The Therapy Zone

    In ‘Dance of the Dead’ we learn from Little Bo-Peep - No.240 that the Prisoner had no radio of his own, that there was no radio he could have borrowed, so when a acquiring one....... so where did the dead man-No.34 washed up on the beach acquire such a radio? That question was never asked, neither did the Prisoner volunteer that information. Had he done so, it might have let him off. But then I suppose he was still guilty of the possession of a radio, no matter where he got it from!

The Butler.

    If you think we know little enough about No.6, then we know even less about our little friend. He's the personal gentleman's gentleman, Butler, and personal valet to No.2. He is thought to be mute because he is never heard to utter one single word in the entire series. Yet there are times when No.2 is speaking on the telephone to someone about No.6 paying him a call, or having shouted directly at the Butler during ‘It's Your Funeral’ "I told you I didn't want to see anyone. Tell him to go away." So if the Butler is supposed to be mute, how could he possibly have told No.6 to "Go away", or to tell No.2 on the telephone that No.6 has come to pay him a call? Also the Butler is one of those fortunate citizens who are able to go about not wearing their numbered badge.

   He is unquestioningly loyal. He never speaks ill of anyone, and takes things as they come. And many fans of ‘the Prisoner’ see the Butler as representing the "little man" in the street who has no voice, or the right to he heard. Only towards the end does the Butlers allegiance change. I suppose he could see how things were going against No.2 during ‘Once Upon A Time.’ Oh and just one trifling matter, the Butler shares an idiosyncrasy with the observer-No.240 of the episode ‘Dance of the Dead,’ they both wear their colourful striped capes  -inside out!

   “Congratulations on yet another day....." meaning that if you are awake, and still alive, you've made it through the night. You will recall how "they" came for No.6 in the night in The Schizoid Man, and look what they did to him. But I suppose it could have been worse....I mean look what "they" did to poor old Roland Walter Dutton during the night!

   If 313, 11-12, 909, along with other such numbers are written in numerical style in the synopsis of THEPRIS6NER, what then I wonder what the significance is of Two and Six being written in words?

    It should be noted that the Penny Farthing upon the badge first worn by No.6, if only for a few seconds in ‘Arrival,’ points towards the Prisoner's left. This is in contrast to the only other No.6 badge seen in the series, which is worn by Curtis in The Schizoid Man which has the Penny Farthing facing to the right.

    The Penny Farthing logo for The Village has always been the focus for questions and debate. Patrick McGoohan said that it represented progress but in an ironic way; that nothing ever changes and despite the technology of The Village, the basic evil intent behind those in power remains the same and open to abuse. This hypothesis seems a little elaborate for a mid-evening television series and perhaps the emblem was thought to be just one mystery which would challenge viewers. Certainly, it would have been just as easy for characters in the series to have plain badges with just numbers on them, rather than needing to have the numeral set inside the penny wheel of an old-fashioned bicycle. However, there was obviously a great deal of thought given to the matter and numerous differing penny farthing styles appear in the series.

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