‘The Prisoner,’
action, adventure, with danger lurking in every episode. A man abducted to The
Village.......The Village? Whatever do they want? Information, information, and
by hook or by crook they will get it you know. Look at the way Number 2 got the
Prisoner to give up the time of his birth, clever aren’t they, damned clever!
We don’t know the Prisoner’s name, but then we don’t really need to, he’s Number 6, and as we know names are not used in The Village. Where is The Village, that’s not important, nor is the identity of Number 1 or Number 2 for that matter. It doesn’t matter which side runs The Village, because Number 6 is going to be betrayed by those he worked for and with, beginning with Cobb and possibly ending with Sir Charles Portland, but if not then most certainly by another third Colonel!
The Prisoner tries to escape, well who wouldn’t, but that was a nasty experience with the Guardian, and it’s not everyone who can pilot a helicopter. So really Number 6 has more ways to try and escape than most. Not that that matters, because he failed anyway! But that won’t deter our old friend Number 6, I say old friend because that’s just what he is. I and many like me have been watching Number 6’s adventures for the past 50 years, and we still marvel at them. Even if we already know the plan behind ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ is a put up job. I know that Nadia {that probably is her name because spies and secret agents usually use their own first names, it stops mistakes being made on their part} betrayed Number 6, but I cannot help but like her. I like Number 2 as well, he has an infectious laugh, especially during ‘Fall Out.’
One extremely un-likable chap is ‘A,’ he used to be on the same side as ZM73 {for want of a better name} they used to be friends once, they do the same job, but on opposite sides. And he’s not above a little kidnapping, driving ZM73 into the night! So then he went and resigned and ‘A’ though of kidnapping his opposite number, little good it did him. Now he’s on a permanent holiday wondering what to do with himself.
Number 6 attempts a few escapes, but none as dramatic as when he’s overpowered by two motor mechanics, and is escaping in a jet boat. It’s really like the time when the Prisoner overpowered two men and went driving off in a Mini-Moke. Only this time it’s on water, and a helicopter is giving chase, its action with a capital ‘A.’
‘Many Happy Returns’ is pure adventure with bouts of action thrown in. The same can be said of ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ ‘Living In Harmony, and most certainly ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’
Espionage, intrigue, acts of sabotage, action, adventure, and high drama ‘the Prisoner’ has it all. There’s conflict too, all good drama has conflict, not conflict between Number 6 and Number 1, but between Number 2 and Number 6. Because as far as the viewer is concerned Number 2 is the main protagonist, not Number 1 who is merely a voice we do not hear on the other end of a, more often than not, red telephone. And really we cannot be sure that that’s Number 1, only someone who is superior to Number 2, who we imagine to be Number 1.
The conclusion to ‘the Prisoner’ is pretty dramatic, and seemingly final as that rocket blasts off out of its underground silo. It looks like some Doomsday device, but it’s not a missile, it’s meant to be a rocket capable of carrying up to four people in suspended animation. For many ‘Fall Out’ might well be an allegorical ending. But for me it seems there’s been a falling out amongst old friends, which leads to violent and bloody revolution, well violent at least, that amounts to action, adventure, escapeJames Bond John Drake style.....well it is to me, and
has been for many years now.
We don’t know the Prisoner’s name, but then we don’t really need to, he’s Number 6, and as we know names are not used in The Village. Where is The Village, that’s not important, nor is the identity of Number 1 or Number 2 for that matter. It doesn’t matter which side runs The Village, because Number 6 is going to be betrayed by those he worked for and with, beginning with Cobb and possibly ending with Sir Charles Portland, but if not then most certainly by another third Colonel!
The Prisoner tries to escape, well who wouldn’t, but that was a nasty experience with the Guardian, and it’s not everyone who can pilot a helicopter. So really Number 6 has more ways to try and escape than most. Not that that matters, because he failed anyway! But that won’t deter our old friend Number 6, I say old friend because that’s just what he is. I and many like me have been watching Number 6’s adventures for the past 50 years, and we still marvel at them. Even if we already know the plan behind ‘The Chimes of Big Ben’ is a put up job. I know that Nadia {that probably is her name because spies and secret agents usually use their own first names, it stops mistakes being made on their part} betrayed Number 6, but I cannot help but like her. I like Number 2 as well, he has an infectious laugh, especially during ‘Fall Out.’
One extremely un-likable chap is ‘A,’ he used to be on the same side as ZM73 {for want of a better name} they used to be friends once, they do the same job, but on opposite sides. And he’s not above a little kidnapping, driving ZM73 into the night! So then he went and resigned and ‘A’ though of kidnapping his opposite number, little good it did him. Now he’s on a permanent holiday wondering what to do with himself.
Number 6 attempts a few escapes, but none as dramatic as when he’s overpowered by two motor mechanics, and is escaping in a jet boat. It’s really like the time when the Prisoner overpowered two men and went driving off in a Mini-Moke. Only this time it’s on water, and a helicopter is giving chase, its action with a capital ‘A.’
‘Many Happy Returns’ is pure adventure with bouts of action thrown in. The same can be said of ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ ‘Living In Harmony, and most certainly ‘The Girl Who Was Death.’
Espionage, intrigue, acts of sabotage, action, adventure, and high drama ‘the Prisoner’ has it all. There’s conflict too, all good drama has conflict, not conflict between Number 6 and Number 1, but between Number 2 and Number 6. Because as far as the viewer is concerned Number 2 is the main protagonist, not Number 1 who is merely a voice we do not hear on the other end of a, more often than not, red telephone. And really we cannot be sure that that’s Number 1, only someone who is superior to Number 2, who we imagine to be Number 1.
The conclusion to ‘the Prisoner’ is pretty dramatic, and seemingly final as that rocket blasts off out of its underground silo. It looks like some Doomsday device, but it’s not a missile, it’s meant to be a rocket capable of carrying up to four people in suspended animation. For many ‘Fall Out’ might well be an allegorical ending. But for me it seems there’s been a falling out amongst old friends, which leads to violent and bloody revolution, well violent at least, that amounts to action, adventure, escape
Be seeing you
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