Episode 13: The Prisoner (1967) Episodes 4-5

Why there. I'm Chris Stashu and I'm just Fired, and we are the host of the One Season Show, a podcast where we take a look at TV shows who only lasted one season from start to finish. Each month we'll tackle several episodes of the show, and on this episode, we are taking a look at A nineteen sixty seven's two episodes Checkmates and the Chimes of Big Ben for the prisoner. Now, mind you again, if you're following along with us, please do not forget that while it is episode four and five, these episodes are being played out of order, but in an order that is better suited by the six of one fan group for the show. But let's get right to it with Checkmate.

Patrick McGowan is the prisoner trapped in a streams terrifying prison. A lot of people are curious about replies behind your resignation. They want to know why it was something the left man like it was with a great deal on the open market. The information on your head is priceless. I don't think you will as what available property of the compount available property of con Checkmate, which we had previously I believe speculated that Checkmate, the title could insinuate that we might get an answer on the cliffhanger that we ended off before, as you and I surmised we did not.

Checkmate just refers to a much more interesting concept actually to me, and I always find this, I've seen it used in multiple things, but the idea of a human chessboard and where they voluntarily play and number six this is how we opened. We just opened them in the beautiful village, of course, and this game is being played, and number six voluntarily gets in and then starts getting chummy with the rook and starting he's pretty much shanghaied into being part of that board. Yeah, I mean, there's Number six. Everything he does, he's you know, manipulated into one way or in the other like that. And that's very much the over lying theme here is no matter how much he's trying to not be a part of this world and trying to figure out and trying to get away, he's always going to end up being a part of it in some way.

And in this case, he gets this very heavy handed metaphor of a human chessboard and heavy handed what do you mean? Whatever do you mean? And starts getting chummy with the rook and they start devising a plan and of course, you know, spy Shenanigans go awry. Plan doesn't work. Whatever was this guy that he's making the plan with?

Is that Tutton? No, so it's just another British gentleman or Northern European gentleman. So this episode again, it's directed by Don Chaffee, written by Gerald Kelsey. It stars, like you mentioned, Ronald Red as the rook. Peter Winguard plays number two.

Pretty well, I might add, yeah, I like it pretty good. He's one of the better ones that we've seen so far. I'm glad that they are recasting them every episode and they're really giving us these different characters that are different but at the same time feel very similar. Well, there was that. I mean, they're they're that Austin, you know, that quintessential kind of British villain, and they all embody a different type of British villain.

But they're all kind of cheeky and smarmy and funny and you know, charming to a point. I haven't you know, been totally put off by a of them. But they all you know, have their own little their own dark side there that that comes out. Then it kind of keeps you know, it definitely keeps the episodes fresh. At least it keeps at least that part of it.

It keeps fresh. It does help keep you know, I think some of the story and pacing and everything going. When you have that kind of charming character and charismatic character that's played by all these different kind of charismatic actors and actresses. It's nice to see because number two is not a person. It's in office essentially, so it can be anybody, any any person, any gender, any race, any any who.

Obviously, we've actually only seen character. We have only really seen a lot of white people in this show for the most part. It wasn't I believe there was an Asian character at one point. Yes, but I would like to point out that we're probably not going to see anyone other than white people. Oh no, I'm not, I'm sure.

And part of that is that there's hints that this might be behind the Iron Curtain or somewhere around that. So we have a lot of like Estonian and Russian and you know, more Eastern European and that area, you know, in general group groups of people. That's also reinforced in the next episode. Maybe again It's again, what what you don't ever know in this show until right about the end of the episode is how much of what they're talking about is real and how much of what they're talking about is a put on, And there's no way of knowing. I just kind of at this point where five episode or four or five episodes in, at this point, me personally, I just kind of assume everything that he's being told is a lie, everything he's being told is manipulative in a in a direction that benefits the village or this kind of like overarching greater good, as one might say from Hot Fuzz.

But yeah, there's a you know, oh we're you know, in Eastern Europe somewhere. Another're not. They're totally not. They're in a British aisle somewhere. And I'm not just saying that because that's where it's filmed.

