Replies

Explain The Prisoner ... yea, people've been trying to do that for 37 years now.

Yes, it's all about control. That part is obvious. After all, No.2 wants information, information, in-formation. But the question is, who's doing the controlling? (Who is No.1?)

Depending on whether you take the series as an action spy series, an analogy, political commentary, or a Christian allegory, you can come up with lots of answers.

For instance, in Change of Mind society tries forced Social Conversion on No.6. Is society the oppressor? In The General regimented learning is the control de jour. Maybe it's the schools. In Free For All everyone votes for No.6 for No.2's job, but it's a sham, the new No.2 takes control regardless and No.6's disabling the security system prompts nobody to escape. After all, in a democratic republic, the oppression you endure is the oppression you voted for.

Each No.2 tries a different trick; No.6 never gives up, and sometimes wins, but he never gets free either. All the different controls on us, but who's running the show?

In the end (Fall Out) of course a very unusual thing happens which I won't spoil here (the web has plot summaries if you want them) but the upshot is: who is it that controls us? Us. In the allegorical sense of The Prisoner, we're all each responsible for our own sin and doom. The prison we're in is of our own making.

Those are all possible answers. There are others. No answer is "the" answer. Certainly Patrick McGoohan has never come out and said "I meant *this* interpretation and not *that* one."

Besides, answers are a prison for oneself.

It has been many years since I actually watched the program.

I recall seeing every episode on AFN when I was in Germany so long ago. At the time I was enthralled by it. I had recently prior to that time taken some college courses involving cinema. I thought back then that I was really beginning to appreciate movies as an "art" form.

I was very impressed with some of the French directors from the 1930's and 40's. I had intended to follow some German courses which were about the first serious uses of propaganda. I never did though.

The Prisoner was so full of metaphors that I could not even keep up with them, and so I have long intended to get them on tape. A couple of Christmases ago I received the 1st four episodes on DVD. Naturally I have not watched them yet.

I very much appreciate your comments on the subject.