It has been
5 weeks since ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,’ and during that time No.6 was
returned to London as though on the day he was due to hand in his letter of
resignation, which he had written the night before, according to the original
script. He travelled across Europe to Austria and the
town of Kandersfeld,
before being returned to the village, and while he was away the day to day life
in the village went on as normal. Now “they” have taken No.6 back a little
further, as far back as the American 1800’s and the frontier town of Harmony.
‘Living In Harmony’ is the fourth “out of
Village” experience for our friend No.6, and we do seem to be dealing with the
fourth dimension, as No.6 once said “Don’t tell me that time travel is in it as
well!”
Fancy living in Harmony stranger,
after all it’s a good town. No.6 has never been one to live in harmony in the
village, and in that regard there is the connection to ‘A Change of Mind’
disharmony was frowned upon!
I have admitted this before, that
although I am a huge fan of the American Western film, as well as Spaghetti
Westerns, ‘Living In Harmony’ has always been my least favourite episode.
However having said that, since my research into the posters and framed
pictures and portraits seen on the walls in both the Silver Dollar Saloon and
the Sheriff’s office, I can now appreciate this episode better.
Just like the village there is no leaving
Harmony, but at least there is a road out of town but that’s guarded by the
Judge’s boys. And horse flesh in Harmony is expensive, the cheapest horse being
$5,000 all the rest are expensive!
Cathy has my sympathy having that foul Kid
forcing his attentions on her, I enjoy the moment when the Kid’s trying to kiss
Cathy and she bites his bottom lip! I think the Kid has been deprived of love
all his life, so it’s no wonder he has a fixation about Cathy. But one can only
imagine what Number 22 must have felt as Cathy was strangled to death by the
Kid. Then later actually strangled to death by No.8, or was she? After all she
was conscious enough to tell Number 6 she wished it had been real, perhaps she
just fainted after that!
As for the Kid what turned him into a
dumb psychotic gunslinger who can say. Certainly the idea was that the Kid
wears the clothes of the men he has killed. Perhaps his parents were attacked
by Indians when he was a child, the shock of seeing his father murdered,
possibly tortured and his mother raped was just too much for him and the trauma
of the ordeal struck him dumb! Well that’s my pet theory for what its worth.
However there’s always one way out and No.8 took it, suicide! He threw himself
off the balcony in the Silver Dollar Saloon, and he wasn’t the first to throw
himself off anything. Cobb was to have thrown himself out of a hospital window,
No.73 did throw herself out of a hospital window, and we must not forget
another No.8, who under interrogation was asked if she was attempting suicide
when Nadia was trying to swim away from the village!
What was No.2’s mantra “Put him in a
dangerous environment, give him love, take it away, isolate him, make him kill,
then face him with death. He’ll crack, break him even in his mind, and the rest
will be easy.” But it wasn’t easy, and what’s more it didn’t work, and for that
No. 2 is responsible, he would have to pay for this failure. The buck stops
with him as they say!
Why watch this episode on November 12th?
For no special reason, unlike several episodes in the Prisoner series it’s
impossible to date this episode so it automatically slipped down the screening
order. ‘Living In Harmony’ could have fitted in between other episodes earlier
in the screening, and perhaps should have done if only for the foliage, the
leaves on the trees and bushes which do rightly suggest an earlier time in the
year. But it is where it is and now we move on to December 1st when
a familiar face is brought back to the village…….
Be seeing you partner
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