They're clearly just like a couple maybe twenty thirty miles off the coast of the United Kingdom somewhere, right. Yeah, But they're trying, they try and create this illusion that he's surrounded by all these other presumables, you know, presumably these people who have held interesting jobs and where they would have information that people would want, so government jobs by jobs like his things like that, and so yeah, it's kind of it's it's just kind of formed for the times. I mean it was the sixties also, so and yeah, we're watching this and through twenty twenty visions, so which is God, it's hard not to and you can fault us for doing it, but at the same time, we are doing our best as reviewers to We're doing our best as reviewers to not let that sway our judgment of the shop, right right, And I mean that's you know, I watch a ton of stuff from from the from this era, so yeah, it's it's just watching something within a prism of time.

But I think that this episode is I mean this episode, they're straight up torturing people like there are there are some dark undertones in this village and that are that are dealt with very casually. Even Buy Number six, whose whole thing in this is figuring out why he's there and what's going on, But he's pretty nonchalant and really nonplussed about some of the like you know, more egregious things that are happening in here. And even if he is sort of you know, upset by it, he's not doing a whole lot, and he then just kind of slides right back into the norm of everything anyway. So it's kind of weird because I mean, at one point, like what they're there, they have this guy, and but it's is it like a hot box?

Is that what they're doing? Is it? I guess so like it's some kind of like sana or whatever, you know, like just like oven where you're you're standing in and he and he you know, they're turning up the heat because they want to get information at him. So they're straight up torturing people. And number six is you know, he's kind of concerned about it, but he doesn't.

He does end up like work working with this guy later, but still there's never any real sense of urgent. He never really seems that upset by. I don't know if it's like a put on or if that is the reality that he just doesn't care or its Patrick McGowan. Uh, yeah, so I watched I watched some interviews with Patrick McGowan and yes, I read I read some things about him. What did you see?

I saw that he is exactly what we talked about on our last episode. He is a stodgy brit And you know, like we mentioned him turning down the role of James Bond because that role was quote to promiscuous. To the interviews that I've seen and they're all on YouTube, um and some of the things that I'm sure you've read that I've also read, he does not sound not like a pleasant person to be around. But he didn't sound like he was the most fun, right, Yeah, And I was reading that, you know, the show he was in Danger Man, which is essentially just TV James Bond. He never kissed like who like, never shot anybody, never kissed anybody, and never he did drink because I know Patrick McGoohan was actually a drinker, So there's he was that one thing.

But yeah, I I and I guess we So I was reading more about him, and I was reading an article just about how like this show got made and everything, and there were just some bits from the cast and crew, and notably somebody said that they were convinced that Patrick McGowan was having a nervous breakdown and effectively committing it to celluloid in this show. And I mean, I guess, you know, I guess I could see that he was extremely hard to work with. I guess he was people didn't like to fight. They hated the fight scenes because he'd actually like punch people for real, which in this next In these episodes, I think I noticed more fighting than in um, you know, maybe some previous ones or maybe I don't know, it's just stuck out.

But yeah, he was pretty volatile to work with, and I guess he was very committed to this show, so he definitely wanted to be there. I know we were kind of discussing we couldn't really get a read on that last episode, but but yeah, no, he was very committed to this and I don't know, it's a very interesting piece and it obviously it's interesting to know that it means or meant a lot to him. I don't I don't know how what those feelings are now is what is Patrick mcguin too? Is he still with us? He has?

He is long gone, eleven years ago. Okay, all right, So yeah, some of the interviews I saw with him, I didn't even recognize him. He has like he has like he has like mutton chops and like long hair, and I was like, wow, that's weird. Yeah, yeah, exactly, So that was kind of that was kind of my response. Yeah, I mean, look, you know, think of him what you will, but what he brings to the role is exactly what the role needs.

Yeah, and there's I think that that does come out in this episode because there's kind of this weird so basically there's there's a plot and a plot be happening in this neither of them really go anywhere, um as per usual. Oh yeah, that is aiden this might be a reoccurring trend. And the first is as we've talked about him teaming up with the rook to kind of you know, devise another escape plan that's not inevitably not going to work. And this other b plot where this woman has been what was she number thirty six? I can't I can't remember.

