Family Man
How'd We Do it?
Synopsis The Doctor announces that he has been having a relationship with a holodeck character and has decided to begin raising a family with her. When she can't get used to life in "reality" and the Doctor's responsibilities, the consequences could be deadly for Kes.
Major Character and Plot Points The validity of the Doctor as a person. Normal life on Voyager being rather dull. Kes and B'Lanna's concern for the Doctor. Neelix's desire to serve as a councilor as well as a moral officer.
Jerry's Comments All right, this is going to sound very familiar and for damn good reason, which I'm damn proud of. Jerry Taylor stopped me halfway through my first paragraph. They had just finished shooting an episode with the EXACT same premise as Family Man. The Doctor decides to raise a holographic family and things go wacky. If we had walked in 6 months earlier, we would have had it! We would have sold this pitch. We wouldn't have had to hit it right on the head either. They will work with you if you bring them a killer concept. We could have just said, "The Doctor decides to raise a holographic family and things go wacky" and that would have done it. I actually  thought of this concept stopped at a traffic light and had it by the time the light turned green. That's how the best stories come, Jerry told us, when you least expect it and with great rapidity and clarity.

This was our most hopeful pitch and Jerry thought it was our best too. When I thought of it, it just came out of nowhere. I don't even think I was thinking about the pitch trip at all. It just landed in my head. I actually never saw the episode that aired in Family Man's place. I couldn't watch.

The Pitch as Delivered The Doctor announces to the Captain that he would like to establish a permanent relationship with a holodeck character. (Jerry stopped the pitch right here) Grace is a 19th century American frontier woman. After cautioning him about relationship perils, Janeway gives him her blessing.

The crew begins to explore an odd black hole that may be a wormhole of sorts.

The Doctor returns to the American frontier program and proposes to Grace. He then gets her a holo emitter and they establish quarters for themselves.

The Doctor's attitude has changed. He is happy, cheerful, supportive of others. Kes tries to bring Grace into the community by finding her an interest in botany. She has a hard time becoming interested in the science as her life as a fantasy frontier woman was full of much more adventure and excitement.>

Kes is concerned that Grace is a wonderful "Character" but she is not exactly a depth filled "person" like the Doctor is. The Doctor insists that her fantasy quality is what makes her so interesting. The crew seems divided over the whole thing. B'Lanna is a bit concerned like Kes to Janeway, who is totally for the Doctor exploring this part of himself.

The Doctor and Grace decide to have a child! The crew finds a "holo-baby" girl waiting in a crib. Grace is happy with the baby but the lack of adventure is making her bored. She changes the sex of the child to a boy "Patrick" and ages him to about 12.

Bizarre readings from the black hole tell the crew that it is probably best to move on, though Neelix is curious and suggests more study. Grace integrates her fantasy world into the doctor's reality. She does the quarters over in rustic frontier and leaves loaded muskets about the place. Confused, he discusses the dynamics of a relationship with Neelix who replies that relationships are never predictable. The Doctor is dismayed that you can't turn off feelings.

Grace ages Patrick to about twenty and is fortifying the quarters against attack. The Doctor tells her that outrageous things are far less likely to happen than in some adventure fantasy, an alien appears in the quarters and snatches his "son" away at gun point. The black whole was artificial, and was created as a hiding place for an illegal genetics replication facility. They hold Patrick and threaten to kill him. Kes has been injured in the boarding and lays in sickbay. With Patrick in danger, Grace will not allow the Doctor to treat Kes. Angered Janeway shuts down Patrick.

Grace, watching the "reality" of The Doctor treating Kes is unable to handle it. Grace finds this reality too exciting and too incomprehensible, decides to live with her son on the holodeck fantasy and that she would like a "separation" of sorts from the Doctor.

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