The Prisoner, Night 2

Episodes 3 and 4

Last night's episodes were "Anvil" and "Darling".

"Anvil" is about 6 becoming an undercover spy for 2. In it we learn some things about the village.

In "Anvil" 6 asks the question we've all been waiting for: "Who is number one?" Apparently, there is no #1.

"There is no number 1, there never has been, and there never will be. The concept of the number 2 is an act of humility. The title reminds us all that we are all public servants."

Ok, so that makes the place sort of communist/socialist. Everyone has their role, and everyone should be treated the same. This is not the case.

It's evident in that there are groups of similar houses, but there are different groups, from #2's palace, to the A frames in 6's neighborhood, 147's family neighborhood, to 909's trailerpark; each area has their role and a stereotype.

"Darling" is about 6 falling in love, or at least thinking he's falling in love. In this episode we find out that the village has been messing with 6 while he's sleeping. Pretty much every night. This time, they are manipulating him to fall in love, and be with the girl that he was with in New York before his abduction. There's also holes in the ground, what the hell they are about, we don't know.

We also get to find out more about what 6 did at his former job, but not very much.

Some things I noticed.

1. Everyone in the village seems to have blue eyes. The only person that I really noticed that didn't have blue eyes, was Lucy (415). Oddly, the brown eyed girl is also blind (or acting that way). Did 6 have brown eyes in New York? Looking at the pictures from the show, it seems everyone doesn't have blue eyes. It sure seemed like everyone did last night.

2. "Anvil" almost had a classic opening sequence. It did show him resigning, which he did on the first night. So that was kind of cool.

3. All the vehicles have the steering wheels on the right, except for the golf cart. Why, dunno. Do all golf carts come with the steering wheel on the left?

4. The teaser commercials are really pissing me off. "What's with the holes, we'll tell you in 30 seconds" after this subaru commercial... and then ... the teaser is crap. It doesn't tell you anything.

5. 11-12 has a relationship with 909.

6. Rover can light up and vaporize people.


Night two was a lot better than night one. We know that the outside world is real. Is this all a dream?

Tonight is the conclusion. Does he escape? Does he take anyone with him?

If this is just a dream, I will be very disappointed.

The Prisoner

(It says "other thinking" so this is more of that)

Last night I watched the first two episodes of The Prisoner, on AMC. It was OK. That's about it. The episodes last night were "Arrival" and "Harmony". "Arrival" was close to the original. "Living in Harmony" was one of the original episodes that took place in the old west. This one didn't have anything to do with that. It seemed closer to being "the Schizoid Man", than an old west episode.

I did have some thoughts on the show...

1. They could have actual alcohol? In the original alcohol was not allowed in the village. Several of the episodes referenced that it was a dry community, including a part where 6 was drinking with 2. In the new re-imagining, alcohol is available.

2. They did throw a couple of bones to the old style, in that in 93's apartment, there were lava lamps, that brought a smile to my face.

3. It kind of started the same as the first, in that when 6 first arrives in the village, he gets in a cab and asks to pretty much leave, but the cabbie says he's local only. In the new village, the residents don't seem to know they aren't in the rest of society, whereas in the original, they all seemed to know they weren't from there. Why would the cabbie say he was local only, when there is nowhere else?

4. The new map scene was funny.

5. The don't do the salute with "be seeing you". That really saddened me.

6. Why are they giving 6 a love interest? Especially one who seems as tied to the village as she is. Is he going to make her escape?

7. I am saddened that the beginning doesn't have the familiar "we want information..."

8. There hasn't been a reference to a number 1 yet. Number 2 seems more godlike than number 2 did in the "Chimes of Big Ben" when everyone made the art in honor of #2.

Those are just a few of my thoughts. If you would like to watch the original it's available on AMC's website, here. Granted the original show wasn't perfect, and had some serious plot and consistency issues, but it seemed a bit better than the new imagining. There's 2 more days of it, and I'll watch. The original seemed like a David Lynch film. The new, seems like they want it to be, but just can't pull their inner Lynch.

There will be more... oh yes.