Moving Towards OK

I know, I know....yes, it happened. And things are not all right.

Not since November 8th.

And it's not just the I-think-the-wrong-guy-got-in mentality, it's the gloating. And the flat-out hostility.

(Thankfully, Bully did a great job of posting both the negative and positive).

And yes, I have a dog in this fight - I've been one of those "hidden Americans" who has been struggling day-to-day. I've felt disempowered, but with Trump's election...it feels even more so.

But in the words of a great song by the Clash, I'm letting anger be power...and I'm using it.

First, let's be clear - if you voted for Trump, you basically said that racism, xenophobia, and sexism are perfectly acceptable behaviors. For some of my conservative friends, there's an additional level of hypocrisy, for they were dismissing Trump a year ago, and then through the primaries...but now, he's their ideal candidate.

Sorry, bad behavior never changes in context. And before you decry Hilary in the comments - yes, she wasn't perfect. She acted like she owned the election. There, we agree.

For those who didn't vote - this is on you. Apathy is no excuse, and the only thing you are asked to do in service of your country is vote. Would the result be the same? Who knows....but your unwillingness to take a simple stand brands you as a coward.

But moving forward...I'm choosing a slightly different stance.

First, I plan to get more active in causes to help counter was going to be a very repressive four years. Thanks to Bully's link above, I can start exploring my options. (And I'm more willing to donate time than money - I've never been big on checkbook advocacy, and I'm more than willing to go grassroots).

I've also cut out a lot of fake news on Facebook....and unfriended those who keep circulating it on both sides. I've also taken to reading newspapers at my local library...because let's be clear: if you don't think that libraries will be on the list of "non-essential services" or accused of "wasting taxpayer dollars"...you would be dead wrong.

But more importantly, I'm speaking out and acting as an example - not because I'm so wonderful or that I'm a paragon, but anyone can tweet/post information. It's much harder to live up to your own principles....but I'm definitely planning on stepping forward.

I've already sent a message to Chicago Doctor Who Meetup reassuring them about the group. But I'm joining what's been colloquially referred to as "The Resistance", a group of sober-minded liberals who are willing to take on and challenge what will be a very contentious (and hopefully, one-term president).

If that bothers you, or you feel the need to assert Trump's superiority...you will be fought.

Ironically, with all that's happening, it makes me want to revisit The Prisoner, especially the episode Free For Fall.

And on that note, I pledge that with this blog, when it comes to politics....

Your Friday Online Wrap-Up

Transitions, transitions....most of my time has been spent writing, searching for freelance work (followed up on some leads, but if you know someone who might hire me, check me out on Linked In). But that hasn't kept me from keeping busy...or making changes....

As you may be aware, I've stepped down from the board of the Chicago Nerd Social Club. Much of it is due to personal commitments (mostly Mom), but in all honesty - it was time for me to step down. After five years of service, sometimes the only way to insure people get a seat at the table is to give up your own seat.

Besides, it's meant a mini-renaissance in working on Chicago TARDIS and Chicago Doctor Who Meetup. In fact, if you will be in Chicago any time during September, you have several opportunities to play catch-up:

• September 6th at LaCatrina Cafe;
• September 8th at Wow Bao;
• September 10th at Overflow Coffee; and
• September 21st at Third Coast Comics.

Thanks to web analytics, I'm proud to say that this Prisoner-themed blog post was cited in this Wikipedia article. Granted, it's about a relatively obscure aspect of the show....but it's nice that, after blogging long enough, I'm getting a bit more attention. 

And allow me to finish with a plug for both my Facebook Author page and my Amazon Author page. Follow along - I update both several times a week, and I'm always willing to plug my books. Simply head to the Amazon page - or click any of the links below - and buy. Trust me, you'll get some really good reads...and make my day.

The New Number Six

Via Flickr

(Minor spoilers for the book The Hunger Game may be present. Consider yourself warned)

Recently, I read The Hunger Games - partially out of wanting to prepare for the movie (thanks, Nerd Girls' Eye View podcast!), but mostly because I had heard so much about it - a strong protagonist, a great premise, and really, I think that - in a strange way - this book (and I have yet to read the two follow-ups) resonates for me....the same way that The Prisoner did when I was younger.

Granted, it seems like a really tenuous connection, but please bear with me.

Both deal with a person who finds themselves - by their choice - involved in a very dangerous no-win situation. (Number 6 resigns, and finds himself captive on an island; Katniss volunteers to participate in the games to protect her younger sister). Both characters demonstrate an unwillingness to embrace the status quo, and in fact act out against it. (Think of Katniss' stray arrow shot in the Capital). Both participate in a flat-out war against their fellow "participants", and at the end...there is a question of whether they really have succeeded.

But what really sells the comparison (for me, at least), is that The Hunger Games doesn't just sell a superficial fight-the-powers-that-be tone; it absolutely embraces it. Granted, it may reflect the tone and themes that many young adult novels take on, but unlike, say, Twilight, there's a willingness to take an absolute moral stand. (It's like the old joke - if Harry Potter is about taking a stand and making good choices, Hunger Games is about not falling into the trap of cliches, and Twilight is about angsting over whether your boyfriend really likes you). 

But flat-out encouraging an anti-establishment attitude amongst young people? That, dear readers, takes all-out courage. During production of The Prisoner, McGoohan was a less-than-friendly presence, almost obsessive in wanting to be sure that his creative vision came through and that this tone was maintained. Although writing is a more solitary pursuit, Suzanne Collins maintains a similar consistency of tone....and The Hunger Games, as a book, is a pretty daring piece of work.

