“Hammer Into Anvil - In the original script Number Six visits the grave of Number Seventy-Three at the end of the episode. This was omitted from the final version. It may have put too much emphasis on Number Six's sympathies {but it would have been a nice touch}. But even with no final grave visit, it is becoming apparent the Number Six is taking on a role within the community. He is protecting the people from the abuses of society or at least enacting revenge against wrongs. This is most evident in episodes like ‘It's Your Funeral,’ in which he saves The Village from cruel and inevitable punishment.
In ‘Free for All’ Number Six is flatly defeated at the end of the episode. They might not have been able to "damage the tissue," but they gave it a damned good bruising! Number Six gained nothing for his pains. He is made vulnerable to the authorities because he entertains the idea of gaining power {being elevated to the new Number Two}. Much of this episode, then can be seen as the study of a candidate's motivations. Although his motivations are suspect once he has been conditioned, he does enter the race with a clear mind. Some observers have noted that Number Six's ego trips him up - that his desire for power is some type of character flaw subject to exploitation. But there's probably something more political going on here - Number Six's flaw is more likely the belief {however tentative} that the possibility exists for change within the system. The system is portrayed here, is inflexible - totalitarian. There is no room for change.
It should be noted that there is no clear evidence that Number Six actually decided to run for office, he simply couldn't resist the challenge when given the opportunity to run for electoral office. Number Six had no sights set on the position of Number Two, he simply wanted to take advantage of an opportunity provided, to make his thoughts known to the citizens of The Village, to shake them up, to organise a mass escape!
On the day of the Prisoner's arrival in The Village, No.2 intimated that the Prisoner may even be given a position of authority, but I suspect that that would be only on the grounds of the Prisoner's co-operation!
Number 7's It Doesn't Really Mean Anything
That moment during the opening sequence, after the Prisoner has driven into the underground car park, he alights from his Lotus 7 and pushes open a pair of doors marked "Way Out." Do you know some fans of the Prisoner series see this as him entering a building via the "Way Out." Well that's ridiculous isn't it. After all the Prisoner has just driven into an underground car park, and now he is leaving the said underground car park via the "Way Out."
You see, an ordinary, everyday occurrence like this, which doesn't really mean anything, so why look for a more complicated explanation, or interpretation, when there's a simpler one at hand?
No.7
Be seeing you
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