REVIEW: HOW IT ALL BEGAN IN THE PLANET OF THE APES

A.D. 1972

Astronauts Taylor, Dodge, Stewart and Landon are launched on the first Interstellar Exploration flight.

A.D. 1972

Astronauts "Skipper" and Brent (and possibly two others) are launched along same flight path as previous vessel, to probe its unexplained disappearance from detection.

The California Coast

A.D. 1973

The first capsule reappears mysteriously, within nearby space. It lands off the California coast, slightly north of San Clemente, and is met by mobilized US Navy Spaceflight Recovery crew. Capsule is found to be piloted by Drs. Cornelius, Zira, and Milo. Events of ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES begin.

Those events conclude with the birth of baby Milo and the murders of Zira and Cornelius. Milo begins his long education under Armando's care.

A.D. 1973-1981

Eight complex years marked by contradictory development of two aspects of society. Space exploration expands. Unmanned probes range to the stars and back (discovery of Faster-than-light drive) and manned flights over great distances are becoming more common. At the same time, however, the governments on Earth are growing more totalitarian in order to cope with increasing economic, political, and energy pressures. All information concerning the two lost spaceships and the secrets of the future revealed by Zira and Cornelius is locked away under heavy security clearance. Few are allowed access to it. Publicly it is spread that the two talking chimpanzees were a hoax, and nothing more. "Caesar" given to Milo by Armando.

A.D. 1981

Caesar, aged 8, begins his bareback-riding acrobatics with Armando's circus. (With political repression the smaller circuses have been forced to play to dwindling country audiences, thus helping Caesar avoid dangerous publicity.)

A.D. 1982

It is in this period that the repercussions of the Plague begins to be felt. Humans, to replace their lost pets, turn to keeping small primates, birds, lizards, ect. The primates are found to be the most useful and gradually became the most common household animal. Gradually larger and larger ones are taken in. In a generation of primates the Plague's genetic effects show themselves: stature increases and so does intelligence in the larger orders. The Government increases to be more and more authoritarian. A reverse migration of people from suburbs into cities results in large towns becoming almost feudal forts surrounded by farmlands; the "provinces". Pollution in many areas brought under control. A massive air purification plant in the Rockies keeps California air perfectly clean.

However, with this increase in governmental structure a slave class is developed. Ape management incorporated as a Semi-Public branch of the Government in 1986, with their only task rudimentary conditioning. By 1991 they are a monolith, now wholly government operated, with a wider range of responsibilities. Their training and day-to-day life with humans brings on an acceleration in the mental development of the apes.

A.D. 1991

Armando decides that Caesar, now nearly eighteen and an accomplished performer, is old enough to see the truth of the Ape Condition. He brings the circus in to play at an unnamed city on the West Coast, very likely San Francisco (judging from interior data.) Events of CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES begin.

Eighteen years after his birth Caesar comes of age at the head of the Ape Rebellion.

A.D. 1991-1992

Caesar leads his people from the city into the "Provinces." In this case, the San Francisco peninsula. Here Caesar attempts to build a home for his people with the aid of a few humans advisors. Massive educational programs within the community. They face little harassment because, elsewhere in the country and perhaps the world, the apes rebellion is spreading. The government's breakdown has begun and it can not police itself as in the past......

TENSIONS GROW, UNTIL GLOBAL NUCLEAR CONFLICT!

Mpeg Clip THE BEGINNING OF PLANET OF THE APES

A.D. 1992

NUCLEAR WAR: The work of a single madman. International political pressure. Some country taking advantage of the US governmental paralysis. It is swift and effective. Laser defense ABM systems prevent war from utterly destroying life. Major cities bombed but surrounding areas liveable-to a certain degree.

A.D. 1992 - 2001

The human population that remains is in a state of shock. There is little or no communication over great distances, so Caesar's community, now completely isolated, accepts the survivors in its area and a new ape/human society begins to grow. Despite Caesar's wishes humans become, effectively, second class citizens, and apes cultural divisions begin to develop. Aldo declares himself General and begins to train an "army" of gorillas. In 1995, Caesar's son by Lisa is born, and named Cornelius.

