Comments on: The Prisoner – The Schizoid Man https://visualmutterings.com/the-prisoner-the-schizoid-man Archive television thoughts Fri, 12 Jun 2020 16:03:51 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymous https://visualmutterings.com/the-prisoner-the-schizoid-man#comment-105 Sat, 14 Mar 2015 08:18:02 +0000 http://visualmutterings.com/the-prisoner-the-schizoid-man#comment-105 I thought the ending was particularly good, having Number 6 prevented from escaping because of the one thing that he holds most dear: individuality. He is tripped up not so much by the routines of The Village agents but by a piece of personal information which the fake Number 6 did not reveal to him. Number 6 is so used to everyone in The Village behaving like absolute professionals that it never even occurred to him to try to get the fake Number 6 to tell him any personal things which might help Number 6 take his place.

I think this is also the episode where they finally gave a name to Rover, isn't it?

I like your analysis of white jacket vs. black jacket and white hat vs black hat, but you've forgotten one very important thing: although we are following Number 6's travails in The Village, and although we fans of the show value our individuality as he does, we don't actually *know* if Number 6 was a good guy or a bad guy before he came to The Village. "The Chimes of Big Ben" suggest that he is on the side of the Western nations, and that principles matter to him, but we have to accept that blindly. Maybe Number 6 *is* the villain in this show and the fake Number 6 is the hero trying to get the villain's secrets.
On the other hand, McGoohan liked playing with the old tropes, so maybe not.

Final note: I thought the betrayal of Alison (Number 24) was the thing that hurt Number 6 the most, although I can't be sure. Maybe she was just a tool he intended to wield against Number 2 (to read his mind who Number 1 is). I do get the feeling that she was never a willing tool of Number 2 but caved in to his demand that she pick the wrong Number 6, and Number 6 will never forgive her for that moment of weakness.

A very good review of the episode. Thanks.

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