‘IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
If ‘His Way’ was the best Kira/Odo romance episode in ‘DS9’ featuring Vic Fontaine, ‘It’s Only A Paper Moon’ is the best Nog episode where he recovers from ‘The Siege of AR-558’ featuring Vic Fontaine.
In the episode, Nog has had his leg replaced recently with an artificial one. He returns to DS9 after weeks of rehabilitation. He’s on medical leave, but he’s become depressed around his many friends.
He’s also self-conscious about his artificial leg, saying that it hurts. My Mum told me she knew a friend who said his artificial leg hurt him once he had it, so Nog’s being self-conscious about it is fair.
Nog also suffers flashbacks of his injury from the siege of AR-558. He secludes himself in his quarters; sleeps most of the day and he repeatedly listens to Vic Fontaine’s ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ song.
The song was played to keep up crew morale during the siege of AR-558. It’s nice to see how we cut to a flashback of Nog hearing the song Bashir played which was not in ‘The Siege of AR-558’ episode.
Nog’s roommate Jake becomes fed up with the constant repetition of the song ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’ being played over and over. 😐 Nog soon seeks out for Vic Fontaine in the holosuite to play the song.
James Darren returns as Vic Fontaine. It’s nice how he accommodates Nog’s needs after all he’s been through by playing him the song ‘I’ll Be Seeing You’. He performs every arrangement he knows.
After hearing Vic sing the song, Nog doesn’t want to go back to his quarters. He asks Vic to allow him to stay in his simulated hotel suite for the night and Vic agrees. It becomes a long-term arrangement.
Once discovering that Nog is spending a lot of time in the holosuite, Ezri Dax consents to the idea to see where it will lead him. Nog’s family are sceptical over this but Sisko adheres to Ezri’s suggestion.
Max Grodénchik as Rom and Chase Masterson as Leeta appear in this episode with Nog. Quark also pays for Nog’s time in the holosuite, much to his disapproval. I found that funny when I watched it. 🙂
During the time that Nog spends in the holosuite, he and Vic quickly bond. Nog helps Vic with his finances and he recommends him to expand his business the more time he has his program running.
It’s at the expense of Nog’s relations with his friends and family however. Nog gets into a fight with Jake when he brings his girlfriend to the holosuite and his meeting with Rom and Leela is short-lived.
Everyone is concerned about Nog, but during the time he spends in the holosuite, he becomes more confident. He also relies less and less on the cane he’s been using to help him walk about the places.
Ezri is very impressed by how Vic is helping Nog to recuperate from his traumatic experience during AR-558. But she reminds him that Nog needs to leave the holosuite soon. Vic eventually agrees to it.
For a while, Vic had been enjoying himself so much with being ‘switched on’ in the holosuite for such a long time. He had forgotten that he was meant to help Nog with his rehabilitation in the holosuite.
Vic urges Nog to leave, but Nog refuses. Vic soon shuts off his own program, forcing Nog back into the real world. Nog tries restarting the holosuite program, but it’s no use. Vic won’t switch back on.
When Chief O’Brien checks on Nog in the holosuite, he tells him that everyone misses him. Once O’Brien’s gone, Vic appears. Nog finally admits the emotional trauma that he’s had and being scared.
He doesn’t want to return to the real world where he’ll face death. Vic reminds him that if he stays in the holosuite, he’ll still die if only ‘little by little’. He encourages Nog to at least be ‘in the game’. 🙂
Eventually, Nog returns to the real world where he reunites with Rom, Leeta and Quark. He soon returns to limited duty, but arranges for Vic’s program to be left running all the time to thank him. 🙂
I like how the episode ends with Vic singing the song ‘I’ve Got the World on a String’, as he’s reinvigorated in being given the chance of a real life after helping Nog. It’s a very touching ending. 🙂
‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ is a fantastic and emotionally gripping ‘DS9’ episode. I like how Nog recovers from his trauma following ‘The Siege of AR-558’ and his story with Vic was pretty engaging.
‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ (DS9) rating – 10/10
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