The Chimes of Big Ben

    Really the escape plot of this episode can only work with the first viewing, after that the elements of both surprise and shock of ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ are rendered impotent. We are privy to only a fraction of that supposed escape trip as No.6 and Nadia make that twelve hour journey to London confined within the crate. But of course was we know it is a journey that doesn’t take place, and the only sea journey they take is one back to the Village!

   Instead of placing the crate on a lorry, which even in the episode we can see they failed to do, they placed the crate on a rocker bed, this to simulate movement. By road, being loaded onto a ship by crane, the journey continued by sea, and then by air. And then there would be the sound effects, not only that of the London traffic outside the Colonel’s office, but also of any outside sounds during that twelve hour journey, the sound of the ships engines for example.

   There is much within this episode that the television viewer is privy to, that No.6 and Nadia are not. And yet there is more which is taking place during ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ which neither No.6, Nadia and the television viewer are not privy. Both parties, participants and observers, are deceived. As for the “punch line,” to the episode, well that can only work once. We are deceived no more!

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