Um has been kind of the queen Rosalie Crest. Yeah yeah, and she's been what like sign him fighting him. Yeah yeah, but it's like posed she's tailing him because obviously she's spying on him and spying on him. When you know that that becomes apparent. But uh yeah no, at first, it kind of seems like they put her in there to be like here act like his sort of like girlfriend wife thing that'll kind of like calm him down, and there's scenes where he's acting like like they are kind of playing that sort of domestic role and it's kind of weird, but in in kind of a fun way because it just seems like you can tell that, you know, Number six is very clearly playing with this person and she has to very clearly play back.

So it's just kind of a a who's going to crack first sort of deal, and I kind of love that chemistry that they had there well. And the other thing, like we've been saying, is you know that this is ultimately going nowhere, so it's kind of interesting, but at the same time, you're just like, Okay, this isn't going anywhere. This is ultimately going to end in her turning out to be which she obviously was. You knew that, but he didn't, you know, or maybe he did her as a spy, so great, right, yeah, Like, and that's generally what these episodes are generally comprised of. The am B plot and generally the AMB plot are pretty much what these are.

It's he devises a scheme with one person and then another person is spying on him, and sometimes the person he devises the plan with is the person who's buying on him. Yes, now, let's talk about The Chimes of Big Ben, also directed by Don Chaffee, written by Vincent Tilsley, stars Naughty A Gray as the new Number eight and Leo McKern as the new Number two, but this time around, Number eight, again played by Nadia Gray, is actually given a name, Nadia Rakovski. She's a swimmer, I guess, and she arrives in town, tries to escape the village and ends up being brought back as everyone normally does, and in doing so, she and Number six make a plot to escape, and for all intents and purposes, you think that they do until they don't, right, And I do want to note that specifically on Amazon, which is again what we're watching this on, this episode is number two in their order, which I'm glad we did not watch this as number two because it does feel like an episode like it.

Despite the fact that we have like talked about, you know how all of these episodes sort of seem like you're jumping in the middle of it. This episode at least did feel like the episodes that happened before and actually happened before it because there's talk of him, you know, do you remember your first time being you know, being drug? You know, basically when when Nadia shows up, Number two is asking Number six if he remembers like what it was like his first time there, And if we had watched that, like in the second episode, I would have been like, what the fun? How long have you been here? Already?

It doesn't so I am glad. I do think that at least this in our chosen order does kind of feel like it makes sense in a way. Yeah, I think if we had watched this immediately, it had been like, all of a sudden, you know, he's trying to escape and ope, here we go, like right. But but to be fair, at the same time, we've seen this so many times now that it just does kind of feel wrote. But at the same time, I also went, oh, maybe he actually is going to escape exactly.

I liked, you know what, I did like this episode. I liked this episode a lot actually because I liked him and I like the fact that, you know, Nadia shows up. She's this woman who also you know, they've brought her here for information and she just really can't hack it, so she tries to swim her way out of it. Obviously that doesn't work and she almost drowns. They bring her back and you're kind of interrogating her, and Number two like straight up says, oh, I don't even you know, she's not even worth the trouble.

I don't know why they even brought her here, and you just kind of feel like, oh man, so they're just like okay, and just because we still don't know who's you know, we have an idea, but we don't know who's bringing these people in or why they're being brought in, or who all of these people are, whether or not they are all our spies, or you know, what other other jobs they've had, or whatever incidents they've had that you know, have given them information that's privileged. So I liked the chemistry between them and the actual like escape plan. And yeah, I liked the sort of twist which you know, like you said, Chris, we've watched this, we know the formula, and even if I know that this is, you know, how I know a mark of an actual successful episode is like, even though I know your formula and I know where you're going, if you do make me question that for a couple of minutes, I think you've done like a decent job that episode that that particular you know swing because like you said, we've seen this formula every episode and it's true here too.

He does not actually escape, but how they how they do it and how you know, he realizes is just sort of a it's just good. It's it's good writing in that case, it's good set design. It's just it's kind of good drama. Like it's good drama and you almost feel like, okay, like, now what's going to happen, like are they on the same side as the village? What's going on here?

