue with Holosuite being a lighter episode, so much as I have a problem with it being a children's sports movie. Like Mighty Ducks or Air Bud.

 

[Tosk]

We have 24th century people getting deeply obsessed with an idealized version of 1960s Vegas lounge culture.

But not because of that. Most of them liked him as a person, not because of his job.

 

[kkt]

Vic Fontaine seems like somebody who would appeal to 20th century pop culture hipsters, and Julian is the only crew member that describes. Maybe Tom Paris would be into him too, but it doesn't make sense to me for anyone else on DS9. We have 24th century people getting deeply obsessed with an idealized version of 1960s Vegas lounge culture.

I don't see the problem. There are Society for Creative Anachronism people today involved in an idealized middle ages (and you have to idealize a lot for it to be fun!). There's a Jane Austen group in my town involved in recreating Georgian England. Some of them are Asian- or African-American and would not have been found in the originals of those cultures. I could go on. Why shouldn't they use a holosuite?

 

[Sakonna]

First time through I could. not. stand. Vic, but I like him much more upon rewatch. I am still bothered by how casually sentient he is, given what a huge deal self-aware holograms are elsewhere in Trek, but I try to just shut off my brain for that complaint and enjoy the Vegas lounge atmosphere.

I was shocked just now to look on Memory Alpha and see Vic was only in 7 episodes -- it feels like so much more! I think the problem was that his 2nd and 3rd appearances were the most forced ones -- "Tears Of The Prophets" and "Image In The Sand." I mean, Worf going to mourn Jadzia while Vic sings her favorite song... give me a fucking break.

But those missteps really created the sense that this character was being forced on the audience in all these places he didn't belong, and that perception stuck.

I think the exact lowest point of the entire series is when Joran suggests that because there are smiling people in pictures the killer must be a Vulcan.

It's pretty bad, but also totally hilarious -- I will admit to dialing up that specific sequence a few times on Netflix.

My series low moment is probably the bit in "Let He Who Is Without Sin" where they're talking about how Vanessa Williams killed Curzon during sex. A stupid idea, presented in a smirking and off-putting way, and it's a continuity problem -- a gross failure on so many levels!