The Therapy Zone

The Prisoner Makes For Perfect Escapism

   When you forget all that is bemusing, enigmatic, questionable and confusing about ‘the Prisoner,’ what have you got, no not a row of cabbages that's been said and done to death! No, what you have are all the ingredients with the Prisoner for perfect escapism, and we all like a piece of escapism from time to time don't we in which to escape the rigours of everyday life. Either through our television sets watching repeats of our old favourite 1960 series like Man In a Suitcase, Danger Man, The Champions, The Saint, The Baron to mention just a few. Or more up to date with Doctor Who, Life on Mars, Primeval, Cold Blood, Rebus, Midsummer Murders, 24, Lost or enjoying an evening out at the cinema, Van helsing, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Dracula, Rambo, Rocky, A Fistful of Dollars, Sleepy Hollow, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Silence of the lambs and why, because its happening to somebody else! And its a pity they don't let you sit and watch the feature twice these days. Still nothing is as it was, pity.

   Yes escapism, we all like to feel that sense of danger from time to time, but without having come to any harm ourselves, unless you are partaking in the role playing game of Dungeons & Dragons. But with the Prisoner no real harm befell him did it. Okay he was well worked over in ‘Free for All,’ and there were fights during Arrival,’ A B & C,’ ‘The Schizoid Man,’ ‘Many Happy Returns,’ Checkmate, Hammer Into Anvil, ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ ‘A Change of Mind,’ ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ ‘Living In Harmony,’ but in these cases No.6 always gives as good as he gets, and even gets the better of some, as in the case of No.14 in Hammer Into Anvil as he despatches No.14 through the lounge window. And the two thugs who set upon No.6 as he enjoys a work out with his own personal gymnasium, with ease are the two thugs despatched to report No.6 to the committee! And then there are the numerous drugs used upon No.6, but even then there is a limit to as far as they are permitted to go, and you may have observed, but it is the doctors who often sets the limit which No.2 dare not go beyond, as No.14 in A B & C, and No.86 of ‘A Change of Mind,’ such is their difference of character to those of these doctors No.40 of Dance of the dead and No.22 in ‘Checkmate,’ they appear to enjoy no ethics whatsoever!

   Indeed the Cardinal, played by Alec Guinness in the 1955 film The Prisoner went through more psychological harm than the Prisoner-No.6 ever seemed to do, well until the ultimate test of ‘Once Upon a Time,’ then that was a one to one situation between No.6 and that if his interrogator No.2, as with the Cardinal and his interrogator, played by Jack Hawkins. Strange how the two, ‘Once Upon a Time’ and the film ‘The Prisoner,’ resulted in the victory of the Prisoner over his interrogator, the one feeling sorrow and even anger over the other. Anger in the case of No.6, over the death of No.2, and the Cardinals interrogator finally sympathising with the Cardinal, to resign his position, and finally seeing the Cardinal released from his captivity inside the prison.

    Oh we like pain, perhaps even torture, we enjoy psychological terror and being scared of that shadow crossing the lawn, of the psychopathic killer who is about to wreak murder and mayhem, but as long as it is happening to someone else and on a screen where it can do us no harm. And we like to feel safe don't we, after all the horror is over we can make a cup of tea and go to bed all nicely snug and warm.  But it is happening to someone, someone somewhere out in the world where its not safe, and you might be next. Its a hard cruel world out there, so cruel that even the village can look to be the picture of peace and tranquilly, if only on the surface, which hides untold pain and horror for some, but not for us. Not even in our wildest dreams would Nosferatu come to visit, not even in our worst nightmare would two undertakers arrive at our home, pump nerve gas into the front room, render us unconscious and carry us off in a coffin! That sort of thing doesn't happen.... does it? But of course being taken away by two undertakers and a hearse is nothing unusual, unless your neighbours know you well and that you haven't in actual fact ... died. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to get yourself abducted. By ambulance for example, after a road accident, or taken away from your home after being tranquillised by the paramedics, not to wake up on a ward in the hospital, but in your very own 'home from home' of the village. Or possibly whilst being transported from the court to say Park Hurst prison,  Wormwood scrubs or even Slade prison! Or they might come for you in the night, well you're off your guard then aren't you. Perhaps they'll come for you tonight, and if not tonight...... well no.6 knew they were coming for him, but like Cobb he was too late. Soon it will be too late for you!

    But then its only escapism, and not at all real for the majority. But then thank god for the minority, for whom everyday abduction is a very real thing to have to experience, and that we are not to be found amongst their number!

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