Star Trek Continues Ep. 5: "Divided We Stand"...(spoilers)

Star Trek Continues has released their Ep. 5, "Divided We Stand."

A warning to those who have yet to see the episode this thread will likely contain spoilers even as we try to keep things more-or-less vague.


I give this a 5/5. While Ep. 4 "The White Iris" was okay (3/5) I wasn't ovverwhelmed by it. With Ep. 5 "Divided We Stand" I think STC gets back on track with a kind of story we could likely have gotten from TOS.

Spoiler: What I thought

“Divided We Stand” *****

An unknown form of intelligence infests the Enterprise as well as Kirk and McCoy.

There is a lot for me to like about this episode and very little for me to gripe about. Indeed whatever criticisms I have are largely of the nitpicking variety and I could apply that as easily to pretty much any TOS episode.

From the first frame one thing that impressed me was the overall look of the episode. STC has been strong in this regard since the beginning, but they actually seem to get even better with each new production. The lighting of the sets was especially nice this time around particularly in the way it helped set a mood for the story. That and I prefer the more shadowed look to the TOS sets.

Another aspect that impressed me was the music. Once again we hear familiar pieces from TOS yet we also hear new arrangements that fit pretty much seamlessly in their stylistic similarity. This added touch helps convey the idea that new arrangements likely would have been heard if TOS had managed to get a fourth season.

A third element that I’ve liked from the beginning of STC and one that also seems to get better with each episode are the Enterprise exterior shots. Doug Drexler’s model is gorgeous particularly in how it’s lighted and how the ship is shown to move. The added touch of film grain really cements the idea of how the TOS E could have looked under the best of conditions back in the day. DD has a real eye for this.

I must admit that after seeing the teaser trailer a week earlier I was somewhat wary as to what would be done with this story. Thankfully my fears were unrealized. While there is a general similarity to something we’ve seen in Trek before they still managed to do something different with the idea. One of my quibbles could be they might have given this element of the story away a bit too early. No real harm done, but perhaps some of the story could have been restructured to keep the viewer guessing a bit longer.

The production level of this episode is very impressive. I seriously doubt TOS could have done better. Indeed in some respects TOS might have resorted to inserting some stock shots from previous feature films or television episodes whereas STC staged everything live. Very impressive. On that note this episode is very much in keeping with Gene Roddenberry’s original pitch to NBC where he suggested reusing and adapting prexisting sets, props and costumes from previous productions to help save costs for Star Trek’s purposes. Even with that thought in my this episode certainly doesn’t look cheap. To me it looks first-rate.

I really enjoyed seeing the character of Dr. Mbenga in this story and I quite enjoyed his performance. I hope we see him again.

There are again a couple of callouts to post TOS productions, but this time around they are more general in nature and not blaring for attention. The VOY related reference could easily go unnoticed if, like me, you’re not really familiar with the series. The TNG related reference is easier to notice, but it’s done in a very offhand way. Also, for some of TOS’ technology to work some form of nanotech would likely exist so recognizing an alien form of it wouldn’t be a stretch.

One little thing did stick out to me and this was the repeated instance of Chekov addressing Spock by rank. It didn’t sound right. Chekov always used “Mister Spock” to address him. Yeah, it’s a nitpick, but it just stuck out to me.

I picked up on only one real logic flaw. That was the lack of any cybernetic tech kept aboard ship. The idea of a 23rd century crewman having a cybernetic prosthetic was a cool idea, but I think it would also be tech that would be kept aboard in case of an emergency given the hazardous situations the crew encounters.

A sincere salute to Chuck Huber for his performance as McCoy. I really couldn’t fault Larry Nemecek’s performance, but Huber does bring a touch of gruffness to the character that was missing before.

What really got me about this production (beyond the things I’ve already mentioned) was I could easily imagine the original cast saying the words written here. I could easily see them doing these scenes.

I don’t know if there was really an intended message in this story, but it does seems to comment on the friction and divisions running through American society. It strikes me as particularly relevant given this episode was in production while discussions regarding the issue of the Confederate flag were in the news and social media.

My last quibble is quite minor since it relates to the episode’s length. It clocks out at forty-two minutes and I found myself wanting a bit more story to fill in another seven or eight minutes.

In the end I enjoyed this quite a bit more than “The White Iris.” This felt like classic TOS as opposed to a TNG story dressed in the wrong clothes. I also applaud that this is the kind of story (along with “Lolani”) that is really in sync with TOS. It’s the kind of storytelling televised Star Trek can do and regrettably the kind of thing we not likely to ever get in feature films.

 

I loved it. Though, I did find the use of "Charlie is My Darling" a bit distracting.

 

Well here is a kick in the head for you. "Charlie Is Our Darling" is actually a version of an original Civil War song called "Johnny is My Darling."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PxmwQ3Uccw

 

That's interesting. It's a Scottish song that originated much earlier than that, but I didn't know there was a version that was popular during the civil war.