And and yeah, I enjoyed that reveal. I mean, we do learn that the people that he used to work for our in on this right explicitly in on this right, which yeah, because of course it's revealed at the end, like yeah, oh hey, I also want to know why you resign, because that's the whole thing is nobody knows why number six resign and he knows all of this stuff, and they don't have any reason as to why, so I mean, I understand the suspicion, but yeah, it's it's all very elaborate. But also this was another episode that I felt was pretty relatable given you know, just relevant to us and our current living situation and everything. So there's a point in this where I believe it's number two. He says, both sides are becoming identical on both sides once they see the mirror realize that it's the same on the other side, that's when real change can happen.

And that's when, you know, that's when people can mobilize. But if you can keep them at odds and keep them thinking that they can strive for better than somebody else, then you kind of hold the power over them. And that I don't know, that speaks to me, and you know, just in general society, that's fair. I know, I completely understand. I like the idea of the bait and switch with him getting away, but at the same time, were five episodes into this show, He's not getting away, right, I could have done without the whole essentially last third of the episode being them in boxes and him being his usual kind of prickly self.

Towards number eight, I could have done without it because I knew he wasn't getting away. There's just no way. There's, you know, twelve more episodes of this show, right, And as much as I like, I maybe let my guard down for a moment. There's no way that this is where the show is going and where he's away from the village after five episodes, right, Like, the only way that would happen is if they could actually bring some people back into and then it turns into kind of a an invasion. Yeah, they have to go back to there to get the people out or something to that effect.

That's not where this show is going. Now. We've known that from the get go. We know that the show will end at the village, and it's that is kind of the issue with this show watching it in twenty twenty, is we know that the show, even if we don't know how the show ends, we know that he never gets away in the run of the show until the final episode. So every episode being him just trying to get away and them figuring out a new way to stop him.

It's not that it's boring, it's just how many more times can we do this before one of us goes, Okay, maybe don't keep going back to this, well seventeen times, because don't forget they even had to try. They tried to have him escape in the first episode, right, yeah, I mean, I mean that's fair and I can definitely see Yeah, I can definitely see where you're coming from. I don't know. I still I think I'm fine with it though, because I think, you know that overwhelming way that it's it's it's what the show's about. Sure, No, I agree, I just I think going I think my issue is going this far?

Is the problem going as far as like, oh, he escaped, wink wink, Like okay, Like, would you have preferred if this episode happened later? Yeah? I think I think this episode would have benefited from being later in the show's run. Don't you think I could see that? Yeah, Like I said, I'm glad that.

I'm definitely glad we didn't watch it as number two as as Amazon. Just if you're watching it, don't do that. Don't watch it on Amazon the way they have it evidently. Um, so, yeah, I do think that this would have been you know, I can definitely see it being more effective of happening later on, because because they do, they do well a good job at at you know, kind of trying to trick you. And I think that I agree, it would have had more impact later on, and it might have been a bit more crushing because he had been had so even more episodes between like the first and that one, So yeah, I could see that.

I just I think I think for me, just going as far as this episode went, with the They get Away this early on in the show's run, I think it's a little bit of a misstep. But that is only because we're watching this order. Sure, but to be fair, if we watched it in the order on just Amazon, it would be even worse. Right where does where does this fall on the other order? As I'm curious, it's the it's in the first five for all of them.

Yeah, the first five episodes are aside from the first episode, two, three, four, and five are in a variety of orders on most of these episode guides that we've read. Maybe maybe at the end of this podcast there will be a special one season show ordering. I mean there may have to be, because um, this episode shouldn't be this early on. Yeah, I mean we could, we could totally do that if we would be a bad idea special one season show weigh and we need to weigh in our opinion on the show, and maybe we'll get it on. We'll get our version on Wikipedia.

We could just put it on. Yeah, it's true. We can. It's Wikipedia. We'll just do that.

That's that's what makes Wikipedia great and subsequently awful at the same time. I will tell you, though, I do like Leo McKern as the new number two. He's my favorite number two that we've seen up until this point. All Right, I can dig that. Yeah, I agree.

