Random jibberish

Of the 17 total episodes of the late-1960's series, the only ones whose places in the viewing order are indisputable are episodes #1 ("Arrival"), #16 ("Once Upon a Time") and #17 ("Fall Out"). All the other episodes have at various times been broadcast in a different order due to several reasons, including that the series was originally going to include only 13 episodes but that four more were added as the filming progressed (including "Living In Harmony", which wasn't broadcast in the U.S. for several years because of its alleged Vietnam allegory), so there may have been confusion as to where to place those four episodes in the broadcast order.

In my next post, I'll list every "Episode Order Debate:" entry for each episode from the DVD cases that'll explain why the "fan-preferred viewing order" is the best order to watch the series - there'll be a slight "spoiler warning" to that list, though, thus the need for me to list them in a separate post.

To use the old cliche: It was definitely ahead of its time. I can particularly say that now that I've finished watching the entire series on DVD.

Also, it turns out that Patrick McGoohan's (who played the lead character Number Six throughout the series) TV and film career continued long after The Prisoner was over - among other films, he played King Edward I (Longshanks) in 1995's Braveheart and the ghost of The Phantom's dad in 1996's The Phantom.

If you insist...

It's interesting, but somewhat disconcerting, when watching beautiful young women in old movies/TV series (I guess the same goes for women when they watch handsome young men in old movies/TV series)... once you realize that they were young and beautiful then, but are now either dead or very old, it's just not the same.

By the way, did the other female actresses who replaced Diana Riggs once she left the show take over the role of Emma Peel, or did they play completely new characters?


GO EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

As promised, here are the "Episode Order Debate:" entries for each episode of The Prisoner as they appear on the back of the DVD cases, explaining why they were placed in the "fan-preferred viewing order" that they were:

(If you want to see the "fan-preferred viewing order" list without the explanations, I posted the list a few posts back)


[SPOILER WARNING]...









































1. "Arrival": Anyone arguing that Arrival doesn't belong first when viewing the series is unmutual!

2. "Free For All": The second episode to be filmed, and titled "Episode Two" on the Location Shooting Schedule, Free For All is often broadcast fourth. This edition returns the episode to the second slot. Watch for a reference to Number Six as "a recent recruit."

3. "Dance of the Dead": Number Six says, "I'm new here" to the maid, and responds that he arrived "quite recently" to Dutton, making Dance of the Dead a very early episode. Filmed as episode four, this was shown 8th during the original UK screening. It slips nicely into third.

4. "Checkmate": The Chess Champion says, "You must be new here. In time, most of us join the enemy - against ourselves." Checkmate will be our fourth episode.

5. "The Chimes of Big Ben": Because of the long time-frame over which this episode takes place (the Arts & Crafts show is six weeks after the start of the story and a mention is made of a "gap of months" that Number Six has been missing), this story must not be treated as an early episode (it was originally broadcast second). It appears now as the fifth episode.

6. "A, B, and C": After the Village failure in The Chimes of Big Ben, drugs could conceivably be the next step in determining why Number Six resigned. A, B, and C is placed sixth in the viewing order.

7. "The General": Having the same Number Two as A, B, and C (Colin Gordon), it seems that this Interrogator was given another chance to break Number Six. The General features features a Number Twelve who has been in the Village "quite a long time," so this has to precede The Schizoid Man, an episode that also features a Number Twelve!

8. "The Schizoid Man": A February 10th date is shown at the start. The story goes up to February 2st, when Many Happy Returns begins. This date can be determined by the 27 days in which Many Happy Returns takes place (including 25 days at sea). We can then count backwards form the Prisoner's birthday at the end of Many Happy Returns on March 19th. Thus Schizoid must precede Returns and must be shown after The General, as there is a Number Twelve in the former story as well!

9. "Many Happy Returns": The story takes place over 27 days. THe plot ends on March 19th, Number Six's birthday. Working back from this date, we determine that he awoke to an empty Village on February 21st. Since we know that Schizoid Man ends on February 20th, we conclude that these must be back-to-back stories!

10. "It's Your Funeral": Away from the Village for four weeks in Many Happy Returns, Number Six would have no way of knowing how many Number Two's came to power during his absence. He is therefore unable to challenge the film evidence showing the unfamiliar Number Two faces.

11. "A Change Of Mind": Number Six finds that being shunned is uncomfortable, but we find that this story fits comfortably after It's Your Funeral. His ability to turn the tables on his captors gets stronger as the series progresses, so A Change Of Mind fits very well here.

12. "Hammer Into Anvil": We now see Number Six so self-assured and strong that he commands the story from the start. We place this 11th to give the viewer more time to forget that Patrick Cargill was in a previous story!

13. "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling": Another defeat for Number Two, but this is largely due to Professor Seltman! The first 13 episodes were completed (including Once Upon a TIme) when Patrick McGoohan headed for the States for filming of Howard Hughes' favorite film ("Ice Station Zebra"). Once back, he was free to complete work on the remaining stories.

14. "Living In Harmony": This is another attemt at drug-induced mind manipulation from a more and more desparate Village administration. It is apparent from the story that this episode falls late in the series - a resilient Number Six figures out the ploy in an instant. We place it 14th out of 17.

15. "The Girl Who Was Death": Possibly made to extend the series, this spy-spoof story is another victory for Number Six, and its humor fits in nicely before the two stark series-ending episodes.

16. "Once Upon a Time": Filmed as the 13th episode for the first season, the decision to end the series with 17 stories moved this to the penultimate position. No one argues that this episode precedes Fall Out!

17. "Fall Out": The explosive end to the series has always been shown in slot 17.



I hope that helped!

GO EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

Oops... that should be February 21st, not February 2st.

Sorry about that.

GO EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

But not toward the Rover.

 

Though each episode was more-or-less a self-contained story, there were hints and clues that some episdoes took place before or after certain other episodes. I guess that's what the "fan-friendly viewing order" rectifies.

If you skip it, you'll never find out how it all ends up.

Even The Prisoner has an example of this: the blonde lady who played the doctor (Number 86) in "A Change Of Mind" was really cute... but then I realized that that's how she looked like back in the late-1960's, not now.


GO EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G