Customer Reviews

The Prisoner - Set 5: The Girl Who Was Death/Once Upon a Time/Fall Out [VHS]

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<The Prisoner> It is a lovely day in the Village now that A&E has released the final episodes of "The Prisoner" on two DVDs as Set 5 of the complete collection. Here we have the wonderful spoof of all spy films, "The Girl Who Was Death," in which the ubiquitous villainess (Justine Lord) is always one step ahead of the beleaguered agent (McGoohan) and in which we have the cleverest of all twist endings in the series.

But Prisoner-lovers will want this set especially for the final two episodes. There is "Once Upon a Time," in which an early Number 2 (Leo McKern) risks his very sanity to break down Number 6--and, we are told, the actor actually came close to or just into a nervous breakdown during the intense filming. And of course, the "resolution" to the series, "Fall Out," in which the elusive Number 1 is finally (and literally) unmasked and revealed as the only logical person it could have been.

I have to admit to a slight dislike of the smugness in this last episode, especially that of the character of the young rebel (Alexis Kanner, who had been featured in the "Living in Harmony" episode earlier in the series). But since McGoohan himself, in all probability, wanted only to keep us mystified throughout 17 episodes--4 more than he had originally planned-- I strongly suspect never really had any concrete idea of what the ultimate "revelation" would be until most of them had been filmed. But who cares? It is a lot of fun, once you toss logic to the winds and take the whole thing as something out of Kafka and/or Beckett and/or Orwell.

The second DVD hold as two special bonuses a detailed overview of the series, "The Prisoner Video Companion" and an even more revealing 16 mm home movie taken by the Production Manager, showing how the scenes were actually shot around guests staying at the location that is now world-famous for being The Village.

Be seeing you.

I remember watching the reruns of The Prisoner when I was a schoolboy, and I have had a fascination with the series (and the village of Portmeirion in Wales, where it was filmed) ever since. The excitement as the screening of the final episode, Fall Out, neared, was palpable. I remembered blitzing every store in my hometown with posters I had made myself, encouraging people to tune in to find out the identity of the mysterious Number One.

I was not disappointed with the conclusion, and don't think any true fan would be. It is in keeping with the spirit of the entire series. Technically, Fall Out is rather a shambles; apparently the episode was put together in a rush, and edited at the eleventh hour; it certainly shows. The continuity is embarrassingly bad. As usual, the dialogue veers between inspired and pretentious. But that is all part and parcel of the unique Prisoner experience.

This final episode is without doubt the most memorable. Kenneth Griffith (The Girl Who Was Death) and Alexis Kanner (Living in Harmony) both make return guest appearances, as does the greatest Number Two, Leo McKern. It is in this episode that Number Two emerges as an equal and fellow-prisoner with Number Six. The conclusion is deliberately ambiguous (perhaps why so many disliked it), and leaves the viewer exhilarated after a climax that is playful, euphoric and victorious at the same time as it is melancholy, foreboding and haunting. The London and Portmeirion locations are a further treat for those who got fed up with some of the studio-bound earlier episodes. The music, as ever, is an eclectic selection of tunes and effects, but is perhaps the most memorably and excitingly scored episode of the series.

Also on this edition are Once Upon a Time (which segues into Fall Out, and follows the final, dramatic confrontation between Number Two and Number Six) and The Girl Who Was Death, an unusual episode which was never intended to be part of the original series, but which is fun nevertheless.

This review is based on the "Channel 5" VHS video release of the 3 epidodes. The DVD version will provide additional material.

For those of you who don't know what The Prisoner is then I suggest you buy the first 4 sets and watch them in order - you won't be disappointed. Basically, the storyline involves a kidnapped British secret agent who wakes up to find himself prisoner in a village populated by captured agents, scientists and politicians from both sides of the iron curtain. The authorities want to know why he resigned from his job, but as he doesn't know which side is running "The Village" he resists and they are forced to invent new and original ways to extract the information from him...

These are the last three episodes from the series and all three rank in my top 5 favourite episodes list, but are very "non-typical" when compared to the rest of the series.

