The late James Darren was a key part of my favorite Star Trek: Deep Space Nine moment. Darren passed away on September 2, 2024, at 88 years old. James, or Jimmy as his friends and loved ones knew him, played Vic Fontaine, DS9's holographic crooner and proprietor of Vic's Las Vegas Lounge. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, Vic Fontaine and Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) performed together, and it's a scene that's near and dear to my heart.
James Darren was born James William Ercolani on June 8, 1936, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Knowing from an early age he wanted a career in show business, James went on to have a multifaceted career in TV, film, on stage, in music, and behind the camera as a director. Darren became a teen heartthrob as Moondoggie on Gidget, and he also performed the show's theme song. James' most famous TV roles are as the lead in The Time Tunnel and as Detective Jim Corrigan on T.J. Hooker opposite William Shatner. Of course, Star Trek fans know Darren best as Vic Fontaine, who mended hearts and palled around with Deep Space Nine's crew.
James Darren’s Vic Fontaine Was Part Of My Favorite Star Trek: DS9 Moment
"The Best is Yet to Come"
James Darren and Avery Brooks performing "The Best is Yet to Come" at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, episode 15, "Badda Bing, Badda Bang" is my favorite DS9 moment. It may be my favorite Star Trek moment of all time, to be honest. After the DS9 crew pulls off a successful Ocean's Eleven-style caper, Captain Sisko shocks his friends by getting on stage and singing alongside Vic. It's a jaw-dropper and a seminal moment, as Sisko was the last holdout among DS9's crew to pal around with Vic Fontaine. But James Darren and Avery Brooks performing together is pure magic, and there's no other Star Trek scene quite like it - nor will there be again.
I grew up with Frank Sinatra singing the old standards. When my parents played music, they turned up the classics of the 1950s and 1960s. My father's signature song that he occasionally performed in karaoke was Frank Sinatra's "My Way," and an appreciation for Frank, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and the Rat Pack's Las Vegas antics was baked into me at a young age. When James Darren joined the show, Vic Fontaine brought Sinatra's dapper 1960s style to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In "Badda Bing, Badda Bang," Captain Sisko got over his issues with Las Vegas' racism in the '60s and performed with Vic, giving him the ultimate attaboy. It's a moment only DS9 can deliver, and I love it.
Captain Sisko and Vic Fontaine's "The Best is Yet to Come" duet was also a tacit promise to the audience. From that point on, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine would deliver its final 10 episodes in a tightly-woven, serialized story to wrap up the Dominion War arc and the series.
James Darren’s Greatest Star Trek: DS9 Episode As Vic Fontaine
"It's Only a Paper Moon"
I adore Vic Fontaine and Captain Sisko singing "The Best is Yet to Come" in "Badda Bing, Badda Bang," but it's not James Darren's best Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode. The ultimate Vic Fontaine DS9 hour is Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, episode 10, "It's Only a Paper Moon," a powerful and resonant two-hander about Vic helping Ensign Nog (Aron Eisenberg) through his PTSD. Nog lost his leg in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 7, episode 8, "The Seige of AR-558," and the young Ferengi chose to heal by hiding away in Vic Fontaine's 1960s Las Vegas fantasy.
"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a Star Trek story only Vic Fontaine and Deep Space Nine could deliver.
In the late 1990s, before there was a greater understanding of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Vic Fontaine helping Nog through his trauma was another in a long line of emotionally powerful, breakthrough moments for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. After all, when we're in trouble or facing something that feels insurmountable, who wouldn't want to quit real life and find sanctuary in a safe, illusionary world like Nog did with a friend like Vic? Vic and Nog made a great team, as Nog used his Ferengi business sense to expand his casino into a Las Vegas empire. In turn, Vic got to experience a richer and fuller life with Nog, but Fontaine also gave his young pal the tough love he needed for Nog to go back to the real world and reclaim his life. "It's Only a Paper Moon" is a Star Trek story only Vic Fontaine and Deep Space Nine could deliver.
Why Vic Fontaine Was Such A Great Star Trek: DS9 Character
There's no one in Star Trek like Vic Fontaine, pally.
James Darren told StarTrek.com in 2019, "Vic Fontaine was like – what can I say? – it was a dream come true for me. It was one of the most enjoyable roles for me to have played." Vic Fontaine was a fountain of cool, of joy, and he was a presence like no other on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Coming to Vic meant DS9's heroes could loosen up and unwind. Vic Fontaine episodes also let DS9 cheerfully break its own mold, letting characters like Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) and even Lt. Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) wear tuxedos and Lt. Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) and Major Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor) wear evening gowns. Vic was also upbeat and fancy-free; in his inimitable way, Fontaine embodied Gene Roddenbery's optimistic vision of Star Trek with the retro cool of the era in which Star Trek began.
The stories Vic Fontaine told about Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, etc. on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine were based on James Darren's real-life experiences with the Rat Pack.
Most importantly, when Vic Fontaine sang or gave advice to his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine friends, he always spoke from the heart, with truth and honesty. In turn, Vic became a conduit for DS9's characters to explore their own hearts and fulfill their true dreams, such as Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) finally declaring his love for Major Kira. Looking back on DS9, it's hard to believe Vic only joined the show at the end of season 6 and James Darren only performed in 7 episodes. As Vic Fontaine, James Darren embodied a singular character who can never be duplicated, and moments like Vic Fontaine singing with Captain Sisko will forever define what I loved about Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
