Not bad. You’ll see. Critical Notes are after the breakdown.
ONE
A ceremony. Crew prepare some kind of podium and gather on benches. Scotty sets up a camera to broadcast to all viewing screens.
Before Kirk can take the stand, though, he’s called to comms. Two Earth outposts have gone silent. Maintain course to the next outpost. He approaches the podium.
Oh! It’s a wedding! He’s officiating. Janice lights candles and Scotty takes the arm of a young woman with flowers arranged in her hair. He’s giving her away. As Kirk proclaims the words, Janice stands just behind his shoulder in a not-so-subtle two-shot.
TWO
He’s interrupted mid-ceremony by a red alert. Outpost Four reports they’re under attack, space vessel’s identity unknown. Everyone dashes, including the young couple.
Roll credits.
Captain’s log lets us know that these Outposts guard the Neutral Zone between planets Romulus and Remus, and the rest of the galaxy. (Well, I recognize Romulus, obviously, but who is Remus and to which side of the galaxy do they belong?)
Kirk enters the bridge and takes his chair from Spock. Uhuru says that the Outpost Four message just terminates. No explanation. Enterprise squeezes every last bit of speed to get there. The gold shirt at helm, Stiles, says there’s no doubt who’s attacking. Spock puts a lovely graphic on the view screen that shows us the Neutral Zone. It’s clear that on one side are the Outposts, on the other is Romulus.
Addressing the entire ship, Kirk warns them about miscalculation, then turns it over to Spock. He gives us all the backstory: an Earth/Romulan conflict a century ago, the Outposts monitoring the Neutral Zone as part of the treaty, etc. Shots of different crew gathered around their screens to see Spock’s little map graphic. The war was primitive, with no visual communication. Humans and Romulans have never seen each other. (Heh, juicy!) Entering the NZ by either side constitutes an act of war.
At this point Kirk takes over. His orders from Star Fleet are explicit. This vessel and all the Outposts are expendable. Under no condition is he to enter the Neutral Zone.
And thus we have all the Rules. Let the drama roll forward.
THREE
Stiles (the not-Chekhov) emotionally fires up. If we see a Romulan vessel near the Outpost we can attack. His family was in the century-old war, and he’s running on stories. A Romulan ship is a Bird of Prey design. Kirk spanks him down.
FOUR
Enterprise has now reached sensor range of Outposts Two and Three. The asteroids they were constructed on have been pulverized. Nothing but dust remains. Kirk has Uhura send a report to the nearest command base, and calls for battle stations. The tone is very somber and serious. They expect to die, I would guess.
Shots of crew charging phasers and preparing. We see the engaged couple have a tender moment. The bridge is now within comms distance to Outpost Four. Static, and the commander’s voice. An unknown weapon of enormous power took down the other Outposts and has broken through their deflector shield. When they establish visual, we see a room on fire, the commander bruised and bloody. He can’t identify the vessel, only that it vanished.
Something’s coming, he says. He switches his view onto Enterprise’s view screen. We see space, and then a ship materializes. It sends a red plasma burst, and the view returns to the commander as he burns up. The ship disappears, the Outpost disintegrated.
Spock and Kirk speculate that the ship became visible when it fired, perhaps a necessary procedure. Tracking some kind of blip, Spock considers it moving in a leisurely fashion, as if the ship hasn’t noticed Enterprise. It’s headed toward the NZ.
(This episode has the feel of one of those submarine movies, the kind that play cat and mouse with the destroyer above.)
Kirk orders helm to follow the mystery ship exactly, like a reflection. Stiles argues, as if he wants to attack, but he’s really suggesting that spies might be aboard. Sulu agrees, urging for security alert. Kirk is persuaded. Without an actual antagonist, the show puts Stiles in the role of person-to-dislike. We definitely don’t trust him to follow orders if things get hot.
Uhura intercepts some kind of transmission in code. Using the computer, Spock is able to translate the message onto the view screen. It’s the mystery ship’s bridge. A man in a helmet chest-salutes, and the camera pushes in on the responding officer as he pivots. With pointy ears and eyebrows, he is quite Vulcan-like. Dunh-dunh. (And now the clumsy suggestion of a spy becomes a more obvious plot point.) Kirk looks surprised, Stiles rises into a two-shot, and Spock looks . . . intrigued? Both eyebrows go up! Wow. It’s all reaction shots! Stiles turns to give Spock an accusing glare. Spock, still staring at the screen, gives a “well, shiiiit” face.
