“The Last Enemy†is a 5-part miniseries currently running on the PBS network’s “Masterpiece Contemporary.†It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Anamaria Marinca, Robert Carlyle, Max Beesley, and Eva Birthistle, along with a magnificent supporting cast.
Stephen Ezard, played by Cumberbatch, is a brilliant mathematician, who comes to London after his older brother Michael has been killed in Afghanistan by a land mine. When Stephen starts investigating his brother’s death, and gets a government job working with the Total Information Awareness (TIA) program, he uncovers many secrets hidden from the public. As Stephen tries to learn more about Michael’s death, he falls in love with his brother’s widow Yasim Anwar, becomes a pawn in a government technology surveillance scheme and gets targeted by rogue agent David Russell, played by Carlyle. Can Stephen take control of his life again and solve the growing mystery around Michael’s death?
The show is currently airing on PBS (check your local listings) but if you miss any of the 5 episodes you can watch them online at PBS’ Official Website. The first episode is currently available.
This is not sci-fi, this is extrapolation. Every aspect of this fiction in the near future is almost possible now with technologies that are being developed now. I don’t fear this future as much as some people because I know how inefficient governments are at doing these things. Secrets don’t stay secret very long and people in free countries would not stand for for this IF AND ONLY IF they are informed and understand the issues. Our children should read Orwell to grasp these concepts. We must help each other to stay informed. The only way that this program might foretell our future is if WE LET IT HAPPEN.
THIS SHOW IS BRILLIANT!
In response to Kirk. You say you “do not fear this happening because gov’t is inefficient”? TELL THAT to the innocents who died on 9/11/2001, or the OKC bombings, (inside jobs). Tell that to the innocents who died on sabotaged airplane flights (many). Tell it to the victims of Katrina who died by BULLETS! When it comes to murder & mayhem…Gov’t DOES really well at that. ALSO maybe you do not know the final chapter of this “PLAY”, It is the reduction of the planets population by 90%, on which side will you wind up on? The percentages are not good for the regular folk.
I thought that though this show was off to a slow start it became a really first class addiction..HOWEVER…..I have a question that I can’t answer and it’s driving me crazy!!! Who exactly is Russell and why did he kill Michael in the end, wasn’t Russell on the side the good guys??????
Barry, I just finished watching the series. Like you, I thought it was terrific, but I, too, was floored at the ending. The only explanation for it that I can think of is the old adage, “the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend.” Russell had two agendas: One, to get whoever was responsible for his step-daughter’s death,(apparently killing Cooper satisfied that requirement) and two, he was still working for the government, which wanted to cover up the mess they made. Michael Ezard wanted to expose it, so he had to go. Our heroes were undone by their assumption that Russell’s personal agenda would exclude any other. Remember two things Russell said: one, that he would get his justice but that Yasim wouldn’t get hers, and two, that the assassins who went after her weren’t “in-house”–if they’d been “in-house” they would have gotten her the first time. I believe by “in-house”(government), Russell was referring to himself.
If anyone else can come up with other/better explanations, I’d like to hear them.