I have no idea why my previous post here was deleted but I will ask it again- can someone please explain the end of this episode to me? I was really scratching my head going "what the..?" He runs from the mob, finds a machine which spits out something, number two laughs at him and that's it! Whaaaaaaaaaaa?????????????

Good! I'm not the only found this episode confusing. I thought it might be a British thing or something. You know, some reference that only those across the Atlantic will get. Is it?

Be seeing you.

I don't think anyone understands the British like the British do- even us colonists! But still, they make better cult tv than the Yanks ever have!

I'm presently contributing after doing research on and becoming increasingly fascinated with "The Prisoner" series. To date, I'm heavily immersing myself in the late-night Friday showings of each episode on Channel 13.

How did the black cat get to the green dome/Number Two's HQ so quickly from Number Six's abode? This is after Number Six sleeps under that flickering light and refuses to listen to its subliminal messages any longer. He crashes through some window (not literally) and scampers away, but the black cat is seen with Number Two immediately afterward. Wow, talk about catlike reflexives!

The three-jury kangaroo court (with citizens masquerading as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and, I assume, Queen Elizabeth) was composed of/represented by, respectively, Italy, France, and England. At least that's my take on this trial scenario, which is very similar to the one in "Fallout," yes?

After Number Two's forbiddance for any harm to come to Number Six, I wonder if she intended for the mob to kill Number Six during the conclusion. And how come everyone just stopped pursuing Number Six's death beyond this episode? It didn't look as if those were necessarily ALL the citizens of the Village, but it still makes a valid discrepancy.

I just got a chance to re-watch this episode last night.

There is a great deal of emphasis on death and Number Six being "dead" all throughout this episode. I realize the title of this episode is a good giveaway, but the carnival, almost iridescent, twirling umbrellas, and the dress-up bit sounded a lot like New Orleans rituals. Any connection?

It's rather obvious the footage of the citizens circumnavigating around the water fountain--with the Butler and his monochromatic umbrella perched atop of an overseeing balcony--just before the scene with Number Six petting the black cat was reused in "Many Happy Returns" during the denouement, or vice versa. Check it out, fellow Nitpickers.

There must be a deeper significance to how Roland W. Dutton becomes a mindless fool/jester at the party. I like how Number Six addresses him by his name and one of the judges smilingly insists, "We don't go by names here."

Number Six torpedoes that machine, which I assume Number Two used to report to Number One, but what does it represent and how does it reactivate after he eviscerates its innards?

Maybe the machine doesn't really do anything, but was specially constructed and placed in the room so Number 6 could trash it and then get frusterated when it starts moving again?

"How did the black cat get to the green dome/Number Two's HQ so quickly from Number Six's abode?" - D. Stuart

The same way the Number 2s in "Arrival" and "Free For All" quickly moved from one place to another? Apparently the Village, in addition to having perfected cloning, also have some sort of transporter device. It must be a very limited device. Of course, a more practical answer might be that some Number 2s have been cloned and thus are able to be in two different places in a matter of seconds. The same may hold true for the black cat in this ep.

"Number Six torpedoes that machine, which I assume Number Two used to report to Number One, but what does it represent and how does it reactivate after he eviscerates its innards?" - D. Stuart

According to the book, The Prisoner, the Official Companion to the Classic TV Series, a book I've just recently finished reading, the telex machine is in a room Number 6 believes Number 1 is. One picture, showing the telex machine, is captioned, "The telex, relaying instructions from Number 1". If the telex is in any way symbolic of Number 1, then the message seems to be that the Village can "kill" Number 6, but he is powerless against Number 1 (and by extension, the Village). That seems to be a satisfying explanation to me.

It should be noted that the role of Number 2 in this ep, was originally to be played by a man. Trevor Howard was among the people considered. During the Carnival, Number 2 was originally to be dressed as Jack the Ripper. The actress who plays Number 2 in this ep, Mary Morris, once did a play in which she played Peter Pan.

