I’ve tried to watch this series a few times and just couldn’t get into it. Perhaps this thread will inspire me to try again and help it click for me.

"Arrival"

Writer(s): George Markstein & David Tomblin, with additional material by Patrick McGoohan.
Director: Don Chaffey

(Episode preview)


(Full episode)




Synopsis: The episode opens with a shot of clouds in the sky and a crash of thunder. A long shot of a straight road is soon filled by an approaching car, as the music starts up. The car is a Lotus 7 kit car, black with an orangish-yellow nose (or bonnet, if you prefer) and a license plate that says KAR-120C. It is driven by a dark haired man, with a determined expression. Establishing shots of London and Westminster are seen, as the car moves up the street and turns into the entrance ramp to an underground parking garage. The car stops at a barrier and the driver takes a parking ticket and moves on. he parks by a curb and heads towards a pair of doors that have signs saying, "WAY OUT." He is seen striding purposefully through a tunnel and emerges dramatically through double doors, where a man is seated, drinking tea, as a desk. The driver is shown pacing and speaking in an agitated manner and he then slaps down an envelope, which has handwritten on it "Private-Personal........By Hand." He emphasizes a point by slamming his fist down, which causes tea cup and suacer to jump off the desk and fall back down, cracking a dish underneath. The man is seen driving out of the garage and a Hearse moves off behind him. Later, he is driving behind the Hearse and passes it, then comes up to his flat, parks and goes inside and furiously gathers items and packs them into a suitcase. We see a travel brochure, with images of a tropical beach. we then see one of the undertakers from the Hearse out on the curb and then a mist pours through the front door lock. The man starts looking around, puzzled, as images of the view outside his window start swirling around. The man collapses on a day bed.

The man awakens and shakes off the effects of sleep and stumbles to a window and looks out and sees.....a European village, instead of the street outside his flat. He goes off to explore and finds the village deserted. Nothing is familiar. He spots a woman opening an umbrella over an outside eating table, and rushes over and starts asking her questions. She tells him they will soon start serving breakfast. He asks where he can make a call and she points to a phone box. The phone he finds is unusual and a voice asks him for his number. He says he wants to make a call, but the operator asks him again for his number. He says he hasn't got one and is told, "No number, no call." He goes over to an information booth and presses the button for "taxi." A Mini-Moke (small British car, styled like a jeep) pulls up, driven by an Asian woman. She asks where he wants to go, then starts speaking to him in French. When he asks why she was speaking French, she said it is international and she thought he might be a Pole or Czech. He asks what they would be doing in this place and she says it is very cosmopolitan. She takes him back to where they started and tells him that she is only the local service.

The man goes back to his quarters, which features a placard that says "No. 6." The phone rings and a voice welcomes him and tells him to come to Number 2, the Green Dome. He does and is met by a little person butler, who leads him to a futuristic chamber, where a man sits in a Ball Chair, holding a folded umbrella. He offers him breakfast and then asks if he minds if it is a working breakfast. he begins asking questions about the man's resignation, presumably the scene at the beginning. the man is hostile an demands to know who wants to know and why, where he is, who runs the place. his questions are either ignored or deflected. We see the man, who called himself Number 2, flip through a dossier with photos and the photos are projected on the wall. The man sees the degree to which he had been observed, even in his own flat. he refuses to answer the questions and storms off. No. 2 tells him he will, eventually and offers a deal, to explain and then be given comfort and privilege. The man refuses and says, "I will not make any deals with you; I have resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed briefed, de-briefed or numbered! My life is my own." No.2 says he will change his mind. he tells the

