Malcolm Gorrill
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 07/01) - A pair of Inuvik residents are among the many fans anxiously awaiting the debut of the fifth Star Trek series.

Ann Rafferty has been a fan since the original Star Trek series started in 1966.

She's looking forward to seeing the first episode of Enterprise, which airs later this month.

"I can't wait for it to start," Rafferty said.

Enterprise is set in the 22nd century, before the creation of the United Federation of Planets, and about 100 years before the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew in the original series.

Enterprise also takes place about 100 years after humans first met up with Vulcans -- as chronicled in the movie, Star Trek: First Contact.

Rafferty said the new series will probably have a different look than the four that have already aired.

"It's going to be a big change in the series and the people, 'cause they're not going to have all the fancy stuff."

Likewise, Robin Candow said he'll also be glued to the television when Enterprise starts.

"I've pretty much been a fan since birth, really," Candow said.

He explained that he watched the original series a lot with his father, and then really became a big fan once Star Trek: The Next Generation began in 1987.

Candow said he likes the differences between the first two series.

"I notice a difference in acting a lot in the two, as well," he said.

"It seems more realistic now, for sure, the way they do it. But even the way they had it back then I thought was pretty cool."

He said it'll be interesting to see how the creators will make Enterprise stand out after four previous series have already been made.

Make it real

Rafferty said for any Star Trek episode, she looks for believability.

"Believable stories, believable characters -- since the original Star Trek, they've all been believable," Rafferty said. "When I look at the original Star Trek now, it's very hokey."

Rafferty said she likes all the series, but would rank The Next Generation as her favourite -- with Encounter at Farpoint her favourite episode -- followed by Voyager, Deep Space 9, and the original series -- favourite episode, Trouble with Tribbles.

Rafferty said one of her favourite characters is Worf.

"He looks scary but he's got a soft inside," Rafferty said of the burly Klingon.

She also likes Jadzia Dax, B'Elanna Torres and the greedy but likeable DS9 barkeep, Quark.

"He's quite the character," Rafferty said. "There's probably somebody like that in everybody's life."

Both Rafferty and Candow like chief engineer Montgomery Scott -- "Scotty" -- with Candow also liking Captain Jean Luc Picard.

Candow's favourite episode of The Next Generation is Relics, where the crew finds Scotty, who'd been trapped in a transporter for 75 years.

Rafferty explained one reason she likes Star Trek is that many episodes carry positive messages.

"Everybody gets along, which I think should be a message, you know. We can get along with other people, regardless of who or what they are."