And in these times, when conformity and being "part of the crowd" is becoming more prevalent (increasingly, from my perspective, in the "geek/nerd" crowd), that we need art that reminds us that ultimately, we can stand for someone. Forty-some years ago, it was a man with a number. Today, it's a girl named Katniss.

And I hope that there's some young person embracing their individuality in the same manner that Number 6 encouraged me to embraced mine.

Two Moments of Coolness Via The Internets

Awhile ago, I talked about Michael Epstein...and I really liked his music with the Motion Sick. Michael Epstein also performs in a duo called Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, who take their name from an episode of The Prisoner.

Not to be outdone, the duo created a shot-for-shot recreation of the opening credits, and quite frankly - this tune rocks. Hard. So much so that I'm looking forward to their "takes" on these episodes.



If this were the only cool thing I received via the Internet, I would be ecstatic. However, I received another piece of Zone 4-related coolness, but that's going to have to wait. (And has nothing at all to do with The Prisoner)

While you are waiting, you can watch a shot-by-shot comparison of Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling's recreation with the original here.

Causing Trouble Online

Nerd-O-Ween Preparations 2010
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

First, just wanted to share the "next phase" of my Halloween costume (for tonight's Chicago Nerds Nerd-O-Ween celebration); I'll try to remember to bring a camera so that I can share it on my blog.

(Me, a fan of The Prisoner? Noooooo......although this photo may make Siskoid a little jealous)

I also want to congratulate Laura and Johnny Bacardi of eight years of blogging - they were both of a group of blogs I read when I first began getting interested in blogging, and it's actually cool that they're still around in one online form or another.

As for me, well, I'm still getting in trouble online - now, I'm creating Facebook pages for Chicago Doctor Who meetups.

Be seeing you!

Guess Who I'm Dressing Up as For Halloween?

Thanks to everyone who answered - and now, a little preview of what I'll be wearing on Nerd-O-Ween:

The Following Video Defines the Word "Nerdgasm"

Death of a Role Model

(Revised 01/04/2023)

Sometimes, I have to admit that my timing really sucks. Had I known that Patrick McGoohan would pass shortly after posting some videos in his name, I would never have done it. I'll let others eulogize Ricardo Montalban - they can do it better than I - but McGoohan's passing hits particularly close to home for me. Like many of my generation, I watched television when I was a lad. A lot. And so, when scanning the channels for some piece of entertainment, I came across The Prisoner and began watching. At times, my father and I - who never really had a cozy relationship - would watch together and talk about the show. It was a bonding thing, but I took on McGoohan as a pop culture role model in many ways. 

Perhaps, in fighting my father's authoritarian nature, I adopted the philosophy of "I am not a number - I am a free man!" (Both my parents came of age in the 1960s, so some of that defiant stance runs through my veins). Even in high school, when a (now) recently deceased theology teacher decided to condescend to me, claiming my hair was 'mousy' and asking if he could call me Draco (don't ask), I asked him if I could call him "baldy."

Best damn detention I ever served. 

 When it was reshown on Channel 50 back in the 1980s, I started watching it again, staying up late until the wee hours of Sunday morning (since they wisely showed it after Channel 11 showed Doctor Who). I reconnected with its themes - a man who made a decision and took charge of his life while bristling at authority. Tweaking it when needed, never backing down from a fight. Exiled to an isolated village (or, in my case, seven years in St. Louis), trying to fight conformity, to introduce new ideas...and always feeling like it was returning to the beginning. But I've always come back - in fact, while adjusting to life in Chicago after moving back, 

I liveblogged the show (and revised the posts for my Patreon page - subscribe now for access). Even though there were some memories that didn't quite hold up, many of them...did. I remembered why I loved the show, even though I hadn't watched it since then. (EDIT - I wrote about it for the new defunct Comic Related website and have watched it again thanks to free services like Shout Factory TV and Tubi) 

But now, it's hard to believe McGoohan has passed - mostly because The Prisoner, in the end, is one of the more life-affirming shows. Despite its reputation as being a dense philosophical treatise...in the end, it's about a man who defiantly declares his existence, who takes on the establishment, and finds some form of freedom in asserting his identity. Number 6 helps us realize that we should always act to avoid being pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered.

Our lives are our own.

Patrick McGoohan Dance Party!

Since, thanks to an upcoming revival miniseries, you can watch one of my favorite series on AMC online, I'm going to celebrate in the best way that I can:

PATRICK MCGOOHAN DANCE PARTY!

How Elections Determine Viewing Choices

Didn't realize this until recently - hence, the delayed action in posting.

PRE-2008: Mandatory viewing of the episode "Free For All" of The Prisoner. Major themes of episode deal with flaws in democratic process, whether citizens truly have the power to free choice, and how the media adversely affects perceptions of issues, diluting them into harsh soundbites. Main character taken against his will, interrogated, and promised rewards for "participating" in the system. Unflattering portrait of politics.



AFTER 2008 ELECTION - Avoided The Prisoner, chose instead to watch Justice League: New Frontier. Major themes involve banding together for a common good, transcending personal demons, and spreading the cause of hope rather than fear. Focusing on transition between "heroic ages", deals with several individuals' attempts to make sense of confusing and seemingly paranoid times. Film ends with not one, but two conflicted individuals embracing their heroic destinies, as well as lots of people punching dinosaurs.

Question - What does this say about our country?

Sundays in the Village: Fall Out & Shattered Visage

For Bully, whose weekly summaries of P.G. Wodehouse inspired this feature

---

(Revised 01/05/2023)

For sixteen episodes, we have seen a man - only identified as Number 6 - fight valiantly against the mysterious powers-that-be in an isolated Village. Now, after winning a psychological battle with his most determined counterpart, we now wonder...what was behind everything that happened? What's it all about?

