The Therapy Zone

I Can't Go An Entire Day Without My Sweets!

    So the title claimed No.26 during the daily prognosis report on No.6 in It's Your Funeral. But the script has it slightly different, when No.8 reads out the part of the daily prognosis report with No.2 at the kiosk to No.2

No.8 "There, he will buy a copy of the newspaper and a bar of soap, and a packet of cigarettes."

   {We as the viewer are lead to believe that he will buy a bag of sweets not cigarettes}

Interim No.2 "No, no. He only smokes an occasional cigar."

   A moment later, No.26 was to have said "I can't go an entire day without my cigarettes!"

    That No.26 cannot go an entire day without her cigarettes makes more sense than not being able to go without her sweets. It explains why No.26 is so uptight, and tetchy with the kiosk attendant. Her craving for nicotine is making her behave in such a manner, not the desire for sweets. But I wonder what it was that the Prisoner series had against smoking? Perhaps the simple change from cigarettes to sweets yields more viewer empathy for the woman's plight, makes the story more believable, and gives us some insights into No.6's nature. As filmed for the kind deed of No.6 buying candy for the old woman-No.26 touches us more than if he had bought her an entire carton of cigarettes. There is another factor that could have weighed in the decision to not use cigarettes.  It is the fact that there is another smoking reference in ‘The Schizoid Man’ which could confuse the viewer. There, No.6 is portrayed as a smoker. Well what's so wrong with that? The days of the Prisoner are not like days of today. Back then it was socially accepted to smoke, nearly everyone was a smoker. So why in the Prisoner do I get the feeling that citizens in The Village were not to be portrayed as being smokers? Allison-No.24 is a smoker, No.6 is a smoker we saw this during the episode ‘Living In Harmony,’ and of course Curtis in ‘The Schizoid Man’ had to be a smoker, seeing as how he was impersonating No.6! But generally in The Village, the vast majority of the citizens were non-smokers, or at least they are never seen to smoke in public. Perhaps only in the privacy of their own cottage!

   Have you noticed how for a generally male orientated television series, the episode ‘D of the D’ is female orientated? I mean a female No.2, female observer-No.240, with a female supervisor-No.22. This is compounded with two different personal maids for No.6 at both ends of the age scale. All this together with No.2 playing at "match-maker" in her attempt to find No.6 a young lady for Carnival. The choice of three young ladies who are attractive and unattached, but No.6 is not interested, his interests lie with his female Observer-No.240.

    Female orientated, but then No.2 doesn't strike me as being very feminine, does she to you?...... No, I thought not "old chap." That last line of No.2's "Then how very uncomfortable for you old chap" sits too well with this particular No.2, especially the "Old chap."

    The Girl Who Was Death - A win for No.6, although any No.2 who thought No.6 would drop his guard with children deserves to be defeated in his purpose. After all, No.6 wouldn't drop his guard with his own grandmother, so why did No.2 think No.6 would do so with children. But of course No.6 wasn't just telling his "fairytale" not only to No.2 and his assistant No.10, but also to those others who have been watching!

"Goodnight children - everywhere!"