The first episode, The Girl Who Was Death, is almost a comedy episode and, if this is the first time you've seen it, may confuse the viewers into thinking they're watching a different show. In this story, Number 6 is back in England working as a secret agent and trying to track down an arch criminal who has already killed another agent. As McGoohan picks up the trail he faces multiple attemps on his life by a female assassin until he eventually tracks her back to her lair and untimately to the master villian himself. As the story progresses you start to wonder what the script writer was smoking! The assassin's assualt on McGoohan during the car chase is absurd... until the ending clears it all up. The second time you watch it you can then relax and enjoy it for the classic it is... without having to worry about some of the weird situations. 10 out of 10.

The last two episodes, Once Upon a Time and Fall Out, are really a single, double length epidode. Leo McKern returns as everybodys favourite Number 2 and engages in the ultimate high-stakes battle to break Number Six from which there can be only one winner. Here, Number 2 regresses Number 6 back to his childhood and then guides him through major points in his life in order to win his trust and extract the reason for his resignation. ...

As endings go, this one is about as final as you can get, but a lot of questions go unanswered and are left to the viewers to decide for themselves. Years later, the meaning of Fall Out is still being hotly debated by the legion of Prisoner fans. I have my own personal opinion of what happened, but I'll keep it to myself. Does anyone else find it interesting that when Number 6 gets back to London and enters his old home that the number above the door is "1"? Hmmmm

Back in 1967, an allegorical television show emerged that has yet to be topped by any other English television series. The show: The Prisoner. Starring Patrick McGoohan, he plays the role of No. 6, a former secret service agent who resigned for unknown reasons and then finds himself knocked unconscious and trapped in a seemingly peaceful place called "the Village." Each episode features a new No. 2 (with a few exceptions), who watches his every move and strives to find out why he resigned. The only superior is the unseen No. 1, the supposed ruler of the Village. The only other characters that reoccur are The Supervisor (also called Controller), played by Peter Stanwick, and The Butler, played by Angelo Muscat.

In "The Girl Who Was Death," Number Six avoids a series of assassination attempts while "on duty" as a secret agent. An offbeat episode that was probably meant to parody the previous Danger Man series. In fact, one character from that series appears here as the same character, same actor...

... ah... now we get to the last TWO episodes of the series! Finally! How do they measure up you ask? Read on...

In "Once Upon a Time," Number Six deals with the same Number Two from "Chimes of Big Ben" (played by Leo McKern, from "Candleshoe" and "Ladyhawke") as he undergoes Degree Absolute. It is a one-week, last-man-standing psychological struggle in which Number Two hopes to FINALLY break down Number Six. A STRANGE episode, filled with mindboggling clues is meant only to be viewed once you've viewed the others. TRUST ME.

And finally, "Fall Out" has Number Two revived and Number Six placed before an underground court. They allow him the ability to leave whenever he wishes and to lead the Village as he sees fit. Alexis Kanner, who played The Kid in "Harmony," returns in a different role as Number 48. Both Number Two and 48 show signs of rebellion, and the Butler follows Number Six. Most likely represents how people automatically follow the strongest leader like blind sheep.

The final episodes upset the fans... and for good reason! Where is the Village?! Who is Number One?! In the episode, he meets Number One, who is holding a glass ball. In it, it shows The Prisoner's face and suddenly, Number One is revealed to be... him?! How is he Number One, and why? That's never answered. My theory is that it's symbolism for every man's desire to be "Number One" in life, to be the top dog. After all, his address is 1 Buckingham Place. Not a coincidence.

Even if you don't really know why he resigned, McGoohan almost plainly tells you... In "Chimes of Big Ben," he says he "resigned out of conscience." In "Once Upon a Time," he says he resigned "for peace. Peace of mind. I know too much." He probably felt the pressures of his job. Can you imagine the pain of being a secret agent and knowing EVERYTHING about someone, plus on top of that, people will always be out to get you?? This probably represented his feelings at the time. After all, he was fed up with "Secret Agent Man" and wanted to do something different, something surreal. With that theory in mind, I have no qualm about McGoohan revealing why. Of course, at the end, people think the cycle started over. I don't want to believe that; I prefer to believe that he actually escaped the Village, but he has a new "Village" to face... an even larger one.

The song "Dry Bones" is actually taken from a Biblical passage in Ezekial. It talks of Jesus resurrecting skeletons in the desert and then they were covered with flesh and blood again, as if they were anew. When Number 48 sings the song, the underground society grows wild. The Prisoner Companion referred to this as The Prisoner being The Prophet, an unordinary man sent to make change in the world. Whoa, the Prisoner... the equivalent of Jesus? No joking.