Fall Out starts differently - a three minute recap of "Once Upon A Time" followed by a plain title card - but very quickly, goes nowhere. Admittedly conceived in a rush, it throws away any attempt at a straightforward narrative to move towards a more allegorical ending, and although its open-endedness allows for some debate, it doesn't quite seem to fit. In short, it's like a high school term paper cribbed from Wikipedia articles.

There are some excellent touches, and some really intelligent twists that, given further development, might have ended The Prisoner on an even stronger note. Although many have cited the use of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", the episode's use of key lines make it almost ironic - McGoohan daring us to fight even the prevailing social movement at the time. McKern's Number 2 also has some key lines, including the very telling "New allegiances...such is the price of fame...and failure." In short, the episode seems to suggest that Number 2, in his own way, was like Number 6, except he "resisted for so short a time" and failed to relinquish his number. (Plus, there's a very clever in-joke at the end of Fall Out)

The rest of the episode, however, falls extremely short. Number 6's "trial" seems more like an attempt to inject a sense of surrealism, the insertion of the song "Dry Bones" a heavy handed effort to insert religious imagery...and the final 20 minutes seem to come from out of nowhere. The last-minute nature of the writing and directing of the episode shows, and it's a frustrating view not because it doesn't directly answer questions...but because there's little internal logic to it. (To be honest, the hint of the cyclical nature of Number 6's struggle is a well-deserved stroke of genius, reminding the viewer that the struggle for freedom never truly ends). Although the episode initially sets up a typical James Bond-ian moment to meet "Number One", the viewer senses that this is all an extreme, well-planned, staged psychodrama...

....which is the assumption that 1988's graphic novel, The Prisoner: Shattered Visage (non-affiliate link) takes in its narrative. Although many fan sites like the Unmutual seem to disregard it (and I suggest checking out the Unmutual page, as well as the Anorak Zone Guide to the Prisoner, as two excellent Prisoner sites), the novel acts as more of a bookend than a full-blooded sequel. (In fact, both Steve Englehart and Jack Kirby had attempted to adapt the series in comic book form, with admittedly mixed results) However, it provides not only a great analysis, but even creates some further questions.

Thomas Drake (who is a slight nod to the show's Danger Man roots, but also a link to Sir Francis...and possibly this little-known historical figure) has helped the McKern Number 2 write a book entitled The Village Idiot. In addition, Thomas' slightly estranged wife Alice (yes, it's an obvious nod) decided to go on a world sailing expedition, but finds herself stranded on an unusual island...with a very familiar face...

Although Dean Motter's writing is superb - drawing disparate elements in a story that often feels like episodes 18 - 22 of the original series, Mark Askwith's art is...well, at times I found it unreadable, and needlessly abstract. Although it is an honest attempt to convey the shadowy, abstract world of the espionage field, it doesn't quite work at times, often looking garish and jarring. The story, though, better integrates some of the religious imagery that McGoohan was attempting (such as speaking of "Archangels" and "Gods"), reintroduces us to some old friends, and also reinforces the McKern-Number-2-as-failed-Number-6 archetype in one key sequence.

But the most clever part of Shattered Visage is how it integrates the sloppiness of Fall Out into its story, but makes it a key character moment for Number 6. By suggesting that Fall Out was staged so that Number 6 would, in effect, defy his own belief structure and take on a number, Motter suggests that no one really is fallible...and allows Number 6 to truly become a prisoner. In fact, his psychological disintegration - and the fact that Number 6 actually lost the war - makes Shattered Visage a good read for those who want to see a semi-satisfactory conclusion.

Towards the end, Number 6 makes a statement that, well, seems chilling in its implications - when asked who Number One is, he simply asks, "Does the presence of Number Two...require the existence of Number One?"
Just think about it...

But I'll end this entry with a close-to-the-end exchange, which answers nothing - and everything - at the same time:

---

"But what about your information...your secrets?"
"Safe"
"How can you be so certain?"
"None of us would be here if they weren't"

---

When I took on this effort several months ago, I never realized how tough it would be - most of the series is pitched at a high level, and requires a great attention to detail. The almost manic, paranoid tone can be a bit grating - if you are desiring to watch the series, my suggestion is watching it one or two episodes at a time, preferably over a series of weeks. Since it is available for free via Shout Factory TV and Tubi (with ads, but a good ad blocker can help), accessing the series is much easier than ever. 

However, even though the attempts to revive The Prisoner seem to be faltering (and the current WGA strike may have further impact on its development), I believe that updating the series is not only important - but necessary. Some of the episodes (such as The General) are beginning to show their age, but more importantly - there is a need for a lone cry of rebellion, of asserting indivdiual freedom, and of challenging the forces that attempt to claim our spirits, especially in the wake of 9/11. Never more in our "everything-is-out-in-the-open" times do we need a voice telling us to reclaim our lives, and that the fight for privacy and personal integrity is more than just a good idea - it's what makes us human, and is independent of time frame.

(Edit - AMC did revive the series for six episodes in 2009. Well, not so much "revived" as "reimagined" them. It wasn't very good. Big Finish also created a three-volume audio "reimagining" which I have not heard as of 2023) 

Just to compare: in 1967, the United States was involved in an unpopular war. The geopolitical situation was unstable, and threatened to collapse at any moment. Environmental concerns were becoming more prevalent, and will soon lead to drastic change in policy if unchecked. Popular culture consists primarily of franchises, outlets into fantasy, and shows which reflected national unease at world events.

In 2007, the United States is involved in an unpopular war. The geopolitical situation is unstable, and threatens to collapse at any moment. Environmental concerns are becoming more prevalent, and will soon lead to drastic change in policy if unchecked. Popular culture provides franchises, outlets into fantasy, and shows which reflect national unease at world events.

