See Also: 'Borderland' Episode Guide

Executive producer Rick Berman promised a captain who's "a little bit more of an action hero" and a Brent Spiner character who's a bit like Hannibal Lechter in the early episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise's fourth season, which begins on October 8th on UPN.

"The moral implications" of Archer's choices last season will be dealt with in the first couple of episodes, set in Earth's past, and again when Enterprise escapes from the altered history to its own era, Berman told Star Trek magazine (via Sci Fi Pulse). After that, the series will tread closer to the events of the original Star Trek, with species and possibly characters from the 23rd century show.

Archer "did have to do what he had to do to save his species and to save the planet", said Berman, and his character will continue to evolve, becoming "a little bit less hesitant than the fellow that we've known for the last three years." The captain will clash and then learn to work with Dr. Soong, the character played by Brent Spiner (Data) in the three-episode eugenics arc, plotted in part by Spiner whom the executive producer describes as a "very close friend."

The story developed from two distinct ideas, one by Berman, the other by co-executive producer Manny Coto, bringing in the great-great-grandfather of Data's creator (also a Dr. Soong), who is obsessed with the outcome of the 20th century Eugenics Wars. "He is going to be a person who has been incarcerated for some terrible things he has done," explained Berman, though ultimately he will be of assistance to Archer.

Because of Coto's interest in reviving topics and ideas from the original series, the Eugenics Wars will be only one of many revisited concepts. "The idea that Bill Shatner has, which will be developed if and when we can structure something to bring him to the show, harks back to an idea that comes from the original series," he said. "Manny is interested in bringing back some species that were introduced in the original series. And I'm all for it."

Berman's comments appear in issue 117 of Star Trek magazine, now on sale in the UK. These excerpts are courtesy Sci Fi Pulse.

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