Citizen No.2

   As Schnipps he’s a dangerous madman, hell bent on revenge. But there is a thin line between madness and genius, as demonstrated in his having built rocket, to be used to destroy London, into the lighthouse. But was the rocket to have had a neutron bomb as its warhead? Because even after the impact of the rocket much of London would appear to be left intact, such as Bond street, Wembley football stadium, and Chelsea Barracks, despite Schnipps saying that in one hours time London will lie entirely in ruins.

   As for Number 2, the Prisoner’s fairytale appears to make fun of, to ridicule his desperate ploy to extract information from Number 6. Although the way in which Number 2 appears to be somewhat dispassionate about the ploy, it would suggest that the original idea for this latest plan lay with Number 1.

   Number 2 switches off the wall screen, he turns in his chair with a shrug. “He might drop his guard with children….he might give something away. He told them nothing! He told them a blasted fairytale….that one wouldn’t drop his guard with his own grandmother!”

   Well it was worth a try Number 2, anything is worth a try…..once!

Be seeing you

Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

               “He’s The One – Six Is The One!”

BSEENU

Caught On Camera!

    “Don’t worry, they always do that, he’ll be alright in a moment.” That’s what the doctor-Number 40 told the Supervisor in the opening scene of ‘Dance of the Dead.’ This is when the doctor is carrying out a medical experiment in order to extract information from Number 6.

   I realise there are certain situations and circumstances within ‘the Prisoner’ which we have to accept, to take them at face value. That it’s not good to nit-pick too much. But why does everyone undergoing this form of medial experiment always sit up and fling theirs arms out like that? Clearly it’s impossible to say with any great certainty, I can only suggest that it’s a sudden violent reaction to the drug being used, until the body clams down. Even if not, it certainly makes for a good visual effect. The over confident doctor thought his experiment was going to work, he knew it would. Disappointingly for him it didn’t, because he didn’t know Number 6 at all. He would have died first before giving any information away.

Be seeing you

Bureau of Visual Records

   A familiar face? It seems so to ZM73. The face of the waiter who is the undertaker undercover as a waiter at Janet Portland’s birthday party. 

And yet there is a resemblance to this doctor,

   who in the opening scene of ‘Dance of the Dead’ checks Number 6’s cup to make sure he had drunk his drugged cup of hot chocolate. And yet there is a similarity between him and the doctor-Number 40.

   The facial features are similar, and they both wear almost the same style of spectacles. They both wear the same medical uniform of course, although that is to be expected, only the hairline is different. Another demonstration of two further look-a-likes who live in The Village.

Be seeing you

Best of Luck With Your Exams!

    Number 51 passes the time with a waiter, Number 36, they exchange talk about the weather. It being nice today it'll be nice again tomorrow. Then Number 51 asks the waiter what happened in 1878. “Eighteen seventy-eight? Eastern Romania was declared an autonomous state of the Turkish empire,” word perfect. Then Number 51 bids the waiter "Best of luck with the exams!"
    Now why would Number 51 say that? After all is there any need for the students of Speedlearn to actually take exams? I shouldn’t have thought so. After all, all the information of the Professor’s lectures are indelibly imprinted on the cortex of the brain via the eye’s iris.

   It’s no wonder the students are seen out and about The Village one evening celebrating the fruits of Speedlearn. Because with Speedlearn there is no homework, as the banners proclaim. Well there wouldn’t be, would there?!

Be seeing you - and don't forget "Up the Professor."

Then One morning……

    ZM73. for want of a better name, wakes up on the day he is set to hand in his letter of resignation. He looks at his wristwatch, the time is eight forty seven. {But that’s not his wrist and hand, mind you it’s not those of the Colonel either! Oh well forget that for the moment}

    He rises off the couch pom-pom ming to himself. He puts on his dressing gown. Looks out of the window, it’s not a bad day weather-wise. Now lets see, oh yes Janet’s birthday present, he looks at her framed photograph, hope she likes it, can always change it if she doesn’t. So what’s on for today, lets see. Ah car service, dentist appointment err no, no, no, have to cancel that because Sir Charles lunches they go on forever, but who can blame him he’s the boss. Then in the hallway ZM73 sees an alien image to him in the mirror, that of the Colonel.

   The last time we saw the Colonel he was fully clothed being given a demonstration of the Seltzman machine. So how did he end up waking up in No.1 Buckingham Place wearing ZM73’s pyjamas? After having undergone the mind transference he must have gone to bed, because of the pyjamas he was wearing. Otherwise he must have been undressed and put into those pyjamas after having been taken back to his home in London. But why should ZM73 go to bed in The Village having just undergone the mind transference, which would have given Number 6 time to come to terms with what had been done to him. No, more likely the Colonel had to be rendered unconscious at the time of undergoing the mind transference. Because if he wasn’t, it would be the Colonel waking up but with the mind of Number 6, and if that had happened it would have blown the plan wide open before it really got going! So ZM73 was unconscious, he must have then been undressed and then dressed in his pyjamas before having been taken back to London. So having arrived back in London, who took ZM73 back to his house, surely not the same pair of undertakers? Because surely that would arouse suspicion, if anyone happened to be watching from across the street. A possibility would be for him to arrive by ambulance, in a wheelchair, that way he could be wearing his pyjamas, without raising any suspicion from any neighbour watching. Once inside they take ZM73, dressed in his pyjamas, lay him on the couch leaving him to wake up in his own good time. Then carry the coffin out of the house, put it back into the hearse and drive off. Although it is somewhat repetitive, and there was the danger that they could have been interrupted. Remember Janet Portland who came calling having seen her fiancés car parked outside his house as she was passing by, she could have been passing by just as the undertakers were either carrying the coffin into or out of the house. And then there’s ZM73’s car. Who brought that to the house leaving it parked outside in the street, with the top down and the keys still in the ignition? ZM73 didn’t seem to find that the least bit unusual. He may have left the car with the top down over night, but surely not with the key still in the ignition! It would appear that this is all part of ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ an episode which doesn’t stand up well to too much scrutiny.

Be seeing you

A Favourite Scene In The Prisoner

    In ‘The General’ after Number 6, in the projection room, has been caught on camera by Number 2. He then under goes an interrogation with Number 12 asking the questions.

   “Who are they Number Six, who let you in, what are their names? There’s an organisation, dissidents, who’s the head man?”
   “Santa Clause!”

   “Who is the head of the organisation” Number 12 persists “You’d be wise to tell us.

   But Number 2 sees the Prisoner as not telling Number 12 anything. He’s a trained conspirator, a very hard man. This reactionary drivel, that Number 6 was at the point of sending out, to the conscientious students. The freedom to learn, the liberty to make mistakes, old fashioned slogans! Number 6 is an odd fellow, he’s full of surprises.

   Anyway it’s nice to hear Santa Clause getting a mention at this seasonal time of the year, even though he doesn’t call in on The Village! Because as it happens Number 6 appears to have at last found a way to escape The Village, as Santa Clause!

Be seeing you…………….and the compliments of the season to you all.