Poor Number Six is abundantly aware that he is the target of manipulators who have, as their ultimate goal, to get him to say what drove him to resign. It's obvious that this fact is less important than the fact that there are forces who have been able to bring others to their knees. In this one, Number Six is made a political candidate, running for the position of Number Two. Each candidate has an immediate following of ecstatic supporters. Our hero is always enigmatic and secretive, so we don't really know how the brainwashing and constant attacks from the controllers (including a ditsy woman in a sailor suit and hat) is affecting him, how he is maintaining his sanity. We believe that he believes once he has won the election, he will now have limitless power, power to put an end to the sterile, thoughtless village. But, of course, why would the powers that be want to let that happen? Sometimes the series was hard to watch as McGoohan's Six continues against great odds. It's as if the proverbial carrot is put before him in every manifestation, yet he is doomed to failure.
6 Reviews
All is not well
Mr-Fusion28 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
One of the show's most cerebral episodes; bizarre, downbeat and damning evidence that Number 6 is not in control. To put it simply, he completely loses in the end, and gets put through the wringer in the process. The hook here is brilliant – run for Number 2's spot, win, control the Village – and makes for a great setup for a Prisoner episode; and also the extent to Number 6's predicament here in captivity.
Trivia has it that McGoohan wrote and directed this, and you get a clear impression of his view of politicians. Not to mention of the fourth estate (reporters fabricating their own responses to "no comment"). No matter your political stance, that holds water today.
It's a great episode, showcasing (in no uncertain terms)the sinister intent of the captors and the captive's perilous situation.
8/10
Trivia has it that McGoohan wrote and directed this, and you get a clear impression of his view of politicians. Not to mention of the fourth estate (reporters fabricating their own responses to "no comment"). No matter your political stance, that holds water today.
It's a great episode, showcasing (in no uncertain terms)the sinister intent of the captors and the captive's perilous situation.
8/10
"Obey Me and Be Free!"
darryl-tahirali8 April 2022
In "Free for All," Number Six confronts a twist on an old cliché: If you can join 'em, can you still beat 'em? The Village is facing elections for the chairperson's position, with Number Two (Eric Portman) running unopposed until he invites Number Six to toss his hat into the ring. He does, and he immediately snaps into firebrand mode, excoriating the Villagers who have accepted their imprisonment and have chosen to "die here like rotten cabbages" before vowing to uncover "who are the prisoners and who are the warders" as Number Two eggs him on.
This most overtly political episode of "The Prisoner" was scripted by Patrick McGoohan under the pseudonym "Paddy Fitz," itself a political statement as "Paddy," although a nickname for Patrick, is also an ethnic slur for an Irish person such as he. Filled with pithy quotes ("everybody votes for a dictator") and trenchant observations on the political process in a democracy--put democracy in quotes if you're so inclined--"Free for All" is powerful but disjointed, at times too abstract, perhaps deliberately so to avoid becoming (ahem) a prisoner of its time period.
Moreover, in addition to his writing chores, McGoohan, the series star and its executive producer (what today we call the "showrunner"), also directed "Free for All," an onerous burden for one man, particularly given the spy series' short production schedules, and at times his Number Six doesn't seem to be clear on what he should be conveying. Thus, we're left wondering what to make of the seemingly bizarre behavior he manifests on occasion.
Still, McGoohan's themes of propaganda, brainwashing, and manipulation of the masses echo the Orwellian authoritarianism that lurks within even democratic governance and renders its outcomes "demonstration elections" in which nothing seems to change and opposing policies and ideologies seem interchangeable. "Six of one and half a dozen of the other."
Number Two assigns him an indistinctly Eastern European factotum, Number Fifty-Eight (Rachel Herbert), who chirps excitedly about the campaign even though she doesn't speak a word of English. Suspicious of her, Number Six nevertheless can't shake her, and he soon finds himself interrogated by the Labour Exchange manager (George Benson) who assures him that "he may be a friend."
When Number Six rails against the non-alcoholic drinks at the Village nightclub, cheekily (if too pointedly) named "The Cat and Mouse," Number Fifty-Eight takes him to a secret cave where a mysterious man (John Cazabon) brews up bootleg booze. Lo, also drowning his sorrows is Number Two, and it would be too obvious if the cave was filled with cigar smoke signaling the back-room deal.
Playing the straight man, Portman is fine in his thankless role while Herbert, her Number Fifty-Eight providing delightful, then chilling, misdirection, suggests a vaguely fetish honeytrap, appearing first as a maid, then in a sailor costume like a Japanese schoolgirl before finally slapping sense into Number Six like a cool, cruel dominatrix until he gets on the Village public address system to deliver the ultimate paradox: "Obey me and be free!"
Everyone does vote for a dictator, don't they, Number Six? Dangling power before him in an elaborate ruse to coax his secrets out of him, or at least to assimilate him among the warders, "Free for All" also remains a political Rorschach Test enabling you to see what you think you see in our society. Be seeing you.
This most overtly political episode of "The Prisoner" was scripted by Patrick McGoohan under the pseudonym "Paddy Fitz," itself a political statement as "Paddy," although a nickname for Patrick, is also an ethnic slur for an Irish person such as he. Filled with pithy quotes ("everybody votes for a dictator") and trenchant observations on the political process in a democracy--put democracy in quotes if you're so inclined--"Free for All" is powerful but disjointed, at times too abstract, perhaps deliberately so to avoid becoming (ahem) a prisoner of its time period.
Moreover, in addition to his writing chores, McGoohan, the series star and its executive producer (what today we call the "showrunner"), also directed "Free for All," an onerous burden for one man, particularly given the spy series' short production schedules, and at times his Number Six doesn't seem to be clear on what he should be conveying. Thus, we're left wondering what to make of the seemingly bizarre behavior he manifests on occasion.
Still, McGoohan's themes of propaganda, brainwashing, and manipulation of the masses echo the Orwellian authoritarianism that lurks within even democratic governance and renders its outcomes "demonstration elections" in which nothing seems to change and opposing policies and ideologies seem interchangeable. "Six of one and half a dozen of the other."
Number Two assigns him an indistinctly Eastern European factotum, Number Fifty-Eight (Rachel Herbert), who chirps excitedly about the campaign even though she doesn't speak a word of English. Suspicious of her, Number Six nevertheless can't shake her, and he soon finds himself interrogated by the Labour Exchange manager (George Benson) who assures him that "he may be a friend."
When Number Six rails against the non-alcoholic drinks at the Village nightclub, cheekily (if too pointedly) named "The Cat and Mouse," Number Fifty-Eight takes him to a secret cave where a mysterious man (John Cazabon) brews up bootleg booze. Lo, also drowning his sorrows is Number Two, and it would be too obvious if the cave was filled with cigar smoke signaling the back-room deal.
Playing the straight man, Portman is fine in his thankless role while Herbert, her Number Fifty-Eight providing delightful, then chilling, misdirection, suggests a vaguely fetish honeytrap, appearing first as a maid, then in a sailor costume like a Japanese schoolgirl before finally slapping sense into Number Six like a cool, cruel dominatrix until he gets on the Village public address system to deliver the ultimate paradox: "Obey me and be free!"
Everyone does vote for a dictator, don't they, Number Six? Dangling power before him in an elaborate ruse to coax his secrets out of him, or at least to assimilate him among the warders, "Free for All" also remains a political Rorschach Test enabling you to see what you think you see in our society. Be seeing you.
The Politics Of Individuality
ShadeGrenade28 November 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Of the seventeen episodes which form Patrick McGoohan's brilliant 'The Prisoner' series, 'Free For All' is in my view the most relevant to the modern world. Written and directed by the man himself ( sheltering behind the pseudonym 'Paddy Fitz' ), it was the fourth to be broadcast in the U.K., and the first to baffle viewers by stepping outside the spy story framework.
