Though a way for the Doctor to understand about loss and real families, this still has some flaws - why is it B'Elanna's or ANYBODY'S business how he should live his holographic life? And sad to relate, the Doctor being on the verge of leaving his family when he can't cope with tragedy is EXACTLY what some actual human beings would do, despite what Paris might think.
But the most telling aspect is that his family is never again mentioned in any episode. Ever. And it's not like this series hasn't brought up other family members for characters before and since, either; his family is, after all, just a holographic simulation which he can (and presumably does) switch off... which ultimately makes the episode, though good, pointless if it has nothing to affect future stories.
The summary comes from the scene in "Soul Man" when C. Thomas Howell points out to James Earl Jones that he doesn't really know what it's like to be black - Jones has no choice, but Howell (being white) can get out. Just like the Doctor, who as he himself once said has a programme instead of a life, also gets out...
But the most telling aspect is that his family is never again mentioned in any episode. Ever. And it's not like this series hasn't brought up other family members for characters before and since, either; his family is, after all, just a holographic simulation which he can (and presumably does) switch off... which ultimately makes the episode, though good, pointless if it has nothing to affect future stories.
The summary comes from the scene in "Soul Man" when C. Thomas Howell points out to James Earl Jones that he doesn't really know what it's like to be black - Jones has no choice, but Howell (being white) can get out. Just like the Doctor, who as he himself once said has a programme instead of a life, also gets out...