The age old question, no not why did the Prisoner resign, that's been done to death, and not where is the Village either, or which side runs the Village. In 'Many Happy Returns' are the two crewmen of the motor Cruiser simply who they are suggested to be, gun runners, or were they actually agents working for the Village and keeping track of Number 6?
BCNU
It is very difficult to decide I think.. If they were village agents it would explain their timing. Indeed they helped Number Six out of starving, didn't they? On the other hand: When they found Number Six on his raft they took the properties, but tried to get rid of the body. To me it seemed as if they wanted him dead.
ReplyDeleteIf they were village agents they had to be sure that the bath awakes him (perhaps that was the whole point ..) and that he helps himself out of the sea, into their boat. It is possible that they wanted Number Six to think that they wanted to kill him, just for trustworthyness, but how to decide that?
Kind regards
BCNU
Jana
Hi Jana,
DeleteIt stands to reason that the Village Administration would not have allowed Number 6 to set out on such a dangerous voyage all alone. Anything could have happened to him, he might have been swept overboard in a storm at sea. Remember this man is important to the Village. So it stands to reason that they would have a support vessel standing by some distance way, keeping surveillance on the Prisoner, ready to move in if needed, to rescue Number 6.
It may appear that they tried to get rid of the body after the Prisoner had collapsed from exhaustion. But that would be effect for the television viewer, as we are supposed to believe that the two men are gun runners. The dumping of the Prisoner into the cold water had the effect of waking him up. And then recall how Gunter revs the twin diesel engines, the sound of which warns the Prisoner that the motor cruiser is about to depart. The pause after revving the engines, that seems to be quite deliberate, in giving the Prisoner time to board the boat.
Perhaps more to the point would be, what excatly did the Village Administration/Number 2 learn from this exercise of 'Many Happy Returns?'
There is one scene in this episode which touches the heart. It is when the Prisoner comes across the gypsy camp, and the young gypsy woman gives him a hot cup of tea or broth. It is the first genuine act of kindness shown towards the Prisoner since the day of his abduction to the village.
Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hi David,
Deletethats a good point you made.. there is a remaining doubt wether they could be sure to wake Number Six up when they threw him into the water. Alternatively they could have kidnapped him, that would have been much safer.
But it seems very convincing.
Kind regards,
Jana
BCNU
Hi Jana,
DeleteA very good morning to you.
Kidnap the Prisoner aboard the boat, possibly secure him in a cabin, like the Priosner does to them. It's certainly food for thought, and yes much safer. And when you think about it, Ernst doesn't even bother to check if the Priosner is still alive before tipping his body into the water. Yes, it's terribly convincing as you say.
Kind regards
David.
BCNU
Hi Jana,
DeleteMy wife Morag has just read the comment I just posted, and had this to say. Why did Ernst bother to tip the body of the Prisoner into the water? He could have simply have taken what he wanted, and left Number 6 unconscious aboard the raft. But then, if Ernst hadn't tipped the body of the Prisoner into the water, he wouldn't have been able to climb abord the boat!
Kind regards again
David
BcNu