Dance Of The Dead

   ‘Dance of the Dead’ is perhaps the most difficult episode to take literally. The Prisoner is sentenced to death for the possession of a radio set. That sentence is to be carried out by the people, who carry it out in the name of justice. But this is "mob justice," as they chase the Prisoner through the corridors of the Town Hall. No better than the lynch mob who hang Cathy Johnson’s brother in ‘Living In Harmony,’ or those self-righteous citizens who attack and man-handle Number 6 all the way to the hospital in ‘A Change of Mind.
    He’s ripped the guts out of a teleprinter, which inexplicably bursts into life again, continuing to type the message it was originally printing at the time the Prisoner caused it to stop. And the death sentence is not carried out. Well you never expected it to be, did you....or did you? After all didn’t Number 2 herself say that Number 6 has a future with them, that there are other ways. Well ‘Dance of the Dead’ is one of those other ways! Number 6 tells Number 2 “You’ll never win.” To which Number 2 replies “Then how very uncomfortable for you, old chap,” so when taking into consideration Number 2’s words, and the fact that ‘Dance of the Dead’ is the second episode of the series according to the library/production order. How can things be normal in the Prisoner ever again after this? The answer is simple, it can't. Things can only get much worse!

Be seeing you