The Therapy Zone

 I Am No.6

    Strange is it not, that in the village No.6 fought for such a time as to maintain both his identity and individuality. Refusing to observe, wear, or respond to his number!

                          "I am not a number - I am a free man."

    Well that might be all fine and dandy for No.6, and I suppose there are many who would admire such a stance on identity and individualism. But when push comes to shove, there was a time when even No.6 positively fought to maintain his identity as No.6, in his determination to prove that he is No.6!

    Having been stripped of his identity of the outside world and being turned into nothing more than a number. The Prisoner became afraid of losing his identity of No.6 to another, and fights to maintain even this identity to prove who is.

   But they know who he is. We know who he is. Only No.6 has doubts about who he is!

 The Schizoid Man

    My wife and I sat watching the episode of The Schizoid Man last night, and I spotted a slight flaw in the plot of the episode. No.24-Alison, after her mind reading act in No.2's office, produces a photograph she claims to have taken only the night before, and claiming that there is a much easier way to identify No.6. "Isn't it awful, I took it last night, he's all arms and legs. He has a mole on his left wrist."

    Well there lies the flaw in the plot. Because No.6, to whom Alison-No.24 is alluding, is wearing a cream blazer with black piping. And the man in the photograph is wearing a dark blazer with off white piping! Of course the production crew and cast have not taken into account this change of coloured blazer in the scene, and still remain faithful to that of the original script which called for a dark blazer.

   One other observation. McGoohan, who has undergone conditioning to make him left handed, has not taken this left-handedness into account. He still wears his stainless steel wrist watch on his left wrist, when of course, being left handed, should have been worn on his right wrist!

Tell me now - who am I?

McGoohan and His Conundrum That Is The Prisoner

    Even though McGoohan turned his back, to some extent on his creation of the Prisoner, that he did nothing of it's kind since. I have much to thank him for. Because if it were not for McGoohan vexing us with his conundrum, I would not be sat here typing this and other Prisoner associated blog articles. Not have made friends from around the world, acted in and organised Prisoner re-enactments, produced a film, written a book, and other manuscripts. Appeared in a pop video Another Number - by Carmel Morris, or as a look-a-like for McGoohan-No.6 'live' on stage at both the Cavern Club in Liverpool, or the 100 Club on Oxford Street, London - with Ed Ball and The Times. Plus various television appearances and interviews over the years.

    Taken for mad? Well at times perhaps, but there are worse things to be in this world of ours, besides there are times in my life when the Prisoner helped keep me sane! No, with becoming involved and conditionally vexed by McGoohan’s conundrum the Prisoner, I was done a huge favour. But I am vexed no more, having arrived at a satisfactory understanding, which suits me, of the series after 44 years of Prisoner appreciation.

Be seeing you.