The Prisoner/Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time
Season 1, Episode 16
Airdate	January 28, 1968
Production Number	13
Written by	Patrick McGoohan
Directed by	Patrick McGoohan
← 1x15 The Girl Who Was Death	1x17 → Fall Out
The Prisoner — Season One

Once Upon a Time is the sixteenth episode of the first season of The Prisoner. An old Number Two initiates "Degree Absolute," a strenuous final attempt at breaking Number Six once and for all.

Starring: Patrick McGoohan (Number Six)

Guest Star: Leo McKern (Number Two)

And Featuring: Angelo Muscat (The Butler)

with Peter Swanwick (Supervisor), John Cazabon (Umbrella Man), John Maxim (Number Eighty Six)

Plot Overview

At the green dome, an old Number Two has been brought back to the village for another attempt to break Number Six. He's clearly unhappy about being there and has become far more of a prisoner than a warden. When he's brought out for breakfast, he finds Rover sitting in the egg chair that he once occupied and demands that both the security orb and the food be taken away. Number Two phones Number Six and demands to know why he cares so much, but Six naturally doesn't say.

At wit's end, Number Two uses the red phone to ask permission to instate Degree Absolute, the final measure against Number Six. Number Two and the supervisor drive everyone from the control room in town hall and use the pulsator lamp in Number Six's room to brainwash him as he slept. In the morning, Number Six's mind has devolved to that of a child's. He, Number Two and the butler all descend into a room at the bowels of the Green Dome known as the embryo room which is locked from the outside. The three are locked in the room for a full week without any hope of leaving until then.

Number Two proceeds to conduct a series of psychological tests designed to break the childlike Number Six patterned after Shakespeare's seven ages of men. In each test, Number Two takes on the role of authority, whether that be Six's father, teacher, employer or otherwise. He questions the docile Number Six, who takes on the submissive role of a son, student, employee and other related personality types. Each scenario attempts to exploit Number Six's weakness by questioning why he resigned at that point of perceived vulnerability. Despite his frustration over his initial failure, Number Two admits that he's beginning to become fond of his prisoner before moving on to the role of boxing coach and fencing instructor which results in the injury of Number Two who attempts to beg Number Six into murder. Each and every attempt by Number Two fails until a final attempt with Number Two as a jailer and Six a prisoner of war.. Number Six begins to crack up at this point. He says that too many people know too much and that he resigned for peace of mind. He begs that Number Two kill him and finally begins to insult him, calling him an idiot and fool.

Suddenly, Number Six regains control of himself. He says the word "six" and counts down to zero, by which time he's fully returned to normal. Number Two and Number Six reverse their roles, with Six as the interrogator and the cracked Number Two as the patient. Number Six concludes that Degree Absolute is a known psychiatric policy, but it runs into problems with the psychiatrist has his own problems. Number Two shows Six around the "home away from home," including the clock which shows that the door will open in mere minutes. With Number Two in his weakened state, Number Six torments him just as he had been victimized. In the seconds before the door opens, Number Two collapses and pleads with Number Six to ask why he resigned. Number Six taunts the man, shouting "Die, Six, Die!" until Number Two apparently dies on the floor of the large caged room.

Time is up, the supervisor enters the room and Number Six turns to leave. The supervisor asks if there's anything Number Six would like and agrees to take him to Number One.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Breakdown: The strain of filming this episode caused Leo McKern to suffer either a serious nervous breakdown or a heart attack (accounts of the incident differ). This caused production to stop for a while before the episode could be finished.

• Real Life: Patrick McGoohan has said that many of the details about the brainwashed life of Number Six come directly from his own childhood.