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Original airdate: 9/11/95. Stardate: 48892.1. This is one of those "What is reality?" episodes that have become a staple in the
Star Trek universe--not surprising, since it was written by Brannon Braga and directed by
Next Generation veteran Jonathan Frakes, who covered similar territory in the memorable
NextGen episode "Frame of Mind." In this case it's the Doctor (Robert Picardo) whose perception of reality is called into question, beginning when the Doc's EMH program is activated just after
Voyager had been attacked by a Kazon warship. But the attack is a holographic simulation, and the Doctor's confusion intensifies when he learns he is actually Lewis Zimmerman, the scientist who created
Voyager's EMH program in his own image! Now seemingly human, and capable of being injured, the Doctor then encounters Reg Barclay (series semiregular Dwight Schultz), whose explanation of the situation, while not entirely consistent, twists "Projections" into yet another layer of reality, forcing the Doctor to make an anguished decision that could end
Voyager's existence altogether. Or could it? Consider the potential repercussions of holograms within holograms, and this mind-bending episode takes on an intriguing puzzle-box perspective that may or may not make sense, but it's fun while it lasts.
--Jeff Shannon