Fall Out (The Prisoner)
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| “Fall Out” | |
|---|---|
| The Prisoner episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 17 |
| Guest stars | Number Two: Leo McKern Number Forty-Eight: Alexis Kanner President: Kenneth Griffith |
| Written by | Patrick McGoohan |
| Directed by | Patrick McGoohan |
| Original airdate | February 4, 1968 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Once Upon A Time" | "N/A" |
"Fall Out" is the title of the controversial seventeenth and final episode of the British science fiction-allegorical series, The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan as Number Six. It originally aired in the UK on ITV on February 4, 1968 and was first broadcast in the United States on CBS in the summer of 1968.
"Fall Out" generated controversy when it was originally aired because the last third of the episode was designed to be very obscure, have no dialogue, and be open to interpretation. So many viewers called ITV to complain about the ending that the switchboard was literally blown. It also forced McGoohan, who wrote and directed the episode, to go into hiding for a period of time because he was hounded at his own home by baffled viewers demanding explanations.
This episode omits the usual long opening and instead shows a recap of the last episode, "Once Upon A Time". It is also the only episode in the series in which Portmeirion is given a specific credit in the opening titles.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
[edit] Introduction
Continuing from the previous episode, Number Six is led to "meet Number One" by The Supervisor (Peter Swanwick). On the way, he is given his regular clothes back, and then is led down a large corridor filled with juke boxes playing the Beatles' song, "All You Need Is Love".
Through a door marked "Well Come", he enters into a large chamber where there is a semi-circular seating area filled with masked people and a presiding judge (Kenneth Griffith) in the centre (the credits actually refer to this character as "The President" but he is never referred to on screen by any name or title, although he does wear the traditional powdered wig worn by judges in British courts). Military police are posted all around the chamber. Dominating the room is a tall, cylindrical structure with a mechanical "eye" built into it, marked with the single large numeral "1". The Supervisor dons a mask and presents Number Six to the judge before disappearing into the assembly.
The assembly members wear masks and robes to hide their identity. The assembly represents those who are in control of the system. Placards in front of each member include Identification, Security, Activists, Welfare, Pacifists, Reactionists, Defectors, Therapy, Nationalists, Anarchists, Recreation, Youngsters, Education, and Entertainment. Other placards are visible in the background but are difficult to make out.
The judge begins the proceedings by making a speech saying that they are all gathered here in a state of democratic crisis and that Number Six has survived the ultimate test and therefore should no longer be called by a number. Instead, the judge says, "he has gloriously vindicated the right of the individual to be individual, and this assembly rises to you... sir."
The judge then apologizes to Number Six, explaining that "the transfer of ultimate power" requires some tedious ceremony.
[edit] Recovery of Number Two
The self-contained room seen in the previous episode (Once Upon A Time) is first lowered into place, then the metal covering slides off. Interns bring a stretcher and bring it to rest by the steps leading up to the caged room.
A siren from the mechanical "eye" catches The Judge's attention, and the two appear to be in telepathic communion. "Resucitate!" The Judge orders. A film sequence on a screen in the chamber, showing the Number Two (Leo McKern) is shown in reverse, so Number Two appears to leap to his feet.
"A revolution!" says the Judge. "Get him out."
The Butler walks to the cage, unlocks the door and two interns rush in with the stretcher. As they are doing so, The Butler walks up to Number Six, and after a gentle bow, stands beside him.
The seemingly dead Number Two (Leo McKern) is then brought out, wheeled into a laboratory inside the chamber and resurrected. During this process he is also given a haircut and a shave. Whilst the process continues, The Judge says, "Revolt can take many forms. Here we have three specific incidences. Number 48..."
[edit] Number 48
Number 48 (Alexis Kanner), is brought into the chamber via one of a number of tubes which sink into the ground. He is a young man dressed formally yet with his shirt open, a bell around his neck and a flower in his hair. He is lectured by The Judge about the follies of youth and how rebellions are pointless. In reply, Number 48 simply laughs, but seemingly out of genuine amusement rather than hostility. He starts to sing the spiritual song "Dem Bones". The Judge tries to silence him, but fails to do so, and the masked delegates, reacting to the indiscipline and confusion, become confused and in disarray themselves.
During the furore, a signal is sent to The Judge from the mechanical eye, and The Judge orders Number 48 to be released into the chamber. The Judge continues his lecture, but Number 48 simply rings his bell again, and begins to run about the chamber maniacally. Armed soldiers, orderlies and interns all try to catch him, but they fail. Only Number Six, who says loudly, "Young man!" manages to capture Number 48's attention, manages to halt the proceedings.
Despite Number Six drawing Number 48's apparent revolt to an end simply by acknowledging him as a man, The Judge seems unpleased. After thanking him for his "kindly intervention" he is more concerned with the breach of procedure. However, after more signals and communication with the mechanical eye, the guards return to their places.
