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Originally Posted by Hip Priest
Depends how you look at it. The series is not to be taken entirely literally - there are many times when 'reality' switches to allegory. The series as a whole is a series of symbolic warnings aout psychiatry, politics, education, science, morals etc.
Split the series into three parts; the first, up to and including 'Checkmate', involves number 6 attempting to escape his captors; the second, from 'Hammer into Anvil' onwards, sees number 6 competing with his captors on their terms, attempting to overcome them rather than run from them. The third, comprising the last two episodes, takes us away from all normality. That especially applies to the final episode, Fall Out, which was conceived and written in a very short space of time to end the series quickly (more episodes were planned, but the sheer expense of the series was bleeding ATV dry).
The Prisoner is about the Individual versus Society; the revelation that number 6 is in fact also number 1 is a comment that the control inflicted upon us by government and society is ultimately executed by individuals, and part of that control is the phenmenon of our own self-restriction, our fear of positive action or being individual. We construct our own psychological and spiritual reality - therefore it is malleable, and we can positively determine it's nature, providing we are up for the fight. The fight, as is realised by number 6, is not neccessarily and external, physical one, but also an internal, psychological one, although in both cases it takes strong individuality to overcome obstacles. Compare The Prisoner to other distopian visions (eg '1984') and it is clearly a more positive, liberating message that is being propogated.
Referring back to the themes of parts one and two, number 6's physical fights only beat the limited opposition of the village's own thugs; the real aythority, from 'Rover to Number 2, is untouched by such tactics - the first time number 2 is really made to suffer is in 'Hammer into Anvil'.
At the start of each episode, the following discourse takes place:
No6: Who are you?
No2: I am Number 2
No6: Who is Number 1?
No2: You are Number 6
Is that official response a refusal by Number 2 to answer the question, or is it an early hint at the reality, that can be grammatically altered to
No6: Who are you?
No2: I am Number 2
No6: Who is Number 1?
No2: You are, number 6.
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