Edit - In 2023, we're living through a time of absolute political and sociological chaos. Many of us have chosen to abandon reason and individuality for the sake of conspiracy theories and political tribalism. We shrug as the last vestigates of our privacy erode, willing to exchange our personal data for the sake of some algorithm feeding us "content" designed to drive compliance and consumerism rather than independent thought. In short, contemporary culture is Patrick McGoohan's worst nightmare and The Prisoner is more relevant than ever.

Six of one, half a dozen or the other.


Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: Once Upon a Time

"I'm not an inmate....You can say what you like, you brought me back here. I told you last time, you were using the wrong approach. I do it my way, or you find somebody else."

(Revised 01/05/2023)

"Once Upon A Time" was one of the first episodes of The Prisoner to be produced - it was supposed to close the first 13-episode season. And, in my opinion, should have been the finale closer, beating David Chase to the punch by 40 years.

It's hard to write about this episode objectively, or to discuss the plot - not because of spoilers, but because this episode is well-directed, well-written, and well-acted. We see the return of Leo McKern's Number 2, perhaps still smarting from his last failed attempt to break Number 6. After checking out Number 6 in his "natural habitat" (asking repeatedly, "Why do you care?"), and watching a montage of early clips, Number 2 invokes "Degree Absolute" - basically, a psychological cage match. Two men go in, find the missing link, put it together...than bang! (Of course, Number 2 did not account for the amount of transference and countertransference that would happen...but that would be a spoiler, now, wouldn't it?)

But what's revelatory about this episode is how stripped down it is...and how effective it is in revealing much about the characters of Number 6 and McKern's Number 2. We learn that Number 2 considers himself flawed (as he himself stated, "I was a good man once) and reluctant to go back to his old Village ways. But we learn much more about Number 6 - his issues with his father (perhaps presaging his rebelliousness?), his unwillingness to kill (perhaps fulfilling this theory?), but most importantly, another rationale for his resignation ("Peace of mind....Too many people know too much...").

But ultimately, why do I feel this should have been the last episode? Ultimately, it took the themes of The Prisoner and distilled them into a battle between two men: the man who would not conform vs. the man who did and regretted it. In many ways, Number 2 and Number 6 are flip sides of the same coin. Plus, the way the episode ends leaves it open for multiple interpretations, and would have set up an interesting context to view the previous episodes. Although it still would have come up as insufficient in answering questions (Who is Number 1? Who runs the Village? Who is Number 6, and why did he resign?), it would have ended the series on an excellent note - it's an episode that's as perfect as a three minute pop single.

This episode should have been the finale.

Instead, we got Fall Out.

But more on that - and the graphic novel sequel - next week.

Be seeing you.

Sunday In the Village: The Girl Who Was Death

(Revised 01/05/2023)

This episode, is....well, kind of an anomaly. It was intended to serve as a "distraction", a light-hearted foray before the more intense "Once Upon a Time" and "Fall Out." It's the first Prisoner episode that contains a semblance of humor - the first twenty minutes have a great, almost surrealistic quality. (It's also the first overtly "spy-ish" episode, even so far as to paraphrasing an episode title from its sister series The Avengers at a key moment.) Towards the end, it even takes on some slightly Pythonesque touches, from Number 6 dressing like Sherlock Holmes to the villain's Napoleon motif. At both ends, the episode contains some great, sly humor.

Unfortunately, the middle of the episode is disjointed and rather rushed. Since this had been (according to rumor) originally a two-part Danger Man episode, it has a rushed feel. (I am not suggesting that this would work as a two-parter; mostly, there could have been better choices in how edited material was handled. As it stands, at this point in the series' production, there was a mad dash towards the end. The fact that several key components - as well as one actor - were included in "Fall Out" says more about the 11th hour nature of ending the series than a deliberate setting-up of later plot elements).

Still, there are two things about this episode (framed as a children's bedtime story) that give it some importance (as well as providing some context). First, the plot of a woman who considers Number 6 her "opposite number"...well, remember last week's scenario? This - framed through Number 6's experience, of course - may explain a lot about his feelings towards women. Having someone simultaneously "love" you - and want to kill you - might have been one of the key issues that led Number 6 to resign.

Secondly, we see that there are children in the Village, which has both chilling and hopeful connotations. Chilling, because they may be the result of parents who chose to stay in the Village, who gave up their innermost secrets - in short, these children are paying for the sins of their fathers and mothers. Truly, they are innocents in the Village's plans.

However, there's something hopeful in Number 6 being their caretaker...perhaps he is, between episodes, encouraging them not to be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered...and that their lives are their own.

Coming soon: Degree Absolute. Number 6 on trial. Twenty years later.

Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: Forsaking Harmony

Living in Harmony
Originally uploaded by Gordon D

(Revised 01/04/2023)

This week's two-fer shares one thing in common: a slight reference to High Noon, the "existential Western" that shares a similar one-man-against-the-community theme with The Prisoner. One episode references a key song; the other is a genre. And looking at both episodes, the differences are astounding.

"Do Not Forsake Me O My Darling" is...a mess. It isn't even a redeemable mess or even a Get Smart-Esque satire. Filmed while McGoohan was off working on Howard Hughes' favorite movie, the script could be more varied and cliche, and the acting could be better. It provides little - if any - information about Number 6 or the Village. It's about a step away from being openly mocked by Bill, Kevin, and Mike. Your life won't be changed if you never catch this episode. Definitely worth avoiding.

