Episodes of "the Prisoner"
Created | Updated Sep 5, 2002
This page is intended to provide a logical guide for the original transmitted order of the 17 episodes of "the Prisoner" by Patrick McGoohan. Also incuded is a description of each episode and details of alternate episodes.
EPISODE:
1 : ARRIVAL: An unnamed man resigns from a job of the highest security position. After handing his resignation in he is followed back to his house by a hearse. The man enters his room and stats packing his suitcase when he is gassed. He wakes to find himself in a village that appears to be like the holiday camp from hell. The citizens of this Village do not wish to leave, they do not wish to do anything. The man finds escape is impossible and is called 'Number 6'
QUOTE: NUMBER 2- For official reasons everyone has a number, yours is 6.
NUMBER 6- I am not a number I am a person.
NUMBER 2- Really.
2 : THE CHIMES OF BIG BEN: Number 6 gains a new neighbour, Number 8 (Nadia). They become friends and start to plan an escape method after number 8 originally tries to escape by swimming out to sea but is captured by rover. The plan to escape is simple. Build a boat exhibit it in the arts and crafts show and escape by night by sailing away. The plan seems to work but escape is not possible.
3 : A.B.AND C.: The new number 2 is under pressure from the top to discover why number 6 resigned, to this end he uses a new wonder drug to tap into number 6's dreams and alter them to see what would have happened had he not been in the village. Unfortunately for number 2, Number 6 discovers the plots and proves that he only wanted a holiday.
4 : FREE FOR ALL: Elections happen in the village, and Number 2 decides that Number 6 should stand for the New Number 2.
NUMBER 2- Are you going to Run?
NUMBER 6- Like blazers the first chance I get.
Number 6 Wins the election but his plan to meet number 1 is flawed when he discovers that the whole Election was a sham.
5 : THE SCHIZOID MAN: Number 6 becomes Number 12 in the village's latest attempt to break him. A second Number 6(.1) (who looks identical to NUMBER 6.0) is used to make Number 6.0 break down. the plan fails and the imoster is attacked by "Rover" when it gets confused by the two being together.
6 : THE GENERAL: Speedlearn the new method of learning is being tested in the village. Number 6 discovers a Tape from the professor which tells that speedlearn should be staoped. Number 6 sets out to do this but gets caught. He is taken to meet the General, a giant computer that can answer "any" question put to it. Number 6 asks if he can give it a task. He is allowed to and types four keys on the typewritter before feeding the paper into the converter which produces a computer feed sheet. The professor feeds this into the general which promptly blows up, killing the professor and two others.
The question - "W-H-Y-?"
7 : MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Number 6 wakes to find the village desterted and imediately sets out on an escape plan. Using a raft that he builds out of logs he sets sail for England. upon arrival in London, he goes first to his own home and finds it ocupied by "mrs Butterworth" he gives his name as "Smith-Peter Smith" before using HIS car to go back to work to show proof of the Village and find its location. He ends back up in the village after the pilot of the plane he is in ejects him out of the plane over the village.
8 : DANCE OF THE DEAD: Number six finds a body washed up on the beach. On the body is a wallet and radio, the body and wallet are used with a rescue note and the radio works. Number 6 is found out though and is invited to the village carnival where he is put on trial and sentenced to Death.
9 : CHECKMATE: The human chess game needs a Queens pawn, Number 6 gets the place. after the game number 6 is told how to distinguish the warders from the prisoners and uses it to get some fellow prisoner to work on an escape plan. The plan fails when one of the group uses the method on number 6 who ffails to escape the village.
10 : HAMMER INTO ANVIL: Number 6 is apalled when number 2 forces a young woman to kill herself. Number 6 then swears revenge on number 2 and sets out on a camaign to break him. Number 6 succeeds where all of the number 2's had faied.
11 : ITS YOUR FUNERAL: The new number 2 wants to kill his predessor when the cermony to take his place happens. Number 6 finds out and has a race against time to save the NEW new number 2.
12 : A CHANGE OF MIND: Number 6 is declared unmutual after a fight. he is given "instant social conversion" in a fake operation that is designed to make him believe he is changed. The method does not work the way number 2 planned and number 2 is eventualy forced to flee the madding crowds.
