The Therapy Zone

A Man Who Feels Happier As Himself!

   This it the Colonel, but with the mind of the Prisoner/No.6. He might not act the part, but at least he looks the part, dressed as he is in the Prisoner's own suit of clothes.

   However the Colonel/Prisoner-No.6 does not dress like this for too long!

   Because very soon after leaving his interview with Sir Charles Portland, the Colonel/Prisoner-No.6, has changed his suit of clothes to this! Strange that the Prisoner should do this, because even though he has the face and body of the Colonel, the Prisoner has his own mind! Or was it simply a question of Nigel Stock who feels happier as himself, rather than being Patrick McGoohan?

Peter Smith

    Smith in itself is a common enough name, John Smith might even be more common. But Peter Smith is the name that the Prisoner gave to Mrs. Butterworth, and should we doubt that that is his real name, or one given off the cuff so to speak at the time? Well the Prisoner would have to verify his name, and that would be done either by the name on the lease of the house, or the logbook of the car. But both bore the name of the new owner, which was lucky for the Prisoner - otherwise he just might have had to reveal his own name, and Pat McGoohan wouldn't have wanted that now, would he? Hence the name Peter Smith.

Its Way Out - Man!

    During the opening sequence of Arrival we enjoy the extended journey made by the Prisoner, from his London home, to that office where he hands in his letter of resignation to a man sat behind a desk.

    After the Prisoner has driven into an underground car park, in Abingdon Street by the way, we see the Prisoner go through a a pair of doors with the words "WAY OUT" on them. Now these two words have been interpreted in three ways, A B & C.

A, It is No.6 being unconventional as always and entering by an exit.

B, It could signify his way out ie. resignation.

C, It may be a comment on how the rest of the series was going to turn out. Viewers cannot say they were not warned!

   Oh very good, save for the fact that A the Prisoner was not known as No.6 until after his arrival in the village, nor was the Prisoner at that time unconventional. Because all the Prisoner was doing was leaving, not entering a building, the underground car park via the way out! B, I suppose using the words "WAY OUT" could be a sort of in-joke about the Prisoner's resignation, but somehow I don't think this has anything to do with it - it's just a sign on a door, or doors in this case. And finally C, well Patrick McGoohan had no idea how the series was going to pan out. So "C" can only be an interpretation with hindsight - after the event!

The Schizoid Man

   Don't forget, while No.6 was being conditioned to smoke black Russian cigarettes, that flapjacks are his favourite dish, and to be left-handed. Curtis was in another part of the Village learning to be No.6!

Who Is Number 2?

    Is the question put to No.6 by Nadia on the day of her arrival in the Village. And it is the first time such a question was asked. So who is No.2, where does he or she come from, where do they go?

Voice Over

   It's not Christopher Benjamin's voice you hear speaking at the beginning of The Chimes of Big Ben, being No.2's assistant neither is it the voice over by Robert Rietty. So I don't know who it is, it's simply a curious observation that the voice of Christopher Benjamin wasn't used, even though he had lines as the Labour Exchange manager in Arrival.

Be seeing you