The Prisoner, a ‘reimagining’ of the iconic British fantasy drama from the 1960s, tells the story of a man who wakes up stranded in a strange place known as The Village. Given the name Six, he discovers that nobody in The Village knows of anything beyond its boundaries and that it is ruled by a single man – the mysterious Two.
Two at first tries to convince Six through persuasion that he belongs in The Village but when Six proves resistant, he goes to extreme measures to convince him to conform. Six continues to resist and attempts to discover where and who he really is.
The new mini-series kicks off tonight on AMC which has previously set a high standard with its outstanding dramas Mad Men and Breaking Bad. Unfortunately the first episode is something of a mess. Tasked with the difficult job of introducing the series’ high concept, its characters and setting, the episode feels disjointed and struggles to build a narrative flow. Of all of the episodes in this mini-series it is the least remarkable and the most disappointing.
Fortunately those that do manage to make it past this first episode will find that the one that follows immediately afterwards is a much stronger effort. The episode, in which Six attempts to decide whether to believe if a man is really his brother, is improved by Two being present right from the beginning and by taking much tighter narrative focus on Six’s story.
The middle episodes are of a similar quality to the second episode and are, at times, extremely moving. Anvil, the third episode in which Six is recruited to spy on other dissidents, boasts a truly heart-breaking moment. The fourth episode, Darling, sees Six meet a woman who reminds him of someone he thinks he knew from outside of the Village.
However the final two installments, while better than the first, prove less satisfying. ‘The Schizoid Man’ was one of the very best episodes of the original series yet the new series’ episode ‘Schizoid’ feels confused and much less emotionally involving than previous episodes. The last installment, ‘Checkmate’, gets bogged down in having to answer the remaining questions. Both episodes are frequently confusing and disorientating.
Although Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ) as Six lacks some of the energy and presence that Patrick McGoohan brought to the part, there is still plenty to admire in his performance. His quiet, more vulnerable approach to the part makes him seem introspective as he tries to figure out what is going on.
Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre) is incredibly good in the part of the Village’s doctor, 313, who forms an attachment to Six. Here she makes the most of the limited screen time she gets, managing to make her character feel sympathetic and likeable. Similarly Jamie Campbell Bower (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) makes a strong impression in the later episodes as Two’s son, 11-12.
As expected however the best performance comes from Ian McKellen who manages to be simultaneously charming and unpleasant in the part of Two. In contrast to the original series here we get to know Two, his home life and why he is obsessed with breaking Six. At times the character even seems sympathetic, even though we know he is capable of great cruelty.
Production values are exceptional for the series and its visuals are frequently incredible. The sand dunes that surround the Village make for a striking backdrop to the action while the Village itself is architecturally fascinating and quite unlike anything you will have seen before. Fans of the original may miss the quaint, quirky charm of the Welsh village of Portmerion at first but will soon adjust as the new Village has some quirks and interesting features of its own. They should also enjoy spotting some of the subtle nods to the original that can be found throughout the series.
A bigger change is that of the tone of the series which is much drier and more earnest than the 1967 original ever was. With one exception, a sudden stabbing which is more graphically realized than might be expected, the show is tonally consistent with itself but those expecting tongue-in-cheek humor and a sense of adventure will be disappointed. While the mini-series does have some amusing moments they are the exception rather than the norm.
The most significant change however is that, unlike the 1968 finale which infuriated some fans by not clearly answering the series’ mysteries, the last episode contains answers to all of the significant questions.
That is not to say that these answers do not raise questions of their own or that they will make perfect sense. I was left with some questions about the relationship between what happens in ‘New York’ and what happens in ‘The Village’ that I do not believe the series entirely answered. However, for better or worse, it attempts to wrap everything up and the solution provided hangs together reasonably cohesively, making sense of what we have seen in the previous five episodes while managing to be genuinely unpredictable.
Personally I preferred the original’s choice not to give us answers and its decision to remain allegorical. Providing an explanation is, to my mind, a subtraction by addition. In focusing on explaining the ‘reality’ of the situation our attention is diverted from some of the issues that the piece seeks to discuss.
What does impress me however is that this is not a simple retread of McGoohan’s The Prisoner. This new version has its own take on those same issues of the tension between individualism and community, proving less strident in its defense of the individual. While I personally did not agree with the piece’s take on the debate, I did find it thought-provoking.
AMC’s The Prisoner is certainly no easier a show than its inspiration was. While it does provide answers, it frequently proves hard to follow and on occasion seems muddled. When the series does work however it can prove compelling, boosted by its superb production values and a talented array of actors. For those who enjoy being challenged by their television viewing it is largely worth the six hour investment.
– Aidan Brack
