The Therapy Zone

    I know that aspects of ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ make no sense, that there are more holes in the episode than a segment of Swiss cheese. But it does have one redeeming quality, the incidental music, which I always enjoy listening to, either during the episode or on cassette tape or C.D. It’s the same with ‘Fall Out,’ it’s not my favourite episode not by a long shot, but it is the most logical ending to the series Patrick McGoohan could have contrived. And once again I can appreciate the episode for its incidental music alone.
   I suppose my favourite piece of incidental music is from ‘Checkmate’ when the chess match is about to get underway. There are times when I watch Number 14, the chess champion, approaches Number 6 and asks him if he plays chess. I sometimes find myself willing Number 6 to say no, and that would have been that. But Number 6 always says yes, and Number 8 introduces herself to him as the white Queen. “Come and be the white Queen’s pawn.” “Certainly” he replies. I suppose it must have been something of a novelty for Number 6, as a student of chess to take part in an actual game of chess where humans take up the chess pieces themselves. One might say he was allowing himself to be manipulated by the chess player Number 14. But I don’t suppose it really matters, seeing as Number 6 was moved only once. But it always made me wonder why he bothered to ask Number 8 “Who is Number One?” I mean to say, as if she would know! And then again, it’s only Number 6 who shows interest in the identity of Number 1. Perhaps everyone in The Village, except Number 6, is an optimist, that’s why it doesn’t matter who Number 1 is. Perhaps for many they are simply too tired to care. Whilst others have come to terms with their existence in The Village, and couldn’t care less who Number 1 is.

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