The Judge and Number 48 then engage in some confusing verbal jousting, which ends in The Judge and the delegates shouting "Take! Take!" When things calm down, The Judge demands that Number 48 confess. The scene quickly descends into chaos when The Judge and the Delegates clap and dance in time with "Dem Bones". Eventually Number 48 joins in, and even the soliders are tapping their feet. Only The Butler and Number Six watch on motionless.
Number 48 is pronounced guilty, but only then are the list of charges read out. He is found guilty of starting a revolt and is carried back to the holding tube, which descends into the basement of the chamber.
[edit] Number Two's speech
The scene then returns to Number Two. As the revival is completed, the sound of Number Two's hearty laughter echoes around the chamber. The only person not laughing is Number Two himself, who is astonished to be alive and to be in the chamber.
He steps out, and says, "I feel a new man!" and laughs. After realising that The Butler's allegiances are to the still bemused Number Six, he continues his speech. "My Lords, Ladies and Gentleman, a most extraordinary thing happened to me on my way here. It has been my lot in the past to wield a not inconsiderable power. Nay, I have had the ear of statesmen, kings and princes of many lands. Governments have been swayed, policies defined and revolutions nipped in the bud at a word from me in the right place, and at a propitious time."
His face grows serious and hostile. "Not surprising therefore, that this community should find a use for me. Not altogether by accident that one day I should be abducted, and wake up here amongst you. What is deplorable is that I resisted for so short a time. A fine tribute to your methods."
After explaining to the delegates that Number Six had emerged victorious, this had apparently been at the cost of his own life. He demands to know how he was resurrected, but he is not answered.
Number Six asks Number Two if he ever met Number 1. Number Two simply laughs incredulously, and then stares intently into the mechanical eye. It very quickly becomes clear that Number Two has no idea who or what lies beyond, but seems determined, despite the threat of death from The Judge, to die with his own mind and his own will.
After spitting at the mechanical eye, he is carried off by two soliders, placed in another tube and descends into the basement. As he descends, Number Two becomes the only character in the series to break the fourth wall when he appears to turn to the camera and says, "Be seeing you", though it is quite likely he could be addressing a guard or even Number Six, instead.
[edit] Accolades
The judge then makes a speech about Number Six, saying that he is a "revolutionary of different calibre" and that "he has revolted, resisted, fought, destroyed resistance, overcome coercion, the right to be person, some one or individual."
Number Six is then shown his home being made ready for him. He is given a large sum of money in travellers cheques, his passport, the keys to his London home and his car, and a purse of petty cash, then Number Six is invited to make an address. But his attempts are drowned out by the multitude's inane chanting of the word "I" and he is seen having a near-emotional breakdown as he tries to make his message heard. Number Six realizes that the entire hearing was only a ruse designed to break him yet again - despite the praise, the accolades, the authority of The Village will still beat him.
[edit] Number One
The judge then invites Number Six to meet Number One. He descends into the basement, past the imprisoned Number 2 and 48 (the former laughing hysterically, the latter still singing), and goes up a circular metal staircase. At the top, he enters a control room full of globes and sees a masked, hooded figure wearing the "Number One" badge, who is watching surveillance footage of Number Six (actually scenes from earlier episodes). He pulls Number One's mask off to reveal the face of a chimpanzee. Underneath this second mask, he sees his own face.
Number Six chases Number One around the room until Number One climbs up a ladder to a hatch in the ceiling. As Number One closes the hatch, we see Number Six's face again on him, laughing maniacally. Number Six then returns to the control room, which he quickly deduces is the control centre of some sort of rocket or missile. He starts the rocket to begin its launch sequence. This causes panic in the judge's chamber and a mass evacuation of the entire Village starts.
Number Six returns to where Number Two and Number 48 are imprisoned, knocks out the guards, and releases them. With the help of The Butler (Angelo Muscat), they return to the upper chamber where a gun battle breaks out. (For the first and only time in the series, Number Six is shown shooting people, as "All You Need is Love" plays on the soundtrack.) The four of them eventually escape in the cage-cum-mobile home seen in "Once Upon A Time", which is now on the back of a lorry, and drive through an underground tunnel. Meanwhile, The Village is evacuated as the rocket launches to parts unknown.
[edit] Escape?
The four rebels find themselves on the A20 road headed for London (contradicting earlier episodes that suggested The Village was located elsewhere in Europe or Africa). Number 48 gets off the lorry to hitchhike. The remaining three drive to the Palace of Westminster where Number Two gets off. A passing policeman then stops to talk to Number Six. As Number Six talks to the policeman, both men are shown from a distance in a long shot, and all that is heard over the soundtrack is the song "Dem Bones".
