Degree Absolute

    According to Number 6 Degree Absolute is a recognised method used in psychoanalyses, it is also a last resort, and Number 2 brought it upon himself! Seven ages of man lived from the cradle to the grave, and it had to be either one of them! But which one, which number died? After all they had changed places, which is essential in some cases, but dangerous if the doctor has his own problems. Die Six, die, die, die,diiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeee! And so he died, and would have remained dead had it not been for the advent of ‘Fall Out.’ I wonder why this episode was selected for the prequel to ‘Fall Out,’ simply because of Leo McKern as Number 2 perhaps.

    The title might have been the opening words of the previous episode, after all any fairytale worth its salt begins with Once Upon A time........ I think I prefer this episode’s working title of ‘Degree Absolute,’ it seems more apt to my mind. After all, the phrase is used in the episode, and we are not being told a story, but witnessing shall we say the deliberations of two men during psychological combat. It has to be either one of them, as Number 2 stipulated, and they are both good men, and yet if they get Number 6 he will be better. Does that mean Number 2’s fate was sealed right from the very beginning? It’s a pity that both men could not survive, but Number 2 brought it on himself. It is regrettable he could not find another way, but in the end it was the only way. Poor Number 2, he gave his life for what......for what? To try and extract the possible simple reason behind the Prisoner’s resignation? What a thing to have to die for, that’s no reason at all. It was Number 6’s stubbornness which brought about Number 2’s death, he was under so much stress, that his heart couldn’t take it anymore and it just gave out!

Be seeing you