Original artwork, not a still
Who is Number One? You are Number Six.
— The Prisoner ‧ 1967
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The answer turns the whole show inside out in five words: the unseen boss the prisoner wants to unmask is the prisoner himself, his own name taken from him and replaced by a number. Because the exchange repeats at the start of every episode, it became the show's calling card. Its logic of control and refusal has been borrowed by many later series and by anyone who bristles at being reduced to a number.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The PrisonerShow the scene
This is the last exchange of the title sequence of The Prisoner, which ITV first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967. A man who has resigned from a secret-service job is held in a seaside Village, and the titles end on a short dialogue with the administrator, always called Number Two. After asking where he is and what they want, Number Six demands to know who runs the place. Number Two answers that it is Number Six himself, and Six replies with his own declaration that he is a free man.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: The PrisonerSeries One, IntroductionReference checked
- Wikipedia: The PrisonerPremise and production sectionsReference checked
Context reviewed
