History Recap / StarTrekVoyagerS2E3Projections

** Neelix enjoys the Doctor's panicked reaction to his own bleeding after he snarked at Neelix for mistaking tomato sauce for blood.

* SuspiciouslySpecificDenial: The Doctor tells Kes that she does find her attractive "in a platonic sense".

The Doctor isn't quite convinced. Barclay shows him the truth of his claims by taking the Doctor back to the moment he was first activated on ''Voyager'', just before getting sent to the Delta Quadrant. After deleting the programs of several annoying crewmembers, the Doctor is convinced and realizes that he needs to destroy the holographic projector to end the program. He does so, but nothing changes. Barclay arrives to explain that destroying the holomatrix on a holographic ship won't do anything. He needs to end the program itself, and only destroying the ship will do that. He needs to destroy the warp core. Before he can, however, Chakotay appears and says that Barclay is lying.

Things get even weirder when our old friend Lt. Reginald Barclay shows up out of nowhere. He tells the Doctor that he really is Zimmerman, and that all of his adventures in space have been a holoprogram testing the effects of long-term space exploration. A build-up of kinoplasmic has addled his memory. He needs to escape the holodeck before it kills him. Barclay himself is projecting his image from just outside the holodeck. The Doctor gets a sudden stab of pain, and Barclay says that the radiation will kill him within an hour.

[[caption-width-right:350:Listen, Barclay, we know you're an escapist, but showing up in the Delta Quadrant is a bit much.]]

Things get even weirder when our old friend Lt. Reginald Barclay shows up out of nowhere. He tells the Doctor that he really is Zimmerman, and that all of his adventures in space have been a holoprogram testing the effects of long-term space exploration. However, a build-up of kinoplasmic has addled his memory and is currently killing him. He needs to escape the holodeck before it kills him. Barclay himself is projecting his image from just outside the holodeck. The Doctor gets a sudden stab of pain, and Barclay says that the radiation will kill him within an hour.

The Doctor isn't quite convinced. Barclay shows him the truth of his claims by taking the Doctor back to the moment he was first activated on ''Voyager'', just before getting sent to the Delta Quadrant. After deleting the programs of several annoying crewmembers, the Doctor is convinced and realizes that he needs to destroy the holographic projector to end the program. He does so, but nothing changes. Barclay arrives to explain that destroying the holomatrix on a holographic ship won't do anything. He needs to end the program itself, and only destroying the ship will do that. He needs to destroy the warp core. Before he can, however, Chakotay appears to tell the Doctor that Barclay is lying.

Chakotay explains that he's actually on the holodeck of ''Voyager'' taking a day off, but his program has glitched due to a radiation surge. If he destroys the program, he'll be destroyed with it. All he needs to do is wait until the crew fixes the glitch. Barclay implores the Doctor to continue with the plan, arguing that he is more than just a program, but a man with a loving wife. A human version of Kes appears as his wife and kisses him. The Doctor tells her that he always found her beautiful but suddenly realizes that he's lying in sickbay, surrounded by the crew and an Ocampan Kes, who thanks him for the compliment. He's been saved and a little embarrassed. But in private, Kes starts treating him as her husband and calls him "Lewis." Barclay suddenly appears and tells him that he can still destroy the ship and end the program. He's suddenly brought back to his first day on ''Voyager'' again, only this time his patient is Zimmerman speaking in Janeway's voice.

* TryToFitThatOnABusinessCard: The Doctor gives his full programme name as "EMH programme AK -1 diagnostic and surgical subroutine Omega 323".

* ActionSurvivor: The Doctor is uncomfortable going outside the familiar confines of Sickbay, but rises to the occasion, even helping Neelix take down a Kazon soldier.

* BecomingTheMask: Reg claims that the Doctor is actually Lewis Zimmerman, who has become convinced he's the holodeck character he was beta-testing.

** The Doctor finds himself reliving scenes from "Caretaker" when Reg resets the programme to the beginning of the story.
** The Doctor testing he's not still in the programme at the end of the episode is similar to Reg Barclay doing the same in TNG's "Ship in a Bottle".

* ChekhovsGunman: The real Reginald Barclay and Lewis Zimmerman will appear in later seasons.

** Reg starts by [[ThisIsNoTimeToPanic telling the Doctor not to panic]], while he's clearly panicking.

* LotusEaterMachine: Played with when Reg asks if he'd rather BecomeARealBoy or be JustAMachine. But the Doctor is entirely comfortable in his strictly defined parameters; why would he want to go outside them? As later episodes confirm however, the Doctor is starting to dream of other possibilities (not to mention beautiful fellow crewmembers).
* MythologyGag: Reginald Barclay was assigned to beta-test the Doctor's interpersonal skills on Jupiter Station. Fans of TNG know that Reg is a geek with NoSocialSkills and so is [[TheBlindLeadingTheBlind completely unsuitable for the role]], explaining the Doctor's DrJerk nature.
* NotSoFinalConfession: After getting a LastKiss from his wife, the Doctor admits he's always wanted to tell Kes how beautiful she is. As per usual, he's just woken up in the real world and so ends up saying it to the real Kes. Only she turns out to be a DreamWithinADream, so the Doctor is spared the embarrassment after all.

** Reg claims he's a holographic projection of the real Reginald Barclay, who is outside the holodeck on Jupiter Station trying to communicate with "Dr. Zimmerman". Later, at the climax of the episode, Chakotay appears and makes the same claim.

