The Prisoner/Checkmate

Checkmate
Season 1, Episode 9
Airdate	December 3, 1967
Written by	Gerald Kelsey
Directed by	Don Chaffey
← 1x08 Dance of the Dead	1x10 → Hammer into Anvil
The Prisoner — Season One

Checkmate is the ninth episode of the first season of The Prisoner. Number Six attempts to rally the people who are not part of the government's schemes in order to collectively escape from the village.

Starring: Patrick McGoohan (Number Six)

Guest Stars: Ronald Radd (Rook), Patricia Jessel (1st Psychiatrist), Peter Wyngarde (Number Two), Rosalie Crutchley (Queen), George Coulouris (Man with the Stick)

With Angelo Muscat (The Butler), Bee Duffell (2nd Psychiatrist), Basil Dignam (Supervisor), Danvers Walker (Painter), Denis Shaw (Shopkeeper)

and Victor Platt (Assistant Supervisor), Shivaun O'Casey (Nurse), Geoffrey Reed (Skipper), Terence Donovan (Sailor), Joe Dunne (1st Tower Guard), Romo Gorrara (2nd Tower Guard)

Plot Overview

Rover is let loose to make a passage for an old man headed to a chess board made for life-sized pieces. Number Six follows him and the man bids him to join the game as the queen's pawn. The queen explains to him that the old man is the champion and may have been a count in his former life. The queen offers a possibility of a way out of the village, but Number Six's piece is moved before she can answer. During the game, the white queen's rook is removed and brought to the hospital because of the "cult of the individual." Eventually the champion wins his game and chats up Number Six, referring to him as someone who hasn't joined up with "the enemy." He explains to Six that he too had an plan to escape, but so does everyone else. The problem is that no one has learned to tell "the blacks from the whites."

The Queen follows him back to his flat, hoping to find out what Six's escape plan is. She offers to tell him what won't work, but he refuses to accept her aid because he doesn't trust her. The next morning, Number Two approaches Six in a cart and offers to take him to the hospital to check up on the rook that was taken during the chess game. They witness the rook in a room, parched with thirst, trying to get water out of the machines. He's shocked by the blue water dispenser and told to go back. He's finally given the water he desires and the psychiatrist marvels over what a success he is.

After the hospital visit, Number Six follows the rook home and questions him about whether or not he's really been broken by the psychiatrists. He insists that he only wishes for escape through death and that he was brought to the island because he invented an electronic defense system that would have ensured peace in the world if he were allowed to share the technology with other countries. He was brought to the village to keep those secrets safe, but a bureaucrat let the plans get stolen anyway. The Rook expresses how much he doesn't trust Number Six, but the two wind up becoming friendly. At the chess game, Number Two attempts to spy on them but decides that the Rook has been so thoroughly rehabilitated that Number Six could not possibly get anything out of him. They begin to round up other prisoners who are not entirely bound to authority, which alarmed Number Two.

This situation causes Number Two to bring in Six for examinations. They also hypnotize a woman into being madly in love with Six, to the point that she would betray him in order to save him. They also put a locket on her in order to track her emotions and thoughts. That will also allow control to track Number Six vicariously. While tracking the woman, the psychiatrist suggests that they knock out the aggressive centers of his brain but Number Two nixes the idea, saying that he's too valuable. Meanwhile, Number Six steals a buggy and drives off with the woman tailing behind. He picks up the rook and the two head to the chess board where the rook deactivates the camera and steals it. They also steal a telephone and backtrack to the electrical repair truck at the crossroads and steal a couple of the man's tools. When the woman finally finds Number Six, he allows the Rook to hide their newly gained appliances and goes off to ask the woman what her deal is. She tells him that she's in love and no one put her up to it.

Later that night, the woman follows him back to his flat and tries to please him with hot chocolate and uses the "burst into tears" trick to soften his outbursts that demand who what her aim is. He agrees to see her again sometime in order to get rid of her. The next morning, Number Six meets the Rook at a changing station. He also meets the woman on the beach and takes the transmitter necklace off of her. He hands it over to the Rook, who explains that she's been a walking alarm system. It also happens to be the last piece of whatever the Rook has been building. Six then goes on to alert the prisoners he's willed over to his side to look to "queen's pawn six."

In the middle of the night, Number Six and the Rook make a mayday call using their makeshift radio. They manage to get a message out to a station on a ship called Polotska under the ruse of a downed aircraft. While Number Six continues his ruse, control picks the call up as well but Number Two decides to leave it to the ship. The Rook pushes out to sea with a transmitter, while Number Six makes his move. However, control is still attempting to find the signal but Number Six knocks out the man operating the spotlight. This alerts Number Two and forces to cease his martial arts practice, but he's suddenly stopped by the men in Number Six's employ. They tie him up and the beeping stops, causing Number Six to check and see what's wrong. He sees the boat and manages to paddle out to the M.S. Polotska. But, when Number Six reaches the boat, he sees a monitor with Number Two explaining the ship belongs to the village.

In the end, the rook believed that Number Six was the prisoner and betrayed him, believing that he was in league with the authority. Frustrated, Number Six fights with the ship's crew, giving Number Two time to wake the guardian, lock the controls and bring Number Six back to shore.

Quotes

• Man: Looks as if I'm in trouble.

Number Six: In that case, why do you play?

Man: Why not? I enjoy a game of chess.