No. 2 takes him on a helicopter and walking tour of the Village, where everyone moves about in brightly colored holiday clothes, with cheery music from a brass band, piped throughout the Village. He sees a stone boat and people playing on it, senior citizens sitting in chairs, looking out at the shore. At the Village Square, No.2 calls out for the man to freeze. There is a roar and a bubble rises from a fountain and epands into a large, shifting orb. Another man cries out and runs in terror. The orb bounces along and knocks him down then presses down upon him, seeming to absorb him. It then bounds away. The new arrival is then taken to the labor exchange, where he see signs that says "A still tongue makes a happy life," and "Questions are a burden for others, answers a prison unto oneself." The man is taken in to meet an official, who asks him to fill in a form, while he plays with a tinker toy mechanism. The new man destroys it in a fit of rage and storms off. He returns to his quarters and finds a maid. He berates her with questions, then chases her off when she has no answers. He destroys a radio that blares constant music and she returns to reclaim her duster and bin. He questions her more and she admits to having been in the Village since childhood and breaks down, saying they offered her her freedom in exchange for gaining his confidence. he sees her out. A technician arrives to repair the broken radio, after an official announcement is broadcast for his dispatch. The new arrival leaves and then tries to escape. He watches out for guards and moves carefully, but he passes through a garden of statues, which turn to follow him, as the scene cuts to an observation room, where technicians monitor scenes through the Village, including two who ride a see-saw mechanism, while staring into viewscopes. A bald supervisor observes on a large monitor and issues orders, via phone. A mechanical eye follows along a Village map.

The man sees people speeding along in a Mini-Moke and jumps down to the beach and starts running. The vehicle chases him and one man jumps off. The arrival punches him and runs along, then hops onto the vehicle and dislodges the driver. He then finds his way blocked by the orb guardian, which chases him, knocks him onto the ground and presses itself over him.

The man awakes in hospital and is checked for injuries. While there, he recognizes the previous victim of the orb as Cobb, a man he knows. He questions him and then is taken away by a doctor. Whe he returns, he lears that Cobb jumped out a window, to his death. The man is then released, with new clothes and Village documents. He throws away a boater hat and a lapel badge, with the number 6. When the vehicle that is carrying him back to his quarters passes by the Green Dome, he grabs the emergency brake, jumps out and storms into No.2's residence. he finds a different man sitting in the Ball Chair, who tells him he is the new Number 2. he also tells the man that he is now Number 6. No.6 storms off.

No.6 observes the funeral for Cobb, with cheery marching music at odds with the somber event. He sees a woman crying and later questions her. They agree to meet. We see her then report to No.2, who says she did excellent work with Cobb and is given her new assignment and is handed a photo of No.6. When they meet, she admits to working for No. 2, after No. 6 sees her leaving the Green Dome. She says she has an electro-pass, which will allow him past the Village's defenses. She gives a strange watch to No. 6. He uses it to slide past the orb guardian and steal a helicopter, but the Village technicians are able to control it remotely and he is brought back down and marched off to his quarters. The scene is viewed from the observation chamber by the new No.2 and a very alive Cobb, who is told he did a fine job and he says he is off to see his new masters and will deliver a glowing report of the Village. The scene ends with bars slamming shut across the image of No.6 and music swells, as a background plate is soon covered by assembling images of a pennyfarthing bicycle, with the show's credits. It ends with an image of the orb growing from a bubble into its full form.

Thoughts: A terrific opener and one of the most intriguing introductions to a series. Our protagonist, No. 6, is a man who has been party to secrets, who has resigned some kind of government job. He has been gassed in his flat and kidnapped, awakening in the Village, a bizarre prison that features no bars, yet is just as confining. There, he is subjected to interrogation about the reasons behind his resignation. No. 2 makes mention of principles, suggesting the man objected to something on moral grounds, yet he won't give a straight answer to the questions. No. 6 is unwilling to give an inch to No.2, for the sheer reason that he wants something from him. he refuses to be manipulated or coerced into cooperating with what he considers to be an evil. Even though the question is a fair one, the delivery of it suggests an authoritarian stance that is at odds with No. 6's principle. perhaps he resigned because of this authoritarian behavior. The exchange suggests No. 2 represents the government from which No.6 resigned, though Cobb mentions his "new masters," and he was a colleague of No.6. That suggests that the Village is run by someone else.