 

They've release a short BTS video about the scoring which mentions that. I knew that theme sounded familiar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ivcCTB0YFw

 

^^ Yeah, isaw that and the Ep. 5 gag reel about an hour ago.

You going to share your thoughts about the episode, Zaminhon? I know you've already seen it.

 

I haven't really decided which I like for my top spot, "Divided we Stand" or "Lolani". Production-wise this is superior to Lolani in what they were able to accomplish and the scale blew my mind. Story-wise, maybe I prefer Lolani and the guest stars were amazing. I think at this point it's a draw.

Spoiler: spoilers here

I'm definitely impressed with the acting in "Divided We Stand". The guest actors and particularly Chuck Huber really stood out, Chuck really became McCoy for me in this episode. I thought that the scene between the Sargent and McCoy was particularly good, I could almost feel those punches, and then McCoy's reaction to the primitive surgical instruments was spot on. I also enjoyed Martin Bradford's performance as Dr. M'Benga, I hope we see him again.

This wasn't just a camera being dropped in the middle of a reenactment, this was really good film making, from the staging and direction, to the cinematography, lighting, editing and sound. Very professional looking in all aspects.

I saw the teaser and I was worried that they wouldn't have horses.. somehow the authenticity would be a little diminished for me without them. I'm glad the calvary arrived. ( I should have known that the reenactors would come with their own horses, tents, and cannon). I did see a couple of modern thermoses and plastic, but overall, an excellent recreation. (At least no one was shown on a cell phone in the background or cars driving by. )

I kind of moved past having a problem with the use of contemporary terminology, like nanites or firewalls. The detail of that microscopic view of the nanite, and the text below (actual date , stardate, attending physician, etc.), were nice details that would be overlooked in 1969. If they keep making episodes like this, I'm fine with occasionally stepping out of '69.

 

superb production all around, no point me writing a long post gushing as to the excellent production values, but im gonna put a question to the group, what would become of the nanites? it feels like there is a story to tell, what is their future? I was first reminded of the replicators in Star Gate SG-1, but then thought they were more like the blocks that made of the human replicators, writing this got me thinking that if they followed this path, we would end up creating something somewhere between the human replicators and the Borg, which is risky, but I do feel like a future evolution of those nanites, could be interesting.

 

I'm going to have to say that I found this episode pretty "meh" overall. The production values were all terrific, as they almost always are with STC, but I found the script preachy and kinda dull. First of all, this is the second episode in a row in which the plot was largely driven by Kirk's brain being injured/affected. Generally speaking, I'm just tired of time-travel stories in Trek and FanTrek (even though this wasn't actual time travel, the result was much the same). As in "Lolani," the MESSAGE was written in big neon letters that blink on an off. I found all the rah-rah stuff (and the endless speechifyin') somewhat tedious.

I get that the STC crew are keen to keep the "social commentary" aspects of Trek front and center, but this continues to be at the cost of an action-adventure format. In the best of TOS, the subtext was woven in skillfully, not shouted at the top of the mountain. It's as if they've taken all the most blatant "message" aspects of Trek and refined them down to their purest state -- and that's where the show lives.

I really want to see STC break out with a real balls-out action story that doesn't get bogged down by gimmicks (it's all in Kirk's brain! And McCoy's!) and just growls like a panther. This show has all the right tools, but they've gotten lost in the need to be Relevant With A Capital R. I would love to see STC have their own "Tressaurian Intersection."

It looks great, it sounds great, but it still left me wanting. Just my .02.

And yeah, I still liked it better than "The White Iris."

 

^^ I'm relieved it wasn't an actual time travel story or a holodeck story for that matter. After "The White Iris" that would have been going to the TNG well too often for my liking.

It's a bit of misdirection to call this an off-ship story since technically they don't actually leave the ship. But the end result feels close enough.

Agreed. I like them both equally, but for different reasons.

A couple of small nitpicks. It wasn't clear whether they actually retreived the Friendship 3 probe or just downloaded it's data. From what we saw in the story it looked like the nanites had to make a physical transition from one place to another. And why was it necessary fro the cybernetic prosthetic to still be attached to Drake for the nanites to be drawn to the arm? This comes back to my quibble about not having any cybernetic devices in store aboard ship--it could have been a lot less risky to Drake...but then maybe not as dramatic.


Screencaps of Doug Drexler's very nice TOS Enterprise.

 

I thought the exact same thing. :/

 

It wasn't clear, but maybe the nanites are like a colony of bees and send workers out to detect data systems and then swarm the source, or maybe they form a cloud-like structure that the ship passes through. I'm not sure how they get inside, but conceivably through engine ducts or waste dumps? I'm not familiar with waste disposal aboard the Enterprise, but I assume there are experts out there.

As far as the bionic arm, perhaps in order for it to operate it must be attached to the nervous system. It looked like some kind of containment device which trapped the nanites in the arm. It seemed like there would be some delay for Kirk to get dressed and get to the bridge, so I was a little surprised that they waited to beam the nanites off the ship. That was the only thing that seemed a little contrived, to have everyone on the bridge for the final scene.

