,,Greetings..
I have been enjoying my 40th anniversary box set of "The Prisoner" and noticed a glaring error in the chronology of two of the episodes. Though I am aware that there has always been some dispute as to the order of some of the episodes, the following two are, or rather seem, quite obvious.
The episodes "A, B, and C" and "The General" are not correctly placed. A&E chose to place "A,B,and, C" before "The General" when it seems obvious to me they should go the other way 'round. Two points...Even in the trivia section of the DVD disc, it is pointed out that at the begining of "A,B, and C", Number 2 doesn't say "I am the NEW nuber 2", he simply states, "I am Number 2.",while at the begining of "The General", the same character/actor indeed says the usual, "I am the NEW Number 2." It would seem very obvious that "The General" preceeds "A,B and C" because of this one factor alone...why would he say he was the NEW 2 when it had been established in the previous episode?
Also, on a more esoteric level, the more desperate overall tone of "A,B, and C" would seem to make sense in the episode to follow "The General" since the same Number 2 had failed once already , hence Numer 2's nervous reactions to the foreboding calls from the mysterious Numer 1 on the red phone which is in prominent view several time throughout "A,B, and C". At the start of "A,B, and C", Number 2 receives the call from Number 1 warning him not to fail again...
Also, the scheme of drugging Number 6 seems to be more fitting as a last ditch effort for that current Number 2 after his failure in "The General" though in "The General", there was no specific plot against Number 6, just an overall brainwashing scheme for everyone in the village. Also the desperate, nervous demeanor of Number 2 was clearly that of a "Warder" who had failed at least once before.
Finally, the last shot in "A,B,and C" of the red phone ringing was clearing the death knell for the current Number 2, so why would he be back in the next episode, calm and assured? It all seems very obvious to me that A&E made a bit of a mistake, and transposed those two episodes...other than that, it's a top notch collection so far. I am up to the rather throw a way episode, "Its your Funeral" and am enjoying every paranoid minute of one of the greatest television programs evr made...Be seeing You...
