DS9: It's Only a Paper Moon

         This is probably the episode that, along with Little Green Men, stuck in my head the most the first time I watched DS9. I am not saying it is the greatest episode in the series, but a story about an amputee war veteran returning to his old life feels a lot more real than many of the stories in the rest of Trek. The fact that he recuperates in a holosuite doesn't make it seem any less real either. The holosuite is just his way of hiding from his real life and I know that feeling. 
         We open with the crew eagerly awaiting Nog's return from the starbase where he got his replacement leg and some counseling, but when he arrives he is clearly depressed and doesn't want to talk to any of them. He heads straight to his quarters and proceeds to sleep 18 plus hours a day and the only thing he does while awake is listen to a recording of Vic Fontaine performing "I'll Be Seeing You" to the point that he drives Jake nuts. He walks out of his quarters and boots up the holosuite. He gets Vic to perform every version of "I'll Be Seeing You" that he knows having flashbacks to his initial surgery when Julian had the song on. After he asks Vic if he can stay with him and Vic agrees. At first Nog just wants to sit around and watch old movies but Vic talks him into coming to his performance. Ezri told Vic that Nog doesn't need the cane he walks with so Vic convinces him to use a flimsy cane.
         Nog seems to be doing a little better but when Jake brings his girlfriend for a visit Nog is rude to both of them and tries to start a fight with Jake. Vic throws him out of the casino. That night Vic convinces Nog to take a look at his books and Nog realizes Vic has more money that he thought he had. Nog throws himself into running the casino and even starts working on plans for an expansion. Vic enjoys having his program run continuously but eventually gets a talk from Ezri about how it is time to end this. Vic confronts Nog who seems to not be ready, but Vic insists it is time to go and ends the program. Nog tries to break into the holosuite to turn him back on but O'Brien points out that it won't work. Vic appears and convinces Nog to try life on the outside again. He walks out and hugs his family and a week or so later returns to Vic's in uniform, he is back at work. As a thank you to Vic Nog convinces Quark to leave the program on continuously from now on.

         Review: As someone who struggles at times with anxiety and depression I really felt for Nog in this episode. I know how hard it can seem to face reality, but it is nice to have a reminder like this that it is also the only way to really live your life.

8 out of 10