A life time fan and Prisonerologist of the 1960's series 'the Prisoner', a leading authority on the subject, a short story writer, and now Prisoner novelist.
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Saturday 7 July 2012
Teabreak Teaser
Could Number 2 of 'Hammer Into Anvil' have got it right? Could Number 6 actually be a plant in the Village?
Definitely no, in my opinion - Did he have any contact to the outside world? The times he did, nobody believed him.
Otherwise: If he was planted in the village by some One then this One would have done without his knowledge.. and this One would have done to break the village, not to break him.
Yes, you're probably right. But when I first watched 'Hammer Into Anvil,' when I was a boy of 12 years, it did seem to me then, that Number 2 had got it right. Such is 'the Prisoner' seen through the eyes of a child.
Yes, you are perfectly right of course. D6 and XO4 being non-existant. And as you say, when he had contact with anyone in the outside world no-one believed him about the Village.
I used to think that Number 2 of 'Hammer Into Anvil' might have got it right about Number 6 being a plant in the Village. But when you take into consideration, 'Many Happy Returns,' and the way the Prisoner reports to his ex-colleagues, you realise Number 2 wasn't right at all.
Planted in the Village by some One, that some One being Number One? If so that's clever.
Good to hear from you again. That's something of an enigmatic comment. Perhaps in other words, seeing as how Number One and the Prisoner are one and the same, the One sent himself, being a free man, to the Village. But I could be misinterpreting your comment. Please tell me if I am.
Hi David, to be honest, I don't know. Perhaps in the first line it was a play on words. But, I guess in a way one (not One) might say that it was partly Number Six's inner Number One who made him a "free man" even in the village, the same Number One that made him a Prisoner, too. As seen in Checkmate where his own self-confidence prevents escape. But I don't know. But theres something wrong. Properly the "real" Number One is not the part of us that makes us self-confident and lets us think using our own mind, but that part who makes others prisoners, I think...
One might say that the Prisoner's Id, {Number 1} is keeping his ego {Number 6} Prisoner. Although it might be the other way round. But either way it's something of a struggle for the Prisoner. And yes, Number 6 does have a certain feedom even within the Village, and no real harm befalls him there. A case of "Looking after Number One" perhaps. Or "The Devil looking after his own!"
There was a film called "Cypher" in which the man who created a Company Organisation is mind-wiped and gets himself sent into the situation in order to find the information he lacks. He spends most of the film pursuing a man called Rooks, who turns out to be the man himself. It's a difficult plot to pull together without a few holes though.
When I read the blog-quote: @ Could Number 6 actually be a plant in the Village? @ my first reaction was, If he was, he certainly wasn't a rotting cabbage... :-D
I've not heard of the film called 'Cypher' its sounds interesting, I'll have to look out for it. Does it ever appear on television, perhaps I'll have to look for it on DVD.
Oh that's very good, very good indeed, a plant but not a rotten cabbage. I see your sense of humour is still "Strong and unimpaired!"
Cypher has been on TV a couple of times. That's how I saw it, and thought to myself, this is all a bit like a plotting-out of a daft idea I've seen written about, where prisoner fans say that "(Drake)No6 invented the village in the first place" ..... :-D
The same guy who made Cypher also made "The Cube", which I have seen discussed as prisoneresque too, but Cypher has more of an "adventure" feel about it and is firmly rooted in a conceivable reality, just as M=cGoohan's Prisoner was, rather than the Cube's weirdness.
Yes, I've seen 'The Cube,' I watched it when I heard it being described as Prisoneresque which it is but only in regard to the questions it leaves behind.
Definitely no, in my opinion - Did he have any contact to the outside world? The times he did, nobody believed him.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise: If he was planted in the village by some One then this One would have done without his knowledge.. and this One would have done to break the village, not to break him.
Hello NoNo,
DeleteYes, you're probably right. But when I first watched 'Hammer Into Anvil,' when I was a boy of 12 years, it did seem to me then, that Number 2 had got it right. Such is 'the Prisoner' seen through the eyes of a child.
Regards
David
BCNU
Hello NoNo,
ReplyDeleteYes, you are perfectly right of course. D6 and XO4 being non-existant. And as you say, when he had contact with anyone in the outside world no-one believed him about the Village.
I used to think that Number 2 of 'Hammer Into Anvil' might have got it right about Number 6 being a plant in the Village. But when you take into consideration, 'Many Happy Returns,' and the way the Prisoner reports to his ex-colleagues, you realise Number 2 wasn't right at all.
Planted in the Village by some One, that some One being Number One? If so that's clever.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
It has crossed my mind ;). And maybe this One is not a number but a free man.
DeleteBCNU!
NoNo
Hello NoNo,
DeleteGood to hear from you again.
That's something of an enigmatic comment. Perhaps in other words, seeing as how Number One and the Prisoner are one and the same, the One sent himself, being a free man, to the Village. But I could be misinterpreting your comment. Please tell me if I am.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hi David,
Deleteto be honest, I don't know. Perhaps in the first line it was a play on words. But, I guess in a way one (not One) might say that it was partly Number Six's inner Number One who made him a "free man" even in the village, the same Number One that made him a Prisoner, too. As seen in Checkmate where his own self-confidence prevents escape. But I don't know. But theres something wrong. Properly the "real" Number One is not the part of us that makes us self-confident and lets us think using our own mind, but that part who makes others prisoners, I think...
BCNU! NoNo
Hi NoNo,
DeleteOne might say that the Prisoner's Id, {Number 1} is keeping his ego {Number 6} Prisoner. Although it might be the other way round. But either way it's something of a struggle for the Prisoner. And yes, Number 6 does have a certain feedom even within the Village, and no real harm befalls him there. A case of "Looking after Number One" perhaps. Or "The Devil looking after his own!"
Regards
David
BCNU
There was a film called "Cypher" in which the man who created a Company Organisation is mind-wiped and gets himself sent into the situation in order to find the information he lacks. He spends most of the film pursuing a man called Rooks, who turns out to be the man himself. It's a difficult plot to pull together without a few holes though.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the blog-quote:
@ Could Number 6 actually be a plant in the Village? @
my first reaction was, If he was, he certainly wasn't a rotting cabbage... :-D
Hello Moor,
DeleteI've not heard of the film called 'Cypher' its sounds interesting, I'll have to look out for it. Does it ever appear on television, perhaps I'll have to look for it on DVD.
Oh that's very good, very good indeed, a plant but not a rotten cabbage. I see your sense of humour is still "Strong and unimpaired!"
Regards
David
BCNU
Cypher has been on TV a couple of times. That's how I saw it, and thought to myself, this is all a bit like a plotting-out of a daft idea I've seen written about, where prisoner fans say that "(Drake)No6 invented the village in the first place" ..... :-D
DeleteThe same guy who made Cypher also made "The Cube", which I have seen discussed as prisoneresque too, but Cypher has more of an "adventure" feel about it and is firmly rooted in a conceivable reality, just as M=cGoohan's Prisoner was, rather than the Cube's weirdness.
Hello Moor,
DeleteYes, I've seen 'The Cube,' I watched it when I heard it being described as Prisoneresque which it is but only in regard to the questions it leaves behind.
Regards
David
BCNU