However, "Living in Harmony" - allegedly not shown in its original run in 1968 for various reasons (including a strong anti-Vietnam message and concerns about onscreen violence and drug use) - is not only an effective episode but serves to provide some really interesting grist for the mill. In this episode, the Prisoner is recast as a Western, with Number 6 attempting to "leave" as sheriff, only to find himself in the town of Harmony. Like in many episodes of The Prisoner, Number 6 (or "The Man With No Name") finds himself in situations similar to a usual Prisoner episode - fighting for a troubled young lady, as well as meeting up with a young, not-quite-there gunfighter...until we learn that it has all been a massive role-play - the 1960's equivalent of "virtual reality."

However, "Living in Harmony" contains a key piece of insight - something which tends to get overlooked, but I think is a great possible "theory" behind Number 6's resignation.

At one point in Harmony, Number 6 tells "the Mayor" that he will take "the badge, not the gun" - we see Number 6 relinquish firearms at the beginning of the episode, and throughout, he relies more on bare fist fighting for self-defense. However, at a later point in the episode, Number 6 takes a gun...and turns in his badge. (It's actually one of two instances we see Number 6 pick up a weapon - the second will be in "Fall Out"). Granted, Number 6 is drugged and being fed information, but given that even under the best of circumstances, there are still opportunities for Freudian slips - for Number 6 to reveal information subconsciously.

What do we know from previous episodes? Number 6 was a good worker who rarely, if ever, questioned orders. He distrusts women but repeatedly runs to the rescue of "damaged" women. "Many Happy Returns" shows Number 6's open disdain for gun runners. He has cited that his resignation is a "matter of conscience" and that he needed "time to think."

Scenario - Number 6 is placed on an assignment that involves the deliberate taking of human life, an assignment that goes against his moral code. During this assignment, he works with/is under the influence of a woman - a woman who initially demonstrates a weakness and/or "needs to be rescued" but who ultimately ends up betraying him. (Think "Big Ben" or "Schizoid Man"). During this assignment, Number 6 is forced - for survival reasons - to shoot and kill this particular woman. As a result, he realizes that his job will force him to make difficult choices - and by taking a deliberate life, he needs time to consider what he has done and how he wishes to conduct himself in the espionage world. In short, how does a moral man "live in harmony" with an amoral environment?

This scenario accounts for many aspects presented in the series yet still leaves the question of "what information does Number 6 possess?" open for speculation. It helps us understand why Number 6 relies on his brains/fists frequently (a more personal way of contact and does not bring up a very painful situation). This scenario also allows Number 6 to simultaneously distrust women (especially the four-legged variety) and yet act out of some chivalrous code in other situations. (It also explains why his relationship with his "fiance," Janet, seems rather distant in "Do Not Forsake Me...") Finally, we understand why Number 6 refuses to cooperate with the Village - he is very much like Rorschach in Watchmen, a man unwilling to bend to make life easier and refuses to compromise his principles.

Even in the face of Armageddon.

Which, in series terms, is about three episodes away.

Coming soon: A charming distraction. The episode that should have ended Prisoner. The one that did. And the graphic novel sequel.

Sundays In the Village: Hammer Into Anvil

Number 2: "You shouldn't have interfered. Number 6....you will pay for this"

Number 6: "No....you will"

---

(Revised 01/04/2023)

Ten minutes into "Hammer Into Anvil," we have a classic setup: the suicide of a young villager due to the bullying of Number 2. Number 6 becomes more instigator than a reactor and confronts Number 2. Number 2 basically challenges Number 6 to a duel of wits. A phone call that inspires Number 6 to engage in full-out psychological warfare.

"Hammer Into Anvil" is just an intellectual bare-knuckle brawl, with Number 6 doing his best to tear down Number 2. Even though the DVD case indicates that Number 2 is not the same character as Thorpe from "Many Happy Returns"...the performances by Patrick Cargill suggest otherwise. (Plus, it gives some rationale as to why Number 6 is taking this so personally). Other reviews have called Cargill's performance hammy, but that's kind of the point - this is a professional sadist who reveals his hidden paranoia as his authority is threatened by a "conspiracy." After intercepting a note to "XO4" from "D6", Number 2 is convinced that Number 6 is a "plant,"...and Number 6 does nothing to change that perception.

If the Internet existed thirty years earlier, this episode might be accused of plagiarising "that old Angela Lansbury movie." However, it's a little more than that - it's a study of power and control. We see that, in the Village, people who die deep their number but lose their name. We see Number 6 engage in seemingly random behavior towards a malevolent end. In short, it's the kind of episode where the outcome is predictable, but getting there send chills down the viewer's spine.

"You must be hammer or anvil"

One of the more intriguing aspects of this episode is its blatant intellectualism - of all of The Prisoner episodes, this is the one that easily wears its literacy on its sleeve. For example, we hear quotes from Cervantes and Goethe (whose quote, according to Wikipedia, is misinterpreted) tossed as casually as pop culture references in contemporary conversation. Reflecting its science fiction basis, it is one of the first uses of voice print identification in popular drama. However, the use of music is key - many times, we see signs in the Village - Music begins where words lead off, Music makes a quiet mind - and several classical pieces are key to the plot. But in one key fight sequence, slow and thoughtful music is used to counterbalance a violent fight.

(One major quibble about The Prisoner is a shocking double standard - showing pleasant/romantic relationships between women and men is forbidden, but violence is OK. This subject has been touched on before - McGoohan was supposed to be a moral, very devout Catholic and wanted The Prisoner to be family-friendly. However, most of the women in the Village are either co-conspirators (remember, Number 6 stated that one should never trust women, especially the four-legged variety) or emotionally unstable. Yet, it is perfectly permissible to show two men in violent fighting and fisticuffs. Given that this happened at burgeoning movements examining violence on television and feminism, it seems rather....odd).

