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.
Sorry to say but this "answer" has always caused me to shiver whenever I was watching this episode which doesn't happen too often. In terms of data processing the answer is simply nonsensical even by 1960s standards. The story seems to allude to some sort of artificial intelligence here. But even this is effected all too pedestrian, of course, from what we can see and hear. Fancy that in Kubrick's 2001, created in 1965 - 68, communication is effected by verbal exchanges between HAL the computer and the crew. So, my conclusion, rather than solving this story according to the "rules" laid out by the Prisoner/Village narative framework it is the author of the episode speaking to us viewers through this plot or plot device telling us a message which is a bit like a moral tale. Some may find this valid. I think it misfired. - BCNU!
(because) answers are a prison for oneself (?)
ReplyDeletebe seeing you
jana
Hello Jana,
DeleteOh that's very good. I wish I had thought of that. And I bet others wish they had as well!
Regards
David
BCNU
Sorry to say but this "answer" has always caused me to shiver whenever I was watching this episode which doesn't happen too often. In terms of data processing the answer is simply nonsensical even by 1960s standards. The story seems to allude to some sort of artificial intelligence here. But even this is effected all too pedestrian, of course, from what we can see and hear. Fancy that in Kubrick's 2001, created in 1965 - 68, communication is effected by verbal exchanges between HAL the computer and the crew. So, my conclusion, rather than solving this story according to the "rules" laid out by the Prisoner/Village narative framework it is the author of the episode speaking to us viewers through this plot or plot device telling us a message which is a bit like a moral tale. Some may find this valid. I think it misfired. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteAn interesting and very valid comment.
Regards
David
BCNU