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Question: Why did Number Six keep wearing his number when he always maintained that: “I am not a number…..I am a free man!” Also; does anyone out there know the Prisoner’s real name?
Maurice
Fatguy wrote:Question: Why did Number Six keep wearing his number when he always maintained that: “I am not a number…..I am a free man!” Also; does anyone out there know the Prisoner’s real name?
Good questions! He did remove his number pin on at least one occasion, but beyond that I’ve often wondered the same thing. Perhaps he just accepted that he must wear it, and decided to rebel in more productive ways. Or maybe the ever stylish No. 6 just thought it was a nice fashion accessory. 😉
Are No. 6 and John Drake the same?
As for the second question, it was never revealed, but many suspect that The Prisoner was a sort of sequel to Danger Man (Secret Agent) and McGoohan’s character there was named John Drake.
I think he was usually up to something in each episode, so taking off his badge would have drawn attention to him.
Well, I’ll preface this by saying this is all just my opinion, which of course is always the case when it comes to interpretation of The Prisoner.
Pat McGoohan once said in an interview ( and I’m paraphrasing here ) that he beieves that we all walk a fine line between conformity and freedom. Sometimes one must know when one has to work within the system in order to beat the system. He mentioned that having to sign in at the front desk to do the interview reduced him to a “number” so to speak. The interviewer asked him why he didn’t just refuse. He said something along the lines of having to pick and choose his battles over when to be labeled and filed. He went on to say how it’s just a condition of living that we do need some order, or the world would fly apart.
So I think him wearing his number was an effort on his part to make the small concession in order to further his larger agenda. Sometimes one cannot be overt in their defiance, although Number 6 certainly was at times.
Also, if he hadn’t tried to fit into the village at least a little, he never could of gotten any of the other Villagers to get anywhere near him for fear of the consequences.
To my knowledge, Number 6’s name is never mentioned on the show, or in any interviews. Of course, I could be wrong.
Hmmm. I believe he only wears the badge in the Schizoid Man, when they are trying to convince him he’s Number 12, and in Free for All, when it has the ruffles on it for the election.
Logan. I think you have the same avatar as me… no you don’t… yes you do… no you don’t…. 😀
Pet;D
pet wrote:Hmmm. I believe he only wears the badge in the Schizoid Man, when they are trying to convince him he’s Number 12, and in Free for All, when it has the ruffles on it for the election.
Logan. I think you have the same avatar as me… no you don’t… yes you do… no you don’t…. 😀
Pet;D
Pet is right. Also, in Arrival when he’s given his ID and credit card, but he ditches the badge as soon as he can.
I’m sorry Pet, but I think Logan’s avatar has the cooler HAT! 😉
MM
(Help! I’ve lost my # and don’t know who I am!!)Delurking…..:
Came back to say that I feel that I may have unwittingly been leading many down the garden path with my thread – a combination of bad memory (keeps getting worse) and a hastily manufactured topic. I only recorded the last episode and can not even get pictures of Number Six in his usual clothing; so I am going on twenty year old memories.
Nice to see some familiar faces I must say; a pleasant distraction from the grim reality most of us in the health care area are facing in Toronto. SARS has come back big time in Toronto and my work puts me with the institutions and people who deal with this on the front lines. Was almost quarantined a second time last Sunday but a goof up in hospitals kept my freedom for this week; and so it goes – now know three people who have died from SARS over the last two months….. This was the reason for my impromptu return to Sadgeezer – when I saw Logan’s new forum on The Prisoner – I just could not resist…..nostalgia…..
However; I just wanted to state that I never intended to steer any Prisoner fans into responses that were colored by my initial post. I am a fool – and those who follow in the footsteps of a fool…..So now you have been warned. I never really realized how comfortable I was with this crowd until I left. OOOps – almost deleted this…..take this post for what it is – Take care.
Maurice…..back into the woodwork he goes…..
”Micromary” wrote:pet wrote:…Logan. I think you have the same avatar as me… no you don’t… yes you do… no you don’t…. 😀 Ah
Pet;D
…I’m sorry Pet, but I think Logan’s avatar has the cooler HAT! 😉
MM
(Help! I’ve lost my # and don’t know who I am!!)[/quote]Well I’m confused, who is Number 6? 😉 I like the Drake hypothesis myself. As to who has the cooler avatar, it’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.