Huge dunh-dunh and we break for commercial. Hahaha!
A bridge full of glowering faces staring at the back of Spock’s head. Stiles mumbles something derogatory and Kirk shuts him down right away. Leave bigotry in your quarters. Spock and the computer analyze a recording of the broadcast. Meanwhile, Sulu spots something on visuals. It’s the alien ship, changing course. Sulu follows.
The little ship model finally shows its underbelly, painted like a bird. Ooh! Now we’re on the alien bridge. The Commander argues with his own helmsman. He knows they’re being followed, while his subordinate thinks it’s a reflection. Although the cloaking system draws much power, they will continue to use it. Like the old submarine movies, this Commander also respects his adversary: That captain does what I would do.
This Commander longs for the stars of home, of Romulus. They’re almost to the NZ. Some kind of military bureaucrat comes on the bridge to announce he’s sent a message home of their glorious victory. Our Commander gets angry. You’ve broken protocol. Well, it was only a tiny message, says the functionary. No one will notice.
Commander’s Second wonders about him. Basically, why he won’t play the power game. Now Commander shows the bigger picture. He’s worried. He knows their actions will instigate war. It’s inevitable. He’s wishing for destruction before they can return! (As an Earthling I can appreciate his opinion, but if I were Romulan I’d want someone else in charge. Yikes!) But duty will prevail.
Enterprise follows. Back on their original course to the NZ. (After the Romulan Commander ran a Crazy Ivan, lol.) They’re now an hour out. Scotty has debris aboard from Outpost Four. Bring it to the Briefing Room.
The Outpost shield, made from the hardest substance known to their science, shatters in Spock’s hand as he leads the presentation. He focuses on the physics. McCoy jumps right to the human cost, which depends on the next action the ship takes. Stiles argues for attack while the Romulans are still on this side of the NZ. Sulu asks how, when they’re invisible. Stiles pushes hard, presenting some good points, and then turns his anger against Spock, making it personal. Spock, magnificently, agrees: attack. It’s left to McCoy to debate from the other side.
Their physical appearance, which indicates the Romulans are most likely an offshoot of Vulcan, is Spock’s answer. Vulcan went through an extremely aggressive period. “If the Romulans have maintained this martial philosophy, then weakness is something we dare not show.”
SWITCH
Kirk, the one on whose shoulders all this rests, comms to Uhura. Course remains unchanged. Transmissions to command structure won’t be returned for three more hours. However, the Romulans are veering toward a comet in their path. Anything passing through the tail of that comet will leave a visible trail. “Our chance,” Kirk says. Battle stations. The scene ends with a two-shot of Kirk and McCoy. “I hope we won’t need your services, Bones.” “Amen.”
Cut to commercial as Kirk and Sulu stride through the hallway, crew racing around behind them.
FIVE
The comet. Bridge crew watch it on their view screen. Battle stations are ready. The “intruder” is headed right for the comet’s tail. (Isn’t Kirk slightly suspicious of that? Even if he assumes, as he does, that the Romulans don’t know Enterprise follows? Oookay.) Swing the ship around to catch him as he comes through the tail and becomes visible.
Now we’re on the Romulan ship as they also look at the comet. The particles will obscure the Earthling sensor devices, Commander says. Hard push-in as he says, “Once fully obscured we’ll turn suddenly back upon our adversary.” He feels good about his plan until Functionary says: At last the screen is clear. Our reflection no longer follows. Commander shouts out, “Escape Maneuver One!” Their ship is rocked by an attack.
Back to our bridge as the crew watches the comet. We’re losing sensor contact, Spock warns. (So, the Evasive Maneuver worked.) “He did what I would’ve done,” Kirk says. (Classic submarine movie line.) Fire blind, Kirk says. Lay down a pattern.