During this time residual radiation is having its effect on both humans and apes. The Plague-altered genes of the apes increase their already rapid intellectual development, in some cases (e.g., Virgil and Mandemus) incredibly so. The humans tend to be more docile, less given to action when angered. It is not clear at this time whether that is a radiation effect of just living with the evolved apes, the weakest of whom could trash the average human.

Meanwhile another branch of the humanity is developing; the one that survived the war but stayed in the cities- The Mutants. Inspector Kolp has taken over in the remains of San Francisco and runs a scavenger city full of repressed hate.

A.D. 2001

The events of BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES begin and conclude. The humans win a slight ideological victory and temporary equal status with the apes. Kolp, Aldo and young Cornelius die.

A.D. 2001- 2038

This, the first Ape City, grows. Caesar rules benevolently and well but human position continues to erode, seemingly without solution. Lisa dies in A.D 2038

The Forbidden Zone begins to become a real danger as animal and plant mutations get out of hand. In the city of San Francisco, the mutants are splitting into factions under the leadership of Mendez and the beginning destined Become One of the Gestalt mind.

A.D. 2040

The Ape-Human Council begins.

Caesar dies, at 67. Not survived by Children, his rule is turned over to a council of apes and humans under the leadership of a particularly well-respected orangutan. Both he and the office are christened "Ape-Human Council."

A.D. 2040 - 2052

Conditions between ape and human get worse, While educational programs maintain that there is no difference, human labor under an aura of inferiority. Voluntarily they tend to withdraw from active participation in the council and draw themselves into a community-within-the-community, separated by a river from the apes. It is only partially a ghetto. The level of culture is falling.

The New York Coast

A.D. 2070

In the city, the mutant faction have gone into war with one another, Be-One winning out. Mendez and his loyal followers manage to escape into trans-national transport tubes with the Alpha-Omega device and work their way towards an unknown new home.

In this period Mendez and his mutant group have reached New York City and established themselves there. Mixture of their bloodline with local mutants begins to produce a new breed with telepathic powers, and finding new religious significance in the Alpha-Omega device.

A.D. 2750

The Lawgiver of New York Region writes the Sacred Scrolls and their rather unflattering portrait of Humanity.

A.D. 3085

The Ape City near New York City becomes isolated in this period. it was not a colony of the first Ape City but developed independently, and therefore does not have an historical record that accurately chronicles the west coast developments.

A.D. 3085 - 3955

The fall of mankind is complete. Approximately 3400 A.D., the combination of radiation deterioration and general demoralization succeeds in wiping the minds from humankind. They are forced away from ape cities as unproductive and useless animals and begin to live in the forests, wild. Late in this period humans begin to be used as experimental animals and entertaining hunting diversions for the gorillas. A certain instinctual pattern remains in the people but it is less than successful.

A.D. 3955

The first-launched space capsule, containing the three surviving males and one dead female astronaut, crashes in inland lake somewhere in the area south of what was Long Island in our time. (Land masses have shifted so that it is no longer ocean.) Space Craft instruments are damaged upon impact, the date meter misreads as 3978 A.D. Events of PLANET OF THE APES begin.

A.D. 3955

Ape City is awash with political undercurrents. Zaius has succeeded in quashing the ripples caused by Taylor's appearance and abilities, but General Ursus' campaigning for war is beyond his control. Several scouts are lost near the Forbidden City not long after Taylor disappears, and now war is on. There is also a chimpanzee political undercurrent-and while pretending to go along with Zaius Cornelius and Zira have secretly been aiding the genius chimpanzee Dr. Milo in his studies of the rescued space capsule, the one Taylor had arrived in. He is analyzing it and attempting to repair it to ready it for flight. They plan to use it as the kind of traumatic evidence they feel Ape City needs to escape total loss of the light of Truth.

A.D. 3955

Brent's ship lands. "Skipper" and other astronauts lost in crash. Events of BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES begin as Brent encounters Nova and Ape City in his search for Taylor.

Brent's arrival plus two days: THE END, as the Alpha-Omega Bomb originally stored in the vaults of San Francisco missile-complex and cherished by 26 generations of the house of Mendez is exploded while in St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York City. The end of everything; a catalytic reaction spreads across the globe, shock wave of blast strikes space capsule with Milo, Cornelius, and Zira just as it approaches orbit, and manages to cast it back into the past to....

A.D. 1973

THE BEGINNING!