Oh man, this series is one of the most mind-warping series ever devised. It's a great allegory and impressively produced. I will never forget it and it's such an inspiration for me to write stories with hidden symbolism and overtures. Mr. McGoohan, I thank thee for such a fine show.

Here concludes Patrick McGoohan's classic miniseries about ex-secret agent "No. 6," and his struggles to understand and escape from "The Village," where he's held by unidentified captors. Here is where the series transforms from offbeat spy thriller to surrealistic allegory.

In A&E's revised, "fan-preferred" order, "Girl Who Was Death" remains immediately before the two-part finale. This supports my theory that "Girl" is more than a comedy (with one disturbing detail -- children as interrogation tools) thrown in to fill space. Instead, "Girl" seem deliberately intended as part of what's been called "one of the cruelest juxtapositions in the history of television"*. "Girl" also indirectly foreshadow the final episode by using both actors and sets appearing therein.

A&E's order IS unique in pairing "Girl" with "Living in Harmony" (set 4), which seem like serious and comic treatments of the same scenario; No. 6 is placed in an imaginary setting and given an imaginary identity to get information from him.

After the relatively lighthearted "Girl" comes the dark, grim, and intense "Once Upon A Time" -- an episode stressful enough to give guest star Leo McKern a heart attack. "Time" is the first half of the series finale, written and directed by McGoohan.

A returning No. 2 insists on "Degree Absolute," the ultimate last-resort method that carries the risk of death for either No. 2 or No. 6. It's a kind of perverted psychoanalysis performed in a subterranean chamber designated The Embryo Room, under a one-week time limit. The descent into The Embryo Room begins a motif of descent that will continue into the final episode.

Through electronic brainwashing, No. 6 is regressed back to childhood, then brought forward to the pivotal decision his captors want explained -- why he resigned. But the process must be repeated many times, and No. 2 grows increasingly anxious with each failure as the deadline approaches. As the final seconds tick by, a voice commands, "Die, six, die." But it's No. 2 who gasps, "Two ... one ... " and falls over dead. What's puzzling is that there's no apparent cause, except possibly a bottle of liquor. My speculation is that No. 2 is somehow physically and mentally linked to No. 6 during the initial brainwashing, so that either one of them can push the other one over the edge.

"Time" concludes with a cliffhanger that I feel should have made it into TV Guide's 100 Greatest Moment in Television --

-- which brings us to "Fall Out," the episode that forced McGoohan into hiding because it so angered viewers who wanted concrete answers, not an enigma.

"Fall Out" replaces the standard introduction with a recap of "Time." We then find out where the series was filmed -- in the grounds of The Hotel Portmeirion in North Wales. I find it ironic to learn the real location in the episode that forces us to question whether The Village is really a physical place.

The motif of descent continues as No. 6, the Silent Butler, and the Controller descend from the Embryo Room to yet a lower level. The dreamlike logic of the episode begins immediately as we hear The Beatles "All You Need Is Love." This is one of several unexpected musical items encountered in "Fall Out," two other of note being two pop/rock-oriented bit of incidental music, one upbeat, the other balladic. The music and the elaborate soundtrack in the fourth act make me really wish this episode had been remixed for surround sound.

The first three acts of "Fall Out" concern an official proceeding -- which No. 1 appears to be watching from a remote location -- inviting No. 6 to either lead or leave The Village. We're warned the affair will be be tedious, but it's also downright bizarre. No. 2 is resurrected, using a technology that involves shaving his beard and cutting his hair. Another sort of resurrection is seen in No. 48, played by Alexis Kanner, who was "the kid" in "Living in Harmony." The OFFICIAL word is that there's no relationship to that character, but I like to think otherwise. And since McGoohan has given everyone permission to find their own meaning in this episode, I feel free to do so. At one point, No 48 and the entire assembly of robed figures dance to the spiritual "Dry Bones," A fully orchestrated performance of the song is heard on the soundtrack, and presumably in the assembly room. This is the most direct religious reference in the series.

Finally, it's time for the meeting with No. 1, which involves yet another level of descent, into a room we recognizable from "Girl." From this point forward, I can't really describe the action, partly because "That would be telling," and party because it involves the same sort of challenge you face when trying to tell someone about a nightmare that scared you to death, only to have them say, "THAT scared you??"