It begins with an unusually benign Number 2 visiting 6 at home, and over breakfast informing him that there is to be an election in The Village, the winner becoming the new Number 2. 6 is sceptical, but the thought of meeting Number 1 is tempting.
Invited to address The Village, 6 airs his thoughts ( "I am not a number...I am a person!" ). The crowd laughs. No sooner has 6 finished speaking than placards bearing his face are carried through the confetti-strewn streets, drums are banged, striped umbrellas twirled, and the crowd cheer him on to victory.
For the duration of the campaign, 6 is given the services of a maid - Number 58 - who speaks no English. 6 is invited to address the outgoing Council. In a stylish underground chamber, he confronts a row of brainwashed imbeciles. 6's motives for running for office are questioned. When he does not respond, he is handed over to the manager of the Labour Exchange. A different 6 emerges, spouting meaningless slogans and making impossible-to-keep promises. He has become the people's choice.
Needless to say, he does not remain in this state for long, and attempts to flee The Village in a motorboat. Rover brings him back, and the brainwashing resumes.
Only two candidates are running for office - the handsome yet mindless ( thanks to The Village ) 6, and the older, experienced 2. Everyone loves 6, hardly anyone seems to back 2. Yet their 'views' seem to be much the same. Which is very much the case in modern politics. The public, when faced with the daunting prospect of exercising their democratic right, will often vote for the guy who used to read the news on television or who once acted in a long-running soap. Policies? Forget it.
To cut the story short, 6 wins by a landslide. As the transfer of power takes place, the Villagers' enthusiasm for 6 appears to have evaporated totally. He enters The Green Dome with Number 58 at his side. After initially behaving like a couple of kids let loose in a sweet-shop, their personalities change - he is his old rebellious self once again, she turns nasty and starts slapping him across the face.
6 uses his new position to order a mass evacuation of The Village, but no-one listens. Number 1 is still in command. Cue one very violent ending ( one that had to be trimmed for the original U.K. broadcast ).
'Free For All' is a marvellous political allegory. 6 wishes to win power for the right reasons ( to free the people ), but is reprogrammed by the establishment so that his ideals virtually disappear. The odds are stacked against him from the start.
To remind viewers this is an adventure show, there is a motorboat chase, of course, but that's the only concession McGoohan makes. The brainwashing scene is chilling, the late George Benson ( best known for comedy roles ) making a superb interrogator. Even his offer of tea is not to be trusted! Rachel Herbert's character is used initially for comic relief, rather like Rosalie Crutchley's in 'Checkmate', but at the climax, her true significance is revealed, and 6 finds he has been been played for a patsy once more. There is no democracy in The Village; it is all an illusion.
The scene with the 'Tally Ho' reporters is hilarious, as is the one in the underground therapy zone where Villagers can drink real alcohol without disturbing the equilibrium of The Village. This was one of Eric Portman's last roles, and he is splendid as the 'under dog' candidate - the older man who knows he will be soundly beaten at the ballet box yet still has to go through the motions of the democratic process.
When 'The Prisoner' was reviewed on the B.B.C.'s 'Did You See?' back in 1983, Julian Critchley ( the late Tory M.P. for Aldershot ) dismissed 'Free For All' as 'high camp...James Bond without the music'. Was that his real view? Or did he sense the episode's message and thought to try and discredit it?
It begins with an unusually benign Number 2 visiting 6 at home, and over breakfast informing him that there is to be an election in The Village, the winner becoming the new Number 2. 6 is sceptical, but the thought of meeting Number 1 is tempting.
Invited to address The Village, 6 airs his thoughts ( "I am not a number...I am a person!" ). The crowd laughs. No sooner has 6 finished speaking than placards bearing his face are carried through the confetti-strewn streets, drums are banged, striped umbrellas twirled, and the crowd cheer him on to victory.
For the duration of the campaign, 6 is given the services of a maid - Number 58 - who speaks no English. 6 is invited to address the outgoing Council. In a stylish underground chamber, he confronts a row of brainwashed imbeciles. 6's motives for running for office are questioned. When he does not respond, he is handed over to the manager of the Labour Exchange. A different 6 emerges, spouting meaningless slogans and making impossible-to-keep promises. He has become the people's choice.
Needless to say, he does not remain in this state for long, and attempts to flee The Village in a motorboat. Rover brings him back, and the brainwashing resumes.
Only two candidates are running for office - the handsome yet mindless ( thanks to The Village ) 6, and the older, experienced 2. Everyone loves 6, hardly anyone seems to back 2. Yet their 'views' seem to be much the same. Which is very much the case in modern politics. The public, when faced with the daunting prospect of exercising their democratic right, will often vote for the guy who used to read the news on television or who once acted in a long-running soap. Policies? Forget it.
To cut the story short, 6 wins by a landslide. As the transfer of power takes place, the Villagers' enthusiasm for 6 appears to have evaporated totally. He enters The Green Dome with Number 58 at his side. After initially behaving like a couple of kids let loose in a sweet-shop, their personalities change - he is his old rebellious self once again, she turns nasty and starts slapping him across the face.
6 uses his new position to order a mass evacuation of The Village, but no-one listens. Number 1 is still in command. Cue one very violent ending ( one that had to be trimmed for the original U.K. broadcast ).
'Free For All' is a marvellous political allegory. 6 wishes to win power for the right reasons ( to free the people ), but is reprogrammed by the establishment so that his ideals virtually disappear. The odds are stacked against him from the start.
To remind viewers this is an adventure show, there is a motorboat chase, of course, but that's the only concession McGoohan makes. The brainwashing scene is chilling, the late George Benson ( best known for comedy roles ) making a superb interrogator. Even his offer of tea is not to be trusted! Rachel Herbert's character is used initially for comic relief, rather like Rosalie Crutchley's in 'Checkmate', but at the climax, her true significance is revealed, and 6 finds he has been been played for a patsy once more. There is no democracy in The Village; it is all an illusion.
The scene with the 'Tally Ho' reporters is hilarious, as is the one in the underground therapy zone where Villagers can drink real alcohol without disturbing the equilibrium of The Village. This was one of Eric Portman's last roles, and he is splendid as the 'under dog' candidate - the older man who knows he will be soundly beaten at the ballet box yet still has to go through the motions of the democratic process.
When 'The Prisoner' was reviewed on the B.B.C.'s 'Did You See?' back in 1983, Julian Critchley ( the late Tory M.P. for Aldershot ) dismissed 'Free For All' as 'high camp...James Bond without the music'. Was that his real view? Or did he sense the episode's message and thought to try and discredit it?
Election
AaronCapenBanner9 June 2015
Number six(Patrick McGoohan) is surprised to learn that, not only does the village now hold elections for number two, but that the current number two(played by Eric Porter) wants him to run for office against him! Naturally suspicious, "six" decides to go along with this, both for amusement and to take advantage of even the slimmest chance of gaining real power in the village, but learns the hard way that even victory can lead to defeat in this place...Brilliant episode effectively tackles themes of democracy, power, and the press that manipulates and twists his words and actions for their own ends, as the faces may change, but the status quo remains the same.
A Bit of a Weird One
Samuel-Shovel25 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
In "Free for All", Number Six runs in the local election against Number Two for his place and to meet Number One. A series of brainwashing tactics by his captors have Number Six actually believing his election might lead to his escape.
This one's a weird one. The plot is pretty nonsensical and disjointed. It almost feels like a collection of unrelated scenes: the speakeasy bar, the marching bands, the candidate debates. It all just feels like a fever dream.
Some parts of it are pretty cool but any political commentary they are trying to relay to the audience just gets lost in all the noise. This was my least favorite episode thus far.
This one's a weird one. The plot is pretty nonsensical and disjointed. It almost feels like a collection of unrelated scenes: the speakeasy bar, the marching bands, the candidate debates. It all just feels like a fever dream.
Some parts of it are pretty cool but any political commentary they are trying to relay to the audience just gets lost in all the noise. This was my least favorite episode thus far.
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