We begin this time with a copy of The Tally Ho and its date Feb 10th. Nothing unusual in this, only this is the only issue of village newspaper which enjoys the luxury of a date and calendar month. Not only this, but the said issue appears in not one episode of the Prisoner, but two, that of 'The Schizoid Man' and 'A B & C,' the one paper being gywheel for both episodes!
When the Alouette helicopter in 'The Schizoid Man' takes off from out front of the Recreation Hall, it's livery is black and has skids. Once airborne the helicopter then turns into the more familiar one, it's livery is turquoise, and has buoyancy floats fitted. However when the Alouette lands again and No.6 alights from the cabin, the helicopter has reverted back to being black with skids instead of buoyancy floats!
No.6 was certainly privileged, in the way that he used to have breakfast brought to him, on two separate occasions. Not only on the morning of ‘Free For All,’ but also that of ‘Dance of the Dead!’ Mind you the breakfast was in all probability, cold by the time it arrived!
At the end of Living In Harmony' No.22 told No.6 that she wished that it had been real. So bearing this in mind, Cathy she aided 'the man with no name' to break out of the Jailhouse, and get out of Harmony. So might not No.22, who had quite obviously fallen in love with No.6, aided his or their escape from the village? One to consider I think.
It has been stated that the idea behind so many different No.2's is that it would not be possible for any sort of relationship to develop between No.6 and the No.2. Well that was the idea, but what about the relationship between No.6 and No.2 of 'The Chimes of Big Ben' there was certainly a relationship building up there quite nicely thank you very much. A relationship which was re-kindled during that week in the embryo room during 'Once Upon A Time.' As No.6 smashed his glass on the floor, you could see that he was upset by the supposed death of his friend No.2.
It could also be that each of the No.2's we see are all different characters of the same persona, even that of his feminine side as demonstrated by Mrs. Butterworth. although there is little feminity about that elfin No.2 of 'Dance of the Dead.' Her sexuality is questionable old chap!
Its quite amusing to watch the episode of 'The Chimes of Big Ben,' this when No.2 quite obviously knows what No.6 is up to all the time. This as he is quite at liberty to close a blind surveillance eye, which would render him blind. Well No.2 has a false eye! Well there was never any danger of No.6 escaping with Nadia, as she was keeping No.2 informed on No.6's progress, not that he could see it for himself. So No.2 was quite happy to let No.6 get on with building his boat, he seems to find the situation quite amusing. After all No.6 would get no further than that cave some distance along the coast.
Might not that mechanical monstrosity have made an impact all its own, had it worked like it was intended to, 'Rover' MK1 I mean. Certainly there would have been no 'Rover' balloon for us to see as having some deep symbolic meaning, such as the suffocating bureaucracy which we encounter these days. Or the ultimate fear of death. After all you couldn't possibly say that there would have been any symbolic meaning to that mechanical 'Rover' MK1, such would have been the impact on the Prisoner.
Can the Prisoner SHOCK anymore? Well only the first time around, because the second occasion you're ready for it; in the way in which No.6 unmasks the mystery man, then turns him to face the camera, revealing 'C' as being No.2 in A B & C for example. Another would be when No.6 in The Schizoid Man learns that "Susan.... did a year ago Number Six."
There are not too many times when one can feel sorry for No.2, but in the case of Hammer Into Anvil I think we can, just this once. I know No.2 only had himself to blame in not placing his trust in those about him, especially in his assistant No.14. But in the end this strong man, the hammer, was a broken and forlorn figure of a man as he reported himself as being "A breakdown in control."
Well we can't really end on the number 13 can we now, so for No.14 we observe No.6 going around the village testing a number of citizens as to their character by giving them one of his authorative looks. Then by judging their reaction he either ticks or crosses them off the chess puzzle in the Tally Ho newspaper. And judging by the crossed out numbers he has written in the vacant white squares he's not had much luck 24 - 16 - 12 - 8 - 9 - 66 - 14 - 8 - 12 are the crossed out numbers. But hang on a minute, there are a pair of 8's and 12's! Well I shouldn’t worry about that too much, the man sitting on the edge of the fountain in cap and red jersey, didn't take to No.6's "look" at all, judging as how he got up in a bullish mood. And that got his number crossed out on the chess puzzle in the newspaper, but then it was No.8 that No.6 crossed out, the man's number was actually .... 62. Ah but then when The Prisoner was under production at Portmeirion, I shouldn't think for one minute that anyone on the production crew gave the least thought to just how closely ‘the Prisoner’ would be gone into via video and DVD .
Be seeing you
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