Checkmate serves as a good introductory standalone episode for anyone too impatient to try watching the entire series from the start. It carries few of the symbolic, allegorical overtones found in most other key episodes that would strike the casual viewer as just too weird and confusing. It focuses instead on a fairly straightforward escape plot, observing the Village's daily activities and methods of control, its security structure and its strengths and weaknesses, finding a way around them, and the constant uncertainty of who can be trusted since no escape plan can be successfully accomplished single-handed. Rover is always a big WTF? but it was meant to be a enigma, and a featureless white orb was a sublime choice to replace the decidedly more mechanical, unusable Rover mark 1. You couldn't even make it the subject of 20 questions, not quite animal or mineral (though latex rubber could be considered vegetable, I suppose), just the ultimate unbeatable tool for shepherding wayward prisoners.

1:08 Kind of glad for that actually as a white, featureless, highly mobile sphere that kills you with suffocation is way scarier than any "robot" that was typical of the time period. You know those Dalek, Robby the robot businesses all over done, clicking, and flashing. Those don't summon dread as much as laughter. Rover, by contrast, is actually something straight out of modern day "soft robotics." Think Gort's inscrutable menance but with Baymax's design.

This series seems like the kind of show I would start watching for the premise but would tear my hair out from frustration at the hero always being foiled and the bad guy being smug about it.

I was wondering what the simpsons were referencing in that episdoe. "Why'd you think a big balloon would stop him?" "Shut up. That's WHhy.

Ironically we're having a storm today. Started about 3:30. I love storms and it hasn't rain here in ages. I wish I had supplies to make hot chocolate as this would be the perfect weather. Interesting video, its a little hard to follow but maybe because I'm tired.

Dom should have given a bit of additional information when he gave the series overview, that Patrick McGoohan had starred in a long-running series prior to making the Prisoner called Danger Man in which played a 'secret agent' working for an indeterminate government agency. Making this an apparent Coda to the previous series.

Here's my theory, I'm sure it can be broken down. The Village is a research lab, a living experiment. People of exceptional will are brought there and subjected to various tests designed to test various means to break their spirit. Over the series, various people are dubbed Number 2, each given the Village's resources to try various methods to break down their test subjects. Failures are, of course, punished. The researchers are as much a part of this test as the test itself. Who built the Village doesn't matter, nor does Number 6's past. Even the show's focus on him is a red herring, tricking us (and him) into believing that what he knows is relevant and therefore worth protecting. This makes him a more resistant and therefore useful test subject. And without getting into spoilers I believe their experiment succeeded, with the implication that they have used whatever they learned from the Village's tests to expand outward.

Im so glad you're still doing these, who else will help me understand the infinite complexities of the prisoner?

Omigosh! I never realized how much the cat plays in the episodes.

The Prisoner was an outstanding show, and I'm so happy to see you revisit via these reviews.

I love how even the picture in 8's locket has 6 sullenly glowering. Just how everyone likes to remember their lovers.

Dude! You need to finish these! We have to discuss that weird AF final episode!

You doing reviews of it made me watch it a few month back, I am completely entranced by how imaginative and well done this show is, so essentially I became very excited when I saw this on my subscription feed! But I think you are right, people should watch them in a different order because it can be quite confusing, but nonetheless I think people can still love it if watched in any order

I stayed at the Portmerion Hotel (not a town, a whimsical hotel). It was lovely.

I never doubted you were gone, Dom! I knew you would come back and on my birthday too! You shouldn't have.

Whatever keeps your boat afloat Dom. That is far from the strangest revelation I have heard.

I started watching this because of these reviews and I am SO HAPPY I did. It is amazing!

The Dance of the Dead #2 is one of my favorite ones. I just wish she came back or had a stronger episode.

Great to see another episode of The prisoner. I've seriously got to watch that show at some point.

Cudos Dom. I'm sure must be hard to squeeze these in, with the sheer ammount of time your other reviews takes to prepare, with the reading & watching etc before can finish drafting etc)

One of these days I need to re-watch this series in production order. Same with Ultra Q.

Correction: The Prisoner was broadcast on ATV, not BBC.

Abrey Morris(Clockwork Orange ,The Wicker Man(1973) in Dance of the Dead as the cesar dude

More "The Prisoner" reviews! YAY! Thanks!

The Prisoner is always called a BBC show, but it first aired in Canada

YES!!! More Prisoner!!!

when will he finish these

Yeeeee!!! he's back!!

