The Therapy Zone

    “Many Happy Returns - the new Number 2 wears a badge with a black background, upon which is a white penny farthing and a white number 2. Previously we have seen citizens wear such a badge, but with a red number 2. No reason is ever given for there are "positive" and "negative" badges.

   This new Number Two-Mrs Butterworth, is the only Number Two in the series to wear the "negative" badge.

    ‘The General’ - The Professor is a tragic figure, a man with a conscience and genius who is manipulated ruthlessly by the village authorities. It again shows McGoohan's great respect and sympathy for men of science and his scorn for the manipulation and perversion of that science. This is a constant theme within the Prisoner and is best realised in the episode Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.

   ‘The Schizoid Man’ - While Number six does attempt to escape at the end of this episode, it is important to note that the focus of this episode is not escape, but on survival as an individual. Number Six is charged with maintaining his identity, and does this, victoriously. The boundaries of the struggle have changed. Escape is no longer the main issue with Number Six, as the focus is on the maintenance of his identity, his self.

    ‘A B & C/The General’ - Number two drinks a good deal of milk in both these episodes, which gives colour to the theory that Number Two is suffering from a stomach ulcer. It's certainly in keeping with his nervous state of mind, and probably why he didn't have a good night that one time in ‘A B & C.’

   "A B & C explores flaws within the characters of the authorities. Number two, artfully played by Colin Gordon, is assigned the task of extracting information from Number Six. Number Two is painfully aware that if his attempts are not successful, his job-perhaps his life-is on the line. It's a bureaucratic problem. Number two must answer to a hierarchical system that has little patience for failure. Number two understands all too well the tentative nature of his situation and is willing to take extreme measure in the protection of his job. Although we will meet several Number twos who are "afraid of their master," this is one of the few who appear willing to risk Number Six's life in order to extract information."

A Change Of Number 2

   This is No.2 of ‘The Schizoid Man,’ but shouldn't No.2 have been a woman, this woman?

  This is the new No.2 of Free For All, she said that this is only the beginning. That they do not wish to damage him permanently. So what exactly happened to this No.2? Because the next No.2 we see is the one at the top of the page. Surely it should have been this female No.2 of ‘The Schizoid Man’, and if not that, then there is a gap between the two episodes which we know absolutely nothing about! It would have been interesting to see this new No.2 at work, how she would have handled ‘The Schizoid Man,’ or any given situation against No.6. What would she have in mind for our No.6?

  I tried to access records so as to try and ascertain what happened to this No.2, but there is no record of her after her promotion to the position of No.2. It would appear that very soon after reaching this lofty position, she left The Village.

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