A. B. and C.

"A. B. and C." is the title of the third episode of the British science fiction-allegorical series, The Prisoner. It originally aired in the UK on ITV on 13 October, 1967 and was first broadcast in the United States on CBS on 22 June, 1968.

The episode stars Patrick McGoohan in the character of Number 6 and features as Number 2 Colin Gordon - the only actor other than Leo McKern who would play Number 2 in more than one episode.

Plot summary

Number 2 is directed by (presumably) Number 1 to step up efforts to extract information from Number 6, prompting him to push forward an experimental method developed by Number 14, despite her warnings on the harm it could cause. Number 6 is sedated, and brought into a laboratory, and his head is hooked up to electrodes, leading to a machine, and a special drug which Number 14 has developed is administered. As the machine runs, it displays images from Number 6's dream-state for Numbers 2 & 14 to watch. The machine is able to influence what Number 6 dreams by adding in data.

Number 2 plans to use data on one of 3 agents which The Village knows about, and which Number 2 believes Number 6 had planned to sell out to. This information is contained in dossiers labeled "A," "B," and "C." Number 2 hopes to see what hypothetical events would have played out, had Number 6 met each individual at a party hosted by "the celebrated hostess, Madame Engadine" to gain insight on 6's resignation.

Number 2 starts with "A" - a dark-haired, mustached man known to be a former agent who'd defected. When Number 6 encounters him at the party, the man seems to want to buy Number 6's secrets, but 6 refuses. The man and his henchmen kidnap Number 6 from the party, take him to a foreign embassy, and beat him up, but 6 is able to get the upper hand and escape. Number 2 deduces it is not "A" who they want. With the night almost up and the drug nearly out of Number 6's system, 6 is returned to his home.

Number 6 has no recollection of the events, but does recognize Number 14 and sparks a connection between her and a needle mark on his wrist. That night, Number 6 is again drugged, and brought back to the laboratory.

This time, Number 2 uses "B" - an auburn-haired woman and known spy who Number 6 seems to be on familiar terms with. At the party, Number 6 refuses to answer her questions about his plans, and instead offers to dance with her. Number 2 forces Number 14 to attempt to vocally interact with 6 - by having Number 14's words being said by "B." Number 6 becomes suspicious of "B," and even when thugs arrive and prepare to kill her, 6 disbelieves that "B" is who she claims to be. Again, the simulation of "B" fails to persuade Number 6 to provide the information about his resignation, which Number 2 desperately wants.

Number 6 wakes up the next morning, and notices a second needle mark, and grows even more suspicious of his dim memories of the night before. He trails Number 14 around The Village and watches as she enters the laboratory where he'd been the two previous nights. In it, he finds the 3 dossiers and the equipment. Number 6 takes steps to dilute the drug shot intended for him that night. He returns to his home, and although he avoids being sedated again, he pretends to have been, by drinking tap water and 'passing out.'

He is brought to the laboratory, and injected with the (diluted) drug, and placed in the machine with the information from dossier "C" implanted into his dream-state. However, the problem is they don't know who "C" is exactly. Number 2 believes Number 6 will find "C" through a 'process of elimination.' The images of the party are more jumbled, a fact Number 14 attributes to the effects of repeated use of the drug. Agent "C" is revealed to be Madame Engadine, but, she implies there is yet another person behind his sell-out, whom Number 14 sarcastically calls "D." Madame Engadine takes Number 6 to this agent, but clearly 6 is in control of his dream-state, and "D" is revealed to be none other than Number 2 himself.

The screen shows images of Number 6 returning to The Village - and the laboratory - aware of the experiment. While watching Number 6's dream of entering the laboratory, Number 6 hands Number 2 an envelope. When the 'dream' Number 2 opens the envelope, (which he'd thought to contain the information he was believed to be selling), it contains only holiday travel brochures, Number 6 adds that his resignation was not from selling out. As a distraught looking Number 2 tries to come to grips with the fact that he'd been duped by Number 6, the phone with which Number 2 communicates with Number 1 ominously rings.

Additional guest cast

• Blonde Lady: Georgina Cookson
• Flower girl: Lucille Soong
• Maid at party: Bettina Le Beau (credited as "Bettine Le Beau")
• Thug: Terry Yorke
• Thug: Peter Brayham
• Henchman: Bill Cummings

Chronology

It is never definitely indicated whether the Number Two in this episode is the same Number Two played by Colin Gordon in "The General". At the beginning of "A. B. and C.", when Number Six asks "Who are you?" Number Two replies "I am Number Two." At the beginning of The General, when Number Six asks "Who are you?" Number Two (again played by Colin Gordon) replies "The new Number Two." Throughout this episode he appears more desperate than typical Number Twos, possibly indicating that he faces dire consequences if he fails to break Number Six.

In actual broadcast order, "A. B. and C." was the third episode while "The General" was broadcast sixth in order. If the Number Two of each of the two shows is the same character, it would illustrate some of the production problems faced by the show; the Number Two of "A. B. and C." is clearly close to the end of his tenure, and this would indicate that this episode must follow The General in chronology. The Number Two in The "The General" describes himself and Number Six as "old friends" (which could possibly indicate the special status of Number Six.) The principal problem with the broadcast chronology is that in the conclusion of "A. B. and C.," it seems that Number Two is to be replaced for not providing the mental in-roads to Number Six as he likely offered. His existence in "The General" may perhaps be explained as indeed, a 'one-time' reprieve. However, every alternative order (including the production order and those created by enthusiasts of the show for chronology) lists "The General" before "A. B. and C."

It is also worth noting that Number Two in both episodes displays a fondness for drinking milk and both episodes concern experiments that involve manipulating the mind.

Trivia

• Despite the common threat of showers and the ubiquity of umbrellas, this is the only episode where we see rain in The Village. Notably, it rains at night, when few if any of the prisoners would see it.
• Skene re-worked his script for this episode as an installment of the BBC's Counterstrike series in 1969, entitled Nocturne.
• When the episode was screened by Channel 4 in 1983 a badly abridged print was used, omitting all of Number Fourteen's manipulation of B.

References

Bibliography

• Fairclough, Robert (ed.). The Prisoner: The Original Scripts. vol. 1. foreword by Lewis Greifer. Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 978-1-903111-76-5. OCLC 61145235.  - script of episode

External links

• The Prisoner: A. B. and C. at the Internet Movie Database