His Way

"His Way" is the 144th episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the 20th episode of the sixth season. In addition to introducing the character Vic Fontaine (James Darren) to the series, the episode saw the culmination of years of ambiguity between Odo and Kira Nerys when the two finally became romantically involved.

Plot

Dr. Bashir introduces other crew members to a new Holosuite program featuring a 1960s Las Vegas lounge singer named Vic Fontaine. Vic has been programmed with sentience and awareness that he is a hologram, and recognizes that there is an unstated tension between Odo and Kira Nerys but refuses to comment further. While Nerys goes off to Bajor to meet with her ex-lover Shakaar Edon, Odo revisits Vic to try to find out what Vic implied, and Vic convinces Odo to admit he is in love with Nerys. Odo admits he is unable to approach her on the subject, so Vic arranges to help ease Odo into doing something about it, first by "performing" with Vic during a show, and then going on a date with a holographic woman that looks like Nerys but without her mannerisms. Odo finds that he can be comfortable with the holographic versions but is afraid to take the next step in real life.

After Nerys returns to the station, Vic, figuring out how to use the holosuite's matrix to transfer himself to the suite where Nerys is meditating next door, gets her to agree to visit the holosuite at a specified time for dinner with Odo; Vic then contacts Odo via the station's comm link and tells Odo that he has created a "new and improved" Nerys simulation and invites him to see the results. Odo attends the holosuite and takes what he believes is the Nerys simulation on a romantic date to Vic's show, including dinner and a slow dance, but when Vic reveals that Nerys is real, Odo runs off. The next day, Odo attempts to avoid Nerys in the Promenade, but the major, declaring to Dax that she just experienced "a moment of perfect clarity," confronts Odo about the night before, declaring that they need to discuss what happened, over dinner, "anywhere but a holosuite". The two descend into an argument about Nerys' visit to Shakaar, Odo believing she is still seeing him. Nerys points out the trip was strictly business and that she isn't romantically involved with anyone and asks "Are we going to have dinner together or not?". Rapidly realizing they love each other, they argue about the implications of dinner - dancing, and perhaps a kiss. Odo says, "Well then who needs dinner; why don't I just get it over with and kiss you right now?" Kira replies, "Well why don't you?" Odo grabs her and they fall into a passionate kiss, watched by the rest of the Promenade residents. At the end of the scene, Nerys proclaims to Odo, "You're right. Who needs dinner?", and they kiss a second time.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: His Way

• His Way at the Internet Movie Database
• "His Way" at TV.com
• His Way at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• His Way at StarTrek.com