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES

 how terrible humans are; raging wars, and those they're horrible and need to be destroyed... When the Apes were acting just like humans. They were killing humans the same way some people in some countries so with animals. Of course, the hunting of animals such as chimpanzees
and gorillas is now illegal and they have to be protected...

I view the killing of primates (particularly chimps, gorillas etc.) almost as bad as killing another human, because we're so closely related.

The way the Apes treated the humans was awful and is just like how some people treat animals today. So Zaius is being very hypercritical of Taylor and other humans, as they a no worse or better then apes were (the chimpanzees were a lot more placid, weren't they? Probably cause they were smarter). In fact, humans are better then the way they were behaving, as most of us have learnt to respect other living creatures...

In a few hundred, had Taylor not blown up the Earth with the a-bomb, the Apes would have been were the humans are now. Probably polluting the Earth and ranging war on each other (rather then other animals) as they all expand over the lands that were safe to live in. Driving out wildlife etc.

Then the humans might start fighting back, just like the Apes started out. Then we're back to where we started. Nova must have been the first human in a thousand years to say a word.

This is an interesting thread. I'll try to answer your question mejercit, because it's one that I had myself. If you'll recall earlier in the film when James Franciscus (what was his character's name?) describes the bomb to Charleton Heston, he -- as Taylor -- identifies it not just as any standard atomic weapon, but as a cobalt bomb, a doomsday device.

Such devices are known to science, and to film-makers as well -- check out "Dr. Strangelove." Still, even though I'd heard about such things, I never could figure out how one bomb could destroy the earth.

Eventually, I hit on the brillant solution of googling the subject, and came up with the answer. A cobalt bomb is a nuclear device with a cobalt casing (hence it's name.) What makes them so dangerous is they produce an incredible amount of radioactivity upon detonation, more so
than any other atomic device. Theoretically, one cobalt bomb of the right size could release enough radiation into the earth's atmosphere to kill off all life on the planet, with the possible exception of some plants and insects. The only way any intelligent life could survive under the circumstances would be if it could live deep underground for many years, until the radioactivity subsided. This is why a cobalt bomb is referred to as a "doomsday device" because whoever denotes one would in effect destroy all life on the planet.

Although the ending effect of "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" is quite good -- with the roar of the explosion, and then it turning brighter and brighter until it whites out completely -- life would not have ended immediately upon the earth, despite what the narrator said.
Taylor, the underground city, and probably the ape city were incinerated instantanously, of course, but it would have taken at least a few months for the resulting radiation to make its way across the planet.

(I know, I know. Some people are going to say: But Zira said in "Escape From the Planet of the Apes" that the earth seemed to melt when they were flying above it, in the process of escaping. That's Hollywood for you. In truth it would take the force of an exploding sun to melt the earth.)

Anyway that's the answer. Taylor was correct in saying that the bomb could destroy the earth, but not in precisely the way that most people imagine.

If you watch the documentary 'Behind the Planet of the Apes' the late Roddy Mcdowal addresses this essue when he aludes to the irony of Taylor setting off the bomb and thus fulfilling the Law Giver's prophesy that "Man is the harbinger of Death". Taylor is so disalusioned by the murder of Nova that he becomes what he hates the most and what he damns at the end of the first film (when he falls to his knees at the foot of the ruined statue of liberty and damns the human race "all to hell!" for having destroyed civilization. Ironicaly, by the end of "Beneath" Taylor has become the embodiment of all he hates in man).

Now, all that being said, that it was intentional, I have to go on record as stating that I hated the ending. Sure, General Ursus and his apes were on the verge of wiping out all the humans on the surface as well as killing the mutant humans in the subways. Nova had also been shot. Hince, Taylor has decided to pass judgment on the ape's as a whole on account of this 'crime against humanity'; this 'hate crime'. Also, Taylor himself has been shot, had lost lots of blood, and
probably wasn't thinking clearly (although, even before he's shot he doens't seem all that enthused about helping Brent save the apes by disarming the bomb. "Sure, why not", he says as almost an after thought. However, you would think that Taylor would have remembered
Cornelius, Zira, and their nephew Lucius who had been so kind to befriend him in the first movie. Sure they were apes, but, hey, they tried to help. I thought Taylor would have remembered them, wouldn't have wanted them to pay the price for Ursus and Zaius' sins. The only thing that makes the endeing half way beleivable is that Taylor is mourning Nova's death and has, himself, been shot and is probably on the virge of going into shock. Still, I hate the ending. I think it
was out of character for Taylor. At least you can make the arguement that he was in shock and probably not in his right frame of mind. I guess that saves it for verisimilitude's sake, but just bairly.

