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: LIVING IN HARMONY … In the ongoing debate about the exact numbering of the 17 episodes of The Prisoner I place this as the 6th episode.
In this installment the Prisoner (Patrick McGoohan) finds himself living a western version of his current plight. After resigning as a Sheriff and turning in his badge he is captured and knocked out by unknown parties.
When he comes to he discovers he is trapped in a Wild West town called Harmony … And his captors are obsessed with finding out why he resigned as Sheriff.
First-time viewers of this episode are as disoriented as McGoohan’s character. The program starts with this “western” revision of the usual opening sequence in which he is shown resigning from British Intelligence and getting abducted to the prison city called the Village.
It’s easy to underestimate the commitment shown by creative director McGoohan in insisting on this alternate version of the opening credits sequence. I’ll bet NO American television executives of the time would have okayed reshooting the entire opening for just one episode.
“That’d cost too much! Plus the audience will be confused and won’t understand what’s going on!” That would no doubt have been the reaction back then. It’s all just another of the many ways that The Prisoner was ahead of its time. Sometimes it pays to have faith in the intelligence of your audience.
The Story:
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JOHN BRENNAN: THE MAN FROM S.C.U.M. – The anti-Trump fascists have proven once again that they will ally themselves with ANYONE, no matter how low, in their insane hatred of President Trump, the working class and the poor. 
THE GANG WARFARE IN OUR GOVERNMENT CONTINUES – It’s no secret that Donald Trump is a de facto Third Party President. His efforts to Drain the Swamp of Democrat and Republican corruption is why career politicians from both political parties – AND the bloated rich pigs who OWN those career politicians – have been fighting President Trump so hard. 
RANKINGS: 1. TEXAS A&M AT COMMERCE LIONS (Defending National Champions) ### 2. UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS ### 3. INDIANA UNIVERSITY – PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS ### 4. MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS ### 5. FORT HAYS STATE TIGERS ### 
6. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS ### 7. FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS ### 8. UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS GREYHOUNDS ### 9. GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS ### 10. HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON ### 
Projected Title: THE BATTLE CRY OF FLASHMAN 
THE NEW COLONIALISM – Here’s another situation to embellish and extrapolate from in standard Dystopian Literature format. It’s the way that isolated, heavily-populated regions of pompous snobs, cowardly hypocrites and hilariously pretentious asses consider themselves the rulers of the entire rest of the nation. 
Anyway, in our fictional future for this time around, the isolated areas of Democrat Supremacists or “Blue Meanies” began to panic as they felt their tyrannical grip on their “Colonies” slipping. 
KALTHAR THE GIANT MAN 
The 20th ranked ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS will be hosting the CARROLL (MT) COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS. It’s a risky opening week clash between two Frontier Conference teams. 
The number 22 team in the nation, the SOUTHWESTERN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD UNIVERSITY LIONS, will take it on the road against the (RV) EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS. Crucial early season positioning is on the line in this battle. 
At number 25 are the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS, who travel to face the DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY TIGERS (should be the Blue Tigers). This matchup will be the Midco Sports Network’s Game of the Week. 
ROGER SIMON SUMMARIZES HOW THE “RUSSIAN COLLUSION” NONSENSE KEEPS INCRIMINATING HILLARY AND OBAMA, NOT TRUMP – Roger, like me, used to be a Democrat, but that party’s descent into fascism and worse drove him away, too. Here is his excellent look at how Obama thoroughly politicized America’s already disgusting Intelligence Agencies and how it’s all coming out now. CLICK 
ANOTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADER PREDICTS DONALD TRUMP WILL BE “THE MOST PRO-BLACK PRESIDENT OF OUR LIFETIME” – It’s Darrell Scott, yet another figure of color praising President Trump. I seriously cannot keep up with all the African-Americans courageously pointing out how Trump has done more for them than the Democrats have in decades. (Hence the Democrats’ increasingly frantic attempts to smear the Donald as a racist).
