A couple of weeks ago the world lost a great actor and sharp storyteller: Patrick McGoohan. Though his roles were many and varied through film, television and stage, he is best known to the SF fans amongst us as Number Six from the classic British series The Prisoner. This show, which had a limited run of 17 episodes, was deep and engaging, but also kind of confusing. In honor of Mr. McGoohan, we thought it would be fun and enlightening to rewatch the series and discuss it as we go along.
Fittingly enough for as controversial a series as The Prisoner, even the episode order is under dispute. Though there are no less than four preferred viewing orders, I have chosen to go with the order proposed by Six of One, the Prisoner Appreciation Society, which was also used for the A&E DVD release in the United States. AMC, which is making the episodes available for free streaming via their website, has opted for the order in which they first aired in the UK.
Day 1, Episode 1: The Arrival
This is, of course, the episode that introduces us to Patrick McGoohan’s character and the setting for the seventeen episodes of the series. The lengthy and dialogue-free opening sequence tells much of the story, including his “arrival” in the Village and his efforts to find both who is in charge and a means of escape.
It’s too soon for anyone to really know what’s going on–if in fact, we ever get a clear explanation. Questions may be a burden to others (and answers a prison for oneself), but not to us… So what questions do you have and what do you think is happening so far?
McGoohan’s protagonist is not a person you’d want to spend time with in real life. He comes across as a cold-hearted lone wolf, a reckless, aloof individualist with inflexible personal convictions who doesn’t care about anyone besides himself. He thinks himself superior to everyone else and immune to their influences.
He resigns his espionage job without making any attempt to discuss the issue with his superiors, even though he realizes that he “knows too much” to be let go. He shouldn’t have been surprised to find himself detained, and yet, it seems, he was. It’s as if he has no imagination for the consequences of his actions. Perhaps that’s also why he’s so quick to resort to violence, both against radios and people.
From the moment of his arrival, he shows his fellow Villagers zero respect, even though they’re invariably polite and sympathetic to his plight. He’s unmoved by the tears of his personal maid and Cobb’s lover, and shows no compunction about leaving the latter behind when he makes his big escape attempt. If he’s ever going to escape, he’s going to have to learn to cooperate with other prisoners.
Number Six is not someone who commands a lot of respect in my book. And he’s supposed to be the HERO of the series? I wonder to what extent McGoohan resembled his protagonist.
Hey cut the dude some slack Stephen. I think most of us are cranky when we get gassed, kidnapped and have our lives toyed with. I know I am
Besides he is correct to be aloof since everyone he meets is out to betray him, inadvertantly betraying him or brainwashed.