Vic Fontaine's holo-program springs a jack-in-the-box on his patrons as the singer is beaten up by the people who have come to take over his hotel and casino. Can the DS9 crew save Vic's holographic life and lifestyle?
Mooted as the last comedy episode before the final chapter of the series, Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang is an unqualified success. It's a simple if ridiculous premise, with Vic's potential termination hanging on whether the crew can get the program to reset itself by the removal of gangster Frankie Eyes.
What it provides is a chance to get most of the cast and supporting cast together for a fun hour in a holosuite, as they come up with a carefully worked out plan to help Vic out of his predicament. Admittedly, our look at how this plan should work seems a little too much like padding when we see much the same sequence later, but it does no harm. We also finally get an explanation of Sisko's absence from Vic's hotel, and the answer is actually quite reasonable and a genuine surprise, even if his 24th Century attitude should be above this kind of pettiness.
One thing about this story is that the stars are in their element, all playing their holosuite roles to the hilt, from Kira's look-but-don't-touch seductress to O'Brien's shifty punter. You know that the plan is going to go horribly wrong, but the lengths everyone goes to to save it are effective and funny, and the whole episode plays to a viewer who just wants to have a good time. At the end, there's even an unsubtle in-joke as Vic and Ben sing The Best Is Yet To Come, clearly talking about their show. Admittedly Avery Brooks' singing voice isn't the best thing in the world, but he does a good enough job to make the whole thing come out pretty well, making a fitting coda to the first half of DSN's final season. One to just sit back and enjoy.
****
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