This is easily the most misogynist ep of the series. No where is there a woman to be trusted in this ep. They are all portrayed in an exceedingly negative light.

I love Number 2's morning greeting to the Prisoner: "Feel free." A deliciously ironic statement.

Number 6's line, "I'm new here!" lends credence to the idea that this episode happens early in the series, rather than later. (The script was one of the earliest commissioned and the writer, Anthony Skene, was not shown a "single piece of paper" when he began work on it. It was the fourth episode filmed.)

The black cat debuted in this ep. It reappeared in the ep, "Many Happy Returns." It was, incidentally, a pet of one of Portmeiron's residents'. The cat brought in by the studio proved unco-operative and a replacement cat named Tammy, was found among Portmeiron's residents.

In "Once Upon a Time", Number 2 wears a strange, narrow-slitted domino mask. It's seen during Number 6's school days regression. If you look carefully during the early scenes of Number 6 and Number 2's discussion about the impending Carnival in this ep, you can see a blond haired lady wearing the very same mask. She's one of three sitting down outside around the Village Square. Specifically, you can see the mask when Number 2 says, "No game is worth playing if you can't win."

In "Arrival", Number 2 warns the Villagers to stand still when Rover first appears. In this episode, the only reason Number 6 seems to stand still is to let Rover move out of his way. The Villagers do not seem in the least bit to notice the presence of the Village watchdog (balloon).

Once again, the Village band merely mimes its performance.

Number 6 identifies his carnival costume as his "own suit". Surely not the one from "Arrival". According to the doctor in that ep, Number 6's suit was burned.


When Number 6's Observer (I think she's Number 210 or 240. I'm not sure.) reports that the Prisoner is missing, Number 2's voice can be heard over the phone saying, "That's no way to report!" The voice doesn't quite sound like Mary Morris'.

It's interesting to note that the Observer, Number 210/240 (whichever she is) was also assigned to watch Number 31. 31 died in this ep. Off screen.

Number 6 takes a big risk in sending the dead body with a message out to sea. Because of the tidal movements, wind factor, etc., he has no guarantee that the body will ever be found, much less not wash up on the beach of the Village. It's a one in a million chance, really. Suppose there were sharks in the waters? 6 took a chance akin to playing the lottery, really. And lost.

Number 6 tells Dutton (Number 42) that he has arrived in the Village "very recently". Another reason to place this ep early on in the series.

Why doesn't Number 6 wonder why Dutton is in the cave or how he got there? Especially after Dutton confesses that he told those in charge of the Village what they want to know. Surely, the Prisoner realizes TVPTB (The Village Powers That Be) would probably not allow such a person to roam about so freely? Even with the excuse that they've released Number 42 for 72 hours to reconsider, surely, 6 must suspect that Dutton is being monitored?

Nope. The tuxedo Number 6 wears to the Carnival is not the suit he wore on his first day in the Village. Wonder where TVPTB got Number 6's tux from?

More nits when I have time to finish wathcing this ep.

Be seeing you.

>>Number 2's voice can be heard over the phone saying, "That's no way to report!"


I think thats the female supervisor, who then comes over to the observer.

Um, I'll have to look at that again. But I don't think the female Observer is in that particular scene.

Be seeing you.

Okay, I see it. You're right, Kinggodzillak. What happens is, Number 210/240 says she can't find Number 6. A voice says, "That's no way to report!" In the background - and I didn't notice this before - you can see someone come around from the otherside of the see saw. The scene shifts to Number 2. Then when it comes back to the Village Control Room. In that shot, the female Supervisor (not Observer) can be seen with Number 210/240 (whichever Number 6's observer is). So, yeah, you're I think you're right. It was the female Supervisor.

In this ep, Number 6 comments that he rarely drinks. Makes you wonder about his desire for alcohol in "Free For All", don't it?

Once again, Number 2's office is redressed to be used as another set. In this case, it's the ballroom.

In response to Number 6's question about why he doesn't have a costume, Number 2 informs him, "Perhaps it's because you don't exist." A nice bit of foreshadowing, doncha think?