13 : DO NOT FOSAKE ME OH MY DARLING: Number 6 wakes up in his London home with his memory of the village wiped. When he looks in the mirror the memories return as the face in the mirror is not his own. Number 6 sets of to find his friend Professor Seltzman who deveolped a process for transferring the brain waves of one man to another. Number 6 is followed to Austria where he meets up with the professor who believes his story after hand writting comparisons. both men are captured and number 6 returns to his own body.
14 : LIVING IN HARMONY: An anerican stranger resigns from the position of sherif and ends up in harmony. He reluctantly becomes Harmony's new sherif but refuses to carry a gun until the violence becomes too much and he is forced to kill "The Kid". In the latest attempt to subvert number 6, Number 2 drugs him (6) and uses an artificial reality to attempt to break number 6. The events of Harmony though become all too real as number 2's two helpers become too involved with "the kid" killing the Girl in both Harmony and the Village.
15 : THE GIRL WHO WAS DEATH: Number 6 tells a story to the village children. The story is of how he saved London from destruction by Schnipps, (number 2) who wants to bring back the age of Napolean.
QUOTE: NUMBER 6- Goodnight children...Everywhere.
16 : ONCE UPON A TIME: An old Number 2 returns to bring about the end of number 6's resistance or be destroyed himself. He uses Degree Absolute where three men enter but only two may leave. 6 is reversed to his childhood and has to relive his life, the conditioning breaks down, the tables are turned and number 6 eventually defeats number 2 who dies just as the time ends for degree absolute.
17 : FREE FOR ALL: Having survived the final test, Number 6 is taken to the fall out chamber to judge Two disidents of the Village, Number 48 (Modern Youth) and the OLD Number 2 who is resurrected. The ensamble of village representatives agrees to let number 6 (by now SIR) to meet number 1. This turns out to be an alternative version of himself so he does the only thing possible to end the village, he blows it up after leavin in part of the previous episode's set. He escapes with Number 2, Number 48 and the butler.
ALTERNATE EPISODES: There were two eisodes that were never shown on regular television as they were made as trials. These were Arrival and The Chimes of Big Ben. The latter was recently released on DVD in the UK with the Former due for release on the 35th aniversary DVD in september 2002.
The series still works in todays world and will always remain popular as it started the CULT Phenomenom
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EPISODE:
1 : ARRIVAL: An unnamed man resigns from a job of the highest security position. After handing his resignation in he is followed back to his house by a hearse. The man enters his room and stats packing his suitcase when he is gassed. He wakes to find himself in a village that appears to be like the holiday camp from hell. The citizens of this Village do not wish to leave, they do not wish to do anything. The man finds escape is impossible and is called 'Number 6'
QUOTE: NUMBER 2- For official reasons everyone has a number, yours is 6.
NUMBER 6- I am not a number I am a person.
NUMBER 2- Really.
2 : THE CHIMES OF BIG BEN: Number 6 gains a new neighbour, Number 8 (Nadia). They become friends and start to plan an escape method after number 8 originally tries to escape by swimming out to sea but is captured by rover. The plan to escape is simple. Build a boat exhibit it in the arts and crafts show and escape by night by sailing away. The plan seems to work but escape is not possible.
3 : A.B.AND C.: The new number 2 is under pressure from the top to discover why number 6 resigned, to this end he uses a new wonder drug to tap into number 6's dreams and alter them to see what would have happened had he not been in the village. Unfortunately for number 2, Number 6 discovers the plots and proves that he only wanted a holiday.
4 : FREE FOR ALL: Elections happen in the village, and Number 2 decides that Number 6 should stand for the New Number 2.
NUMBER 2- Are you going to Run?
NUMBER 6- Like blazers the first chance I get.
Number 6 Wins the election but his plan to meet number 1 is flawed when he discovers that the whole Election was a sham.
5 : THE SCHIZOID MAN: Number 6 becomes Number 12 in the village's latest attempt to break him. A second Number 6(.1) (who looks identical to NUMBER 6.0) is used to make Number 6.0 break down. the plan fails and the imoster is attacked by "Rover" when it gets confused by the two being together.