As it happens, fraterperdurabo65, the gorilla soldiers' astonishment at a vocal human was indeed in the final film ( though the actual line was, "He can SPEAK!", followed by the spooked gabbling of the others, as Mendez pressed the knobs bringing the Bomb into full view ). Ursus's reaction was more controlled ( a cocking of the head in curiosity ), but it indicates that he, too, was not expecting loquacity from a man. Then again, he could have sensed that Mendez was beyond their definition of what a "man" was ( he had first ordered his troops to "Arrest that creature!", not "that man" ). Evidently Zaius had managed to keep the specifics of Taylor's advent into Ape City a secret ( though it is unlikely by far that he could do anything about rumor-mongering among the populace; if he and his fellow orangutans of the National Academy were able to successfully "stonewall" the general, the latter would likely pay little heed to wild tales from the rabble about a talking man loose in the city ). Then, too, Zaius had had Taylor brought to his own rooms for a one-on-one in order to find out if there were in fact a tribe of humans like him beyond the Forbidden Zone, so he too must not have known anything for certain about conditions existing out there, beyond his own prejudicial fears. Lastly, I concur with your assertion that Ursus was such an extremist of militancy that Zaius feared the results of a rash major expedition into the Forbidden Zone. If you recall, during their converstion in the sauna:

ZAIUS: Well, General, I still think you're being hasty.
URSUS: No, Doctor - decisive. You've heard the reports we've been getting...

There were other telling bits of dialogue, not in the film but in the novelization by Michael Avallone, ostensibly from Paul Dehn's original screenplay. For instance:

ZAIUS: It is by evidence that a scientist arrives at the truth.
URSUS: And a politician?
ZAIUS: At expediency.
URSUS: Then, let us dicuss what is evident and what is expedient. What is evident is, with this recent increase of our population, we face
famine. What is expedient is...
ZAIUS: ...that we should control it!
URSUS: And be outnumbered by our enemies? I look to the day when not
thousands but millions will march under the Ape banner.
ZAIUS: Why not wait until then, if we must march?
URSUS: And let our enemies strike first? I would sooner attack at MY convenience than be forced to defend at THEIRS.

And again, this time in the company of the orangutan minister who blesses the expedition:

ZAIUS: Supposing they turn out to be our superiors?
URSUS: ( indicating a map )Their territory is no larger than ours - we
shall not be outnumbered.
ZAIUS: I was not discussing numbers. My question concerned their intelligence.
URSUS: Then your question was blasphemous, Dr. Zaius.
MINISTER: The Law-giver has stated that only the Ape is made in the
perfection of God's image. We are His chosen.
URSUS: Do you doubt what the minister is saying?
ZAIUS: What I doubt is YOUR interpretation of God's will. Has He
ordained that we should make war?
URSUS: Has He ordained that we die of starvation?
MINISTER: Has He ordained that we make peace with the human race?
ZAIUS: They are mere animals.
URSUS: ( gesturing at the map ) And these?
ZAIUS: They are unknown.
MINISTER: A Godly ape is not afraid of the unknown!
ZAIUS: I am not afraid. I am circumspect.
URSUS: Still, not too circumspect to ride with me on the Day?
( Zaius makes no reply. )

General Ursus's first line in the film clearly defines his view of the world from the outset: "The only thing that counts in the end is Power!" For him, the gaining and exercising of power is all of life - it nourishes and sustains him as much as any food may. His is a continual process of aggrandizement: personal, in the guise of public service ( via the advocation of territorial aggrandizement ), underpinned by popular approval ( via the espousal of racial aggrandizement ) plus arrogant religious sanction, which would involve Dr. Zaius's staunch approval for, as outlined in the first film, Dr. Zaius is Chief Defender of the Faith, but he is also the Minister of
Science...and it can be supremely difficult for one person to wear both hats.

