The Chimes of Big Ben

When this series come out, I've stay very exciting, thinking with spy adventures, however on the first episode as introducing the characters and concepts of the series I understood, nonetheless the second episode trapped on the village, the number six got escape from there, after a couple days arrives in London, did he?? No he actually never leaves the village, then I've been stayed worried about to come, if he will be trapped there forever and they asking "Why you resign?" will be a pain in the neck really, I wouldn't believe in such silliness, let's see the next episode with further unveiling things, let's wait!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Arguably the quintessential "Prisoner" episode, "The Chimes of Big Ben" is audacious for Number Six's escape attempt, Number Two's (Leo McKern) attempt to entice him into revealing why he resigned from his top-level intelligence-agency post, Vincent Tilsley's incisive script that brilliantly blends the two attempts into one, and, perhaps most of all, the riveting exchanges between Patrick McGoohan and McKern, which led to McKern returning as Number Two for the series' last two episodes.

The debut episode "Arrival" previewed what would be this revolutionary spy series' running feature: the frequent turnover of Number Twos, chairpersons of the Village, the cozy if Kafkaesque hamlet that is actually a high-tech detention center for intelligence personnel who had become inconvenient but whose expertise yet to be extracted from them precluded outright wetwork (as the KGB would put it colorfully). The Village shed Number Twos like a spy burning through disguises largely because of failed interrogations attempts of Number Six, who was always on his guard for all manner of subterfuge.

Thus, he becomes suspicious at the arrival of Estonian Nadia Rokovsky (Nadia Gray), dubbed Number Eight in Villagespeak, a high-enough number to suggest a high-ranking official, although her suicide attempts, and Number Two's veiled threats to keep the pressure on her, persuade Number Six to heed Number Two's insistence that he become a cooperative Villager by agreeing to participate in the upcoming art contest if Number Two lays off Nadia.

While Number Six works away at his woodworking abstract, he begins to trust Nadia, who tells him she learned accidentally that the Village is in Lithuania, and that she has contacts in the vicinity that can get them to England. Lo, Number Six's abstract sculpture, which nets him a special prize that he promptly redeems for another contestant's prize-winning giant tapestry, can be assembled into a makeshift sailboat with the tapestry acting as the sail, enabling him and Nadia to escape the Village under dead of night (or at least under day-for-night simulation). Nadia indeed has contacts, and they soon find themselves nailed up in a crate bound for London.

Tilsley's drollery manifests itself both verbally and visually. When Number Two, commiserating with Number Six that they both know too much and are thus "lifers" in the Village, states that his hope is that entire world will become the Village (one-world government conspiracy theorists take note), then asks Number Six what his hope is, he replies, "To be the first man on the Moon." The sole subject allowed to be depicted in the art contest is Number Two, a sly swipe at dictator worship of any ideological stripe made hilarious when the sailboat tapestry is unfurled to display the big giant head of Number Two. And, near the close, when the maniacally cheerful Village herald (the delightful Fennella Fielding) announces over the PA system what the subject of the next art contest is, laughter barely soothes the sting.

But the centerpiece of "The Chimes of Big Ben" is Number Six's return to England and how the titular timepiece figures into that. Tilsley must tread carefully in his narrative, and in hindsight it isn't hard to pick out contradictions in the characterizations, particularly Nadia's, but director Don Chaffey's brisk pacing is enough to carry an impressive conceit the first time through as McGoohan is nothing less than spellbinding at the climax. An unabashed triumph.

The second episode is quite stellar. Number Six teams up with Number 8 (identified as Nadia). She is seen as rebellious as he and so he begins to connect with her. She is seen as suicidal and hopeless. Number Six bargains for her life. At an arts fair, where almost all the submissions look like Number 2 in some way, Number Six builds an abstract piece, admired by all. It serves two purposes. One, it is an ancient positioning method which will help him figure out where he is exactly. It is also the hull of a sailboat. The two abscond with a tapestry and finish the boat and on their way. They are met by her confederate along the way, and Number Six sends a coded message with him, notifying his former bosses what has happened to him. This is a very entertaining episode because we are able to sense the intense futility of his situation. He is so infuriating to the powers that be because he refuses to crack.

I remember seeing the pilot and feeling very disappointed, but all of that overthinking is gone now in this first real episode of the series, and I love it so much. Everything about this episode was great: music, colors, kitsh and cult. The acting a bit outnoded, true, but fascinating whereas the pilot wasn't that much to my taste.

Early broadcast episode of this series was the first to introduce veteran British actor Leo McKern as number two, (who would memorably return later on in the series). Here, number six(Patrick McGoohan) is still adjusting to village life, and trying to fool the authorities with a most clever piece of functional abstract art(a small boat) that he will use to escape from the village with new arrival number eight(played by Nadia Grey) to get back to London, but events will prove that the reach of the village is wide indeed... Fine episode every bit as worthy as the first, showing the steely resilience and determination that marked "six", with effective final twist.