The Last Enemy

Reclusive mathematician Stephen Ezard returns to England after years in China, finds his brother's widow, and becomes entangled in a plot involving a new national database (TIA) and a terrorist scheme.

The Last Enemy (2008) is a British miniseries created by Peter Berry for BBC One, a five-episode conspiracy thriller. Benedict Cumberbatch plays reclusive mathematician Stephen Ezard, who returns to England after years in China and finds his brother's widow, Eleanor Brooke (Eva Birthistle), before being pulled into a plot centered on a new national database called TIA and a terrorist scheme. Max Beesley appears as his brother Michael, while Robert Carlyle and David Harewood add pressure as figures tangled in the intrigue, and Anamaria Marinca brings another layer of uncertainty to the chase. The engine is simple and gripping: a man who wants to be left alone must confront the cost of a system built to watch everyone and the danger hidden inside it. Each hour moves briskly through London streets, safe houses and government corridors, with threats that feel close and personal. The story is a single continuing arc told across five hour-long episodes, so every reveal builds on the last. Its mood is tense, cold and paranoid, with a sense of fragile trust in institutions. Fans of Spooks, Person of Interest and other surveillance thrillers will find the same unease about technology and power. Set in a near future Britain shaped by fear and data, it rewards close attention and sustained suspense from start to finish.

• Spooks (2002)shared near future surveillance paranoia, state database conspiracy, serialized thriller
• Hustleshared british conspiracy thriller tone and paranoid state surveillance theme
• Person of Interestshared technology-driven conspiracy, paranoid surveillance thriller mood

Created by

Peter Berry

Release Date

2008-02-17

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

7.0 / 10 (30)

What is The Last Enemy about?

A reclusive mathematician returns to England and is drawn into a conspiracy around a new national database and a terrorist plot.

What is The Last Enemy like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Last Enemy as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.

Is The Last Enemy violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Last Enemy as moderate.

Which shows are like The Last Enemy?

Shows with a similar feel include Spooks (2002), Hustle, and Person of Interest.

How long is The Last Enemy?

The Last Enemy: 1 season, 5 episodes.

Is The Last Enemy still running?

No, The Last Enemy has ended.

Where can I watch The Last Enemy?

In United States, The Last Enemy streams on PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel.