Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of the 1967 science fiction/ existential drama The Prisoner. For Part One, in which I examined the themes and concepts at play in the series click HERE
Episode Title: HAMMER INTO ANVIL … In the ongoing debate over the exact numbering of the 17 episodes of The Prisoner I place this one 4th from the last.
NOTE: The title of this episode does indeed come from the famous Goethe quote and refers to the intensely personal duel of wills between the Prisoner and this episode’s Number Two (Patrick Cargill).
Many readers have asked me to start SPOILING up-front if our hero or the Villagekeepers win the battle in the episode being reviewed. They said they’ve come to hate episodes where the malevolent Villagekeepers come out on top. That’s a great tribute to what effective villains they are and how the Prisoner has to overcome incredible odds for his scattered victories. Rest assured our protagonist unequivocally wins this round.
THE STORY: Amid a dramatically convenient thunderstorm this episode’s Number Two, the rotating series of executives who manage the prison-city called the Village, interrogates a female prisoner called Number Seventy-Three. Her wrists are still bandaged from her recent suicide attempt, an action she tried in order to escape captivity in the Village.
Number Two is sadistically enjoying his latest Head Game against the woman, who has been drugged to perceive him as a quasi-demonic figure. The villain seems close to breaking the woman to extract whatever information the Villagekeepers want from her. She begins screaming in terror. Continue reading
WE WENT TO A FOOTBALL GAME BUT A POLO MATCH BROKE OUT – A very Polo-like final score was the result in the clash between the MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY MARAUDERS and the visiting EAST STROUDSBURG WARRIORS. The Marauders trailed 10-2 in the 1st Quarter, a score which held up through Halftime. In the 3rd Millersville went on top 11-10, after which their defense stepped up big to preserve a one-point win by that same 11-10 tally. 
NO GEORGE KENNEDY, NO PROBLEM – The URBANA UNIVERSITY BLUE KNIGHTS (no relation to the old tv show with George Kennedy) took it on the road against the UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON GOLDEN EAGLES. This game was a defensive epic with neither team scoring the entire 1st Half. In the 3rd Quarter the Blue Knights seized a 14-0 lead, then held on against a Golden Eagles rally in the 4th for a 20-14 victory. 
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT – Staying with the color blue but moving over to the NAIA, the LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS valiantly traveled to face NCAA Division ONE’s PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE BLUE HOSE. The Blue Raiders showed this team TWO DIVISIONS HIGHER than they are a real struggle. At the break the Blue Hose led Lindsey Wilson College by a mere 3-0 and only won it by a final score of 10-0. Kudos to the Blue Raiders! 
President Trump has done more for the working class and the poor than any other president in decades. I will point out again that he combines elements of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S Truman and John F Kennedy. 
DO NOT FORSAKE ME, OH MY DARLING – This is the third and final of the 3 episodes I would drop from this 17 episode series because they either do not serve the premise or don’t serve it well. I will synopsize the storyline, point out why I would drop it and add how I would change it. 
The Villagekeepers demonstrate for this agent the Colonel (yes, a third “colonel” appears in the series) Dr Seltzman’s device for switching minds between two human subjects. They do not fully understand the process nor do they understand how to switch the minds back to their respective bodies afterward. 
NCCAA 1. CAMPBELLSVILLE UNIVERSITY TIGERS ### 2. CONCORDIA (MI) CARDINALS ### 3. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHWESTERN (MN) EAGLES ### 4. SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS ### 5. BLUEFIELD COLLEGE RAMBLING RAMS ### 
CANTO ONE – The jungle and mountain god Tan Vien was accompanying the semi-divine Emperor Hung Vuong XVIII on a Royal Hunt. A turn of fate puts them in a position to save the imperiled son of Long Vuong, the chief sea god. CLICK 
Another look at the make-believe “educators” (LMAO) who have – with their political intolerance – reduced colleges and universities to faith-based institutions that are as irrational as any religious “schools.” 
*** FUND FREEDOM IS STILL FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT TO PRESERVE FREE SPEECH FOR EVERYONE, DESPITE THE EFFORTS OF FACULTY LOUNGE FASCISTS … 
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