It is very Matrix- like, except microscopic machines rather than huge human harvesters. Like the Matrix, if you die in there, you die in reality.

I wonder if Spock gave Kirk and McCoy mind melds, could they overcome the physics? Unfortunately Spock would be contaminated too.

 

Well done. A little bit of an "Inner Light" vibe for me.

 

I got that sense from the first time I saw the teaser trailer a week ago.The key distinction is that the probe in TNG's "The Inner Light" was actively looking/waiting for someone to interact with while what happens to Kirk and McCoy is completely accidental.

The funny thing is that this story uses contemporary terminology and ideas to do what Trek had done all the way back in "The Cage." The Talosians (and later beings like the Melkot) could totally immerse someone in such a convincing illusion that they felt the physical and mental effects as if they were really experiencing them. If this story (or a close version thereof) had been told back in the day during TOS' production it could have seemed very forward thinking. But it does suffer a bit here because the idea has already been used in SF for decades.

Don't get me wrong--I still greatly enjoyed this--but it does seem like they are still using Trek as their primary source of inspiration as opposed to looking beyond Trek to other SF and other genres in general.

 

I loved that one.

Spoiler: spoilers

My initial reaction was quite mixed. I very much dislike the notion of nanites from the moment Wesley C. introduced them. The comedy-level technobable used to describe them didn't help either. However, I have longed for an episode set during the American Civil War, so when the moment that happened, I was like... Wow, we actually went there.

I was still disappointed it had to be a nanite-induced hallucination rather than reality. That makes it the second fake Abraham Lincoln for TOS, and still not closer to having the real one. Kirk has flirted with the rules enough that I am sure having met a fake twice, he can bend them to arrange a handshake with the man himself. Besides, we've met real Greek gods, I doubt a president would be that much harder.

At the end, however, I came to appreciate the fact it wasn't real. It let the story go places where it wouldn't had it been real. I doubt any TOS fan production writer would dare to sever Kirk's real leg, even if they had the finest prosthesis in store for him at the end of the episode. Seeing McCoy commit the butchery he had been decrying in past productions was certainly nice, though it makes his comments in TVH retroactively weirder.

It was The Inner Light meets The City on the Edge of Forever episode in ways, and I appreciated that. It was less heavier than either, which isn't a bad thing. And Kirk's observing the importance of the timeline even in a dream made it all better. You don't have to put the future in jeopardy to show one's true and genuine struggle. The embarrassment that it inevitably led to was a nice touch. Though the sickbay sequences stole some of the time, so I think there would have been more.

I don't know about being preachy, but Kirk's speech about going to the stars was a bit out there – not unlike the revelations Edith Keeler in TCOTF or the army nurse in Little Green Men. But for a change, instead of local with a crystal ball, it was Kirk embarrassing himself, and getting called for it. That was quite nice.

My only disappointment is that the young boy was not a real soldier, and perhaps a figment of Kirk's or the nanites' imagination.

Did we actually exterminate them all, just like that? Nice work, Janeway.

 

What immediately came to mind after watching the teaser was a New Outer Limit's episode appropriately named "Gettysburg".

Spoiler: In case you haven't seen it

A couple of friends who are CW reenactors on opposite sides are transported back to the real battle. They were captured by the South and in this case the Northern guy was an EMT who became the field medic for a Southern regiment. It plays very differently, but a really cool episode, nonetheless. It was time travel in this case and they effected history.

 

I might need to check that one out.

For an episode set during the Civil War, I would put the crew among the confederates, with some important figures present (as the soldiers are not the policy-makers): The future meets the people on the wrong side of history. But eh, it's a difficult topic, I shouldn't flaunt my weird ideas.

 

God, I love how STC just puts the TOS vibe on the whole thing. I don't think I'm ever going to get over that. It's just like watching TOS, and their attention to detail is fantastic, and that's what makes it the superior production right now IMO. The production values have gotten higher too. There were just a few moments where it said "fan film!" but most of the time, it was very immersive.

As for the story, I agree that it was a little preachy. These sorts of stories aren't my cup of tea but I'm not going to complain too much, since it was well-done. But I'd still like them to go off the ship and do a proper landing party story, or an action-packed one.

Overall I liked this more than "White Iris" (which I *appreciated* for what it tried to do more than actually enjoyed). They're 5 out of 5. Can they keep it up?

 

Not being pressed for time like a regular 22 episode per season studio schedule might allow them the luxury of devoting whatever time they need to working things out to their satisfaction.

I'd agree they're basically 5 for 5 although I wouldn't rate them all equally.

"Pilgrim Of Eternity" - 4/5
"Lolani" - 5/5
"Fairest Of Them All" - 4/5
"The White Iris" - 3/5
"Divided We Stand" - 5/5

 

I loved this episode. I've enjoyed all the STC episodes so far, and am so grateful to all those who make this possible. Sure, it's fun to pick them apart for various errors and what-could-have-beens, but overall, this series is wonderful!

My heartfelt thanks go out to Vic M. and everyone else involved, who I hope and strongly suspect will read these remarks.