Original artwork, not a still
The Village's farewell and salute, The Prisoner
Be seeing you.
— The Prisoner · 1967
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The friendliest farewell on television is also a threat: it is polite, cheerful and means we are watching you. The Village turns an ordinary goodbye into a loyalty ritual, which is why it chills. Fans adopted it as a nod between Prisoner devotees, and it echoes in Watchmen, where Rorschach uses it on people he is about to deal with.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The PrisonerShow the scene
In The Prisoner (ITV, 1967-68) the villagers of the Village, the seaside prison where Number Six is held, say this to each other as a farewell. It is paired with a small salute: thumb and forefinger make a circle over the eye, which is then tipped forward. Fans read the gesture as a reminder that everyone is being watched and that any neighbour may be a Warder working for Number Two. Number Six himself is shown giving the salute.
Sources (2)
- Prisoner Wiki: The Village (1967 location)CustomsReference checked
- Prisoner Wiki: The Prisoner in popular cultureComics and other mediaReference checked
Context reviewed
