Lifemanship And The Prisoner

    Lifemanship, for those who do not know, is where ploys are used against those who oppose us, in order to keep oneself one-up on your opponant. Who are your opponants? Everyone who you are not one-up on. Because if you are not one-up, then you are one-down!
    Number Six finds himself constantly in a one-down situation with Number Two, except when he is occasionally one-up. Take The Chimes of Big Ben, Number Six is being interviewed by No.2 in his office. Number Two tries to get one-up on Number Six, by getting Number Six to say if he takes sugar 'One lump or two?' Number Six tells Number Two that it's in his file, 'Yes but it would save time.' 'Why, are you running out of time?' Number Six replies. So Number Two has to read 'Does not take sugar.' Number Six is now in a one-up on Number Two. Then as the interview continues, and to add insult to injury, Number Six drops three lumps of sugar into his tea, putting Number Six firmly one-up on Number Two.
    When is Number Six one-down? In Arrival when he fails to escape the Village. Then there's A B & C, and of course Free For All, in which he is continually one-down. The Schizoid Man, being one-down both to Number Two and Curtis. But then finds himself one-up on Number Two as he impersonates Curtis, but ultimately Number Six is one-down when Number Two tells him that 'Susan died a year ago.' But with the next episode The General, we have the curious situation in which everyone is in a one-down! During Many Happy Returns Number Six thinks he's in a good one-up situation, having escaped the confines of the Village. But the new Number Two soon finds herself one-up on Number Six as he is unceremoniously returned to the Village. In Dance of the Dead No.2 is definately one-up on Number Six, because he thinks Number Two will never win, but that will be very uncomfortable for Number Six. Checkmate sees Number Six in a definate one-up situation against Number Two. He has his reliable men, and all is set for an escape from the Village. But he is soon once one-down again, to Number Two, and that's thanks to the Rook-No.58. Hammer Into Anvil sees Number Six end an episode one-up on Number Two for the second time. The first time was at the end of A B & C. It's Your Funeral next, well it's the retiring Number Two who is one-up, with the help of Number Six who remains on level par, which is more then can be said of the new Number Two who is one-down after only having taken up office during the Appreciation Day ceremony! Then comes A Change of Mind, Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, and Living In Harmony, in which two out of three episodes in which Number Six manages to turn the tables on Number Two, and the other puts Seltzman one-up over everybody! The Girl Who Was Death, Once Upon A Time, and Fall Out, well Number Six is one-up on Number Two because he wouldn't even drop his guard with his grandmother! And sadly I feel, Number Six is only one-up by the end of Once Upon A Time at the death of Number Two. And Fall Out, well Number Two looks as though he's definately one-up, because he's still alive and has escaped the Village. As for Number Six, well he's still one down, because even though he's back in London, he's still a prisoner!
Be seeing you