"The Last Enemy" is the twenty-fourth and
final episode of the first series of Space:
1999.
The screenplay was written by Bob Kellett
(with additional material contributed by Johnny
Byrne); the director was Bob Kellett.
Previous titles include "The Second Sex" and
"The Other Enemy".
The final shooting script is dated 25 October
1974.
Live-action filming took place Friday 8 November
1974 through Tuesday 19 November 1974.
A three-day re-mount was scheduled from Tuesday
25 February 1975 through Thursday 28 February
1975.
This re-mount concluded the filming of the
first series.
== Story ==
The Moon is in transit of a small solar system.
John Koenig and the Main Mission staff observe
a star flanked by two small planets; one red,
one blue.
They are still too distant for a comprehensive
survey, but long-range spectrographic analysis
reveals both planets may possess Earth-type
conditions.
As Helena Russell reflects on how wonderful
it would be to have a choice, far ahead on
Betha (the blue planet pictured on the sun's
left-hand side), a glamorous observer watches
the approaching Moon with equal anticipation.
Dione, a woman of considerable importance
on this planet, stands in luxurious room that
appears to be more sitting-room than operations
centre.
An older woman—Commissioner Theia, head
of Bethan Defence—appears on a screen to
announce that the Council has unanimously
decided to strike first, before the travelling
Moon gets any closer.
Dione smiles predatorily; they have waited
a long time for this.
Twenty-four hours later, Alpha's sensors are
surveying the closer of the two planets.
When Victor Bergman announces that the planet
is not only habitable but inhabited, contact
procedures are initiated.
On Betha, Theia informs Dione the Moon is
approaching strike position.
Dione reports to her ship, the colossal battle-wagon
Satazius.
As she greets her all-female crew, her second-in-command
informs her they have detected radio signals
from the travelling Moon.
Dione orders them ignored and the ship leaves
orbit.
On Alpha, Bergman realises that the two habitable
planets revolve around their sun in such a
way that they are always on opposing sides—neither
planet is ever visible to the other.
However, the planet survey is interrupted
by the detection of an unidentified powered
object.
Sensors reveal it to be an enormous space
vessel heading directly for the Moon.
Koenig orders a red alert—armed Eagles rise
on the launch pads; defence screens are raised;
non-combatants are evacuated to underground
shelters.
Koenig briefs Alan Carter to lead his Eagle
squadron in a coordinated attack, with all
ships firing simultaneously.
Bergman is concerned by the Commander's uncharacteristic
aggression.
Koenig insists that with an adversary this
large, he must assume its purpose is hostile;
Bergman replies that it certainly will be
once they start shooting at it.
As Satazius approaches, Dione's crew systematically
disables Alpha's defences.
Attack force Eagles, defence screens, communications
and Computer are incapacitated.
Their interference causes a fluctuating power
loss that leaves Alpha operating on emergency
services.
Satazius settles down in close proximity to
the helpless Moonbase.
As Koenig and company watch from the windows,
the alien ship extends a huge, multi-barreled
missile launcher that seems to be taking aim
directly at them.
The ship releases a thunderous missile barrage—without
hitting Alpha.
The guns were firing over them.
Koenig mounts the observation balcony with
a set of binoculars and observes the missile
strike impacting on the red planet on the
right-hand side of the sun.
Bergman speculates they have drifted into
the middle of a war between two opponents
that never have a direct line-of-sight to
exchange fire; any missiles launched from
either planet surface would be drawn in by
the sun's gravity.
The arrival of the Moon has given them a ready-made
gun platform in space.
The red planet retaliates.
Missiles on random trajectories batter the
Moon surface in search of the enemy gunship.
One finds its mark and Satazius is rocked
by a tremendous explosion.
With the Bethan gunship knocked out, all the
affected Moonbase systems resume normal function.
Koenig orders Carter's Eagle One to lift-off
and reconnoitre the wreck; the astronaut notes
the substantial hole blasted in one side as
he approaches.
As he hovers over the gunship, a tiny escape
craft is launched and sets course for Alpha.
After checking the pod for any dangerous emissions,
Koenig orders an airlock station opened to
receive the craft.
Despite the risk of provoking an attack on
the base by the opposing planet, they must
obtain information from the gunship's survivors.
The craft lands at the designated launch pad,
where Koenig, Helena, Bergman and a Security
squad assemble at the airlock to greet its
occupants.
The hatch opens to reveal a single person:
Dione.
As a military officer during wartime, the
Bethan woman refuses to provide any information.
That being the case, Koenig threatens her
with expulsion from Alpha.
She counter-threatens that should she be harmed,
her people will send a fleet of warships to
overwhelm the Alphans.
