The Prisoner Screening Order Debate Revisited - Again!

    I have put the intervening episodes between ‘Arrival,’ ‘Once Upon A time,’ and ‘Fall Out’ into two categories, ‘Escape,’ and ‘Mind Conditioning.’ There is one problem with this in that 3 of the episodes can fit into either category. In order to help combat that, I have not concentrated on No.6’s experiences in the village. After Arrival’ there are four episodes which have escape at their very core, and escape is only possible via the sea. So once No.6 has taken on board that escape by sea is impossible, he attempts then to send a message to someone, anyone in the outside world. That is why ‘Many Happy Returns’ is the final episode of ‘Escape,’ and ‘Dance of The Dead’ is the first for ‘Mind Conditioning’ its a cross-over episode containing aspects of both, and linking the two categories. I have placed escape episodes first so to get it out of No. 6’s system. You will be pleased to observe that I have put the screening order under two headings, although it is possible for certain episodes to feature under at least two of the headings. For example where No.6 is undergoing some form of experimentation, and in the same episode he attempts an escape. And yet, depending on how you look at the series, both ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ and ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ can be placed under two categories, ‘Experimentation’ and ‘Escape.’ Although it’s not No.6 attempting to escape in these two episodes, two escapes are made, one seemingly to have been aborted, the other successful. Yes both ‘Free For All,’ and ‘The Schizoid Man’ do contain escape attempts, in the one No.6 simply tries to get away after realizing what they are doing to him. In the other, an opportunity is presented to No.6 as he attempts to escape by impersonating Curtis. Neither attempt is planned.

Escape

Arrival

The Chimes of Big Ben

Many Happy Returns

Checkmate

Mind Conditioning

Dance of The Dead

Free For All

The Schizoid Man

A B and C

A Change of Mind

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling
Living In Harmony
The Girl Who Was Death
The General

It’s Your Funeral
Hammer Into Anvil                                             The Jailbird by Steve Matt

Once Upon A Time

Fall Out                                                            

     The remaining episodes are I am happy to say more straight forward, even when it comes to ‘It’s Your Funeral,’ No.51 the Watchmaker, has had his mind radicalized by No.100. Even No.2’s mind has been affected whilst he’s been in the village, because he’s under the impression that everyone is conspiring against him. ‘Hammer Into Anvil’ is placed last but one in the category making it another cross-over episode to ‘Once Upon A Time’ which must be placed as the prequel to ‘Fall Out.’ The first is due to the mind conditioning of No.6, and secondly both episodes are basically one-on-one situations, between the two protagonists No.2 and No.6. Meaning “You have a fight with someone because they've picked on you and you beat him in a one-to-one.” In one, No.2 is aided by the Butler, and in the other No.2 has No.14 as an assistant. As for ‘Fall Out,’ I have placed that as a “stand alone” episode, because it is unlike any of the previous 16 episodes, although ‘Fall Out could be placed first in the ‘Escape’ category, hence the “vicious circle” theory. I was also going to position ‘Arrival’ as a stand alone episode to begin with, because it can fit into both categories. But since the very first aspect of ‘Arrival’ is escape, ie ZM73 wishes to escape his job by resigning, I decided to categorize it accordingly.

    I did play around with the screening order just once more while I was at it, placing the series in 5 different categories.
Portmeirion

Arrival

Free For All

Dance of The Dead

Checkmate

Escape

The Chimes of Big Ben

Many Happy Returns

Out of Village Experiences

Do Not forsake Me Oh My Darling

Living In Harmony

The Girl Who Was Death 

Experimentation

The Schizoid Man

A B and C

A Change of Mind

The General

Situational     {relating to or dependent on a set of circumstances or state of affairs}

Hammer Into Anvil

It’s Your Funeral

Once Upon A Time

Fall Out  - This screening order is first made up by the four episodes which were largely filmed on location at Portmeirion, and for no other reason that they are the first four episodes of the series. ‘Escape’ comes next, and ‘Many Happy Returns’ leads into the following category ‘Out of Village Experiences.’ I think this is a particularly interesting preference, because having escaped the village, No.6 is brought back into the fold, his mind and body reunited just in time for him to ride the range in ‘Living In Harmony,’ which leads into No.6 revealing the kind of work he used to do, and that leads into further experimentation! Of course all 17 episodes could be placed under the category of Experimentation, then sub-divided under the headings such as ‘Extraction of information,’ ‘Medical experiment,’ ‘Educational experiment,’ and ‘Mental Ordeal’ ‘Experience’ Finally one final listing such as Escape Arrival - The Chimes of Big Ben - Free For All - The Schizoid Man - Checkmate - Many Happy Returns: Experimentation A B and C - A Change of Mind - Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling - Living In Harmony - The Girl Who Was Death: Experience Dance of The Dead - The General - It’s Your Funeral - Hammer Into - Once Upon A Time - Fall Out follows the Prisoner’s arrival in the village and subsequent escape attempts. With there being no escape No. 6 is put through a number of experiments in order to extract the reason behind his resignation. Those having failed, No.6 is left relatively alone as No.2 appears to have lost interest in him. This allows 6 to dabble in the machinations of No.2 thereby sabotaging both Speed Learn and the execution of a retired No.2. After which the whole thing becomes a straight forward fight between Number 6 and Number 2, which ultimately culminates in a final confrontation! So where does all this get me? That’s a good question!

Be seeing you