Guy Doleman portrays No. 2 as a charming, mysterious figure, a typical executive or commanding officer type, with an authoritative manner. Someone used to getting what he wants. Doleman is probably best known as Count Lippe, in the James Bond film Thunderball. He also played Colonel Ross in the three Harry Palmer spy films, with Michael Caine (based on the novels of Len Deighton). His Col. Ross is very like No. 2 and it isn't much of a stretch to see him as the same person. The Palmer films portrayed a murky, mundane world of spies, where paperwork and routine took the place of the style and excitement of Bond. Things weren't what they seemed and you could never be sure of loyalties and Col. Ross seemed to be both traitor and ally to Palmer, in all of the films. In fact, one could easily see Harry Palmer ending up in the Village, where he reports to Col Ross, who tells him he is No. 2.

George Baker, seen as Sir Hillary Bray, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (and later as a naval captain, in The Spy Who Loved Me), is the new No. 2, setting up the premise that No. 2 changes periodically. In fact there will be a new No. 2 in each episode, though actors Leo McKern and Colin Gordon will repeat as their chaarcters, in subsequent episodes (Gordon appears in two episodes and McKern in three, including the final episode).

Cobb is played by Paul Eddington, best known for his tv work in The Adventures of Robin Hood (as Will Scarlet), The Good Life (aka The Good Neighbors) as neighbor Jerry Ledbetter, and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister as Jim Hacker, a minister of parliament and (eventually) prime minister of the United Kingdom. Cobb is an old comrade, who seems to be another prisoner, but who proves to be working for the Village. We will see future former colleagues, though whether they work for the Village or not is open to interpretation.

Virginia Maskell is the Woman who aids No.6 and had helped Cobb, but though she is shown to report to No.2, honestly tried to aid No. 6, but was used as a pawn by No. 2, as she understands when the chess-playing ex-admiral remarks "We're all pawns, you know?"

Everything is established here, from the Village's desire to find out the reasons behind No.6's resignation, the bizarre landscape and behavior of the residents, the constant surveillance, the constant barrage of propaganda and conditioning, the subtle programming and the not so subtle warnings. We see Rover, the Village watchdog, though he is not yet named as such. We see the Butler and the Supervisor, who will reappear in most of the future episodes, even as No. 2 changes. There are even some theories that the Butler is actually the one in charge of the Village, the McGoohan has explained that he represents the "little man, who blindly follows whoever is in charge." He always serves No. 2. The Supervisor directs the security and surveillance of the Village, yet little beyond, though his activities do gave direct effects on No. 6. A future episode will suggest that his role allows him an authority outside No. 2, but we will get to that, later.

Rover was originally conceived to be an all-terrain mechanical contrivance, a sort of domed hovercraft, which could drive up the side of buildings or skim across water. A mechanical vehicle was created, with a go-cart hidden inside...



The go-cart couldn't steer well across the cobble stone pavement at Portmeiron. A version designed for the water sank. There is conjecture as to who came up with the idea; but, someone hit upon the idea of using a weather balloon, as Rover. It was pulled along with wire and then pressed against the actor, creating impressions in the rubber, which looked like the person was being absorbed, as if by an amoeba. The actor would display sheer terror, which added to the horrific effect of their being smothered and the audio cue of the roaring cry of Rover. The balloon also allowed parallels to be drawn to the blobs in lava lamps, seen in No. 2's chamber. In the closing credit s and future episodes, Rover will appear as a blob that breaks off and floats to the surface of the water and emerges as the large orb, with its roar and then attack the escapee.

There are several iconic features, seen here at the beginning. The first is No. 6's Lotus 7...



The car was designed as a sports car, using an abandoned design for a Formula 2 racing car. It was small and lightweight and very drivable and sold for years as a kit car. One of the ironic aspects of the show is when No.6 enters the parking garage and stops at the barrier to take his ticket, the car sits low enough that he could just drive under the barrier arm.