When Koenig orders her taken her back to her
craft, she realises she has no choice but
to capitulate.
Now exuding charm and gratitude, a cooperative
Dione relates the history of the conflict
and an overview of her mission—to use the
Moon as a base to attack her enemies on the
planet Delta.
Koenig rebukes her for involving the Alphans
in their conflict.
She insists this was not her intention; her
surprise strike was supposed to be swift and
decisive—but the Deltans seemed prepared
for this strategy.
Helena's comment 'Enemies usually are', earns
her a cagy look from Dione.
Soon, the meeting is interrupted by the arrival
of a large gunship from Delta.
Dione offers to call her military command
for sufficient reinforcements to protect Alpha.
Koenig declines, knowing that the two opposing
forces will end up shooting at each other,
leaving Alpha the little guy in the middle.
The Deltan gunship launches missiles at Betha,
with Dione's people replying in kind.
During a lull in the exchange, Dione expresses
sympathy for the Alphans' plight, suggesting
that in the event Moonbase is hit, they should
seek refuge on her planet.
The barrage continues, ending when a guided
missile from Betha obliterates the Deltan
gunship.
With both gunships knocked out, Koenig sees
the current stalemate as an opportunity for
Alpha.
He proposes negotiating a cease-fire between
the two planets.
Unexpectedly, Dione supports this plan—without
the element of surprise, she reflects, her
mission has failed.
After making a play for Koenig where she flirtatiously
repeats her invitation to settle on Betha,
she assists in setting up a three-way communications
link between Alpha and the two planets.
When negotiations commence, it becomes apparent
this is a literal war of the sexes between
male- and female-dominated planets.
At first, Talos, Supreme Commander of the
Armed Forces of Delta, is intractable.
After Betha's Commissioner Theia makes certain
concessions, an agreement is reached.
The Alphans are given the responsibility of
policing the cease-fire: the Moon's unique
position in space allows them to observe both
planets.
Koenig crosses his fingers that the treaty
lasts for at least four hours—the time it
will take for the Moon to move beyond missile
range and become useless to both planets.
He gathers his advisors for a serious discussion
regarding Dione's offer.
Helena finds the proposition of committing
the Alpha people to a life on a planet at
war unthinkable.
Suspicious of the alien woman, she questions
Koenig's motives for trusting Dione.
Secretly pleased with the turn of events,
Dione is escorted to Sandra Benes' quarters
to rest.
Sandra then goes for refreshments.
At Koenig's orders, there are guards outside
the locked door and the Bethan woman is left
without the means to trigger the commlock
panel.
When certain she is alone, Dione puts her
fingers to her temples, concentrates, and
dematerialises.
When she is discovered missing, a search commences—until
the lift-off of the Bethan escape pod reveals
Dione's whereabouts.
Dione reboards her ship, arriving on an undamaged
bridge staffed by an uninjured crew.
She contacts Theia and reports everything
has gone as planned.
When Koenig calls, Dione smugly informs him
he has been the victim of an elaborate deception.
The 'destruction' of Satazius was the detonation
of an explosive charge during a near miss—her
ship is fully operational and she plans to
bombard Delta until out of range.
After Dione's first salvo is launched, Talos
calls, demanding an explanation.
Insisting the Alphans are innocent dupes,
Koenig informs him of the Bethans' treachery.
The Deltan leader wants the coordinates of
the Bethan gunship.
Koenig refuses, declaring Alpha a neutral
party.
Talos savagely proclaims there can be no neutrality,
as the Moon's intrusion has upset the military
balance between their two worlds.
He delivers an ultimatum: Alpha will be bombarded
at intervals until he receives the coordinates
or the ship is destroyed.
Having listened in on the channel, Dione promises
Koenig that if he gives in to Talos, she will
turn her guns on Alpha and fire at point-blank
range.
The Alpha complex endures the first Deltan
salvo.
As outlying buildings are pummeled by missiles,
damage and casualty reports flood in.
With an air of desperation, Koenig contacts
Dione, declaring his intent to come out and
meet with her on Satazius.
Startled, she asks whether he intends to abandon
his command.
With the staff voicing similar suspicions,
the seemingly hysterical Commander pulls a
stun-gun on them, again telling Dione he is
coming out.
After the channel is closed, he reveals his
behaviour was a ruse, then orders Technical
Section to stand by for instructions.
Dione's crew soon sights a moon buggy approaching
with a single occupant.
Over the radio, Koenig demands shelter on
the gunship, but Dione tells him to turn back.
He will, but only on the condition she stop
firing.
She declines, suggesting that the Alphans
might survive if she can destroy the remaining
Deltan missile bases.
Koenig cryptically comments that, if this
is her final decision, she only has herself
to blame.
