The Good: Interesting concept, Decent acting, Good character work
The Bad: Somewhat esoteric divergence from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine plotline.
The Basics: “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” starts as a playful episode and becomes another excuse for Avery Brooks to bitch about ethnic issues as Captain Sisko.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has many virtuous qualities. One of them is that it tackled complex issues, another is that it had a very solid serialized plotline for much of its run. It is hard to argue with how the show developed well many characters, even some of the recurring guest characters. “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” is the final episodic episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and it is a decent exploration of Vic Fontaine.
Or rather, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” should have been a great Vic Fontaine episode. Unfortunately, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” becomes another soapbox for Avery Brooks. Brooks had some creative control over the series and made an interesting, if not exceptional, exploration of ethnic relations issues when he directed and performed in “Far Beyond The Stars” (reviewed here!). While I was inclined to enjoy “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang,” upon rewatching it, it is hard not to be disturbed by the way Brooks appears to be influencing Sisko in this episode. What could be a fluff reworking of an Oceans 11 type plot becomes diluted by Brooks as Sisko bitching about more interethnic relations issues. I’m all for a good social message story, but “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” isn’t that. Brooks’ role in “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” is like a kid sitting at a table of adults quoting by rote a single line of politics, philosophy or economics that he once heard to try to fit in. Objectively, it is ridiculous and the child looks childish instead of like a prodigy. So, too, does Sisko appear to be kvetching about something utterly ridiculous in “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang.”
O’Brien and Bashir are in the process of inviting Vic Fontaine to join them for a crack at the Alamo program when the Vic Fontaine program takes an abrupt turn. The club he sings at suddenly has a burlesque show and Frankie Eyes and his goon Cheech are kicking Fontaine out. Vic Fontaine is faced with a dilemma, a nemesis, and Bashir quickly learns that this is a deeper part of the Vic Fontaine program, a “jack in the box.” In order to keep the program interesting, Frankie Eyes must be thwarted in order to restore Vic Fontaine’s program and club to normal.
As Nog, Bashir, O’Brien, Kira, Kassidy and Odo investigate the new program to see what the options are, Sisko complains to Kassidy about the role of blacks in Las Vegas during the time period of the Vic Fontaine program. O’Brien and Bashir realize that Frankie Eyes will be killed by his mob boss if it appears to him that Frankie is stealing from the mob. After some pretty shallow bitching to Kassidy about how incongruent black people are in the setting of Vic’s club, Sisko joins the team to save Vic Fontaine and with the help of Ezri on the inside of the casino, the crew works to defeat Frankie Eyes.
“Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” is a casino heist episode and it is an interesting turn on the holodeck (or holosuite) adventure story that was pioneered by Star Trek: The Next Generation. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has not dipped into the Holodeck misadventure well much at all, with the combination of the holodeck accident and transporter mishap standards actually being combined for “Our Man Bashir” (reviewed here!). “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” does not usurp that tradition; from the beginning of the episode, it is established that there is an easy way around the “jack in the box.” O’Brien and Bashir can simply reset the Vic Fontaine program. However, in doing so, Vic Fontaine will lose all of the knowledge and experience he has acquired. Given that Nog, O’Brien and Bashir – at the very least – consider Vic Fontaine a good friend, they are unwilling to simply reboot the program and lose the friendship they have forged.
So, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” quickly establishes that it will be a holosuite adventure without the mishap, one where the only person at risk is Vic Fontaine. By not falling into the traditional holodeck adventure conceit, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” has the potential to be a fun episode that illustrates how people in the 24th Century kick back or it can become a pretty abrupt end for the Vic Fontaine character. So, when there is even a momentary divergence for Captain Sisko’s moralizing about why he is not a fan of Vic Fontaine’s program, it stands out. Moreover, how quickly Kassidy turns him around on the issue makes the argument feel like it is just an inserted rant (presumably from Avery Brooks).
That said, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” is not a bad episode. After the traditional “here’s the plan” for the casino robbery, the execution of the heist goes off with only complications that make the heist play like a decent caper, as opposed to a tense action/drama. But, it works!
Part of the reason it works is because of the acting. The characters all express early on why they would do anything at all for Vic Fontaine and some of the characters, very reasonably, sit it out. Worf’s failure to appreciate Vic beyond the confines of the holosuite makes sense as does Quark’s unwillingness to help Vic out given that he represents competition to Quark’s bar. But, for the rest of the crew, the reasons for helping Vic Fontaine are made clear. “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” works, then, because the actors make the emotional investment to make their characters’ reactions and actions seem plausible. James Darren, especially, seems exhausted and damaged as Vic which works for his predicament.
The regular cast is used as a very full ensemble for “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang,” making it a treat as well. Nicole de Boer is perfectly confident (finally!) as Ezri and Rene Auberjonois continues to make Odo looser, which is an interesting change for him. Colm Meany and Alexander Siddig play off one another to continue to affirm that O’Brien and Bashir are truly good friends, something that is otherwise lacking in the Star Trek universe.
In the end, “Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang” is the final episodic episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and it is a (mostly) fun episode before the long, dark arc that seals off the greatest series in the franchise.
[Knowing that the season is a much better investment, it's worth looking into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Complete Seventh Season on DVD, which provides the full story for the conclusion to the series. Read my review of the final season by clicking here!
Thanks!]
For other works with Mike Starr, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Jersey Girl
Snake Eyes
Miller’s Crossing
7.5/10
For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please check out my Star Trek Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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