Number Six, with The Butler following him, returns to his home. After Number Six gets into his car and drives away, The Butler walks up to the door which opens by itself (just like the doors in The Village, including the same sound effect). When it closes, the Number 1 is visible on the door. Number Two is then shown in a suit walking to the Peers' entrance to the Palace of Westminster. Finally, after a clap of thunder, we see Number Six driving in his car exactly as we see him during the first few seconds of the opening title sequence.
[edit] Additional guest cast
- Supervisor: Peter Swanwick
- Delegate: Michael Miller
[edit] Interpretation
McGoohan has explained the meaning of the episode, which in fact contains the meaning of the whole series; that we are prisoners of ourselves - this particular point being represented by Number 1, when the masks were removed, being Number 6. McGoohan asserts we choose to limit our own actions ("I won't" is exactly the same as "I can't") and many choices are made for us; this was partially represented by the Penny Farthing symbol of The Village, which referred to the ongoing march of technology and development, something which few people have actually sat down and decided whether or not this is really what we want to be doing, or if we are coping with it, and so on. Finally, in the end of the episode, Number Six, having freed himself from The Village, in fact ends up going back to his old flat, the same place and ways as before - in other words, even after obtaining that freedom, he is in fact back to the very same prison he was in before.
A suggested rationalization of the series and its culmination is that The Village is an institution of the British government that functions to determine whether or not those who know military secrets and seek to return to civilian life are susceptible to giving up that information under interrogatory pressure. After Number Six endures the breadth of tortures, psychological ploys, chemically-induced states and questioning techniques that The Village administration has at its disposal and divulges close to nothing of what he knows, The Village's administration allows him to go free, lauding him for the principles of individualism and personal liberty that equipped him to withstand all manner of interrogation methods.
Allegorically, this episode reinforces the sense that the Village is really a representation of the world. Number Six can no more escape or destroy the Village than anyone else can escape or destroy the world. The forces of social conformity masquerading as concern for the common good exist regardless of whether one is in the Village or not, and any individual is subject to these demands. Number Six's front opens automatically just as its counterpart in the Village does. The Village is everywhere. The Village is the world. Metaphorically.
[edit] Shattered Visage
The comic book sequel mini-series, Shattered Visage, contains in its trade paperback a text-piece prelude in the form of a classified intelligence report on the Village. This report describes the events of Fall Out as "a theatrical tour-de-force involving actors as well as hallucinogenic drugs," staged by Leo McKern's Number Two in which Two "staged his own death and resurrection." Further explanation of this episode is suggested when Number Two narrates the life of Number Six and recounts the drug-enhanced psychodrama in which Six was convinced to choose a number -- Number One -- and this decision broke Six's mind. Much of the images of the final sequences of this episode, from the gun battle to Six driving his Lotus Seven, are also suggested by the comic to be a skewed perception of actual events.
[edit] Trivia
- Leo McKern's hair is trimmed much shorter in this final episode than in "Once Upon a Time" (and his beard is absent entirely) because he took part in another film during the long interval (about a year) between the two episodes' shoots. The show accommodated this by showing McKern's face covered in shaving cream and getting barbered before he is revived.
- According to the book The Prisoner by Robert Fairclough, McGoohan was informed that production was cancelled on the series immediately following filming of the preceding episode "The Girl Who Was Death" and was given only a week to write a finale to conclude the storyline started in "Once Upon a Time" which had been filmed a year earlier. In order to save time and cut costs, "Fall Out" reused several sets from "Girl", most notably the rocket control room. Two guest actors from the episode, Kenneth Griffith and Alexis Kanner, were also recruited to play different characters in "Fall Out" (this was in fact Kanner's third appearance on the series in only a few weeks as he previously played a Village minion in "Living in Harmony"). According to Fairclough, McGoohan was so pressed for time that Griffith was asked to write his own dialogue.
- Patrick McGoohan receives no on-screen acting credit in this episode. The episode lacks any formal opening credits, and at the end, after the onscreen credits for Kanner, McKern, and Muscat, McGoohan's credit reads, simply, "Prisoner". He is, however, credited as the episode's writer and director, and receives his usual executive producer credit at the end.
- McGoohan has very little dialogue in this final episode, save for brief exchanges with the Judge and Number 48, his unintelligible speech at the podium (only the words "I feel..." can be heard, the rest being drowned out by the "jury"), and a few slogans heard in the archive footage.[citation needed]
- With the death of Kenneth Griffith (The President of the Assembly) on June 25, 2006, Patrick McGoohan (Number Six) is the only one of the six main stars of this episode who is still alive -- Peter Swanwick (The Supervisor) died in 1968, Angelo Muscat (The Butler) died in 1971, Leo McKern (Number Two) died in 2002, Alexis Kanner (Number 48) died in 2003, and then finally Kenneth Griffith (The Judge) died in 2006.
- This is the only episode whose opening titles state the location of the filming, i.e. in Portmeirion, Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales.