* YouHaveToBelieveMe: Unfortunately Reg is not the most convincing person for this job.

The Emergency Medical Hologram is activated in an empty Sickbay, apparently the only crewmember left on ''Voyager'', which has been evacuated after a Kazon attack. When he does find members of the crew they don't register on his tricorder, which gives a reading that the Doctor is a flesh and blood person. Then a hologram claiming to be Reginald Barclay appears to inform the Doctor that he is actually Lewis Zimmerman, creator of the EMH program, who is trapped inside a holodeck program.

* AbandonShip: Voyager's crew is evacuated after a Kazon attack causes a warp core breach. The crew were easily captured in their {{Escape Pod}}s, while only [[GoingDownWithTheShip Janeway and B'Elanna remained on board to make repairs]].

* AllJustADream: Turns out there was no Kazon attack or evacuation of Voyager, and the Doctor was just stuck in a holodeck feedback loop.

** Holo-emitters have been installed in crucial areas of Voyager so the EMH can be projected outside Sickbay.

** The Doctor testing he's not still in the programme at the end of the episode, is similar to Reg Barclay doing the same in TNG's "Ship in a Bottle".

* ProjectedMan: Holo-emitters have been installed in crucial areas of Voyager so the EMH can be projected outside Sickbay.

* ActionSurvivor: The Doctor is uncomfortable going outside the comforting confines of Sickbay but rises to the occasion, even helping Neelix take down a Kazon soldier.
* AllJustADream: Turns out there was no Kazon attack or evacuation of Voyager, and the Doctor was just stuck in a holodeck loop.

** The Doctor finds himself reliving scenes from "Caretaker" when Reg resets the programme to start.

-->'''TORRES:''' We hadn't even tested the system yet. There was no guarantee it was going to work. I guess the Captain didn't want to get your hopes up.\\

* HolodeckMalfunction

* MythologyGag: Reginald Barclay was assigned to beta-test the Doctor's interpersonal skills. Fans of TNG know that Reg is a geek with NoSocialSkills and so is [[TheBlindLeadingTheBlind completely unsuitable for the role]], explaining the Doctor's DrJerk nature.

-->'''BARCLAY:''' Lewis, how would you rather think of yourself? As a real person with a real life, with a family that loves you? Or as some hologram that exists in a Sickbay on a starship lost in deep space.
-->'''CHAKOTAY:''' This isn't about what you want. This is about what you are. Just because you're made of projected light and energy doesn't mean you're any less real than someone made of flesh and blood. It doesn't matter what you're made of. What matters is who you are.

* WishFulfillment: "Computer, [[CrowningMomentOfFunny delete Paris]]."

* DyingConfessionOfLove: After getting a LastKiss from his wife, the Doctor admits he's always wanted to tell Kes how beautiful she is. As per usual, he's just woken up in the real world and so ends up saying it to the real Kes. Only she turns out to be a DreamWithinADream, so the Doctor is spared the embarrassment after all.

* TheLastManHeardAKnock: The Doctor is activated and told by the computer that he's the last person on the ship. As this is still early in the show and he's stuck in Sickbay, he prepares to shut down his program, but suddenly there's a knock at the door.

* ActingForTwo: When [[DreamWithinADream things start getting really freaky]], the Doctor sees himself (as Zimmerman) on a medical table.

* DeadpanSnarker: As usual, no-one has informed the Doctor of information he'd like to know, e.g. that holo-emitters are being installed on other decks.

** Reg starts by telling the Doctor not to panic, while he's clearly panicking.

* GenreSavvy: The Doctor is suspicious when Reg wants him to end the program by destroying Voyager. What if this is some alien trick?

* MythologyGag: Reginald Barclay was assigned to beta-test the Doctor's interpersonal skills. Fans of TNG know that Reg is a geek with NoSocialSkills and so is completely unsuitable for the role, explaining the Doctor's DrJerk nature.

* TheTease: After explaining what's happened to Kes (including the fact that he dreamt Kes was his wife) the Doctor takes comfort that at least now he knows exactly who he is. Kes gives him a CatSmile and asks, "Are you sure about that?" After she leaves, the Doctor sticks his arm outside Sickbay so it vanishes, just to be sure.

* TheTease: After explaining what's happened to Kes (including the fact that he dreamt Kes was his wife) the Doctor takes comfort that at least now he knows exactly who he is. Kes gives him a coy look and asks, "Are you sure about that?" After she leaves, the Doctor sticks his arm outside Sickbay so it vanishes, just to be sure.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Doctor will actively explore his fantasies in later episodes, including a holographic family in "Real Life" and wish-fulfillment daydreams in "Tinker Tailor Doctor Spy". In "Life Line" he meets the real Reginald Barclay and Lewis Zimmerman.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Doctor will actively explore his fantasies in later episodes, including a holographic family in "Real Life" and wish-fulfillment daydreams in "Tinker Tailor Doctor Spy". In "Life Line" he meets both the real Reginald Barclay and Lewis Zimmerman.

* MythologyGag: Reginald Barclay was assigned to beta-test the Doctor's interpersonal skills. Fans of TNG know that Reg is an anti-social geek and so is completely unsuitable for the role, explaining the Doctor's DrJerk nature.

* PatrickStewartSpeech: Though technically an inversion from Chakotay.