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Wednesday 28 August 2013

The Therapy Zone

Die 6 Die, Die, Die!
     These are the words spoken by No.6 to No.2 in the Embryo Room of ‘Once Upon A Time.’ But why speak them to No.2 as he lay, possibly dying? Well they had changed places hadn't they?
"Die 6, die, die!" and perhaps the man standing over No.2 as he appeared to be dying, wanted to be rid of No.6 once and for all.

Once Upon A time
    There was once, a man - a man of steel, a man with staunch principles who resigned his job but would not tell the reasons behind his resignation - hang on a minute. The Prisoner seemed to have plenty to say to that balding, bespectacled man sat behind the desk  in that office as he handed in his letter of resignation. Why doesn't the village authorities speak to that man? Or did they, and if they did, I wonder what it was he had to say? They might even care to take a look at that resignation letter!

Sometimes the Prisoner Is Straightforward
And other times It doesn't make much sense at all!
    ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ is one such episode which doesn't make sense at all. For a start Seltzman's so called reversal process is an unnecessary to the plot, but which in itself is the plot behind the episode!
   Sir Charles Portland doesn't seem to know where the Prisoner is, he hasn't sent him on a mission of any kind, and doesn't seem to be aware of the Prisoner's resignation! Janet Portland doesn't know either, and doesn't know if her father Sir Charles is telling her the truth or not! when he says that he doesn't know where her fiancé is.
   The Village is in possession of the Seltzman machine, but doesn't know where Seltzman is, so how did the village authorities get their hands on the machine in the first place, or at least the plans to build a machine of their own?
   Are both sides looking for Seltzman, or three if you count the Village as being an installation in its own right, if neither side runs it, or two if the village is run by one side or the other.
    The Colonel cannot be working for Sir Charles Portland, otherwise Sir Charles would have recognised him, so which side or department is the Colonel working for?
    Which side is Sir Charles working for, does he know of the village? If he does, then only one side is looking for Seltzman!
   None of the episode ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ makes much sense, in fact it's all a bit of a mish-mash with almost as many questions to be answered in this episode as there are in the whole series!

A Worst Moment In The Prisoner
Nigel Stocks Performance in ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.’ Originally an actor was called for the role of the Colonel, someone of the same stature as Patrick McGoohan. Someone with the ability to act the role and character of the Prisoner, in the same style of McGoohan. Because even though it is Nigel Stock as the Colonel who we see on the screen, the actions are those of The Prisoner-No.6. So why then Nigel Stock -it beats me! A far better choice, in my opinion, would have been McGoohan’s stunt double Frank Maher in the role of the Colonel.

Be seeing you

2 comments:

  1. It appeared to me these days, perhaps from your blog, that "General" and "Colonel" were rather household names or terms in DANGER MAN. Hence, why shouldn't they have been reused in THE PRISONER? Do you have any evidence for this? - BCNU!

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    Replies
    1. Hello Arno,

      That is quite right, both title of the 'General' and the 'Colonel' were very prevalent in 'Danger Man.' The use of them in 'the Prisoner' for me, mildly links both series together. Suggesting that the Prisoner formally worked for British Military Intelligence, just like John Drake. It is suggestive only, with no founded evidence.

      Kind Regards
      David
      BCNU

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