More Village

    There is nothing subtle about being whisked off to the Clinic in this series. Once upon a time you were driven smartly there in a Village taxi, a Mini-Moke. Or lying in a Red Cross trailer towed by a Mini-moke. Now patients are driven off by day or by night by two white coated medics driving a black Bedford van. The Black Bedford van, with its wire mesh windscreen shield. It is an early anti-riot vehicle from the 1960’s, as used in the early days of the troubles in Northern Ireland. There are a number of vehicles from the 1950’s and 60’s. a British “Bubble” car but with four wheels instead of the original three. A Ford Anglia, Morris 8, Volks Wagon camper vans. A Jowett Javelin, Morris Minor, Mercedes Benz, and Volvo, amongst others. The Village buses have me foxed for the moment. There are two kinds, one I think is a Mercedes Benz, the Mercedes Benz badge is covered by a wire mesh. Although most every other vehicle has it’s badge removed. I only identified a Volvo by it wheels hub caps! There are a number of American 1950’s and 6o’ cars which can be seen driving passed in various scenes in The Village. The Village has a 1950’s/60’s feel and look about it, and what with the cars from the same period, there is a real “retro” feel to the series. Yet Two’s lap-top has a glass screen, which is very futuristic.

   In the original series of ‘the Prisoner’ the Prisoner is interpreted to demonstrate his rebellious nature by entering a building via the doors marked "Way Out." Only the thing is he would, as the Prisoner is leaving the underground car park via the way out. In the resignation sequence of THEPRIS6NER the Prisoner also demonstrates his rebellious nature by entering the Summakor building also via the “Way Out.’ Except in this case the difference being, the fact that the words “Way Out” are on the other side of the double doors. The Prisoner is making an illegal entry via the way out into the Summakor building! Not only that but also by going up the down escalator! Blimey that's a bit weak, even I've done that on occasion!

    And somethings remain the same, as No.2 once asked the Director of Psychiatrics "Would you say that Number Six  was mad?" "Not according to our records" replies the Psychiatrist. In the case of this series we have 11-12 asking 313 "Is Six a crazy?" To which 313 replies "No, he's not.

    Love, love makes us do things against ourselves, against others, despite the consequences. Well Two's right about that. We cannot help with whom we fall in love. But the trouble is, in The Village can we be sure if anything is real? Take love for example, and the case of 313. As Two whispers to her, is 313's love for Six real, or has it been manufactured? Indeed whether or not Two has simply planted the seed of doubt in 313's mind!

    With Six's predecessor we know where we stand. The Prisoner resigned his job, went home, was abducted to The Village where No.2 wanted to know the reason behind Number 6’s resignation, “Why did you resign?” Six resigned his job, a job which entailed watching people and writing reports on those he observed. And so we know want the Prisoner’s job was, he was an Observer for Summakor. He resigned his job and woke up somewhere in a desert. Finally he made his way to The Village, came face to face with Two, but so far Two has yet to ask the question we all have been expecting Two to ask "Why did you resign Six?" However not once did Two ask Six why he resigned. Then but Two doesn't need to ask Six that question, after all Lucy, who also works for Summakor, is assigned to Michael, and it is she, not Two who asks the Prisoner why he resigned!

   So, even though I do say so myself, my hypothesis on what would happen as far as Six and 313 was concerned in Checkmate turned out to be correct. And Ian McKellen was right when he said that all the clues are there to be followed right from the start of the first opening scene of Arrival. Mind you it wasn't too difficult to figure it out, and we did get the answers we were looking for in the final episode of Checkmate, or should that have been Dance of the Dead? There was the matricide of M2, 11-12's act of suicide. Two blowing himself up with a hand grenade, oh yes, and Six dying of brain fever! There was certainly more about death in the final episode than there was about chess, even though it was a "Checkmate win" for Two.

Village is best for us!

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