The Prisoner: episode 02 (alternate cut): The Chimes of Big Ben

David on alternate editions: when i love something, i am a glutton for more, even if it's a couple of extra bits, and especially when the bits are incorporated into the story and have been shown to the masses some time ago; this sort of alternate edition is not made for the cash grab (ala neo-Lucas 'special edition' film presentations); it is a verified alternate presentation placed like a brick in the foundation of its now towering history (ala the super-long television cuts of the late 1970's Superman films).

David on the new scenes in this version of Episode 2: not really that noticeable, and the one significant scene would have required more explanation to be useful (i.e. why did the device fail to provide the information he wanted?).

David on the music: not the same, not as good; it was interesting to see a different take on the scoring, but the stuff we've been exposed to in the first 6 of the standard presentation episodes is more lively and at the very least has formed an impression in my mind (which i think lives up to the impression i've gathered from fellow fans in the past).

David on the texture of this episode: i can see that when the series was made available for home viewing purchase, picture and sound were "restored" to a higher standard; this episode, without the benefit of said restoration, looks and sounds like we were watching it on channel 3 in 1981; the sound effects would be too loud or the dialogue too quite, the image was gauzy, and the colours saturated - beautiful; if i were a little more tired, i might have gotten out of my seat to turn off the TV, or maybe turn the channel knob for a few seconds to see what was on the other 11 channels.

David's found a reference to have a look at: http://alternateprisoner.blogspot.com/ -- check out one person's mission to restore this, perhaps the only Prisoner episode remaining to be restored.

Angelica on the alternate version: Despite there not being a lot of new or different scenes in this version and despite its roughness, I really enjoyed the viewing experience as a whole. As someone who likes drafts and revisions, I liked this peek at the roughness this episode once had...at an intermediate stage on its way to something else. What I missed more than anything in this version though was the sound...its abruptness, its clang, its general noisiness. I remember awaiting to hear the chimes of Big Ben...and heard nothing! I am sure they were there, but were too muted even on the max volume of my TV.

Angelica on multiple viewings of this episode: This was the third viewing of this episode (2x standard version, 1x alternate version)...interesting that now I have three separate memories around this episode, watched under very similar conditions...same place, same company, same time of day (although this time sandwiches were missing)...since one never remembers the same story twice in exactly the same way (whether viewed, read, heard, told or self-experienced) and since I have three experiences of this one story (and many more if other episode nights are counted), it is likely that around each viewing I will, at different times, have variations of crisp and polished memories of each evening...ones I can hear and I can feel and remember the before and remember the after...and alternate more murky, more hushed, less familiar versions in which there are parts that don't belong and others that fade just out of grasp. It all just depends on which tape I happen to put in at that moment.

The Prisoner: episode 06: The General

Dave's Side: the unusual toy hand that reaches from a vague black box to take an under-explained token - this is representative of the entire episode upon first viewing. i admit i was perplexed. i didn't know what was coming at me, where it came from, or what some things were for. like the little Village token, i was lost. i have a feeling that the second viewing will yield better comprehension. i don't underestimate the effect of fatigue either - then, as now, i was suffering from the effect of a draining cavalcade of vocation-related events. so, i will re-review this one, and for now, here's to the prisoner and to escape. be seeing you.

Dave's Side (take two) - okay, i really like this episode. maybe it was the extra attention i gave it (even compared to some first viewings), or maybe it was the day around the viewing (relaxed, full, devoid of time worries). or maybe it's just likable. i found it charming. there were many scenes that i was glad to revisit, such as the artists' garden, the electrical outage, the beach scenes, the barely acknowledged bust collection... yes, much of the episode was artistic, haunting... and the hypnosis and black-out transitions were experimental - i found them remarkable. there was a nice reveal at the end (though a weak bit of philosophy responding to it) and a tragic outcome for he who may have been a trustworthy co-conspirator for Number 6. my thoughts are a little disjointed (still) on this review, but i will place some credit for that in the hands of the professor and his eerie, hypnotic gaze.

Angelica's Side: leaving my update for an entire week was a mistake...but a few things have stuck with me and so, a few thoughts on what seeped into my memory and stayed there. I don't actually remember much about Speedlearn nor the Professor nor the General. What has stuck with me and what I am most curious to understand more about on second viewing is the new Number 12. Who is he? Why does he want to help Number 6 (or why does he want Number 6 to help him)? Is he acting alone or are there others? What exactly is his plan beyond destroying the General? Will there be others like him to follow?

