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Real Life (Voyager episode)
Encyclopedia
"Real Life" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager
, the 22nd episode of the third season.
and is spending time with them to expand his potential. Having designed a wife named Charlene and two children, Jeffrey and Belle, the Doctor (now called "Kenneth" by Charlene) invites Kes
and B'Elanna
for dinner, to show them what an excellent husband and father he's turning out to be.
When the Doctor's friends meet his family, they are less than amused. The Doctor's new 'family' is far too good to be true: Charlene is a charming and wholesome hostess and takes pleasure in making sure her husband's every need is attended to, since he works so very hard, teenage Jeffrey is already an accomplished research scientist, and 10-year-old Belle is an adorable and well-rounded young student and athlete. Kes is polite, but B'Elanna says it plainly: the Doctor's family is a flawless, 'perfect' family – one that most people will never experience.
Torres offers to re-design the Doctor's family to more accurately reflect the 'real world': the once-chipper Charlene is now a busy working woman, Jeffrey is a rebellious teenager – and quickly falling in with the wrong crowd, Klingons; and Belle has begun playing the dangerous game of Parrises Squares.
At first, the Doctor is upset with the changes: he feels that Torres' changes were too 'extreme'. After a short adjustment period (and several sessions speaking with Tom Paris
about 'family'), the Doctor comes home to the message that every parent dreads: Belle has fallen and hit her head on the edge of the court while in Parrises Squares practice, causing a life-threatening injury – and there's nothing the doctors can do to save her.
The Doctor visits his daughter in the hospital. Overcome with emotion, he orders the program terminated. However, he is faced with the logic of his crewmates: real life can't be switched on and off at whim, and there's no 'resume program' option.
Confronted with this simple fact, the Doctor returns to the holodeck and resumes the program.
Now back at the point where he left, the Doctor is at the hospital bedside of Belle. Belle asks an emotional "Am I going to die?" to which the Doctor simply replies "yes". As a grieving Charlene and tamer brother Jeffrey all enter the room and share their last few words with Belle, the family is brought together in an emotional hug when Belle dies.
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, the 22nd episode of the third season.
Plot
The Doctor is proud of his new project. He's created a family for himself on the holodeckHolodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
and is spending time with them to expand his potential. Having designed a wife named Charlene and two children, Jeffrey and Belle, the Doctor (now called "Kenneth" by Charlene) invites Kes
Kes (Star Trek)
Kes is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by Jennifer Lien.She was a regular for the first three seasons, leaving the show in the season four episode "The Gift". She made one guest appearance two seasons later....
and B'Elanna
B'Elanna Torres
B'Elanna Torres is a main character in Star Trek: Voyager played by Roxann Dawson. She is portrayed as a half-human half-Klingon born in 2349 on the Federation colony Kessik IV. Torres joined the Maquis in 2370 and was serving on the Val Jean when brought to the Delta Quadrant...
for dinner, to show them what an excellent husband and father he's turning out to be.
When the Doctor's friends meet his family, they are less than amused. The Doctor's new 'family' is far too good to be true: Charlene is a charming and wholesome hostess and takes pleasure in making sure her husband's every need is attended to, since he works so very hard, teenage Jeffrey is already an accomplished research scientist, and 10-year-old Belle is an adorable and well-rounded young student and athlete. Kes is polite, but B'Elanna says it plainly: the Doctor's family is a flawless, 'perfect' family – one that most people will never experience.
Torres offers to re-design the Doctor's family to more accurately reflect the 'real world': the once-chipper Charlene is now a busy working woman, Jeffrey is a rebellious teenager – and quickly falling in with the wrong crowd, Klingons; and Belle has begun playing the dangerous game of Parrises Squares.
At first, the Doctor is upset with the changes: he feels that Torres' changes were too 'extreme'. After a short adjustment period (and several sessions speaking with Tom Paris
Tom Paris
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Paris, played by Robert Duncan McNeill, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Paris serves as the chief helmsman and an auxiliary medic aboard the USS Voyager...
about 'family'), the Doctor comes home to the message that every parent dreads: Belle has fallen and hit her head on the edge of the court while in Parrises Squares practice, causing a life-threatening injury – and there's nothing the doctors can do to save her.
The Doctor visits his daughter in the hospital. Overcome with emotion, he orders the program terminated. However, he is faced with the logic of his crewmates: real life can't be switched on and off at whim, and there's no 'resume program' option.
Confronted with this simple fact, the Doctor returns to the holodeck and resumes the program.
Now back at the point where he left, the Doctor is at the hospital bedside of Belle. Belle asks an emotional "Am I going to die?" to which the Doctor simply replies "yes". As a grieving Charlene and tamer brother Jeffrey all enter the room and share their last few words with Belle, the family is brought together in an emotional hug when Belle dies.