One should never speak ill of the dead, but I cannot help but think that the late George Baker would not have appeared in the Prisoner as the new No.2 in Arrival, had Guy Doleman not blotted his copy book during the production!
Fictional wise, I always thought that there was no real reason for a new No.2, I mean what had No.2 done to see him replaced? I could only imagine that No.2 had arrived at the end of his term of office, and that his last duties were to de-brief the Prisoner, and to brief him on the Village. All I can say is, No.2 changed from being a charming man, into someone far more ruthless! Be seeing you.
I think the purpose of switching Number 2 in this episode was to confuse Number 6.
ReplyDeleteHowever this has started me thinking!
Perhaps Guy Doleman's 2 had an imposing quality that the Village authorities thought would set the right tone to Number 6. But this 2 was no good at gleaning information... all he could do was ask for the resignation reason and that's it. He was perhaps unskilled in interrogation.
But then he did give a very good tour of the Village to Number 6 - so he was chosen to be the first Number 2 because of the quality of his induction course!
Be seeing you
(Anonymous N)
There was certainly intent to have different Number Two's otherwise McGoohan would never have hired the (presumably quite expensive) Mary Morris and Eric Portman to cavort around Portmeirion wearing the relevant badge of honour.
ReplyDeleteArrival is very a story of two halves anyway, with two awakenings and the prisoner not even getting into uniform until he's discharged from hospital.
Hello to you both, Anonymous {N} and Moor,
ReplyDeleteI like to think of Guy Doleman's No.2's character as being the same of Colonel Ross from the films 'The Ipcress File,' 'Funeral In Berlin,' and 'Billion Dollar Brain,' although of course the two characters are not the same. Although No.2 had to be recruited from somewhere!
As ever
David
BCNU