Information And Observations
We never see the portly shape of the shopkeeper-No.99 after Checkmate. Perhaps there was something wrong with his books. After all he's somewhat shirty when No.6 and the Rook approach him and ask to see his books. "They've never asked to see them before!"
If the white membranic mass of the village guardian is the iconic visualisation of the Prisoner, then the Lotus 7 is as individual as the owner of the car itself. Individualistic and rebellious in its nature. Whether or not that stands true today I'm not sure, in the Prisoner yes. But out in the real world, there are too many look-a-likes for the now Caterham Super Seven and too many people want the same paint job of green and yellow nose!
I wonder who put those daffodils on 73's grave in ‘Hammer Into Anvil,’ and were they the same bunch of Daffodils seen in 73's hospital room? Possibly, and possibly it was No.6 who placed the flowers on her grave.
The village information gathering service is not infallible. They didn't know the Prisoners date of birth, nor did they know the name of 'B's son of ‘A B and C,’ they didn’t even know 'B' had a son. "Husband yes, but no son" No.2 reads from the file.
"So much caution in a man like you. It seems so wrong!" No.50-Monique says, as she confronts No.6. But then what does she know about No.6, what does she know about the man? Perhaps No.6's reputation goes before him. Unless of course she had been fully briefed on No.6 before she was sent to him.
Once at the ‘Dance of the Dead’ No.2 offers No.6 a drink, a glass of un-doctored wine. No.6 responds with "I rarely drink" and during all the episodes of ‘Danger Man’ that is actually correct. For during all those episodes John Drake rarely finishes his drink, sometimes not touching it at all!
This map drawn by No.6, is a copy of the map he placed in the dead man's wallet in the episode ‘Dance of the Dead.’ No.6 is aware of where the four points of he compass are, well he should do after navigating his way back to the village only in the previous episode ‘Many Happy Returns.’ So why didn't No.6 know the name of the sea?
No.6 Identity Card. Strange how in any Tally Ho, and even his identity card carries a photograph of No.6 not in Village attire! One would have thought that that any picture of No.6 would have him in piped blazer and blue turtle neck sweater.
Playing It By The Numbers
Justine Lord is not so memorable for her performance as No.10 - assistant to No.2 in the episode of ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’ Far from it, Justine Lord will always be remembered by fans of the Prisoner for her larger than life performance as 'the Girl who was Death.' Although in reality 'the Girl' didn't really exist. She was simply a figment of No.6's, in this case, over active imagination. And so just about as far removed from that of No.10 as you can possibly get!
For Justine Lord, she could not play two more opposite characters. Lord plays the Mata Hari of the series, beautiful, sexy and very capable as she lays as many traps for her 'lover' as he escapes from. And during this dual, she even has time to attend to her make-up. She can lure her hapless victims whilst showing off the latest fashions.
Virginia Maskell plays No.9, the used woman. Used by No.2, Cobb, the helicopter pilot and finally No.6. It's No.66-the Admiral who makes her see the light "We're all pawns m'dear" he tells her.
Perhaps no other performance in the series is as passionate as No.9 of ‘Arrival.’ Her loving and loyal nature has not yet been extinguished. But perhaps it had after the Admirals words had been given time to sink it, making her realise that she had been used by so many. We can only guess at what her mental battles with herself might have been before collaborating with No.2 and his plan of entrapping No.6. She betrayed Cobb, and now she was going to betray No.6, or was she? After all she did tell No.6 to go and go now before it was too late.
We see so little of No.9, but Virginia
Darren Nesbitt No.2 in ‘It’s Your funeral’, whose face and lips puts me in mind of the puppet Alan Tracy of the Thunderbirds television series. A man of many facial expressions as he speaks with No.1 on the telephone, that scene always amuses me.
The cunning which goes with this character in this episode is successfully carried off by this business-like piece of acting. This heir presumptive is impatient to attain the position of the new No.2, and in doing so will see that the retiring No.2 is polished off along the way. For assassination replace it with execution!
There is an air of disrespect which is demonstrated in the way he puts his feet on the desk. In his cocky smile when speaking on the telephone. And his contemptuous approach to No.6, mind you he would feel that way towards a prisoner!
Nesbitt offers us a No.2 who probably believes that it is merely a question of time before he attains the position of No.1, seeing the position of No.2 as a mere stepping stone to becoming a higher authority. But for now in his position of heir presumptive, he is loyal, and only too willing to please No.1, and shows no qualms about what is expected of him after the execution/assassination of the retiring No.2. In that he must oversee the mass reprisals against innocent members of the community. He is cold, precise, and calculating.
Be seeing you
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