The Therapy Zone

Once Upon A Time And The Unfair Treatment Of Number 6

   No.6 "I Appeal my Lord!"

   No.2-Judge "Appeal, You're getting the same treatment!"

   No.6 "I appeal against unfair treatment!"

   No.2-Judge "You're getting the same treatment as everybody else!"

   No.6 "I, I know. That's why I'm going to appeal against unfair treatment!"

    No.6, being unfairly treated, when he's getting the same treatment as everybody else. It seems to me that No.6 sets himself up very highly, even to the point of putting himself above everyone else. What's more No.6 was rebelling against the figures, he shouted enough to that very effect. Well perhaps that's the part of Patrick McGoohan's life where got fed up working in a Bank, as he once did.

Patrick Cargill

   Patrick Cargill plays two roles in the Prisoner, both roles show disdain and undisguised dislike for an ex-colleague-Number Six. In the confines of the Colonels home, Thorpe’s dislike is established through his acid wit and sarcasm. In the more subtly brutal confines of The Village, the dislike is shown in its full-blown unpleasantness, all niceties are dispensed with as Number 2 proves to be a "professional sadist."

    Like Number Six, we too have a problem, with the character as 'Thorpe,' we don't know whose side he is on!

A Sense Of Humour

    Even in the bleak episode that is ‘The Schizoid Man’ as Number 6 fights to maintain his identity, there are moments of humour. For example when Number 6 meets his doppelganger for the first time "Are you one of those double agents we hear so much about?" And again "Where'd they get you? A people's copying service?"  And prior to visiting Number 12 after he has regained "himself" Number 6 asserts "I think it's time we paid ourselves a call."

   Number 6 has a ready wit, and a dry sense of humour, and as we know "Humour is the very essence of a democratic society."

Be seeing you