In this instance, Zaius is genuinely curious about what lies outside the known world, befitting the second office - and, despite his words, he is also afraid of the unknown and of Ursus's fierce belief that "naked, merciless force" alone will subdue it, enough so that Zaius is willing to risk being seen by the minister as less than deserving of his first office, less of a proper zealot in a supposedly holy cause. And the minister is right. As close-minded and certain as Zaius would
like to be, he knows too much as it is. He knows full well that it was Man's doing that made the Forbidden Zone lifeless, that humans have been more than animals in the past, and that the appearance of a human of Taylor's caliber is, as the Sacred Scrolls say, "the harbinger of
Death". ( "All my life", he told Taylor in parting, "I've awaited your coming and dreaded it - like death itself." ) Quite possibly, the picketing anti-war chimps sense this too - some of them may have been in the surrounding crowd when Taylor first spoke; one of their signs reads, "DOOM COMES SOON".

Evidently Dr. Zaius fears ( and correctly ) that Ursus's unchecked belligerency will lead to something of Man's devising being unearthed in the Forbidden Zone...and unleashed. He accompanies the Army to serve in both his professional capacities, both explorer and bishop in
one. But over and above these, he acts in the hope that he may be able to restrain the General's force sufficiently to avoid a catastrophe. But Fate's decree will require that his presence will instead facilitate it.

Climactically, soldier and scholar are alike confronted by the ultimate embodiment of Power, the Alpha-and-Omega Bomb. Ursus brings Mendez down before it can be wielded as the Nuclear Pope intended, but the chain of succeeding events leads to Ursus's own death at the hands
of Brent and Dr. Zaius's reunion with his worst nightmare. In his blind fear of Taylor, he refuses the human's plea for help and retreats into dogma ( "Man is evil - capable of nothing but
destruction!" ). As the soldiers cut Brent down, Taylor curses Zaius and, as his last act, proves Dr. Zaius right...fulfilling the "destiny" that Zaius foresaw him finding at the end of the first
movie. He could hardly have dared to think that both their destinies would converge with that of the Earth itself.

Ursus had believed, as did the Inner Party in George Orwell's "1984", that the gaining and exercise of Power is not a means to an end: it IS an end, in and of itself; and in the final irony, by MOVIE's end, this attitude - from ancient humans to allegedly civilized apes - has proved to have been instrumental in bringing about...THE end.

