MovieChat Forums > The Prisoner (1968) Discussion > Just finished (possible spoilers)

Just finished (possible spoilers)


Overall good. Starts off great, but the last 4 or episodes are a complete mess. I realize that a lot that has to do with McGoohan being unavailable and then a very abrupt cancellation, but has there ever been a show that declined so far so fast? I would say my favorite episode was Very Happy Returns.

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For many of us, those final two episodes are what lift an already superb series to even greater heights, by refusing to provide neat & tidy answers & explanations, and instead inviting each viewer to engage fully with all of the ideas, surrealism, worldviews, psychology, etc., presented in that explosive finale. It's the reason The Prisoner is still avidly discussed today, over half a century later.

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I just finished as well.

I thought the second last episode and his mental battle and defeat of No 2 was one of the best episodes. However the finale looked every inch the last minute rush job to get the show wrapped up that it was.

It was interesting to read that the penultimate episode was actually filmed a year before the finale.

It's a shame that he didn't really know where to go with no 1 prior to filming and therefore we got that cop out "surrealist" (inverted quoted because I'm not sure whether true by actual or affected) he's a gorilla, no it's him (!) reveal.

But I'd agree that the Western and "story" episodes were also poor.

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Never heard this opinion before.

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I agree with you about the last 4 episodes. Especially the Western one.

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