Another iconic aspect is the Ball Chair, seen in No. 2's chamber...



The chair was designed by Finnish interior designer Eerio Aarnio and it is still manufactured today (though it sells at very high prices). It has been featured in sci-fi films of the 60s, as well as other films and tv shows, where the modern designs were part of the set design. This is always central to No.2's chamber, with a semi-circular console desk in front of it, with three telephones on it, and a host of controls. It is almost a throne, within the Village, as No. 2 is king (or queen, in a couple of instances) of all he surveys.

The clothes warn by the villagers are all in bright colors and are general stereotypes of the clothes British people would wear on seaside holidays, in different eras. Striped sailor shirts are a common feature, as are khaki trousers, blazers with white piping, multi-color capes, soft hats and umbrellas. No.2 almost always carries a folded umbrella, with handles that open up to reveal a leather camp seat, allowing the user to sit. It was referred to as a "shooting stick," as it was designed for hunters to rest themselves on while shooting birds.

Here, we see the Orwellian influences, with contradictory slogans, constant surveillance, and political conditioning. Added to this is the atmosphere and themes of Franz Kafka, with mysterious bureaucracy, unseen masters, hidden agendas, and unstated accusations. This is then topped off with the nonsense and lunacy of Lewis Carrol's Wonderland, with its bizarre behavior and nonsensical poems and statements. Throw that into the shadowy world of the Cold War and government secrets and you have one hell of a dramatic platform. At the center of it all, though, we see the battle between the individual and society as a whole. No. 6 is the unique individual, fighting to maintain individual freedoms, While No. 2 and the Village are Society, forcing individuals to conform to the norms of that society, whether they like it or not, for good or ill. Both represent extremes, which is why the allegory has found proponents of multiple political ideologies. Some feel it represents the battle against collectivism, in a Randian sense. Other feel it represents the iconoclast, refusing to be molded by the establishment, maintaining their individual identity. As such, it is a favorite of conservatives and liberals, with Neo-Cons suggesting it as representing Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy and the idea that collectives are destructive and dominating (especially Communist) while the Left sees it as an allegory of fascist states trying to force people to conform to their will and the struggle against that; or, in the viewpoint of the hippie culture, the bland society trying to force the individual to just be another copy, rather than an original. That s the beauty of using allegory and not providing the audience with concrete answers. McGoohan always talked in the abstract and it is an abstract series. the viewer must make their own conclusions and they bring their own prejudices to it. Often, their theories reflect their own worldview, rather than an objective assessment of the show (mine included). Analysis always brings in the prejudices of the observer, which is why peer review of scientific theories and research is so important in the scientific process. it forces theories to be re-examined and tested, to evolve as new information becomes available, for inaccuracies to fall away, until there is only fact left. The Prisoner will rarely give you fact, but will make you think and wonder.

Be seeing you!

Just noticed this series is available on Amazon prime going to check out the first episode!

You will occasionally see striped screens and awnings blocking the view from the camera. That was to hide the cars of visitors to Portmeirion, as it was a working tourist attraction, even during filming.

The man sitting at the desk, who is delivered the envelope with No. 6's resignation, is script editor and episode writer George Markstein.

Forgot to mention some of the connections to Patrick McGoohan, in the series and first episode. Don Chaffey, the director, directed Jason and the Argonauts and The Three Lives of Thomasina, a film which featured Patrick McGoohan. He also directed many episodes of ITV's The Avengers and Danger Man, and would direct 4 episodes of The Prisoner.

