Comments on: The Prisoner Project http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/ A Group Complaint about Law, Liberty, and Leisure Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:39:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joe http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-23508 Joe Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:17:58 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-23508 Clay said it best -- the quality and entertainment factor for me peaked early and started fizzling around episode 11. The fire was out by 15. Clay said it best — the quality and entertainment factor for me peaked early and started fizzling around episode 11. The fire was out by 15.

]]> By: Clay http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-20718 Clay Sun, 11 Jan 2009 01:09:54 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-20718 I've tried hard to follow Patrick's tastes over the years - convinced, for dubious reasons, that they are superior to my own - and the Prisoner sold me in the first few episodes. Then it lost me. I never recaptured the feeling I had in those first few shows, and can't pretend to rate the series overall very highly. I think, in the end, it was the feeling of someone trying to manipulate me (the writers and producers) who had no clue what buttons to push. I could see the strings, but they weren't attached to the right joints. I could see that I was supposed to be afraid, or intrigued, or puzzled, or moved, and I just wasn't. It became an academic exercise in the end; I could trace its contours and recognize an aesthetic appreciation for certain features, but at some point along the way it failed to affect me. Hold on a minute, I think my Dr. Who DVDs just arrived. I've tried hard to follow Patrick's tastes over the years – convinced, for dubious reasons, that they are superior to my own – and the Prisoner sold me in the first few episodes. Then it lost me. I never recaptured the feeling I had in those first few shows, and can't pretend to rate the series overall very highly. I think, in the end, it was the feeling of someone trying to manipulate me (the writers and producers) who had no clue what buttons to push. I could see the strings, but they weren't attached to the right joints. I could see that I was supposed to be afraid, or intrigued, or puzzled, or moved, and I just wasn't. It became an academic exercise in the end; I could trace its contours and recognize an aesthetic appreciation for certain features, but at some point along the way it failed to affect me.

Hold on a minute, I think my Dr. Who DVDs just arrived.

]]> By: Amy Sterling Casil http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-20675 Amy Sterling Casil Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:25:39 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-20675 NOOOOO Waaaaayy! I love the Prisoner. I have the complete set on DVD, which was super-expensive and I can't believe I bought it for myself. Makes Lost - as easy to figure out as Dora the Explorer - LOL! This is an acquired taste, though. I know people who don't "get it" and it's pointless to try to make them like it. Who is Number One? Where are you? In the Village. I am not a number - I am a FREE MAN! and all that. And "rover." Yes, I own The Prisoner Companion. NOOOOO Waaaaayy! I love the Prisoner. I have the complete set on DVD, which was super-expensive and I can't believe I bought it for myself. Makes Lost – as easy to figure out as Dora the Explorer – LOL! This is an acquired taste, though. I know people who don't "get it" and it's pointless to try to make them like it.

Who is Number One? Where are you? In the Village. I am not a number – I am a FREE MAN! and all that. And "rover." Yes, I own The Prisoner Companion.

]]> By: tgb http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4594 tgb Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:07:43 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4594 I don't mean to come off as the Ultimate Authority (in fact I will admit I was wrong about The Butler - he's NOT in all the episodes). - but I have thought about this show a lot over the years, and have changed my opinion several times about a number of issues (I'll leave what they are open for when we get into specific episodes). I still think it will be tough (for me, anyway) having watched the complete series 4 or 5 times now, not to indulge opinions that might serve as spoilers to Noobs like Ken I don't mean to come off as the Ultimate Authority (in fact I will admit I was wrong about The Butler – he's NOT in all the episodes). – but I have thought about this show a lot over the years, and have changed my opinion several times about a number of issues (I'll leave what they are open for when we get into specific episodes).

I still think it will be tough (for me, anyway) having watched the complete series 4 or 5 times now, not to indulge opinions that might serve as spoilers to Noobs like Ken

]]> By: Patrick http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4591 Patrick Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:13:24 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4591 I'll surely get details wrong tgb, my hellhound, as I don't intend to refer to web resources during this experiment (except to steal their images, which they stole in turn), or anything except for my own memories of the show and recent viewing. I do anticipate and look forward to jousting or agreeing with you over what things mean (minutiae like "WAY OUT," for instance), because in the end I know that neither of us knows. As you know very well, much of the fun in this show is figuring out for oneself what it all means and interpreting it all. I'll offer my theories, and I'll get facts wrong. Which is why I'm not concerned about spoiling, because I know that someone like Ken, who's never seen it, will walk away with different conclusions. In the end, I know only two important things about this show for certain: that it's one of the most discussionworthy shows ever made if not the most (and thanks!), and that no one, no one, should ever watch the last episode under the influence of seriously mind-altering chemicals. The first time I saw it, I watched under the influence of (prescribed) narcotics, and the memory still freaks me out. I'll surely get details wrong tgb, my hellhound, as I don't intend to refer to web resources during this experiment (except to steal their images, which they stole in turn), or anything except for my own memories of the show and recent viewing. I do anticipate and look forward to jousting or agreeing with you over what things mean (minutiae like "WAY OUT," for instance), because in the end I know that neither of us knows.

As you know very well, much of the fun in this show is figuring out for oneself what it all means and interpreting it all. I'll offer my theories, and I'll get facts wrong. Which is why I'm not concerned about spoiling, because I know that someone like Ken, who's never seen it, will walk away with different conclusions.

In the end, I know only two important things about this show for certain: that it's one of the most discussionworthy shows ever made if not the most (and thanks!), and that no one, no one, should ever watch the last episode under the influence of seriously mind-altering chemicals. The first time I saw it, I watched under the influence of (prescribed) narcotics, and the memory still freaks me out.

]]> By: Michael http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4586 Michael Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:36:32 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4586 Really looking forward to reading your stuff on this, as you know it's one of my all-time favorites as well. Really looking forward to reading your stuff on this, as you know it's one of my all-time favorites as well.

]]> By: tgb http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4579 tgb Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:47:16 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4579 Ken, you're in for a treat. Ken, you're in for a treat.

]]> By: Ken http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4578 Ken Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:41:37 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4578 This is a great gap in my geekery: I've never watched it. I will now. This is a great gap in my geekery: I've never watched it. I will now.

]]> By: gbasden http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4576 gbasden Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:32:24 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4576 I'm really looking forward to this. :) I'm really looking forward to this. :)

]]> By: tgb http://www.popehat.com/2008/06/18/the-prisoner-project/comment-page-1/#comment-4575 tgb Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:17:33 +0000 http://www.popehat.com/?p=1278#comment-4575 This is going to be fun, because my Prisoner geekiness extends to the same level that can be found around here in some for Star Wars or Star Trek. I disagree that's it's impossible to spoil, because people watching it for the first time are completely unaware of the location of The Village, who runs it, who Number 1 is, etc. As to your comment that No. 6 is the only character in every episode - wasn't The Butler in every episode as well? This is going to be fun, because my Prisoner geekiness extends to the same level that can be found around here in some for Star Wars or Star Trek.

I disagree that's it's impossible to spoil, because people watching it for the first time are completely unaware of the location of The Village, who runs it, who Number 1 is, etc.

As to your comment that No. 6 is the only character in every episode – wasn't The Butler in every episode as well?

]]>