And now we see the phaser room, and the young groom following orders. (Man, I’ve got a bad feeling. There’s only one reason to show us this lad, and it’s because he’s dead meat walking.) Phaser blasts strike in empty space.
Cut to the Romulan ship, rocking but not hit. The Second dives forward, knocking Commander out of the way of some falling debris. Ooh, he’s crushed. Commander says, “Divert all power to weapons.” (Makes me think of Henry V: “I was not angry since I came to France until this instant.”) Whatever Commander’s philosophizing and peace-seeking tendencies, they’re now gone. It’s business, and the enemy has killed his man.
Something shorts out on our bridge. Kirk and Spock scramble to repair the damage. Phaser overload. Asking if they’re surrendering, Sulu calls attention to the bird materializing on the view screen. Push in on Kirk as he takes his chair and calls for emergency warp. On the screen, the bird shoots its plasma burst. Engines whine as everyone stares at the screen, watching the weapon close on them. It will overtake in two minutes, and phasers are dead. Stiles sweats, and Sulu says, “It’s dissipating. It must have a range limit.” Janice stands almost pressed against Kirk’s back. He reaches out an arm and holds her. Impact! All actors dive forward!
Cut to the engaged couple as they pick each other safely up off the ground. Spock, under the science station like an auto mechanic under a car, announces that phasers are operational.
The bird has returned to its former course. Maybe they think we’re destroyed, Spock says. “I wouldn’t make that assumption,” Kirk says. (Again, we have that submarine movie culture of equally matched captains.) The Enterprise returns to reflecting their course.
Oh, the Second is not dead (yet). Functionary informs the Commander that the reflection is back. Activate our cloak, even though fuel is low.
Our team approaches the NZ. The triumvirate — Kirk, Spock, Bones — argue whether they should enter. Maximum warp, Kirk says. Let’s get them now, on our side.
They shoot wild phasers, only rocking the bird. Twenty seconds to NZ. Kirk gives Uhura the message to send: on my responsibility, we’re proceeding into the NZ. Continue firing phasers.
Commander, kind of dazed, stays with his Second while his bridge rocks. Oh, he’s dead now. Commander speaks about Kirk, how he’s smart, and then freezes, getting an idea. He has a new purpose. All debris into disposal tubes. Including this body. Phasers like depth charges continue to disrupt the bird.
Here comes the debris. At first, the bridge is excited. But Spock stops them. Insufficient mass. Simple debris, he says. And now there’s no motion at all. “We’ve lost them, Captain.”
Cut to commercial.
The Enterprise sits motionless outside the NZ. All systems are being powered down, as they silently wait as the bird does. Spock must continue repairs, though. “Work quietly.”
On the bird, Functionary thinks the Enterprise is gone. Commander, though, shushes him. “He is there.”
Whoa. Now motionless for almost ten hours! Kirk lies on his bed. Janice enters, offering to fetch food or coffee. No, he’s on his way to the bridge. In comes McCoy. Ah, he’s there as a counselor. Janice leaves, and Kirk bares his fears. “What if I’m wrong?” He doesn’t expect an answer, but Bones has one. After a lovely speech, he says, “Don’t destroy the one named Kirk.” (You had to be there. It’s a good scene between them.)
Spock messes about in mechanic mode, moving deliberately and quietly. Wait for it. As Spock reaches for a handhold to pull himself up, he accidentally hits a beeping button. It’s alright, Kirk says. The waiting had become worse than whatever will happen. On the bird, the Functionary whispers, “A signal.” Smiling and excited, Commander says, “Move toward him.”
Kirk powers up the ship. We get a lingering shot of Stiles glaring at Spock. (Tedious. We knew this showdown would happen eventually.) Phasers fire, still blindly.
The bird rocks, more debris falling on their bridge. “How?!” Functionary complains. Commander, desperate and almost beaten, calls for more debris in the tube. Include one of those old-style nuclear warheads we have laying about, too.
As the sensors find the debris, Kirk calls a cease fire. Spock on analysis. The same as before, except . . . one, metal-cased object! Helm, hard over! Phasers fire!
