HAMMER INTO
ANVIL
Written by: Roger
Woddis. Directed by: Pat Jackson.
Number 2: Patrick
Cargill. Guest star: Basil Hoskins.
A girl commits
suicide after a harrowing interrogation by Number Two and the Prisoner is
determined to avenge her. In a community where everyone is suspect, even
the sadistic Number Two can be brought to a state of paranoia and mounting
terror as The Village seems to close ranks against him.
Number Six takes the upper hand in a big way here, utterly crushing the spirit of Number Two by using his own paranoia against him. Patrick Cargill was seen in a smaller role in "Many Happy Returns", although here he plays a totally different character. A favourite episode of mine, always remember your own boss has his masters too! IT’S YOUR
FUNERAL
Written by:
Michael Cramoy. Directed by: Robert Asher.
New Number 2:
Derren Nesbitt. Retiring Number 2: Andre van Gyseghem. Guest stars:
Mark Eden, Annette Andre.
Cry wolf often
enough and no-one will believe you when the cry is genuine! This simple
truth provides The Village with an ingenious method of discrediting The
Prisoner when he discovers an assassination plot against the retiring
Number Two. With not even the intended victim believing his warnings, The
Prisoner runs a desperate race against time to discover a secret
transmitter, the signal of which will detonate an explosive seal.
Viewed on its own "It's Your Funeral" works quite well, however within the context of the series it falls down rather badly. The idea of "Appreciation Day" where there is a ceremony to replace the outgoing Number Two is a total fallacy, since we have seen him replaced suddenly on so many occasions already. The bomb in the seal of office would surely have blown up everyone in its vicinity had it been detonated, including the would-be assassins! Not then, one of my favourite episodes although in its favour, it does star Annette Andre! :-) A CHANGE OF
MIND
Written by: Roger
Parkes. Directed by: Patrick McGoohan.
Number 2: John
Sharp. Guest stars: Angela Browne, George Pravda.
The Village
leaders convince Number Six they have performed brain surgery on him in an
elaborate scheme to make him tell them what he knows.
We have seen on several occasions how the Village is afraid to damage its prize asset and this is illustrated again when they pretend to give Number Six a brain op but, instead, drug him to convince him he has in fact, been lobotomized! Number Six takes full advantage of their reticence and swiftly turns the Village against Number Two, condemning him to the fate he had planned for Number Six. You would have thought they'd have incapacitated him by now with all the damage he has caused! DO NOT FORSAKE
ME OH MY DARLING
 Written by: Vincent Tilsley. Directed by: Pat Jackson.
Number 2: Clifford
Evans. Guest stars: Nigel Stock, Zena Walker, Hugo Schuster.
Professor
Seltzman is the inventor of a process which transmits the mind and
personality of one person into the body of another. But Seltzman has
disappeared and the Village want him back! The Process is used on the
Prisoner. His task – find Seltzman or remain with his mind trapped in
someone else’s body!
With a plot that was used to better effect in "The Avengers" (and they were playing it for laughs) and the almost total absence of PMcG who was away filming "Ice Station Zebra", this episode is without doubt the weakest. Some obvious back projections do not help matters and Nigel Stock fails to convince as the transplanted Number Six. Definitely my least favourite episode! |
