Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Prisoner: Harmony


What an interesting show.  It is a rarity that a series contains a glowing ball of goo which erases memory/kills/incapacitaes people, fake family members, and disappearing oceans.  

Let's start with the goo ball that keeps prisoners from reaching the crystal towers.  It seems to have erased the memory of 6 or at the least scrambled his brain.  Yet it killed 6's fake brother almost immediately after he admitted his rouse to 6.  Is it controlled by 2 or is 2 a prisoner as well and not the warden as it seems?  Speaking of 2 I forgot to mention that he spoke to the cab driver right before the cab driver "inadvertently" saved 6 from the exploding restaurant by slowing him down with his "nice guy" conversation.

Is there no money in the village?  Does that make the village communist?  In truth, it seems to be more like a dictatorship where 2 holds all the cards and informs people of their position in life.

The talking doctor is obviously scared of 2, as is the cab driver and his wife.  12 is not scared of 2 but even being the son of 2 is cold and somewhat aloof when talking with him.  Is it important that 2x6=12 or am I placing undue importance on numbers because of my love of Lost?  Is it possible to overemphasis the importance of numbers on a show where every character is numbered?

Do the people of the village interact with the real world in some way?  When 6 drives his bus is he actually driving a bus in the real world?  Is that how radio and water waves seem to phase in and out of this unreality?  Are the inhabitants of the village under some kind of augmented reality hypnotic distortion field?  Maybe the village is some kind of reality show.  Could it be a Truman show where criminals minds are erased and then reprogrammed to fit into this quasi Utopian society?

It seems like characters that 6 convinces about the unreality of the village are quickly killed off, why does 2 (or whomever is in charge) not simply kill 6?  Could the doctor with the crush on him and a fondness for Status of Liberty sketches be next?  Maybe the pleasant cab driver?

Is 6 valuable to kill off because of what he does in the real world?  From what he described he is some kind of analyst.  He's evidently good at his job considering he was able to identify the women he picked up as more than she originally let on.  Did 6's former employer place him in this "prison" to get his priorities in order and push him back on the job?  Did 6 kill the lovely lady he picked up in the coffee shop?

Wouldn't it be terrible if 6 was in fact some kind of sociopathic killer that was imprisoned because he lives in a post death penalty society?  That would certainly make him difficult to root for.

Last post I mistakenly identified the woman in bed at 2's house as the pleasant doctor with the interest in 6.  Obviously I was mistaken, I'd thank the people who corrected my error, but seeing as I am fairly sure no one is reading my "The Prisoner" posts I will hold my thanks.  I'm guessing the colored pills are some kind of meal replacement.  Based off 2's comments to the talking doctor (about his son not liking him if he knew the truth) I'm wondering if he is responsible for he current condition.  Maybe too much glowing goo ball does creates a permanent catatonic state? 

I noticed in the credits Jim Caviezel was listed as both 6 and Michael.  Did I miss him introduce himself as Michael or have we not learned that yet in the series?

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