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Monday 29 August 2011

The Meeting With No.1

    Remember the most recent and modern day television adaptation of Robert Louis Stephensons story The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde called Jekyll? In Jekyll soon after Mr Hyde had made his first violent appearence, when Dr. Jakman was in the hospital toilets. He was Mr. Hyde but for a second only, then looking in the mirror he asked 'Who are you?'
   That is what struck me as being wrong when No.6 finally came face to face with No.1, himself in Fall Out. You see apart from tearing off two masks, chasing No.1 being chased around the table in the Control Room, and finally up the ladder into the nose cone of the rocket, there was no shock, no time for the realisation of the situation, and there was definately no verbal confrontation between the two men, no 'Who are you?' What are you?' from No.6. And certainly nothing from No.1, nothing save for his maniacle laughter. Mind you No.6 had had a verbal confrontation with himself in The Schizoid Man earlier in the series.
    I have often thought that it is such a pity that there is no verbal confrontation when No.6 finally gets to confront No.1. But then I suppose any questions No.6 might have had, would have needed an answer, and Patrick McGoohan was in no mood to give any answers. But No.6 might have asked 'Who are you?' at the very least, but he didn't. Perhaps he knew who No.1 was all the time, hence there being no shock at discovering that No.1 is himself! Therefore perhaps there was felt by McGoohan, no need for any further questions or answers. the most important one 'Who is No.1?' 'You are No.1 No.6.' As for the rest of it, it has been left to us unwitting viewers to figure it out for ourselves, to arrive at whatever conclusion we may.
Be seeing you, whoever you are. Whatever you are!

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