In Demon, duplicates Tom and Harry could not breathe the ship's atmosphere and the EMH had to replicate the Demon planet's atmosphere for them. Why then in Course: Oblivion, were the crew of duplicates not affected by the ship's atmosphere? (As a matter of fact, duplicate Janeway ordered a simulated Demon class atmosphere in the third act when the duplicates were found to be degrading).
That indeed sounds more tricky than I thought from first reading. I just assumed that the duplicates would be in a replicated ship and thus the environment was also suited to their needs. The only explanation I can think of regards the scene within this scenario whereby Janeway ordered a 'simulated Demon class atmosphere' (and I had forgotten or taken this for granted), but perhaps the changed atmosphere although apparently newly simulated was actually still the same. Maybe someone else has this worked out.
The better question is whenever that crew would go on away missions during those months, how come no one didn't start choking and thus discovering their nature? The only way I can rationalize this is that denial can be REALLY mind altering. Honestly, though, this is a minor plot point to an otherwise excellent episode in "COURSE: OBLIVION"... one of the rare times where a sequel is better than the first time around.
I assumed the same. Maybe, over time, their "skin" developed a resistance to the adverse conditions they were forced to endure? (similar to the Xenomorph in the Alien films)
Good point. Perhaps duplicate Janeway did ordered something that was already there. It's odd, though. I guess as I'm watching Voyager for the first time in a long time it somehow just struck me.
I thought in Course: Oblivion there was some dialogue to suggest that they must have found a way to exist in other atmosphere, and also somehow forgot that they were actual duplicates over time somehow.
You're right about their forgetting they were duplicates. I'll need to watch it again to see if there's dialogue about existing in other atmospheres as I don't recall that.
Don't think there was, as far as the crew were aware, they were the original Voyager crew, they visited the Demon planet and left behind duplicates of themselves, it took a while for them to accept the fact they were the duplicates. I've never really thought about it before but given the fact we are told in this episode that the duplicate crew have made contact with a number of alien species in their time in space then is stands to reason they have found some way to adapt to the different atmospheres they encounter. Ultimately, isn't it the lack of a demon class atmosphere that destroys them ?
I think they're dying of cellular degradation. It's the same thing that's destroying the ship. It occurred due to their enhanced warp drive causing some type of radiation which can't hurt humanoids but can hurt the duplicates. They began looking for a Demon planet as they think it might stop the degradation. Memory Alpha says at some point the duplicates were able to adapt to a different environment than found on a Demon planet. Not sure where they got that from.
I looked at the transcript of the episode and they do not actually talk about this like I remembered it. However, considering the Doctor in that episode says how they had forgotten over time that they were duplicates, perhaps they also forgot how they adapted. I wish they would have at least had a line of dialogue about that in the episode, but I think whoever put that in Memory Alpha was just making a conclusion.