Fatguy wrote:I just wanted to state that I never intended to steer any Prisoner fans into responses that were colored by my initial post. I am a fool – and those who follow in the footsteps of a fool
Hmm, no probs about leading anyone down The Village path, it’s good to be kept on our toes (though I have wondered the same thing, among the most recent eps I watched were Arrival, and Free for All). But I suppose it’s good as a general rule to heed that old Village axiom when in doubt: “A still tongue makes a happy life.” 🙂
”Micromary” wrote:I’m sorry Pet, but I think Logan’s avatar has the cooler HAT! 😉
Yes, I would have to agree, but they are equally cute!
MM
(Help! I’ve lost my # and don’t know who I am!!)You could be pi. Are you pi?! Someone must be pi…. Everyone likes pi! 😆
Pet (Drake Drooler #48 ) ;D
pet wrote:MM
(Help! I’ve lost my # and don’t know who I am!!)You could be pi. Are you pi?! Someone must be pi…. Everyone likes pi! 😆
Pet (Drake Drooler #48 ) ;D[/quote]
I would be cherry pi, but I lost my…… ummmmmm, NEVER MIND! 😉
MM
(I’m the BUTLER!! The Butler doesn’t have a number.)”Micromary” wrote:MM
(I’m the BUTLER!! The Butler doesn’t have a number.)I’d quite like to be Rover, he doesn’t have a number either…
And speaking of the Butler, I call my “little man” the Butler. 😉 Oops, 😳 that have have come out wrong — it’s a baby.
As to who is Number 6 really? Yesterday I was at the bank and had to decide on a three digit PIN (personal identity number). I felt like rebelling ‘I am not a number…” but…
Anyway, I originally decided on a “No6” PIN as it would be easy to remember — though in typical Prisoner fashion I refuse to wear it 😉 — but then i realised that the numbers at the bank those letters and number made was 666 (same on a telephone). So, is he the devil? That would explain some things.
Logan wrote:And speaking of the Butler, I call my “little man” the Butler. 😉 Oops, 😳 that have have come out wrong — it’s a baby.
As to who is Number 6 really? Yesterday I was at the bank and had to decide on a three digit PIN (personal identity number). I felt like rebelling ‘I am not a number…” but…
Anyway, I originally decided on a “No6” PIN as it would be easy to remember — though in typical Prisoner fashion I refuse to wear it 😉 — but then i realised that the numbers at the bank those letters and number made was 666 (same on a telephone). So, is he the devil? That would explain some things.
😆 Yes, I’ve heard you guys give “them” names. 😉
Well, if No6 is the Devil, then The Village must be HELL…..
(Actually, if we’re going to get religious here, and remembering McGoohan’s devout Catholicism, The Village would be more like Purgatory.)
MM
I always thought that the prisoner was an unofficial spin off from Danger Man, making him John Drake.
I think there was some legal problem where they weren’t allowed to take the name, so they gave everybody numbers so it couldbe assumed but not stated.
There was an episode in Danger Man where he gets into a village in Russia which is just like an English village where they train spies.
nursewhen wrote:There was an episode in Danger Man where he gets into a village in Russia which is just like an English village where they train spies.
You must mean Colony Three, Hee Hee!
http://tv.petserrano.com/dangerman/colony_three.asf
I don’t think it’s ever stated that it’s Russia or the Soviet Union, just that it’s Communist and 300 miles from anywhere else… though that could easily be Siberia, I suppose. 😆
Pet;D
”Micromary” wrote:😆 Yes, I’ve heard you guys give “them” names. 😉
Babies you mean? 😛 Oh, I see, I missed the Mr. Winky. 😉
”Micromary” wrote:Well, if No6 is the Devil, then The Village must be HELL…..
(Actually, if we’re going to get religious here, and remembering McGoohan’s devout Catholicism, The Village would be more like Purgatory.)
It may be a sort of psychological purgatory, but then again perhaps it’s closer to eternal damnation with no possible true redemption (a hell that he has created for himself). As evidenced by the initial and final scene of No. 6 driving his Lotus, we could surmise that he is caught in a perpetual loop (to paraphrase LEXX, a sort of pennyfarthing cycle of time) where events will repeat themselves again and again… And like the devil, he has two faces (or am I thinking of Janus? ;)) One is light (Lucifer) and the other is darkness (Satan). Can he face and accept his true self? Can he learn to love himself? Only then when he confronts, admits to, and accepts his darker secrets and his darker side can he achieve true redemption, but he doesn’t. He admits to little to nothing… (I’m getting very silly, take no notice) ;)).
NurseWhen: I’ve read the same thing, and Pet’s presentation is most convincing. Pet, that is awesome, blows me away!!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
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