Awfully convenient that some of the doctors' lab coats were available just outside the door of the ballroom. Does that mean that the Carnival was held in the Hospital? Ain't it very lucky for Number 6 that the coat he picked up off the coat rack - without looking at it - just happened to be his size?

Were those glasses that the Prisoner pulled out of the lab coat prescription glasses? If so, how could he see out of them. Does Number 6 have bad eyesight? Good thing the glasses fit him, too.

Interesting. The trial against Number 6 is "The People vs. 'This Person'." This seems to repudiate the Village's efforts at obliterating individualism. It is the first time in the series that 6 is elevated to personhood above the other Villagers.

I realize that this is the whole point of the trial, a point about how absurd it is, but still it is worth considering that the crime that the Prisoner is accused and found guilty of - having possession of a radio set - is a very minor one compared to the other laws of the Village Number 6 has broken. It invalidates Number 6's comment earlier in the episode that "...the rules do not apply to me."

Doesn't the chair Number 2 sits in during the trial remind you of Captain Kirk's old command chair?

After Number 6 cheers the notion of anarchy, the Doctor/Napeleon says, "You do yourself no good here, Prisoner." Is this the only time in the series that Number 6 has been called by the name of the TV series?

In her defense of Number 6, Number 2 refers to him as "being new", further strengthening the idea that this ep is an early one in the series.

How exactlly did Number 6 hope the testimony of Roland Walter Dutton would help him? As a character witness? How would that help?

Note that to escape from the Village mob, Number 6 escapes through a trapdoor. He in essence goes underground. Kinda like a burial. This further adds to the episode's theme of death.

One of the rooms Number 6 goes into while hiding from the Village mob appears to be a room across the hall from where 6 appropriated the lab coat. (In the background, a coat rack with some lab coats on it can be seen.)

Even disregarding the idea that the telex is receiving orders from Number 1, it still represents a source of information for the Village. Number 6 makes a vain attempt at cutting off that source of information, only to learn that he cannot stop it. Thus, again, Number 6 learns that while the Village can stop and "kill" him, he cannot stop it. Thus, it emphasizes his being powerless against the Village, just as the dead cannot affect the living. That now seems to be the best explanation of the end of "Dance of the Dead", to me anyway.

Be seeing you.

Benn, Number 8
Number 6 identifies his carnival costume as his "own suit". Surely not the one from "Arrival". According to the doctor in that ep, Number 6's suit was burned.
That's exposed as a lie in 'Arrival'. Not long after the doctor claims that, Number 6 looks through a window in a door and sees a bald-headed man wearing his suit and babbling nonsense.

No. 6 dresses in a lab coat and a woman gives him a termination order to give to No. 2. Wouldn't she be suspicious about the fact that she had never seen him before?

Awfully convenient that some of the doctors' lab coats were available just outside the door of the ballroom. - Benn

They even had badges on them (at least, the one No. 6 obtained). I assumed the people who belong to those coats were at the Carnival. I don't think anyone wore their badges there. Which seems odd anyway.

No. 6 said that Dutton was in a better position to say what needed to be said. What did No. 6 want to say that he couldn't?

When No. 6 questions whether the Villagers are allowed out for Carnival, the maid replies, "You'd think you were locked in from the way you talk." He is locked in! That's why he had to leave via the window.

The town crier (one of the judges) says "no names are used here" when No. 6 calls Dutton as a witness. However, the termination order contained only his name and the doctor calls him "Dutton." I don't think anyone ever called Dutton by number.

No. 6 asks why he doesn't have a costume and No. 2 says, "Perhaps it's because you don't exist." The Butler doesn't have a costume, so is he nonexistent as well? He also has no badge or number that I know of.

The three-jury kangaroo court (with citizens masquerading as Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, and, I assume, Queen Elizabeth) - D. Stuart

The book "The Prisoner and Danger Man" states that the town crier was actually dressed as Nero and the maid was Marie Antoinette.