‘The Stand': Where Does the Term ‘Captain Trips’ Come From? CBS All Access limited series based on Stephen King’s novel premiered ThursdayMargeaux Sippell | December 17, 2020 @ 11:38 AM CBS All Access The first episode of CBS All Access’ limited series based on Stephen King’s novel “The Stand” premiered Thursday, and it couldn’t have come at a more apt time. The series follows a group of survivors after a superflu knocks out 99% of the world’s population, and it hits close to home as we face the very real, though not as fatal, coronavirus pandemic. But the superflu in “The Stand” is known by a more casual, less scientific name: “Captain Trips.” If you’re wondering where that term came from and what it means, you’ve come to the right place.