Yay! A flash of light, and actors go flying! Butts in the air, and Uhura in the background rolls along the wall like an interpretive dancer! Darkness, with red alerts flashing. The exterior shows Enterprise adrift. “Glorious!” says Functionary on the bird’s bridge. Commander nods. “Now we go home.”
But Functionary reminds him of his duty. “They are at our mercy.”
SIX
On the bridge, Kirk and crew restore power. Bones reports casualties, mainly radiation burns. Forward phasers are available, but undermanned. Stiles asks permission to help. “Go.” Uhura moves to navigation. Spock informs Kirk that they have engine power.
SEVEN
No, Kirk says. Play dead. Maybe we can pull them back to our side.
Commander hesitates. Our fuel reserves are gone. Here’s Functionary, though, speaking of crushing enemies. Commander doesn’t trust Kirk. Permit me the glory of the kill, says Functionary. He’s done it. The pressure persuades Commander to attack on his own order.
EIGHT
Spock is in weapons, assessing damage. Stiles gets to dig: We don’t need your help this time, Vulcan. Engaged Boy works next to him. After Spock leaves, though, Stiles looks up in horror. Coolant is leaking. The phaser seal is broken.
Back to the bridge. They’re prepared as the bird decloaks on their view screen. Kirk orders phasers to fire, but there’s no response. He calls to Stiles over ship-wide comms. In the hallway, Spock hears and turns back, running.
Cut to weapons. Gas fills the air, and the two men are down. Stiles tries to reach up to the panel, but he collapses. In comes Spock, hitting the firing buttons. He peers through the gas as he shoots the phasers.
The bird rocks. Darkness, debris, screaming. Actors roll about. On the Enterprise view screen, the bird is now adrift.
Kirk has Sulu sail forward. Uhura opens hailing frequencies from navigation. Ah, we see the Romulan bridge, destroyed, on the view screen. Push in on Kirk as he faces off with the Commander. Prepare to beam aboard survivors, Kirk says. Nope. Not our way. Gasping and injured, Commander greets Kirk, saying, “I regret we meet in this way.” Aw, he says in a different reality he could’ve called Kirk friend. But he must perform this last duty. Commander hits self-destruct, and falls dramatically away as the bird explodes. Only empty space remains in the view screen. One last shot of Kirk, perhaps feeling how pointless it all was. Perhaps feeling proud that he succeeded against the odds.
NINE
Down in sick bay, McCoy treats Stiles while Spock watches. In comes Kirk. Stiles tries to give credit to Spock for saving his life, but Spock wants none of it. (Oh, I’m waiting for that shoe to drop now.) And there it is: Bones says, We only lost one. The boy who was going to be married. His fiancee is in the chapel.
As Kirk moves to leave, Janice enters. Command base finally answered, she reports. They’ll support whatever decision you make.
At the chapel, the fiancee weeps. When Kirk enters and stands beside her, she holds him. She leaves, then he leaves. Credits roll as he walks down the hallway.
CRITICAL NOTES
The Three and Six are ridiculous. Stiles does something after the Two and before the Seven, both distinct and identifiable beats. He speaks of war in the past and engages in war in the present? Lame. Visually boring. I’m tempted to say there is no Six, but this most tenuous of threads — Stiles! — lets me decide to count it.
Because the location, the Neutral Zone, is a SciFi invention for this universe, the Two must carry a lot of information. Shiny graphics (lol, not really) and intercut scenes are used to spice up the exposition. It’s long but necessary.
Otherwise, they could basically borrow the plot from a number of older movies: The Enemy Below, Run Silent Run Deep. Movies made since this episode use the same formula, told well: The Hunt for Red October, Das Boot. Except for the predictable Stiles tension and the overly sentimental engaged couple who are doomed, this episode succeeds as a submarine archetype.
I’ve bolded the commercial breaks. One of them (the second break) marks the midpoint, the Switch. The others shape a Three-Act structure working in tandem with the Enneagram. Commercial break One is the end of Act One; commercial break Three is the end of Act Two. I only comment because it’s obvious and well done. I suspect it’s a byproduct of using a known story archetype. The beats, the rises and falls, have been perfected with each telling.
Spock has some great moments in the episode, Uhura has an actual function on the bridge, and Kirk doesn’t manhandle any women. All in all, not bad.