In the end, we see Number 2 and Number 6 in a confrontation, which is more a war of words than an all-out battle. Number 6 continues to berate the broken-spirited Number 2, mocking him by stating, "All this power at your disposal, and yet....you're alone." Further insults abound from Number 6, claiming Number 2 is "a blunderer who's lost his head...you've destroyed yourself..." The final insult - Number 2 is forced to report himself to his superiors (whom we know he fears most), and Number 6 walks off, leading to a very disturbing thought:

Number 6 would make an excellent Number 2

Coming soon: Howard Hughes' favorite episode? Cowboys and Villagers. And Number 6 versus Napoleon.

Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: A Change of Mind

"We deplore your spirit of disharmony"
Number 6: "That's...a common complaint around here, isn't it?

---

(Revised 01/04/2023)

I was going to review "A Change of Mind" along with "Hammer Into Anvil", but two things prevented me. One is that "Hammer Into Anvil" is an extremely intense episode that deserves its own column. However, recent events involving a presidential candidate and his unwillingness to "demonstrate his patriotism" make our present entry timely. Well, that and the Chicago Public Library's One Book, One Chicago selection.

"A Change of Mind" is The Prisoner demonstrating its strength in Orwellian allegory. The allegory is razor-sharp and serves as a timeless critique of movements ranging from the Red Scare to political correctness. It's also one of my favorite episodes, but for a different reason - I attended a for-profit graduate school in psychology for one year. While there, I encountered several dangerous tendencies towards groupthink, including being forced to leave due to an individual deciding to "leak" information from a confidential group therapy class, thereby painting me in a negative light. Luckily, after a year off, I attended a real graduate school...but enough of my ranting - onto the episode.

Number 2: There is a saying: "The slowest mule is nearest to the whip"
Number 6: Yes, and another: "He who digs a pit will one day lie in it"

The story begins with Villagers taunting Number 6, proclaiming that his behavior is "not (that) of a citizen" and that he will be brought before the "committee" for their unique "social work." It is this episode that sharply analyzes how group behavior can slowly but surely, degenerate into mass hysteria. Most of the Villagers' dialog consists mainly of buzzwords: "Disharmony." "Believe me," "Reactionary! Rebel! Disharmonious!" All this helps whip the Village against Number 6, who is determined to be "unmutual", which is "doubleplusungood" for Number 6.

What furthers this is Number 2, who serves as the kindly, Big Brother-Esque leader of the situation. Much like Lou Ford in Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me, this Number 2 decides to "kill with kindness," using banal phrases in an attempt to wear down his opposition. Since Number 6 will not overtly cooperate, Number 2 enlists the help of Number 86 (who is an attractive blonde and not Maxwell Smart) to insure Number 6's cooperation, eventually leading to a high-tech lobotomy to reduce Number 6's resistance.

Or does it?

As the lobotomy sequence proceeds, we see that on some level, The Prisoner reflects much of the "mental-illness-as-unconventional-thinking" philosophy of Thomas Szasz. However, it is soon revealed that the goal is to keep Number 6 drugged through Mytol (which, believe it or not, is a real drug), and Number 2 attempts to utilize the situation to gain the holy grail: the reason behind Number 6's resignation. We're given a tantalizing clue - Number 6 mutters, "Time to think" - but soon, Number 6 turns the tables on Number 2 and uses the Village groupthink against its initiator.

Admittedly, this is one of the episodes directed by Patrick McGoohan, and it's well-paced...except for the ending. Production around this time was hectic, with McGoohan and script editor George Markstein clashing over the direction (Markstein wanting a more conventional espionage thriller, McGoohan wishing a more allegorical direction). There are several episodes of The Prisoner that deal with the psychology of power and control between individuals. This week's episode handles group dynamics...but what about psychological dominance?

(EDIT - Looking at this episode from a 2023 perspective, it would be easy to see it as a cautionary tale against "political correctness" or "wokeness." However, it could also be seen as an allegory for those who engage in such behavior. After all, what is "unmutual" except another way of saying 'expressing values that bother the majority'?" Food for thought.)

Coming soon:

What if...the roles were reversed, and Number 6 "tested" Number 2?

What if...Number 6 was played by another actor?

What if...The Prisoner took place in the American West in the late 19th Century?

Be Seeing You.

Sundays in the Village: It's Your Funeral

Preventing is only postponing

---

(Revised 01/04/2023) 

Watching The Prisoner in a post 9/11 world is... interesting, to say the least - its themes of individualism vs. collectivism seem at odds with current societal trends. Cameras scrutinizing our every move, once a great evil, are now a staple of reality television. Episodes that seemed cutting edge in the late 1960s, like The General, seem almost curiously outdated. But like many works of art, The Prisoner develops different facets with the onset of years.

As a result, episodes that might have seemed almost preachy in then-contemporaneous times take on a ripped-from-the-headlines nature in the dawning years of the 21st century. "It's Your Funeral," which may have seemed almost prescient in terms of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, now takes on greater dimensions...especially since, pre-9/11, our president once remarked that there was "too much freedom." From page to stage, this is easily one of the most relevant - and allegorical - episodes in our times.

(EDIT - I may write a later essay for my Patreon page on how this episode - along with Free for All - fit in a post-January 6th landscape) 

The episode begins with a woman finding her way into Number 6's apartment, and immediately, he suspects a trap. As she relates her tale - her father planning the assassination of a young Number 2 - Number 6 assures her that he'll "listen...as long as what (she) say(s) isn't too obviously phony." In an interesting montage, we see the Young Number 2 listen to a computer-recited itinerary, revealing Number 6's daily agenda. (Which mostly consists of clips from other episodes, in a nice cost-cutting measure). However, we learn that the Young Number 2 is involved with "Plan Division Q", a strategy advised by the pink-jacketed Number 1-0-0 (Not one hundred, but "one-zero-zero"). As Number 6 confronts the Young Number 2 with the plot, we learn about "Jammers", troublemakers who make plans...but who are relatively ineffectual, play pranks, and then ignored. As Number 6 leaves, Number 2 calls his assistant, Number 22 (or "Number 2's number 2) with a plan to discredit Number 6...and take care of a nagging detail....