Angelica's Side (take two): I followed this episode much better on second viewing and liked getting another peek at the inner workings of the village...new spaces, new processes, new machinery, new attitudes. While on my first viewing I was very much drawn to Number 12 (and still was this time), the Professor got a good share of my attention (and sympathy) this time - more so than Number 6 who seemed much more able to hold his own in this episode. On second watching I thought more about the consequences of the General being destroyed...what systems might depend on his answers, what other technology depended on his computations...seems that a few episodes on, the disappearance of the General hasn't actually resulted in much. All seems to be functioning as normal and the inhabitants seem to be blissfully going about their lives without any Speedlearn to fill up their brains. I wonder, will we begin to see a crack in the system? Or will the episodes continued to only be loosely tied together, but not entirely dependent on each other? Either way, I'm captivated. I want more Prisoner. Soon.

sandwiches: round 06: blueberry jam theme

Tonight's theme deviated from the normal path......no battle this evening, but simply enjoying the result of an afternoon of blueberry jam making. Tonight's sandwiches were meant to showcase the jam:

-Blueberry jam and cream cheese on white

-Blueberry jam and cream cheese on brown

-Blueberry jam solo on buckwheat











AS: While I missed the duel, I liked the simplicity of the evening and the simplicity of only two sandwich ingredients. The jam was outstanding, the cream cheese the perfect accompaniment. All three were lovely. What more can I say?

DM: Another perfect evening, surrounded by a fantastic adventure, i might add. i agree that the duel was missed, mainly because there was less diversity on the table, but the spirit of collaboration was serendipitously timed with our viewing episode Number Six; our protagonist needs some collaboration and nearly had some this time around.

The Prisoner: episode 05a: Schizoid Man

Dave's half:

i will likely beat Angelica to this point: another woman introduced who reinforces the pattern: women cannot be trusted. well, no one in the Village can be, but always there is the plot devise of the hopeful consort who in the end betrays Number 6.

the series continues to foray into territory that requires an open mind. this time, telepathy. i wonder how far they may ask us to move out on that limb.

i saw a few possible endings to this one, at least in terms of who was who and how they switched. was it all in his head? was Number 6 actually Number 12 after all?? my imagination was well engaged by this episode. in the end, a simpler answer was true. and unfortunately so was the answer to the question: how will Number 6 fail to escape this time? i dare say that the answer was overly simple, and overall i thought that the characterization of Number 6 as being overly verbose was out of line with previous episodes. still, it was a notably emotional ride for that last 5 minutes - i really wanted Number 6 to get a little farther from the Village!

i was happy with this episode. and the title on the VHS cover might be the only one with a special (fractured) font. that gets points in my book.

vvvvv^^^^^

Angelica's half:

There's just no way to go wrong with double the Patrick McGoohan...a fantastic unfolding of who is pretending to be who and who is actually who (bonus points for the reverse jacket!). I like that over the past few episodes there has been a shifting focus slightly more towards character than action and information than escape (all though all elements continue to be there). The prisoner is settling in for a much lengthier stay than anticipated and we may as well learn something more about him the meantime - in this episode, learning what he isn't at first to reveal what he is.

I haven't entirely given up on hoping Number 6 will actually get out of the village in an upcoming episode, but for now I am happy to be curious as to how he isn't going to get away this time.

As for the female characters...it's not that they can't be trusted that frustrates me somewhat (it's true, no one, really, can be trusted in the village), it's that we we haven't seen one yet stand up to the village ways. Sure, some are clearly fully committed to being deceptive, but a few do express reservation about what they are being forced to do and/or regret what they have been convinced to...but it stops there with these characters and that's what's frustrating. Maybe I'm asking too much, but I am still hoping that a strong and trustworthy female will appear who will speak her mind.

sandwiches: round 05a: O/D theme

For this round of sandwiches, we re-presented episode 5 since we both evidently fell asleep a few times during its first airing. O/D means "Origin Destination" (thanks, AS). And in this case, we are referring to Number 6's travel origin (England) and the place to which we suspect he intented to travel before being surreptitiously spirited away to the Village (as seen in a carefully packed photograph in the show's opening montage).

The Sides: Swiss Farmers Sausage, Pomegranate Blueberry Lime Spritzer

Sandwich Making Soundtrack: tropical tunes

iiiiiiiiin this corner...

Dave's P?B&Bw/B* Sandwich (*Mystery Butter & Bacon with Banana).
Hailing from Britain, greasy bacon, salted and drenched with flavour. From various tropical locales, red bananas: not too soft, and bursting with banana goodness. And from arguably both origin and destination, various nuts smashed into a creamy spread. Surrounding this triple threat is one toasted and one untoasted piece of [rice bread].


Judge Dave says: "Well, frankly, i was a little disappointed in the way the bacon performed. While the banana came on strong and the mystery butter contributed to some classic-fantastic two-punch combos, the bacon seemed like it was still in the corner waiting to hear the bell. 'What happened to the bacon?' i ask! (And i wasn't the only one asking, i assure you.) This bout could have been something special with two competitors coming from their own divisions with big-time hype. Unfortunately, that's not what the fans got tonight. This match was decided in the first round, and the only mystery about this sandwich is how it even got this title shot."