The Dom:. You seem to love interpretive story plots. Do you like movies like K PAX? What are your favorites?

Have you had the chance to check out the audio reimagining of The Prisoner by Big Finish as the critics say it's some of Nick Briggs best work in recent years?

Kinda weird seeing Dom do anything besides Lost in Adaptations.

How strange is it to call #6 a "Psuedo James Bond" knowing now that James Bond was originally a rude, drinking, racist, sexist hedonist? At this point it's more accurate to call the Movie James Bond a Psuedo Number 6!

Now I know what that one Simpsons episode parodied.

woho one more of this I love this series.

Yes the prisoner is back

Wait a minute The Prisoner was launched in September 1967, not in 1968 0:24 . This makes a HUGE difference, considering the pivotal events that occurred throughout 1968. The Prisoner is a forerunner.

was it really meant to be one season? I thought that it was planned to be two seasons but production problems cut it down, hence the odd 17-episode length.

Finally This Is Back!!!!

Nice review I might actually take a closer look at the show and by the way the show actually launched in 1967 and not in 1968

Yeeaeaeh!!! The best British spy is back!!

In later years I wondered if the midget Butler was perhaps actually number one

I think I would continuously give them different reasons for my resignation every time.

I would have gone in this order: Arrival Free For All Dance of the Dead Checkmate The Chimes of Big Ben The Schizoid Man Many Happy Returns It's Your Funeral A Change of Mind The General A. B. and C. Hammer Into Anvil Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling Living in Harmony The Girl Who Was Death Once Upon a Time Fall Out

I haven't seen this series before but yeah, I agree with The Dom about the episode order in many cases of series. You can watch the beginning and then f*ck around with order EXCEPT For the series finale(s).

Hey Dom I was wondering if you could do a Lost in adaptation on the three exorcist movies

Okay, "Dance of the Dead" makes - no - sense - at - all... But it's one of my favorite episodes, cause it has a certain flair about it. And the Number 2 is really witty and clever.

could you post your recommended whole order to watch the whole series. not just the episodes you have gone through so far. thank you! allways been interested in this and allready watched 1 or 2 episodes couple of years ago

I approve this message.

I feel as though a sharp knife would be effective against Rover.

Is there a reason that most of the number buttons are white, but some are black? I know that black and white rosettes were used during the mock election between #2 and #6 in episode four, but I mean in general. Some characters will have black badges with white bicycles and gold numbers. The rest are white badges with black bicycles and red numbers. Is there any significance to that?

What do you think about Big Finish The Prisoner series ?

Kitty!

Can you please do a Stephan kings book like desperation, it , or maybe even graveyard shift I love these books

This show creeped me out as a kid.

7:22 - lmao wow I thought that was a joke you made, wow

so dom, how long until we DO get to those final two episodes?

Say, where's a good place to watch these episodes? The series seems very interesting and all. Being an American, I never really even heard of it until I saw this among your videos.

Do you think you could give your opinion on the remake?

You reviewed 8 episodes without mentioning the midget butler? Priorities man!

Is the dom ever going to finish these?

It's my understanding that "Dance of the Dead" was intended to be the 2nd episode, but it ended up being rather pointless and boring, so they decided to push it back later in the broadcast order.

It was an ITV show, not BBC.

7:20 - so this show gets 1 point for not having him sexually assaulting women, ala James Bond, 1 point for having women in leadership roles, but then -1 for that line, so kind of still ahead for its portrayal of women in media? 😅

If 5 people watch an episode, you get at *least* 7 opinions.

are you gonna do roots?

did they remake this as a mini series on amc

What are your thoughts on the 2008 remake?

Ever thought of reviewing the AMC remake of the Prisoner? Although spoiler alert its a really bad generic dark and gritty remake.

Hey... uh you ever gonna finish these pal? :(

BBC? ITC you mean.

Based your #2 interest in this review I'm betting you'd love Glenda Jackson in Hopscotch: www.imdb.com/title/tt0080889 Can't wait for more Prisoner reviews!

¿Are you going to review the twilight zone episodes?

Whats wrong with the last 2 episodes?

Why does he keep drinking the tea?

Last time I came this early.... I... I forget. How is this funny or even a joke?

Hey Dom, I love watching your stuff but your use of the word "midget" kind of made me twitch a little. I am not a native English speaker but isn't that term considered to be pejorative these days?

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