Paul Eddington, who played Cobb, was in the Sheffield Repertory, with Patrick McGoohan, in the 1950s. Virginia Maskell had appeared in an episode of Danger Man. George Baker had a role in The Dam Busters and Patrick McGoohan had an uncredited role as a guard. Barbara Yu-Ling, who played the taxi driver, appeared in 2 episodes of Danger Man. Dennis Shaw, who played the Shopkeeper, also appeared in danger Man, as did Oliver McGreevy, who plays the bald technician (he appeared in several ITV adventure series, as well as the headsman, at the end of The Four Musketeers). Frederick Piper, the ex-admiral who plays chess is another Danger Man alum, as well as Patsy Smart, the waitress who is the first person No. 6 encounters, in The Village. Christopher Benjamin, who plays the Labour Exchange Manager, was Potter, John Drake's contact, on the last series of Danger man, and will reappear as that character, in "The Girl Who Was Death," which was an unused script from Danger Man. That episode and his appearance as Potter is one of the chief pieces of evidence cited for the theory that No. 6 is John Drake, of Danger Man.

Angelo Muscat, the Butler, had appeared in Doctor Who and would pay an Oompa Loompa, in Willy Wonka (uncredited).

The helicopter seen in the series is an Alouette II, which used a turbo engine, rather than a piston-driven, which was a new design. The actual helicopter had been used in several ITV shows, including The Avengers, before it crashed in 1973 and was destroyed. Note that it has pontoons, which would allow it to set down on water, though we only see it set down on land. When the Village technician takes control of it, during No. 6's escape attempt, it is noteworthy that the technicians control lever could only move forward or back. A helicopter's control stick can move in 4 directions; so, the technician could not be flying it properly. However, the cyclic, which applies power, does move forward and back, increasing or decreasing the power from the engines. So, the technician's lever could by the cyclic and we are blocked from seeing the stick. No idea about how they controlled the rudder pedals.

Guy Doleman injured his back, before a second round of filming and had to be doubled for some exterior shots.

ps I will be following the episode order that Six of One, The Prisoner Appreciation Society, determined, based on the plots and pieces of dialogue in the episodes. The episodes were originally broadcast in an order that did not reflect their production or references to timeline, within the series. In some episodes, No. 6 mentions being new to the Village and later ones he seems to have been there for a while. So, that will be the order of progression for my reviews.

I also hope to look at the Shattered Visage comic book mini-series, the novels, some parodies and the AMC/Sky mini-series (not gonna go episodic on that or I would have to watch it again and once was enough), as well as the Prisoner's influence on other media. Don't expect high praise for the remake, though I did like Ian McKellen in it.

If you are curious about episodes, MCI had a companion video that featured episode-by-episode synopses, called The prisoner Companion. It can be viewed here, at Dailymotion.

ps That little card, with No. 6's photo attached?

That's a punchcard, which is how we used to program computers. You had to feed a stack of them into a giant machine, which took up a whole room, to perform functions that you can do on a Smartwatch, now.

Check out these images from the Harry Palmer spy film, The Billion Dollar Brain...



All of that just to play solitaire!

Checkmate

Writer: Gerald Kelsey
Director: Don Chaffey

(episode preview)


(episode)


Episode Quotes:

2nd Psychiatrist: Cat.

Number 6: Dog.

2nd Psychiatrist: Rain.

Number 6: Shine.

2nd Psychiatrist: Desk.

Number 6: Work.

2nd Psychiatrist: Hope.

Number 6: Anchor.

2nd Psychiatrist: Anchor?

Number 6: The Hope and Anchor. It's a pub I used to drink at.

Synopsis: Rover is moving through the Village. Villagers step aside and freeze, as No. 6 observes a man, using a walking stick, who keeps moving along his path, oblivious to Rover. Rover does not react to him and moves by . No. 6, intrigued follows the man to the Village green, where a large chessboard is laid out, with Villagers acting as chess pieces. The man with the walking stick asks if he plays and when he affirms, he asks No.6 to be the Queen's Pawn. No. 6 agrees and asks questions of the Queen, as the game progresses, to the point he misses a call for him to move. While the game continues, the Rook suddenly moves without command to a new position and calls out "Check!" Suddenly, the loudspeakers blare out calls for a substitute player and for No. 58 (the Rook) to be removed to the hospital. No. 2 had been called to observe, but thought the game innocuous, until the Rook's move.