Older Number 2: "I can think of better ways to die"
Number 6: "...and better causes...to die for"

In the midst of the episode, we are introduced to the sport of kosho - the major pastime of the Village, which involves trampolines, a wading pool, orange jumpsuits, and motorcycle helmets. An unusual martial art seems like the kind of game that two well-known comics bloggers would invent...and more of a diversion.

However, when we next encounter Number 6, he meets with another Number 2 - an older gentleman who seems to share a mutual respect with Number 6. The elder Number 2 shows Number 6 a series of films basically discrediting his "assassination plot," revealing a possible motive - the elimination of the Elder Number 2. (Given that both men seem to have a healthy respect - and with rumors that the series had been conceived of two 13-episode "seasons" - perhaps this elder Number 2 did not consider the rationale behind Number 6's resignation important...hence, the need to eliminate the Elder Number 2).

This is an episode that is hard to explain in summary, mostly because it hits on many themes - we begin to learn that Number 6 has an aversion for innocents being harmed and a distaste for lethal violence. (More on this later...) With its examination of the use of violence in politics, this takes a much stronger stance on the subject than the later "Fall Out". It's move-and-countermove plotting is reminiscent of Checkmate without being derivative, and a slowly creeping paranoia builds throughout the episode. (Chris Carter must have analyzed this episode frame-by-frame) And the greatest call-out of a traitor, the Elder Number 2 stating to this person that "The fact that you won't explain...explains everything," is possibly the best one-line summary of the show ever written.

For the longest time, this was one of my ok-but-not-quite-great episodes. Now, in these troubled times, it looks much more like the masterpiece that it is.

Coming soon: Number 6 quotes Goethe. On being unmutual. Number 6 escapes the Village....and the infamous "lost" episode.

Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: Many Happy Returns

(Revised 01/04/2023) 

This is a hard blog post to write.

The episode is okay - any episode whose first half is primarily silent with top-notch direction(except for four words in German) can't be faulted. Unfortunately, it's an episode that spoils itself through its title. It's also an episode that, plot-wise, never really goes anywhere. Number 6 finds the Village empty, decides to escape, makes his way by raft to London, meets his superiors (and in a nice twist, encounters the guy he resigned to, complete with theme music), and then....finds himself back in the Village.

Only your typical Gilligan's Island episode could be more predictable.

There are a few good moments - in the middle of the episode when Number 6 arrives at (presumably) the White Cliffs of Dover (if you're across the pond, please let me know if I'm right)...as he meets some Romany....and then makes his way to the heart of London, there seems to be the suggestion that he is "out of place", a prisoner without a prison.

The other - Mrs. Butterworth (no, not the former syrup lady, so don't even go there) is a slightly interesting character. Her appearance was "predicted" in a previous story. Although she's an OK Number 2...she's no Mary Morris. We also meet several of Number 6's colleagues, like the Colonel and Thorpe, who may or may not be Number 2 in a future story. I think he is the "Hammer into Anvil" Number 2 - in the espionage world, there may be less than six degrees of separation, and Patrick Cargill's performance here seems to mirror that later role).

However, if you had to choose a handful of episodes to miss, "Many Happy Returns" would be a candidate. It's not a bad episode of The Prisoner - just a so-so one.

Coming soon: Number 6 stops a plot, engages in another plot, and changes his mind figuratively...and literally.

Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: The Schizoid Man

(Revised 01/04/2023)

When last we saw Number 6, he had successfully destroyed a major indoctrination project in the Village. He has repeatedly thwarted the attempts of Number 2 to learn about his resignation. In "The Schizoid Man," the new Number 2 arrives at a very devious, extremely malicious plan - turn Number 6 into a co-conspirator (through drugs, operant conditioning, and other means) and basically break him down through an extended mind game. Or, to quote the episode directly:

"Your job, Number 12, will be to impersonate him (Number 6). Take his sense of reality away. Once he begins to doubt his own identity, he'll crack"

This is one of those episodes of The Prisoner that is something of a mixed bag. If you gave the story a letter grade, it would be a B+, but only because of the last 15 minutes...and ironically, even though it misuses the word "schizoid" in 1960's terms, Number 6 seems to fit the DSM-4 criteria.

(EDIT - looking at the 2023 DSM-5 criteria...possibly still relevant) 

The episode crackles along, with Number 6 and Number 12 (or "Number 6 version 2) playing an unusual game of psychological oneupmanship. The symbolism is sharp (both in terms of who wears which color jacket, as well as Alison or Number 24, "divided" by Numbers 2, 6, and 12), the dialogue crackles (Number 6's insults of Number 12 being from "the people's copying service" and "the economy pack"), and the irony of Number 12 "asserting" that he is Number 6 is subtle. The overall goal seems to begin with "Getting the information from Number 6" (on an "I know something you don't know" basis). Still, as Number 2 so malevolently points out, "By the time we're finished...he won't know whether he's Number 6 or the cube root of infinity". In these terms, the episode is a great example of psychological manipulation.

However, a few things about this episode ring slightly false.