She then realises the moon buggy is a trap.
As the vehicle rolls beneath the ship (and
out of the sight-line of the guns), the driver's
helmet falls off...revealing the spacesuit
is empty.
Safe in his office, Koenig bids Dione good-bye
as the remote-controlled moon buggy comes
in contact with the hull—setting off its
load of nuclear charges.
The Deltans are quickly informed of the gunship's
destruction.
They acknowledge, destroying the next wave
of missiles on target for Alpha.
Bergman condemns the Bethan-Deltan conflict
as a futile exercise in sheer waste; he hopes
they can eventually learn to live together.
After the Moon has left the system, Koenig
broods over the lost opportunity.
Helena disagrees; she would rather take her
chances drifting through space than live under
a permanent state of war.
== Cast ==
=== Starring ===
Martin Landau — Commander John Koenig
Barbara Bain — Doctor Helena Russell
=== 
Also Starring ===
Barry Morse — Professor Victor Bergman
=== 
Guest Artist ===
Caroline Mortimer — Dione
=== Featuring ===
Prentis Hancock — Controller Paul Morrow
Clifton Jones — David Kano
Zienia Merton — Sandra Benes
Anton Phillips — Doctor Bob Mathias
Nick Tate — Captain Alan Carter
Maxine Audley — Commissioner Theia
Kevin Stoney — Supreme Commander Talos
Carolyn Courage — First Bethan Girl (Satazius
Second-in-Command)
=== Uncredited Artists ===
Suzanne Roquette — Tanya
Linda Hooks — Second Bethan Girl
Tara Faraday — Third Bethan Girl
John Lee-Barber — Eagle Five Astronaut
Alan Bennion — Male Bethan (replaced in
the 1975 re-mount)
== Music ==
In addition to the regular Barry Gray score—drawn
primarily from "Breakaway" and "Another Time,
Another Place" — Georges Teperino's composition
'Cosmic Sounds No. 3' (previously heard in
"Force of Life") was used as atmosphere during
the Dione-on-Betha scenes; played at a slower
speed, it gave the women's planet an ethereal
quality.
== Production Notes ==
The original idea for this 'battle of the
sexes' corollary reportedly came from series
star Barbara Bain.
Writer/director Bob Kellett gave the concept
a science-fiction twist in his only credited
writing contribution to the programme with
the age-old conflict between men and women
carried out with space-age warfare.
The original title, "The Second Sex", is an
obvious reference to Simone de Beauvoir's
1949 book of the same name.
The final cut ran short, prompting script
editor Johnny Byrne to write several new scenes
and re-work others already shot to extend
the episode to the required fifty minutes.
(Viewers can tell which footage was original
and which was filmed later by the variations
in quality of guest artist Caroline Mortimer's
hair-dressing and make-up.)
All scenes on Satazius were part of the re-mount,
as was Dione's visit to Sandra's quarters.
Footage was added to nearly all the Main Mission
scenes involving Dione.
The ending was greatly extended with the last-minute
addition of Koenig's plan to either convince
Dione to cease fire or destroy her should
she refuse.
Originally, Koenig revealed Dione's coordinates
and watched as a Deltan missile destroyed
her.
Guest artist Alan Bennion, better known for
his appearances in Doctor Who as the Ice Warrior
Commanders Slaar ("The Seeds of Death"), Izlyr
("The Curse of Peladon") and Azaxyr ("The
Monster of Peladon"), was filmed as a male
Bethan subordinate conferring with Dione,
but his dialogue was reworked and given to
Maxine Audley's character Theia for the re-mount.
Ironically, several segments originally filmed
were dropped: (1) A scene in which Bergman
and Helena express their anxiety as the first
gunship approaches Alpha: Bergman states that
tension makes him cheerful and chatty and
Helena congratulates him for suffering from
'Lyle's Syndrome'.
(2) Koenig ordering the Alphans to board the
Eagles and stand by to fly to Betha in the
event of a missile hit on Main Mission and
subsequent shots of people boarding the ships
and the ships standing by in the maintenance
hangar.
An insight into the close relationship between
the male- and female-dominated societies would
have been provided with the visual effects:
the gunships of both planets were originally
intended to be the same model with two different
paint colours.
Taking into account that many British households
in the early 1970s did not have a colour television
and most viewers would not be able to discern
any difference, this idea was dropped and
the Martin Bower "Alpha Child"/"War Games"
battleship was altered to portray the Deltan
gunship.
== Novelisation ==
The episode was adapted in the fifth Year
One Space: 1999 novel Lunar Attack by John
Rankine, published in 1975.
The adaptation was drawn exclusively from
the final shooting script, dated 25 October
1974; none of the re-mounted material from
February 1975 was included