6 : THE GENERAL: Speedlearn the new method of learning is being tested in the village. Number 6 discovers a Tape from the professor which tells that speedlearn should be staoped. Number 6 sets out to do this but gets caught. He is taken to meet the General, a giant computer that can answer "any" question put to it. Number 6 asks if he can give it a task. He is allowed to and types four keys on the typewritter before feeding the paper into the converter which produces a computer feed sheet. The professor feeds this into the general which promptly blows up, killing the professor and two others.
The question - "W-H-Y-?"
7 : MANY HAPPY RETURNS: Number 6 wakes to find the village desterted and imediately sets out on an escape plan. Using a raft that he builds out of logs he sets sail for England. upon arrival in London, he goes first to his own home and finds it ocupied by "mrs Butterworth" he gives his name as "Smith-Peter Smith" before using HIS car to go back to work to show proof of the Village and find its location. He ends back up in the village after the pilot of the plane he is in ejects him out of the plane over the village.
8 : DANCE OF THE DEAD: Number six finds a body washed up on the beach. On the body is a wallet and radio, the body and wallet are used with a rescue note and the radio works. Number 6 is found out though and is invited to the village carnival where he is put on trial and sentenced to Death.
9 : CHECKMATE: The human chess game needs a Queens pawn, Number 6 gets the place. after the game number 6 is told how to distinguish the warders from the prisoners and uses it to get some fellow prisoner to work on an escape plan. The plan fails when one of the group uses the method on number 6 who ffails to escape the village.
10 : HAMMER INTO ANVIL: Number 6 is apalled when number 2 forces a young woman to kill herself. Number 6 then swears revenge on number 2 and sets out on a camaign to break him. Number 6 succeeds where all of the number 2's had faied.
11 : ITS YOUR FUNERAL: The new number 2 wants to kill his predessor when the cermony to take his place happens. Number 6 finds out and has a race against time to save the NEW new number 2.
12 : A CHANGE OF MIND: Number 6 is declared unmutual after a fight. he is given "instant social conversion" in a fake operation that is designed to make him believe he is changed. The method does not work the way number 2 planned and number 2 is eventualy forced to flee the madding crowds.
13 : DO NOT FOSAKE ME OH MY DARLING: Number 6 wakes up in his London home with his memory of the village wiped. When he looks in the mirror the memories return as the face in the mirror is not his own. Number 6 sets of to find his friend Professor Seltzman who deveolped a process for transferring the brain waves of one man to another. Number 6 is followed to Austria where he meets up with the professor who believes his story after hand writting comparisons. both men are captured and number 6 returns to his own body.
14 : LIVING IN HARMONY: An anerican stranger resigns from the position of sherif and ends up in harmony. He reluctantly becomes Harmony's new sherif but refuses to carry a gun until the violence becomes too much and he is forced to kill "The Kid". In the latest attempt to subvert number 6, Number 2 drugs him (6) and uses an artificial reality to attempt to break number 6. The events of Harmony though become all too real as number 2's two helpers become too involved with "the kid" killing the Girl in both Harmony and the Village.
15 : THE GIRL WHO WAS DEATH: Number 6 tells a story to the village children. The story is of how he saved London from destruction by Schnipps, (number 2) who wants to bring back the age of Napolean.
QUOTE: NUMBER 6- Goodnight children...Everywhere.
16 : ONCE UPON A TIME: An old Number 2 returns to bring about the end of number 6's resistance or be destroyed himself. He uses Degree Absolute where three men enter but only two may leave. 6 is reversed to his childhood and has to relive his life, the conditioning breaks down, the tables are turned and number 6 eventually defeats number 2 who dies just as the time ends for degree absolute.
17 : FREE FOR ALL: Having survived the final test, Number 6 is taken to the fall out chamber to judge Two disidents of the Village, Number 48 (Modern Youth) and the OLD Number 2 who is resurrected. The ensamble of village representatives agrees to let number 6 (by now SIR) to meet number 1. This turns out to be an alternative version of himself so he does the only thing possible to end the village, he blows it up after leavin in part of the previous episode's set. He escapes with Number 2, Number 48 and the butler.
ALTERNATE EPISODES: There were two eisodes that were never shown on regular television as they were made as trials. These were Arrival and The Chimes of Big Ben. The latter was recently released on DVD in the UK with the Former due for release on the 35th aniversary DVD in september 2002.
The series still works in todays world and will always remain popular as it started the CULT Phenomenom
<>< ><>
