Despite the Prisoner's pronouncement that he was not going to be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, de-briefed or numbered. Pushed? Well yes, Pushed into his resignation because he became disillusioned with his job, or perhaps because Parick McGoohan became fed up with Danger Man because the scripts were becoming a bit thin. But in truth, when you look at the scripts of Danger Man they are pretty repetative, but that's perhaps for another time. Filed, in one of those grey filing cabinets, amongst so many grey filing cabinets we see during the opening sequence of the Prisoner, marked RESIGNED. Stamped this is stlightly trickier, stamped as being trodden on, supressed, even to be eradicated by force, or stamped officially, his fate to be sealed. Indexed another tricky one, alphabetically listed perhaps! Briefed, this took place on the day of his arrival in the village. Partially by the Oriental taxi driver, then later by No.2, in both his office and during the aerial tour of the village. De-briefed No.2 carried out the de-briefing of the Prisoner, again in his office on the morning of the Prisoner's arrival in the village. Numbered, you might think that it was the medical orderly at the hospital who actually gave the Prisoner his card of identity which carried his number 6, and you are right in that thinking. But it was the Supervisor-No.28 who actually numbered the Prisoner, when the yellow alert was announced, sending post 14 to give chase to No.6 on the beach.
After that it all became something of a trial for No.6. Arrival saw the Prisoner meet with an ex-colleague Cobb. No.9 was assigned to No.6, in a game to see No.6 attempt to escape, and to show him that there is no escape!
The Chimes of Big Ben, to try an extract the reason why the Prisoner resigned. No.6 had to place his trust in Nadia-No.8. Constructed a boat in readiness for an escape attempt. But he found that he had been betrayed on all sides. He had allowed himself to be hoodwinked by Nadia Rakovski. Betrayed by both the Colonel and Fotheringay.
A B & C, another attempt to try and extract the reason for the Prisoner's resignation.
Free For All, an election in the village? No.6 runs for public office. And 'they' knew that No.6 would not be able to pass on such a given opportunity. No.6's plan is not to bring the system down from within, but to organise a mass breakout, and 'they' know this. 'they' know No.6's game from the outset, that's why he's allowed to go so far, because the new No.2 is already in the village, and assigned to No.6, who fails in his attempt, he also learns that there is no democracy in the village.
The Schizoid Man, The Prisoner's identity has been taken away from him. He has no name, he was given a new identity, that of No.6. But now even the identity of No.6 is now taken away from him, and he has been conditioned in his left handedness, his likes changed, to think he is someone else. Then No.6 willingly takes on the guise of Curtis in an attempt to escape. And No.6 would have made it, but it was the lack of one important piece of information which let No.6 down....Susan had died a year ago!
The General, No.6 is not directly involved at the beinging of this episode. He's just another citizen of the village, who then involves himself, because he cannot resist the words of the Professor "Speedlearn in an abomination. The General must be destroyed!" Speedlearn is an educational experiment, and the citizens student guinea pigs! No.6 brings the General down with one question which insoluable for both man and machine.............WHY? The General might very well have been able to answer any question, given the basic facts, but with WHY? there are no basic facts!
Many Happy Returns, No.6 wakes to find the village deserted. He doesn't appear to make question of this, but leaves the village via the only way open to him, the Sea. He returns home to find a woman living in his home, and that she owns his Lotus 7. The Prisoner pays call on his ex-colleagues, who help him find the location of the village, to where No.6 is unceremoniously returned, no better off at the end as he was at the beginning! But at least now he knows the location of the village!
Dance of the Dead, the Prisoner is put on trial and sentenced to death!
Checkmate, the only power one gets in the village is through the human game of chess! Having tried to escape on his own in the previous episode, No.6 now takes another tack, he finds reliable men to help him escape! Trouble is, No.6 is so much the control freak regarding this latest enterpise, that the Rook puts No.6 to his own test, and puts paid to any escape, much to the Rooks own dispair!
Hammer Into Anvil, No.2 sees himself as the hammer, and No.6 the anvil. But as it happens hammers wear out faster than anvils, and No.2 is but a weak link in the chain of command waiting to be broken! No.2 plays himself into the hands of No.6, simply because he doesn't trust anyone, not even his closest assistant No.14.
It's Your Funeral, No.6 gains a community conscience!
A Change of Mind, No.6 has lost his comminuty conscience as suddenly as he gained one in the previous episode! He much prefers his own company to that of others! Again No.6 is threatened with a Lukeotomy, which is the second time. And if the suggestion of a Lukeotomy was rejected by No.2 in Checkmate on the grounds that No.6 is far too important, then the viewer can rest assured that it's not going to happen here. And for a second time in the series, No.2 has been let down by a woman!
Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, the Prisoner undergoes mind transferrance with the Colonel!
Living In Harmony, is possibly the first role playing game, which takes place in the mind!
The Girl Who Was Death, a little light entertainment. Relief from that which has gone, and for that which is yet to come!
Once Upon A Time, a one to one situation, which must result in either one of them, No.2 or No.6. And as it happens it's No.6 who gains the upper hand, but at a price he's not happy with, the death of No.2. No.6 might not be able to kill, but cannot suffer a death at his doing!
Fall Out, the final manipulation of the Prisoner. But where is the victory? Because at the end, as he was at the beginning, he is still the Prisoner!
It's all very brief and sudden the above text, but sadly I have only so much time. But it has been all of a trial for the Prisoner. He survived the sixteen ordeals, in order to suffer the final ordeal, the facing of himself. It's no wonder Curtis, No.1, turned into a screaming maniac! I bet he thought oh no, not again, and having climbed up the ladder got himself sealed in the nose cone of the rocket where he was safe from No.6!
Yes, it was all a trial really, but at the end of Fall Out the Prisoner is about to put himself through the ordeal again. In fact we the viewer put the Prisoner through the ordeal again and again, everytime we put the video of DVD of the series on the television, watching in the relative comfort of our own homes. Safe in the knowledge that it's being done to someone else other than you!
Be seeing you
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