The Therapy Zone

Man Of Mystery Who Simply Wasn't There!

   John Maxim, who is credited in the cast of ‘Once Upon A Time’ as No.86, but who doesn't actually appear in the completed episode. Perhaps his scene was never filmed, or was cut, and ended up on the cutting room floor! But the mystery has always remained, and can never be answered, why is John Maxim still credited as No.86 when he doesn't appear in the episode?

Once Upon A Time And The Unfair Treatment Of Number 6

   No.6 "I Appeal my Lord!"

   No.2-Judge "Appeal, You're getting the same treatment!"

   No.6 "I appeal against unfair treatment!"

   No.2-Judge "You're getting the same treatment as everybody else!"

   No.6 "I, I know. That's why I'm going to appeal against unfair treatment!"

    No.6, being unfairly treated, when he's getting the same treatment as everybody else. It seems to me that No.6 sets himself up very highly, even to the point of putting himself above everyone else. What's more No.6 was rebelling against the figures, he shouted enough to that very effect. Well perhaps that's the part of Patrick McGoohan's life where got fed up working in a Bank, as he once did.

Things To Do Today

   These are the words written on the Prisoner's desk pad. Now who do you think would be sending the Prisoner flowers? This image was taken from the episode of Arrival, and the only person who might very well send flowers to the Prisoner would be his fiancee Janet Portland. Ah, but then Janet Portland wasn't written into the Prisoner until the episode ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ by Vincent Tilsley. At the time of the writing of the script for Arrival written by George Markstein and David Tomblin, Janet Portland had never been thought of, let alone the Prisoner having a fiancé. So I just wonder who had been sending the Prisoner flowers? It must have been someone he knew, someone close to him to warrant the sending of a thank you note. This is one of the enigmas of ‘the Prisoner’ that can never be answered, something we can live without knowing, but at the same time something to speculate about in a quiet moment.

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Thought For The Day

How was It Done? Was It The Drink?

    The viewer is led to believe that only one person can leave the Embryo Room alive. Did No.2 think that it might not be him, and if it wasn't, did he know how death was to be administered? Was it the drink, as the resuscitated No.2 demanded to know. And if it was, why didn't No.6 die because of the drink as well? And why the need to kill No.2 in the first place?

    Well I don't think it was actually the drink that did for No.2, because as posed in the question, why didn't No.6 die because of the drink as well. So this fact leads me to believe that it wasn't actually the drink, but that No.2's glass was pre-laced with poison. And as to the question of how it was done, well apart from No.2 and No.6, there is only one other person in the Embryo Room at the time - the Butler! I have watched the surveillance film footage of 'once Upon A Time,' and No. 6 never went anywhere near that bottle, or No.2's glass. And even if he had, where would he have got the poison from? So the presumption is, like in many a good murder mystery, the Butler did it! Otherwise Monsieur Poirot, you tell me who did it, and why!

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Helicopter - Alouette II

  I'm an Alouette II helicopter manufactured by Sud Aviation/Areospatiale. I'm a light helicopter, and was introduced in 1957 and produced until 1975, my first flight was in 1955, and my primary user is France. I have a maximum speed of 100knots, and a cruising speed of 92 knots. Flight endurance of 4.1 hours, a sevice ceiling of 7,545 feet. I have a rate of climb of 820 feet per minute, and a range of some 350 miles.
    I was brought to the Village in September 1966, and fitted with a pair of floats, that's handy I thought, I must be going somewhere near the sea, and I'm likely to get my skids wet. But that was far from the case, I didn't land on the water once! Well that's not quite true, because it was while there was a break in filming, that my pilot decided to test out my floats, and actually landed me on the water in the estuary at Portmeirion. I thought what a shame this stunt is not going to be used in the series. After all I was filmed taking off, landing, in flight, turning this way and that, so why not landing on the water?
   My primary use is to help service the Village. I don't carry heavy cargo, but I do bring people to the Village, like the Prisoner-Number 6 and Nadia Rakovsky. The people I bring to the Village are usually unconscious, so that they don't see where they are going, or where they have come from, for security purposes of course. I'm also used to film aerial sequences over the Village.
   My first appearance in 'the Prisoner' was in 'Arrival,' after having given the Prisoner an aerial tour of the Village, supposedly flown by that diminutive Butler, pah, he did nothing of the sort. And then that Number 6 came along thinking he could fly me out of the Village, well he got that wrong, as I was actually being flown by remote control, back to the Village. It might have been infuriating for Number 6, but it was exciting for me, as being flown by remote control, it was almost like I was piloting myself. Mind you Number 6 wouldn't have got so far, as I've said my range is but 350 miles, less depending on the amount of fuel in my fuel tank. And that tells you that there must be somewhere else near the Village where I'm based, a landing stage as mentioned in 'The Schizoid Man,' although I only appeared in that episode for a few moments. They used a different Alouette helicopter for the taking off and landing scenes, while in the air it was me. Funny way of going about things, you'd have thought that they would have used the same helicopter for the whole scene. The way they did it makes a complete mockery of the whole thing.
   Another exciting scene I appeared in, was again when Number 6 was attempting to escape in 'Free For All' by boat. Strangely it was Number 2 who piloted me that time, where the actual pilot was I don't know. Having a cup of tea or something I imagine. But anyway Number 6 was attempting to escape the Village by boat. He'd overpowered the two motor mechanics, having dumped both of them in the water, and all this time I was giving chase. Then the Village Guardian appeared on the scene, it collided with the boat, sending Number 6 into the water. Aha I thought to myself, this is where I get to land on the water so that Number 6 can be retrieved from the water and flown back to the Village.......no! Two other Rovers turned up, and they took the Prisoner back to the Village!
   It might seem to the casual television viewer, and indeed to the aficianados of 'the Prisoner,' that I appear in several episodes, that is, I'm sorry to say, incorrect. Because I only actually appear in three episodes, 'Arrival,' 'The Chimes of Big Ben, and 'Free For All,' all the rest of my appearances in 'the Prisoner' is via stock film footage, which was all filmed in a couple of days at Portmeriion. If you look clsoely at the surveilance film footage of the evacuation which takes place in 'Fall Out,' I make several appearances in that episode, taking off from all parts of the Village, all within a few seconds of each other.

BCNU

Exhibition of Arts And Crafts

    I gave this the title of "Meeting One-self" from my watercolour period

BcNu

The Therapy Zone

Re: Its A Question Of Interpretation

   Yesterday you may have read the article Its A Question of Interpretation, well it was not until afterwards when discussing this with my wife, that I recalled that originally it was the Irish Marshal who was singing the song Oh Danny Boy, then as he was knocked out by Mister X, it was he who then carried on with the song, singing, humming, and so on. This was so that if anyone had heard the Irish Marshal singing, and then suddenly stopping, wouldn't come along to see what was wrong with the Irish Marshal. So really the original interpretation has nothing whatsoever to do with it!

Number Six - A Lumberjack And He's Okay!

   But there's one thing he's doing wrong here!

     As No.6 chops down the tree in the woods during The Chimes of Big Ben with his stone-age axe, research as well as experiment has shown, that instead of taking huge swings at the tree with his axe, No.6 should take smaller swings to achieve a better result. No.6 may be doing as the caveman did, but he's not doing it right!

Kafka-esque

   ‘The Prisoner’ has often been described as "Kafka-esque", meaning it is often surreal, blurring the bounderies between reality and fantasy. However the parallels between the Prisoner and the story of Joseph K. in Kafka's The Trial are much closer than just the emphasis of the programme.

   Der Prozess {The Trial} was written by Franz Kafka in 1914. The basic story is about Joseph K. who wakes up one morning to find himself arrested and pronounced guilty of a crime he has not committed, indeed the crime of which Joesph K. is charged to have committed is never mentioned. He attempts to procure justice only to come up against a bureaucratic nightmare, against which he cannot win. It is such a complex story that it is not possible to outline it in a nutshell, but to get to the point, how does the Prisoner resemble The Trial/ Well the similarities are such, and not in any particular order, as Jospeh K. wakes up to find himself under arrest without knowing what he has done, so too the Prisoner wakes up in the village to find himself abducted without knowing why.

   During the episode’ Dance of the Dead’ No.6 is put on trial as Joesph K. is put on trial without knowing his crime, both given a defence lawyer, in the case of No.6 his defender is his observer No.240. No.6 is faced with a bureaucratic nightmare, one that he cannot win. At his trial Joseph K. is found to be guilty and is sentenced to death, the sentence is carried out. No.6 is found to be guilty of the possession of a radio set, is sentenced to death, but in his case the sentence is not carried out.

  In Kafka's The trial we never find out what the K stands for in Jospeh K. as we never really know the name of the Prisoner-No.6.

   Questions; throughout The Trial the question is why? What has Jospeh K. done? What is his guilt? In the Prisoner the question is why did he resign? Which side runs the village? What is the village guardian? Where is the village? Questions in both cases, and to some degree, remain unanswered.

   When Josph K. meets the interrogator he has to wear black, When No.6 meets No.2 he is wearing charcoal grey............. In Joseph K's second interrogation everyone is wearing badges except Joseph K., No.6 never wears his badge either!

   And in Fall Out No.6 is again put on trial, although No.6 is allowed to address the court he is not permitted to be heard, shouted down as he is at every attempt to make himself heard! At least Jospeh K. was allowed to address the court!

   Two men come for Joseph K. to take him away for execution. The two men are wearing black frock coats and black top hats - a good description of the two undertakers who come to abduct the Prisoner in the first instance wouldn't you say?

   There are indeed parallels to be drawn between Kafka's The Trail and that of the Prisoner. But in  my researches, and sometimes quite by accident, I have also found a number of other literary works which share equal parallels with that of the Prisoner. The ghost story entitled ‘The Midnight Express for one,’ and Bram Stoker’s 1894 story ‘The Crooken Sands’ to name but two.

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Postcard From Portmeirion

    I found this 1920's postcard on the internet yesterday, and it was described as being a gypsy camp in the woods at Portmeirion, that is incorrect. In the woodland of Portmeirion, there lived for many years a hermit by the name of Uriah Lovall. He was described as being the most courtly and accomplished old hermit of high degree, whom many visitors to Portmeirion remembered with real affection. He lived in the woods in a plaited wigwam. He made his living by weaving baskets, and conversing philosphically by the hour. It is said that he kept his little hid-out neat and tidy, and himself almost dandified in his own handsome person, with his grey curly hair, gold earrings, an yellow silk scarf, and brown moleskin coat.
    Clough Williams-Ellis had not counted on a resident hermit, but Uriah Lovell simply arrived and settled in, just as some wild creature might have done, thinking that he might be happy there. And so there he remained for several years, keeping himself to himself, yet friendly to those who crossed his path, and never cadged anything from anyone, yet he accepted any little gift that might be brought to him.
   Uriah Lovall was perhaps as happy as any man could possibly be. But alas, he was cruelly run down by a motorcycle, he never fully recovered, and one day he simply crept away - and died.

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Thought For The Day

    I can't Figure It!

   That No.6 didn't know who No.2 was when he paid him a call during the episode of ‘It's Your Funeral.’

    No.6 didn't appear to know who No.2 was, in fact No.6 seemed to be rather confused "I want to see Number Two" he said. "I am Number Two" No.2 replied. I mean for No.6 not to know who No.2 is, well I just can't believe it, not when you consider how long this No.2's term of office has been. And especially when No.2 has just returned to The Village from leave! Perhaps this No.2 was so industrious, working behind the scenes for the good of the community, that he had no actual dealings with No.6, well not until No.6 came to warn him about an assassination plot against him!

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