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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Prisoner: I am not a number, I am a free man!
 
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Jai Guru Dave
Jan 3, 2008
Nothing's gonna change my world

Whybird posted:

I love that on Jan 28, 1968, a vast quantity of the British public turned on their televisions hoping to see Patrick McGoohan and Leo McKern do badass spy things and ended up watching what was effectively a piece of experimental theatre about the seven stages of life.

Like, at this point I think the Prisoner was getting viewing figures on a par with, say, Lost or Breaking Bad or something.

It does raise the question of what the British public were expecting with "Fall Out." I don't think a 21st century perspective is necessary to guess that this weird series was gonna end weird. Although - eh, I'll save it for Fall Out.

* # ¿ Oct 5, 2016 16:46
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# ¿ May 18, 2024 12:11
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Jai Guru Dave
Jan 3, 2008
Nothing's gonna change my world

remusclaw posted:

One of the most important things I think can reiterated for a modern watching audience, is that unlike today, where you can pause and rewind to see the face of Number 1, there was no such convenience back then, and the reveal was there and gone in a flash of low quality non HD probably 21 inch or smaller TV.
This was McGoohan's one mistake - he says in the indispensable interview below that he didn't want to spoon-feed the viewer. But it was absolutely possible to see that sequence and not get that it was McGoohan/No. 6 under the mask. Yes, No. 6 and No. 1 had identical expressions - but that was only for a split-second. You got a good look at No. 1's maniacal face as he escapes - but it's not like we saw that expression a heck of a lot in the series.

And More posted:

I have a hard time reading this last episode as literal. The sheer amounts of insanity that occurs indicate to me that there is no literal explanation. The village, the prisoner and the entire show become a metaphor for the individual's struggle for individuality. The reveal, that the prisoner is No. 1, only shows that the greatest threat for the individual is the individual itself. When the butler finally enters his house, and the door closes automatically, it takes the metaphor away from the village entirely. The world is the village.

Here is an interview with Patrick McGoohan in which everyone smokes. They also talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiIUnCMpGbM

edit: I meant the butler.
I can't recommend this enough. Death of the Author notwithstanding, McGoohan directly addressed a lot of questions here, and I enjoy the series more for that perspective. No. 1's identity, for example, was NOT supposed to be ambiguous - I thought until then it was.

Hank Morgan posted:

My pet theory is that the Prisoner never really escaped. The village just became global instead.
I adore this theory. One of my many very favorite parts of the whole series was the end acting credits. Kanner, McKern and Muscat get individual name credits. McGoohan is "Prisoner." Not even "the" prisoner.

There was a snarky series of episode reviews from the BBC linked earlier in the thread, and I think it was useful to read a point of view from someone who clearly hated the series. The series, and ending, may have been self-indulgent, but it was completely sincere. It was not a middle finger to the audience. And while McGoohan may have had a bit of a superiority complex over those who don't agree with his diagnosis of society, I don't believe he thought he was so superior that he "beat" the Village in the series, or the "system" in real life.

The series, the ending, and the message hold up beautifully today. Unfortunately for us.

* # ¿ Oct 12, 2016 16:21
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The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > TV IV > The Prisoner: I am not a number, I am a free man!