The Therapy Zone

   When you think of the actors and actresses who have played different roles in ‘the Prisoner,’ shouldn't Patrick McGoohan have been noted in the credits as "Special Guest Appearance" as Curtis in ‘The Schizoid Man’ and No.1 in ‘Fall Out?’

    Certainly there are times when I feel stunt double for Patrick McGoohan, should have gained a credit as Number 6. But then I suppose that would have spoiled the illusion!

Jamming

   And believe you me, we're not talking domestic science here, but Jammers who like nothing more than messing up the system! I'd heard that No.118, an eccentric artist, knows much about Jamming. So I went to interview No.118, as he worked on the lawn of the Old People's Home.

    ".... What they do, these Jammers, is they talk." "Talk?" I asked. "They talk about the plots they've been hatching." "And what plots may these be?" I asked. No.118 was very specific. "Well escapes mostly. But plans and developments for all kinds of mischief. They do it to confuse the observers. The plots they talk about are always make-believe." "So they never have any intention of escaping?" I asked. "Not when the plots are always make-believe, but then control can't know that until they've checked them out. Used to run themselves ragged investigating the schemes of Jammers." "used to?" I asked "Well they don't bother any more." {I was curious to know why}. "Well they keep a list of known Jammers, and should anything be picked up by control from one fo these, they just let it ride."

    Then technically a Jammer does have the possibility of escape, if he or she came come up with the right plan! Because if control picked a plan up by a Jammer they would simply ignore it! Later I spoke to the Watchmakers daughter No.50.

   "Jamming is one of the most important ways of fighting back" No.50 told me. I asked her if she is a Jammer, but she was reluctant to give an answer. The only trouble with meeting a Jammer, is that you don't know if your being told the truth, or that your being jammed by the person in question. I think I'll keep to my jam on toast, it's not so much of a mouthful to swallow!

   Fictionally speaking if we can suppose that No.2 of ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ is that of Thorpe in ‘Many Happy Returns,’ who was so keen as to "hammer" No.6, then he would not be the first ex-colleague of No.6's so to want to do. As No.2's assistant during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ Potter who suggested to No.2 "There are methods we haven't used yet," meaning to break his ex-colleague No.6. "He'll crack" Potter assures his superior, with a wry smile. Then we can also suppose that No.2's assistant is in fact Potter seen later in the series as the Colonel’s back-up in ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’

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