First, this episode uses ESP as a plot point, and I have a slight bias against the use of ESP. Often, it is used as a "magical" device, and given The Prisoner's bias towards realistic science, it is slightly misused here. (There is an alleged "mental link" between Number 6 and Allison; however, given that the dialogue indicates a 68 - 74% success rate in mind reading, all it suggests is that Number 6 should never play poker with Allison). I can believe in the fantastic, whether it is a time-traveling alien in a box bigger on the inside than on the outside or that a ship can surpass the speed of light; I cannot believe that telepathy is given "serious" treatment in this episode.

In addition, the last fifteen minutes are rushed, with various plot points being hammered home in a variety of cliches. (And there's no first-time-for-this-cliche either). It could have used another run through the typewriter; the fact that it leads to a "failed escape attempt" on Number 6's part just seems rushed.

Finally - and this is more of a general complaint - we see a Haitian and (presumably) a Sikh. That's not the complaint - other than those individuals and a female Asian in "Arrival", the Village seems totally non-diverse in terms of its population. Granted, comparing a 1960s show (created by a man born in the 1920s) to 21st-century standards is unfair. Just to put in perspective: at that time, there was a pioneering African-American male in the lead of an espionage drama, a leading co-star in the major hit of the day (which also featured an Asian guest star in its first season), two shows featuring a mixed cast, including a show focusing on young people and one which featured a paraplegic detective.

All of those were "formula" shows, yet demonstrated some movement towards diversity. It's a shame that The Prisoner - focusing on the fear of "one world" - never approached that. Or was it deliberate?

Who knows: after all, “Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself.”

Coming soon to Sundays in the Village:

“I know every nut and bolt and cog--I built it with my own hands!”

“I understand. The fact that you won't explain . . . explains everything.”

“To borrow one of Number Two's sayings: `The butcher with the sharpest knife . . . has the warmest heart.' ”

"A weak link in the chain of command. Waiting to be broken"

Be seeing you.

Sundays in the Village: AB&C and The General

"We all make mistakes...sometimes we have to"

---

(Revised 01/04/2023)

Look at any information on Colin Gordon, and you'll find that he was a standard, hard-working British actor - in fact, his dual stint as Number 2 on The Prisoner is his major claim to fame. However, his Number 2 is very distinct for several reasons, most notably that his is the closest that comes to figuring out the "why" of Number 6's resignation.

What do we know about this Number 2? He's arrogant towards Number 6 (in the "A, B, & C" pre-episode sequence, boldly announces that "I am Number 2" rather than "I am the new Number 2". However, he is slightly afraid of his superiors - often drinking milk (which he claims is "the perfect food") and looking pensively at the red question-mark-shaped phone on his desk. However, both "A, B & C" and "The General" show that this particular Number 2 is a foreshadowing of one of the major themes of The Prisoner - the use (or misuse) of science and technology.

I had forgotten how fiendishly clever "A, B & C" was as an episode until I watched it again; both foreshadowing character appearances (yes, I know several actors played multiple roles - I like to create my own inner continuity), episodes (such as Number 6 stating "No change of mind," where a later episode will be titled "A Change of Mind"), and contains some sharp directing (notice the A & B sequences, which are straightforward, then the more dreamlike C sequence). Plus, this is the first time a Number 2 has a theory about Number 6's resignation (that the latter was about to "sell out"), rather than a straightforward I-will-break-Number-6 plot. This use of the scientific method suggests that Number 2 is more scientist than spy (and both of these episodes are more science-fiction in tone)

In "A, B & C", we get some very subtle clues about Number 6's pre-Village life. He is a rather restrained yet flirtatious guest who knows people on both sides of the Cold War. By his own admission, he has "never liked secrets", and Number 14 (the female doctor) notices an "anguish pattern" around his resignation. Number 6 has some travel brochures with him and simply states that he plans to go on a post-resignation trip to "Somewhere different, somewhere quiet, somewhere I can think". Given the character assessment in Arrival, I think this is probably the best "theory" as to why Number 6 left his job - he was overworked and needed a break.

But obviously, despite Number 2's "failure" in this regard, he has a much larger - and more important - project to oversee. A project called "Speedlearn". It's stated goal: 100% entry, 100% pass.

---

"Probably the most important human experiment we've ever had to conduct, and it's treated like a military exercise"

---

"The General", unfortunately, is not an episode that holds up well upon repeated watching. Many of the themes prevalent - mass indoctrination through media, and lack of critical thinking - are eerily prescient of current times. In addition, we see one symbol - the pallbearer from the beginning credits - explained: it's the "uniform" of the Village equivalent of "civic leaders." It's an episode that, for once, does not focus on Number 6's head - it reveals a slight shift in emphasis. Now, Number 6 makes it his business to destroy the Village internally.

This episode, however, is extremely heavy-handed in handling its theme, its symbolism (Number 12 being "divided" by Number 2 and Number 6?), its attempt at satire, and in drama. In short, it reads like a Rod Serling Twilight Zone pastiche. If they had the budget, Serling could have easily given this a polish between drafts of Planet of the Apes. As it stands, "The General" is not a bad episode per se - it helps us shift towards a broader view of the struggle between Number 6 and the Village. Number 2, as science, sees a device that would have brought about massive influence and achievement of the Village's goals destroyed, even though he sees it as more of a "human experiment". (The fact that the Village sees Speedlearn as "a military exercise reveals much about the malevolence of the powers that be, whether it's "Us", "Them", or "None of the above")

However, the end result is the same - Number 6 has not just defied the Village but has now hurt them. He cannot be ostracized, manipulated, corrupted, or fooled into complying.

From now on, it's no longer a game.

The rules no longer apply.

It's a war between the Village and Number 6.

Coming soon: Number 6 believes in ESP. Number 6 builds a raft. And Number 6 stops a revolution - or does he?

Be seeing you.