Judge Angelica says "The much hyped bacon failed to show up to the match tonight...there wasn't anything exactly wrong with this sandwich (and indeed, it was an entirely pleasant sandwich), but it lacked edge that its visual appeal projected. Solid work on the part of the mystery butter and the banana, but could the bacon have simply been too refined? A little more crunch, a little more salt and dare I say it, a little more fat, could have made a difference. However, still a most enjoyable intro to a classic that never made it into my childhood lunchbox."

aaaaand in this corner...

Angelica's London to Lost Mediterranean (from the UK, full fat cream
cheese, apricot Stilton and hearty green onion; from sunnier climates lime rind/juice, Mission figs and lean prosciutto; pepper from origins unknown, all colliding on double toasted brown rice soda bread; tropical umbrellas - blue for Dave, yellow for me)

Judge Dave says: "Wow! Now here's a fighter! Multi-threat, complex combinations! It's got touch and it's got power;
___floats like a butterfly,
___stings like a bee -
___a talent like this
___coulda taken Ali.
I'm impressed. Way impressed. Tonight's match-up was one marked by incongruities, i'll give you, but from what i could see, this sandwich could go the distance with any contender currently active in the WSP Division. Really, i want to say a little more about this, but let's hear from Judge Angelica first."

Judge Angelica says: "For a last minute inspiration in the fruit isle, a much unexpected taste explosion, even for its creator. This sandwich had its act together and knew when and where to step up - the sweetness of the figs, the tartness of the lime, the sharpness of the onion, the smoothness of the cheeses and the delicateness of the prosciutto all knew their place. And together...well, it was solid teamwork and a tough contender to beat. It most definitely earned its place relaxing under tropical umbrellas."

The Final Score:

AS: London to Lost Mediterranean breezes ahead and claims the championship (but I'm waiting for P?B&Bw/B to make its comeback).

DM: Was it lack of physical ability or mental game tonight? i don't know, the fans don't know, and i don't think the sandwich knows. We're talking about P?B&Bw/B, we're talking about heartbreak, and we're talking about London to Lost Mediterranean taking this battle and leaving the champion. And maybe we're talking about the seeds of a Cinderella comeback tale.

The Prisoner: episode 05: Schizoid Man

DM: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................*

*not meaning boring; i actually fell asleep for most of this episode!

AS: I might have fallen asleep for a few key scenes too...

sandwiches: round 05: burger theme

The Selection:

Dave's "El Paso: The Next Step in the Manifest Destiny" Burger (homemade salsa [tomato on the vine, onion, cilantro, chili pepper]; chedder cheese [triangulated]; homemade guacamole [avocado, lime, garlic powder, onion]; black olive hummus; lamb burger; brown rice hamburger bun).



Angelica's Euro Classic Burger (lamb burger, smoked Gouda, slivered sweet onion, pickles, lettuce, mayo, mustard on brown rice hamburger bun)










The Sides: Greek Salad, cucumbers banned

Sandwich Making Soundtrack: Latin channel on Live365.com

The Duel:

Angelica on Euro Classic -I was aiming for simplicity and I think I hit the mark. My return to burger eating (after many years of not eating red meat) is disproportionately focussed on the meat. My burger condiments of choice are always just mustard and mayo...perhaps a little pickle, a little onion, maybe some lettuce...definitely cheese. The smoked Gouda definitely brought the burger out of North America and into Europe. Everything in small enough proportions to be a nice accent without overshadowing the lamb.

Dave on the Euro Classic - Juxtaposition was key for me (her burger to his), so the back and forth between burgers was as much a part of the taste sensation as was each burger in itself. Big ups to Angelica for going with a classic and risking the disfavour of judges who crave the exotic at these competitions. The classic comes through with flavours that bring me back at once to fond memories and good places.


Angelica on "El Paso: The Next Step in the Manifest Destiny" Burger -I was worried that the multi-layer, multi-flavour per layer would leave my tastebuds confused, but instead all the flavours formed a nice medley. Certainly the prettier of the two burgers, both in colour and in shapes (triangles!)...extra points for the homemade salsa and guacamole, especially the extra on hand to pile onto the burger to tip the flavour one way or another.

Dave on "El Paso: The Next Step in the Manifest Destiny" Burger - This was everything i want a tex-mex kind of burger to taste like in a restaurant: salsa, heat, guac, savoury, hummus, and sides of extras of all of the above with which to explore as i eat. High marks to me from me on taste, but i could have better anticipated the spill-out potential. Next time i will go for novel brger construction to mitigate blobs of filling on my plate. Triangle-cut cheese just tastes better.


The Judgment:

AS: Dave by a sliver (anything with that much avocado on hand is sure to win me over)...I'd eat both again though - mine for its high taste to effort ratio and Dave's if he's the one making it.

DM: I'm one of the exotic judges, so i'm going to have to say that the "El Paso: The Next Step in the Manifest Destiny" Burger slips in to 1st by a nose. But i totally agree with AS on the effort to taste ratio being well in her favour. If likelihood of re-making and even sharing with others was part of this vote, AS would take this easily.