No. 6 moves off with the chess player and questions the use of people and their identical appearances. He remarks that it is the only way to exercise the need for power, in the Village and that the attitudes of the pieces indicate their role and side. He does it to keep his mind active, to maintain his independence. He says he is too old to escape and No.6 asks if he had a plan. The player remarks that everyone has a plan and they all fail, because they can't distinguish between the Blacks and the Whites (chess pieces). No. 6 is intrigued by the theory that psychology can identify the warders from the prisoners.

The Queen follows No.6 and asks when he plans to escape. She says she will join him, if it is a good plan. No. 6 is wary of her. The next day, he encounters No. 2, who warns that they have harsher methods, if he continues to try to escape. No. 6 points out the treatment of No.58 and No. 2 says he is being well looked after and takes No. 6 to see him. They observe No. 58 in a room, where there are three dispensers. No. 2 says he has been dehydrated; so, when he awakens, he has a ravenous thirst. He gets a shock from all three dispensers, but a command voice tells him to try the blue dispenser again and he hesitantly does and receives water, instead of a shock. No.2 and a doctor are pleased; No. 6 is sickened and tells them their troubles are just beginning. The doctor is interested in No. 6 as a test subject.

No. 6 goes among the Villagers, testing the theory that their attitudes can reveal if they are prisoners or warders. He soon notes those who act submissively are prisoners and the more arrogant ones are the warders. He later catches up with No. 58 and shares what he has learned (after noting his own submissive response) and they are observed speaking, by No. 2. They go looking for allies for an escape, using the theories. meanwhile, No. 6 is given an association test and gives a couple of pointed answers. meanwhile, the doctor presents a project to No. 2. The Queen is subjected to conditioning to believe she is in love with No. 6 and is given a locket, with built in microphone. She is to be used to keep tabs on No. 6 and reveal any escape plans. No. 6 and No. 58 begin assembling supplies for their escape plan, while the Queen hunts for No. 6. The Doctor and the Supervisor observe her attempts. Later, she turns up in No. 6's quarters, making cocoa, in her dressing gown. He chases her off, when she won't take a hint, though he reacts sympathetically to her emotional breakdown. The next day, he and the Rook work on a transmitter, while hidden inside a beach tent. No. 6 goes to find more transistors and runs into the Queen, who indicates her love. When No. 6 says he doesn't love her, she shows him the locket, which she believes he gave her. He examines it and finds the transmitter. He keeps it and shows it to No. 58, who says it transmits physical reactions, not audio. He then uses it for their transmitter. That night, the conspirators assemble and use the transmitter to contact a ship that they hear transmitting. They give the impression of being survivors of a downed aircraft. No. 6. They arrange for the boat to come to them. they have to stop the warders from reacting and take No. 2 prisoner. There is a signal and No. 6 orders the rest to stay with No. 2, while he checks it out. No. 6 rows a raft out to meet the ship and asks to speak to the captain. When he is brought into the wheelhouse, he hears No. 2's voice,, who reveals that the boat belongs to the Village and the camera pulls back to reveal that No. 58 has betrayed No.6 No. 2 then reveals that No. 6's arrogance and commanding manner convinced No. 58 that he was a warder, trying to trick them. No. 6 is defeated by his own methods.