The main point to be made is that if you're looking for a concrete resolution such as "It's the Russians," or "It's his own people," you'll be frustrated. The ending forces you to rethink the whole idea of The Village as a physical place, run by any sort of external, real-world organization. Instead, we must see The Village in a more spiritual/psychological light. It's a state of being -- a physical manifestation of the darker sides of humanity.

"The Prisoner Companion" is a decent introduction to the series, but watch it AFTER you've seen "Fall Out," because it contains one major spoiler.

"Behind the Scenes" is an interesting collection of "home movies," shot during the making of the series, and explained by production manager Bernie Williams. Among the items is footage of the original Rover, before they decided on the weather balloon. My only complaint is that I wish this feature and the interview with Williams in set 3 had been combined.

*THE OFFICIAL PRISONER COMPANION, by Matthew White and Jaffer Ali.

Another classy A&E project is completed in style. (Now, when are we going to get the rest of the Honor Blackman Avengerses?)
But what's with the jacket notes?

We are urged to study "the mind-numbing conclusion" in "laborious detail." After all, "viewers were confused, outraged, or puzzled. Which category will you fall into?"

Entertained or Satisfied are not options, I guess. Is this just extreme carelessness with words, or last-minute sabotage by an employee who secretly despises the show and its fans? A final Prisoner mystery.

Anyway, it's a wonderful series if you don't take it too seriously. A few episodes are dreadful clinkers, but the good ones are as good as TV gets. ...the best of these DVD sets for someone just sampling the series is Set 3--two of the very best and most coherent episodes, and one not-at-all bad; true, you don't get the first episode that way, but you don't have to sit through "Dance of the Dead" either, and the premise of the show is recapped at the beginning of every episode anyway.

And don't take the order of episodes given in the DVD set too seriously either, even if some fan group did approve it. One of the pleasures of the series is deciding for yourself which order the episodes should go in--there's plenty of room for disagreement.

Don't get me wrong, the series is fantastic. One of the best paranoid fantasies I've ever seen. But A&E messed up when putting the show on DVD. First they used a debatable order for the episodes and now with Set 5 they have taken the final 2 episodes (which really NEED to be viewed back to back in a 2 hour sitting) and placed them on 2 separate discs.

They should have either saved the alternate Chimes of Big Ben from the first disc and moved the order down by one, thus making set 5 the final 2 episodes plus a disc of bonus material OR taken the bonus material and added it to "The Girl Who Was Death", leaving the final 2 episodes alone on the final disc.

Patrick McGoohan, was a genius in putting this show together. I have viewed the entire series several times now, and I am still mystified by the writting and the acting. For me the last several shows are the most difficult to watch. Ideas are nebulous, and resolution isn't fully sought. Its amazing that over thirty years later this classic remains timeless, and a bar set for other adventure shows to attain.

I'm surprised at how almost everyone has written off "The Girl Who Was Death" as a bit of whimsey on McGoohan's part. Certainly there's humor in it (the "You have just been poisoned" message found at the bottom of the glass of ale is printed using the usual and distinctive Albertus font, seen throughout the entire run of the series), but as we find out at the end of the episode, Number Six has supposedly been reading a fairy tale to children that we can only assume belong to other Villagers who have adapted to their captivity in the Village only too well.

When Number Six closes the story book, we see Number Two and an assistant, back at Number Two's residence, who have been watching and listening to Number Six's tale, and who express frustration over the fact that it was their hope that when Six was put in the company of children, he might (but didn't) let down his guard even a little bit. What you eventually find out (but only after watching "Fall Out", the final episode) is that Number Six is slyly announcing to Number Two (Six can only assume he's always being watched at this point in the series) as well as to the viewing audience, that he knows at least one of the deep, dark secrets of the Village (there's a missile there in an underground silo) and he's told them that he will destroy/launch it in the final episode. Number Two as well as the viewers, however, remain clueless, and prefer to write off the episode as a waste of time.

I'm sure that this viewpoint could be debated, but I'm fairly positive that McGoohan was really pulling a fast one on the viewers of the series, giving them a small preview of the final episode without saying it flat out. I don't see how he could have written "Girl" without having had some inkling of how he was planning on ending the series. It makes complete sense that "Girl" would be included in the final volume with "Once Upon A Time" and "Fall Out".

The Prisoner was a great series, and these were entertaining and important episodes. Just bear in mind, like Nightstalker, or Man From Uncle, or other series that you recall fondly, the actual episodes can be slower and less involving than you remember. Just saying.