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- TV Series: The Prisoner
- Episodes: Schizoid & Checkmate
- Starring: James Caviezel, Ian McKellen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Ruth Wilson
- Written By: Bill Gallagher
- Directed By: Nick Hurran
- Network: AMC
- Series:
The Prisoner: Schizoid/Checkmate Review
The Review of AMC's final two hours of The Prisoner. By
Stephen Lackey
November 18, 2009
Review for THE PRISONER
© AMC/Bob Trate
So the miniseries is over and as much as I enjoyed the ride I have to admit I find myself a little underwhelmed with the outcome. I’m also frustrated with some heavy handed story manipulation in the assembly of the multiple parts of the series for no other real reason than to cause confusion. At the same time the acting was superlative especially from Ian McKellen who gets some of his best scenes in the last two hours of the miniseries. The look of the miniseries is fantastic featuring a solid mix of modern ideas and retro designs. The giant ball is straight out of some of the best 60’s and 70’s surrealist sci-fi.
Schizoid
This episode of The Prisoner kicks the confusion into overdrive with two versions of 6 in the village plus the flashback Michael/6, and “un2” plodding about town looking like a homeless man. There’s a point to it all though and you just have to sit back and take it all in until the episode decides to explain itself. The most frustrating thing about this episode is that the scenes in New York that were previously built up as flashbacks appear too possibly be flash-forward’s. These final two episodes were exhausting to watch because there was no break in the weirdness and layering of the story. It was necessary to almost literally be glued to the screen. Add to that a pretty terrible sound mix that made some of the dialogue difficult to hear and you get a really challenging viewing experience overall. The flash-forward possibility is revealed via a scene where 6 is in his old place of work and he encounters the man from the shop in the village in the real world as someone that can repair or replace keycards for the company.
The bulk of the episode is another test for 6 orchestrated by 2. 6 rightfully blames 2 for every bit of pain he knows. 2’s challenge to 6 is to go ahead and kill him. That’s when 2 decides to take his walkabout through town leaving himself wide open. 2 first tried to reason with 6, then he tried love, then hate, all to break 6.
The most profound bit of information comes when 1112 is allowed to awaken his mother and spend the day with her. The village is held together by the dream state of 2 and his wife so when she’s awake things go a little more haywire in the form of the holes that continue to appear in the ground. The dreamers in the village are the real people. Dreamers can potentially leave the village and go to the real world. Those that don’t dream are creations of the village and can never leave. The problem is that the creations in the village believe themselves to be real and they have the feelings of real people. The worst thing that could happen is for them to discover that they are prisoners and that there is a world outside of the village. 1112 learns the truth about himself and it’s a fairly devastating realization. This element is also at play with 147 when he shares his constant grief with 6 over the loss of his daughter. He compares his pain to the holes in the ground. This scene is really strong and the symbolism is fascinating. 2’s wife can’t have children in the real world so there are many children in the village created by her.
The best scene in the episode is a simple one featuring the shop owner and the un2.having what on the surface might appear to be a simple discussion but they are actually considering deeper elements of life as they share cigarettes, something that hasn’t been in the village for many years. The episode was overly complex, often for no reason, but there were also some really powerful scenes that spur thought and conversation. When this series works, it really works, when it doesn’t it’s still entertaining.
Checkmate
This is it, the last hour of this epic story. In the positive the story does complete but the negative is that it’s just a little underwhelming. It appears that 1112’s mother was just a pivotal element of crafting and sustaining the village but she wasn’t the only creator of it because she can be, and must be replaced. Why has 6 been so important? The answer is that 2 must be replaced and all along he has wanted to be replaced. The hand grenade he is constantly toying with is more than some sort of metaphor. Not just anyone can be a 2 though. It takes someone with a talent for observation and through his work in the real world it becomes apparent that 6/Michael does in fact have the required ability.
So much of the story was left to fizzle, which is a common problem with the entire series. 147 appeared to be important but in the end he wasn’t. He lost a child and was able to share a good scene with 2 but overall his presence just didn’t matter. What about 6’s family? They just sort of disappeared as did the even more important 415. All the time spent with many of the characters throughout the six hours just doesn’t matter at the end of the last episode because they had no significant impact on the miniseries or on the character.
6’s inevitable acceptance of the job as the new 2 isn’t much of a stretch for a man that has accepted so much throughout the miniseries. He actually doesn’t seem so upset to be taking over the role. He had resigned from his job in the real world and didn’t seem to have much happening so maybe this job gives him purpose. The biggest victim in the whole thing is 313. She agreed to take over the comatose state of 2’s wife only until 6 could find a way to maintain the village or just get them out. Now it appears that 6, as the new 2, is in no rush to leave. 313’s single tear is the only response she can muster to 6’s final comments and the scene is perfectly tragic.
The miniseries overall was a fascinating experience if a little overly complex. The mind is a complex machine so certainly an entire existence should be complicated but some of the complexities felt too contrived. The ending featured some very predictable elements and other parts of the story are left hanging or just made more surreal before the closing credits. The multiple plains of existence are never clear within this world and New York segments feel more and more wedged in rather than fully meaningful by the end of the last episode. This reinvention of The Prisoner is quite a grand undertaking that the major networks would never consider these days and it gets points for the risk right away. This miniseries also makes a fantastic conversation piece and it may even become more interesting with multiple viewings. The esthetic is gorgeous and the acting is solid throughout. When this story is on it’s riveting and when it’s not it’s still mysterious enough to keep you watching. I’m looking forward to checking this one out again on DVD.
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I personally wanted to see this be a continuation of where the original left off and further explore those concepts. Having said that this was a rather enjoyable take. It is a true "re-imagining" and not a remake or continuation. I would like to see a continuation of the original and hopefully Nolan's plans to do a big-budget will come to fruition. Enjoyable but not my "The Prisoner".