I I like him, and I do. He has a good look to him, Like he has like a very unique look. Yeah, he does. Is like he should be in some like Hammer horrories. And he also has a glass eye.

And he also is not British. He's Australian. Day there we're going. So I actually recognized him from a film that I'm sure I'm going to take a lot of flak for liking, but I liked it when I was in high school. I still like it.

I also like the source material, A Man for all seasons, I have a team. It's uh, it's it's pretty good. It's a little dry, but I definitely enjoy it. If you're into kind of period pieces and uh, you know, standing a film about standing by your convictions, it's definitely in the wheelhouse. But I like Leo McKern in this episode a lot.

He kind of steals the show, all right, Yeah, yeah, I know, I agree. I like him. I like I said I would, I would like to see him in some if he was in some kind of you know, like Edgar Allan Poe adaptation that they were doing in the late sixties like that, I think that that would be some great casting. Yeah, I totally agree, but but yeah, he he does not get away again. That's that's sort of where we're probably always going to end with these episodes.

But I did. I liked these two more I think than maybe a couple other ones, because I think that they at least the chemistry with other characters was really good. The other characters were interesting. It's nice seeing more. I do like the like oh this, Now that he's not the brand new one, we are seeing other people come in and I like that.

I like the potential that has. And you know, I do see where you're coming from, Chris, because again, this show does have a lot of potential, and it just kind of feels like it doesn't end up going anywhere. And when I was reading on it, it from the general consensus was that nobody really had any idea and what where this show was going. That that Patrick mcgoughan was just kind of wighing it as he was going. Now, there's conicting thoughts because I guess during at the time, like when the documentary was filmed, he was saying he knew where it was going, but everybody else was kind of same that that was full And I say this kind of agree with them.

I'll say this much. If the show can be watched in any order, they didn't know where they were going. Yeah, I'm going to agree with that. I know that some of it's like a production thing. Yeah, I know some of it's like a production issue at the same time, but let's be honest, if you can watch this show in any order or multitudes of different orders, they had orders, Yeah, exactly, they had no idea where they were going.

And I will not hear anything to the contrary. That's a don't don't try to put one over on us, Patrick McGowan, because it's not gonna work. And I'll buy you had a full fledged artistic vision. Yeah, what are we talking about on the next episode of the one season show. On the next episode, we're going to be talking about episodes six and seven ABC and the general role.

Yep, we are we'll see. I bet in one of those episodes he almost gets away and then gets pulled back to the village, or maybe both of them, probably, but I want to see more Robert. We didn't get to see a little bit of him in these episodes. We got to see a little bit of him, but he didn't do anything. Now he's just threatening.

He just rolled through town all threatening like, and everyone just stopped and watched him roll on through town. Yeah. Yeah, So while we're not here, where can people find you? Jess? Well, you can find me on Twitter at writer Jess Byard.

You can find me twice a month on your show, Chris, The Culture Cast, movie themed podcast. Every month's a different theme, and you can find us on our other podcast, Scary Stories We Tell, where we talk about all kinds of true crime, unexplained phenomenon and horror culture that surrounds it. So if any of that kind of none of that stuff tackles your fancy, feel free check it out. And what about you, Chris, You've already mentioned you know a lot of the stuff I've done, You and I have done together obviously our podcast at this point, it's it's an ever growing number chronicles from the Crypt Life and Times of Barney Miller, Dreams for Sale, Culture Cast, that's it. Twitter, Casualty, Underscore, Chris is where you can find one season show.

Dot com is where you can find us the rest of the show. We've done two seasons up until this point. We're technically on our third season. Now go check those out. Every season is a different show, which means if you're not into the prisoner and sci fi, you can go check out us talking about a sitcom from the mid two thousands, or a werewolf show from the early or I guess the late eighties.

So if that's more of your jam and this isn't, go for it where That's the point of this show is to talk about stuff all over the place and kind of give a broad range of topics. So we are on Twitter at one season show and the music for the podcast is mustaches and Martinis. We'll catch on the next episode.