NOT YET DOOMSDAY
2003
Alma, weeping over the memory of the dead General Kolp, was preparing to set the controls of the doomsday weapon that had been created as their last resort, but Mendez took her away from the panel.
“This is the Alpha-and-Omega bomb. It can destroy not only Ape City but the entire Earth. Activate it, and we become nothing. Leave it, and its very presence will ensure that we remain something-and may become something better.”
Mendez looked at the scarred mutants who had survived the battle with Ape City. “This place is our home-and must remain so. As long as the Apes leave us alone, we shall have peace. We will disarm the weapon-but future generations of our people will not know. We will let them keep the knowledge of its destructive power-but we will not allow that power to fall into the hands of another Kolp.”
3978
Taylor was delirious; Zaius could see that. “Help me!” Taylor pleaded.
“Help you?” Zaius scoffed. “Man is capable of nothing but destruction!” But even as he said those words, he could hear gunshots being fired in the nearby tunnels as more humans were killed. And hadn’t it been Ursus who had wanted the Bomb?
Taylor fell forward onto the crystal rods. His bloody hand pushed one of them down. From the red light it generated Zaius gathered it was supposed to do something important. He tensed himself, closed his eyes…but nothing happened. Taylor slumped to the floor of the cathedral, unconscious.
Zaius looked down at him. I told you that you might not like what you find, Zaius thought almost regretfully. Finally, he made up his mind.
“Lieutenant! Come here! Help me get this man back to Ape City.”
“You want to save him?” The gorilla wrinkled his nose. “But isn’t he the enemy?”
“The ones we came to fight are all dead. Taylor is the property of the state until I decide otherwise.”
The gorilla nodded. He called back to his troops: “Forget about the human weapon! We’re pulling out!”
Zaius shook his head. I must be insane for doing this, he thought. But he had seen far worse blasphemies than Taylor here. This place was called the Forbidden Zone for a reason- and Zaius anted to make sure it stayed that way.
A pair of gorillas carried Taylor’s body on a stretcher under Zaius’ watchful eyes. “We found a human female, the one who had been with him, in one of the tunnels,” one of them said.
Zaius raised his eyebrows. “Is she still alive?”
“Yes, sir. It looks like she got hit in the back but if we can get her back to Ape City in time the doctors there might save her.”
Zaius nodded. “Of course. It’s only logical that Taylor would have been here with his mate. Very well, sergeant-bring her, too.”
APE CITY, SIX WEEKS LATER
Taylor once again found himself facing a tribunal of apes, but this wasn’t the same kangaroo court he’d been forced to endure as a prisoner, denounced as a freak of nature. This was a hearing being led by both chimpanzees and orangutans. Dr. Zaius was among them, but he didn’t look too happy-not surprising, since his position in Ape City had been dramatically reduced since their return from the Forbidden Zone.
“So I leave it to you, learned judges, to allow this man, Taylor, and his mate to go in peace as they originally intended. The threat we faced from the Forbidden Zone is no more, and Taylor has proven once and for all that my colleague, Dr. Zira, was right about humans.” The words were being spoken by his defense counsel, an elderly but wise chimpanzee historian named Maya who had been a close friend of Zira’s. She was a member of the anti-vivisection league and had done more than any other chimpanzee to make sure that Taylor was treated fairly this time.
“Does the defendant have anything to say on his behalf before we pass judgment?” That was professor Maximus, who had been an ally of Dr. Zaius but who had since apparently seen the writing on the wall and changed sides.
Taylor looked at the historian, who nodded. “Go ahead, Taylor,” she said. “This hearing is on your behalf, after all.”
“I only want to say that I never came here intending to harm you or your society. Now that I know the truth-that this world really is my home-I intend to take Nova with me so that we can start over and maybe give humanity a second chance. I can’t promise that our descendants won’t be enemies-but I hope our children, at least, can someday learn to be friends.”
Maximus nodded. “Very well. Court is in recess until our verdict is rendered.”
Maya and her colleagues-the chimpanzees and a few orangutans who had supported Taylor’s release-protectively surrounded him while the judges deliberated.
“So it’s true,” Taylor said. “Zira and Cornelius have disappeared?”
“Yes, along with Doctor Milo, one of our most brilliant scientists.” Maya seemed saddened. “Cornelius was one of my students. I always thought he would make important discoveries someday-I just never imagined it would be someone who would turn our entire society upside down!” She grinned at him. Taylor smiled back. He had liked her from the start-her passion for the truth was as great as Zira’s had been, and she and young Lucius had led the way in reforming ape society, including the nonviolent coup that had granted equality to the chimpanzees and reduced most of the orangutans to figureheads without real authority.
The judges returned from their chamber and everyone respectfully sat down.
“It is the judgment of this court-with one dissenting opinion”-here Maximus looked at Zaius-“That Taylor be granted his wish and be given safe passage out of Ape City.” Maximus looked at Taylor. “You do understand this means that you and your mate may not return to Ape City?”
Taylor nodded. He had been expecting this. “I understand.”
“Then this hearing is concluded and these proceedings are closed.”
After the clamor of celebration from the chimpanzees died down, Dr. Zaius came over. “Do you still intend to seek out others of your kind-those who can speak and think like apes?”
“If I can, yes.” Taylor’s expression was thoughtful. “I suppose I owe you some thanks for not leaving me behind to die. What made you change your mind?”
“Zira and Cornelius were as close to me as my own children,” Zaius replied. “Whatever I might have thought of their radical beliefs, they were honest. Now that they’re gone…perhaps I don’t want to live with the thought of Zira hating me for the rest of my life if I had let you die. But remember the tribunal’s judgment, Taylor-you may never return to Ape City.” Zaius left to go back to his office.
“Where will you go?” Maya asked.
“Doctor Zaius believed there was another jungle beyond the Forbidden Zone. Could he be right?”
Maya shrugged. “It’s possible. There are only a few Ape Cities scattered along the coast of this continent; we know little about what lies beyond our borders.”
“Then maybe it’s time somebody found out.” Taylor looked out the windows of the courtroom. Nova was in the Ape City Hospital, waiting for him. Together, they would find a way to start over. Maybe he really had come home, after all.
THE END