Thoughts: An outstanding episode; one of the best. The themes revolve around psychology, particularly behavioral conditioning and the psychological traits of leadership. Many of the ideas presented are based on actual psychological experiments and theories. No. 2 says the water dispenser test is based on Pavlov's experiments. While true that Pavlov was the godfather of behavioral science, the actual display more closely mirrors the experiments of BF Skinner, with his experiments in behavioral conditioning, with rats. His Skinner box would reward the rat for correctly performing a task and deliver punishment for incorrect responses. Skinner developed the device based on Jerzy Konorski's studies, who developed the theories of operant conditioning, following on Pavlov's work. There is a further parallel, to an experiment conducted to measure a subjects willingness to inflict harm, in response to an authority's commands. In an infamous experiment (The Milgram Experiment), conducted at Yale, a volunteer was in voice communication with a test subject. They were supposed to teach the subject to memorize a list of words. They were to administer a mild shock if they got it wrong. They are told the shock is harmless. However, as the test progresses, the test subject (who is in on the true nature of the experiment) makes more mistakes and the volunteer administers more and more shocks. The test subject makes noises like the shocks are harmful, and the volunteer becomes increasingly stressed, but continues to follow orders to deliver the shocks. Eventually, the truth is revealed to the volunteer. The experiment was developed soon after the Eichmann trial, to test ideas about the participants in genocide. 61% of the participants administered the "fatal" voltage of 450, while all subjects administered at least 300 volts. No one ever left the room to check on the receiver of the voltage.

Here, No.6 develops a psychological test of individuals, based on his talks with the chess master. He finds that arrogance is a trait of the warders; but, it is his own arrogance and gruff manner which proves his undoing, a trait revealed in tests the Doctor conducts with him. No. 6 is used to being in a position of some authority, based on what we have seen of his skills, how people react to him, and the value placed on him by the Village masters. Arrogance, or highly developed self-confidence is a trait of leadership, as people tend to follow decisive people, who display a strong confidence in those decisions. No. 6 is highly trained and experienced, so he exhibits a great confidence in himself, but also an arrogance that he is superior to those who gave in to the Village. This attitude is often seen by a new prisoner of war, when captured, until they, themselves, are "broken" by their captor. In my military training, we were taught that everyone gives in to interrogation at some point and that our first duty is to survive and try to minimize what we give away. POWs often had great guilt for breaking down, but almost none ever resisted and survived. This was especially true of Vietnam-era POWs, where were subjected to heavy torture, compared to those of WW2, in the hands of the Germans (though more Western POWs than those from the Eastern Front).

The conditioning of the Queen makes for an interesting dynamic, as No. 6 has to deal with a woman who claims to be madly in love with him, to the point of being a pest; but, who is an innocent pawn of the Village's game. Sadly, this plot element is dropped after he keeps her locket, to make their transmitter work. It shows how disposable some of the female roles were, as they were damsels-in-distress to be rescued by No. 6; or pawns in the Village's game. Otherwise, the women were co-conspirators with No. 2, with no really strong example of a female character beyond that, aside from the female No. 2s. There is a certain level of enlightenment with the series; but, it is still a product of its time and only offered damsel or villain roles to women. The closest we will see to a female No.6 is coming up.

The human chess game is iconic and reflects medieval and renaissance games in European courts, where people would assume the roles of the pieces; or, as depicted in Richard Lester version of The Three Musketeers, animals might be used. The chessboard was a temporary set, erected at Portmeirion, but the imprint of the tiles left more permanent marks on the grass, as can be seen in the opening title sequence, as No. 6 crosses the green. Every year, the Six of One society re-enacts a human chess game, at Portmeirion. In 2016, a permanent chess board was erected there.

The chess master presents an interesting character, as he was obviously someone of great previous importance, who has been granted great leeway, within the Village. Perhaps he is the predecessor of No. 6, in mindset. The reaction by Rover is unique, as we were previously shown that special passes were needed to get past Rover. However, the script indicated that the walking stick had an electronic device that kept Rover away from him, though I haven't seen anything that indicated if it was the Village's doing or his own. I suspect the former, based on his presence there. As he says, everyone gives in, eventually and I assume he did and was later rewarded.

The episode was originally broadcast as 11th episode, but it was the 3rd produced and is considered the 4th, overall, by Six of One. There is some conjecture on exact ordering; but, if you look at the episodes as a chronological tale, there are specific ones where it is stated or implied that No. 6 is still a recent resident. He is more motivated by escape, in these episodes, while the Village is more motivated in learning why he resigned. Other episodes show him more settled into Village life and his actions are built around the Village trying to force him or others into specific behaviors, or new tests designed to break him or bend his will. It's not an exact separation, as these elements vary from script to script; but, those that were produced early in the run tend to revolve more around No. 6 attempting to escape and those done later tend to be more allegorical. McGoohan only imagined 7 (or so) episodes for the series, and those represent the key progression of his story, while the rest can be seen as more of the day-to-day activities, between his arrival and the events of the finale.

Peter Wyngarde is superb as No. 2. In the UK, he is best known for playing the chaarcter Jason King in the ITV adventure series Department S, as well as the character's own solo series. He is also noted for two iconic episodes of The Avengers: "A Touch of Brimstone" and "Epic." "A Touch of Brimstone" would inspire the Hellfire Club, in the X-Men comics, and their role in the Dark Phoenix Saga. Mastermind is given the true identity of Jason Wyngarde, a mixture of Wyngarde's last name and the first name of his most noted character. Other members of the Club are based on actors and their names match both given names and characters of their likeness, such as Orson Welles, who inspired Harry Leland and Donald Sutherland, who inspired Donald Pierce. Wyngarde also portrayed Klytus, in the movie Flash Gordon, under a very Doctor Doom mask, showing that a good actor could deliver a memorable performance beyond a still mask. Wyngarde oozes charm, but can just as quickly turn up the menace. There is an odd scene of him meditating, in a martial arts gi, when the Supervisor alerts him to No. 6's escape attempt. He then proceeds to chop through a board, before getting up. He is one of the most memorable No. 2s.



No. 58, the Rook, is played by Ronal Radd, who co-starred in the spy series, Callan, with Edward Woodward. There, he played the original Hunter, Callan's authoritative boss, who seems a law unto himself. There are many parallels between Hunter and his actions, including his hold over Callan (who is coerced into working for Hunter's department) and No.2, though Radd is portraying a pawn in this plot. His character is an electronics expert and his actions in the chess game suggest he was still a somewhat independent man, though he is soon broken. Perhaps he was a recent arrival, too.

Rosalie Crutchley is the Queen, but she mostly just gets to play a soppy dupe. Her pre-conditioning behavior suggests she is both intrigued by No. 6 and wary of him, unsure of whether he is warder or prisoner. She remarks that she has seen many attempts and can tell No. 6 what not to do. She strikes me as someone who is there because they accidentally encountered a secret, rather than because of regular knowledge or skills. My guess would be a clerk who was given the wrong file and talked too much.

Patricia Jessel is the psychiatrist/doctor, who makes for the more interesting female character, as she is a willing participant in the Village's experiments, though she seems to have a scientific detachment towards their implementation. She represents the perversion of science for more evil concerns, yet displays no moral quandary over the situation. She would have been an interesting recurring character, but is seen only once. Bee Duffell appears again as the 2nd Psychiatrist, after "Dance of the Dead." This is one of the reasons the two episodes are linked together, in viewing order debates. Similarly, Colin Gordon's appearances in "A,B and C" and "The General," is used to link those two episodes, as he clearly plays the same No. 2, right down to constantly drinking milk.

Patrick McGoohan provides the voice for the chess master's opponent, though you can see the man playing opposite.

This episode also features a different actor, Basil Dignam, as the Supervisor. In most episodes, Peter Swanwick portrays the bald Supervisor, who gives out the mechanical "Orange Alert" alarm, which leads to the activation of Rover. Swanwick and Angelo Muscat, as the Butler, appear in the most episodes, aside from McGoohan. Muscat appears in 14 of the 17 episodes in the series; Swanwick in 8. Swanwick had also appeared in Danger Man and an episode of The Avengers. He can be seen as the First Officer of the Shona, in the Humphrey Bogart film, The African Queen. Basil Dingman had also done Danger Man and was a regular player in many ITV adventure programs and often played figures of authority in tv and movies. He plays an admiral in the monster movie Gorgo.

Be seeing you!