The Prisoner: It's Your Funeral

Why Did You Retire, No.2?

The Prisoner: Episode 11 It's Your Funeral
Written by  Michael Cramoy
Directed by Robert Asher
No.2 "I can think of better ways to die"
No.6 "And better causes to die for"
No.50 goes to see No.6, to warn him that there's an assassination plot to kill No.2. No.6 doesn't believe her. When his watch stops, he goes to the Watchmaker, where he finds a radio detonation device for plastic explosives. He discovers that No.50 is his daughter. Now convinced, he goes to warn No.2, who doesn't believe him. When he breaks into the Watchmaker's shop, he discovers a copy of the Great Seal of Office. The retiring No.2 is the intended victim, and the plot is by his own side. But will he believe No.6's tale?
There are quite a few points about this story, particularly the plot, that make no sense. For a start, what was the point of the daily prognosis report on No.6? Okay, so No.2 needs to swap watches with a broken one so No.6 will visit the Watchmaker.  I get that. But why did we need all the other details of No.6's daily routine? Not only not plausible (there's not enough time for him to do all those activities, especially as some would require changing clothes and moving to a different location, i.e. travel time) it's just too lengthy. It feels like padding. I'm always happy to see the gorgeous Wanda Ventham, here as the computer expert, No.8. But she doesn't get much to do apart from read from this interminable list. And the bit about the sweets? No computer could be that accurate.
Though there's  a nice joke about the 
Computers refusing to give an efficiency rating when asked. "They'll want their own Union next" says No.2. Actually funny, but there's  a serious note behinds that which isn't further explored sadly. Nowadays we're all so dependent on computers for information and records, that we believe the computers, even when they're in error, than other evidence, including human testimony. I've had this problem myself with customer relations with a company where the advisor stubbornly refused to believe me in preference to their incorrect computer record, and I'm not alone. How long before computers dictate social and political policy? And what happens when they go wrong, or refuse to co-operate? 
Next plot weakness. The Kosho sequence. Yes, it gives an excuse to swap watches, but why does it have to go on so long. It's  a stupid martial art, here weakened by the fact that you can clearly see No.6's opponent in many of the shots is not Gerry Crampton, but Basil Hoskins from the previous episode, Hammer into Anvil. This is just one of the poor production values of this episode that I'll go into later. It just seems with the daily prognosis and the Kosho and two trips to the Watchmakers, and two trips to warn both No.2s that there's very little substance in the plot, and a lot o
f repetitive padding.
Another weak plot hole. How careless was it of No.100, letting No.6 see him leave No.2's office!? Knowing how suspicious No.6 is, for the sake of the successful assassination, there's NO WAY No.2 would let No.6 have an inkling of The Village's involvement. Yes, No.6 hasn't met him before, but the Watchmaker's daughter has, and she points him out later on.
But the main failing of the plot is the basic plot itself. It's ludicrous. Yes, I can believe that The Village plans to kill the retiring no.2 rather than let him go off in retirement knowing all he knows about the organisation. And it's a neat twist for militant members of the villagers to take the blame (bad for morale if it gets known The Village is killing its own). But it makes NO SENSE letting No.6 anywhere near the plot. The idea that his warning of the retiring No.2 would not be believed and therefore, as the only 'reputable' witness, the others like the Watchmaker's daughter being 'jammers' (people who deliberately spread false rumours), any suspicions the retiring No.2 would have would be allayed, is nonsense. No smoke without fire.
Firstly, No.2 didn't have any suspicions until the new No.2 showed him the film reel. Secondly, and more importantly,  No.6 is INDEPENDENTLY motivated, and acts of his own volition. Once he discovered the plot, he would take his own action to prevent the plot, which is exactly what he does! If he hadn't been made aware, he would have been as surprised as anyone else when the retiring No.2 went bang! No, I'm sorry, the plot makes no sense, it's trying to be too clever by half, but unlike say The Schizoid Man, where the brilliant conceit was in having No.6 convinced he's really No.12 working for The Village against the 'real' No.6, this doesn't have any internal logic. Surely No.1 would have put the kibosh on any involvement by No.6. Also, the internal organisation of The Village presented here, with a real long-term No.2 and the others we've seen only temporary replacements, does not fit in with any of the other episodes. Neither does the retirement sequence, we've seen before that official handing overs of No.2's are a sham. Probably became another bone of contention between Markstein and McGoohan.
The only good plot device, first introduced here, was the concept of Jamming, of deliberately spreading false rumours of plots and escapes. We haven't come across it before, but probably because we're told  the jammers names (or should that be numbers?) are on a list, so any plots reported by them are discounted as being discredited. It's  a valuable resource that No.6 could use. Since they're disbelieved, he could use that network for his own escape. Again, this is another very good concept wastefully thrown away and not developed further. There are also some real-life parallels to jamming. 
This episode has been noted for some awful behind-the-scenes production problems that beset the whole shoot. This probably accounts for the cheap and shoddy nature of some of the production. The scene where No.6 goes to warn the first No.2 (Nesbitt). This is marked  by some truly appalling poor lip-synching. No.2 particularly seems to  be mouthing different words than what are actually said, and his lips continue to move when there's no dialogue. I've already mentioned the poor doubling in the Kosho fight. Added to this, we have some disappointingly c
heap looking sets, normally a high-point of the series. The exteriors especially, the solar cafĂ© exterior looks like a very badly painted cardboard set, worsened when the camera pans out to show the whole thing. The watchtower grassy bank where No.6 & No.100 fight is also poor. It has to fit the natural ramped earth bank that is featured in the location shots use in earlier episodes, but it's clearly a wooden and mattress structure covered with obviously fake turf. In a show that can be applauded for its excellent production design, this is particularly distressing. The threadbare cheap and shoddy nature of the episode, plus the plot holes, coupled with some lacklustre acting, are testament to the production problems that beset this episode. 
The acting too has been one of the major delights of this series, but in this episode falls far short of the high standard previously set. Perhaps hindered by the ludicrous plot and the very large amount of expository and to be honest dull dialogue, good actors like Nesbitt, Eden, and Van Gyseghem fail to make anything of their parts. And poor old Annette is rather wooden and dazed. Indeed, Nesbitt complained that he was never told what the series was about (it still hadn't been broadcast then) so had no direction (and wasn't given any) as to how to play No.2, and both Andre and Eden have later complained about the 'appalling' behaviour (in their words) of McGoohan, and that neither were happy on the shoot. It's also rumoured that director Asher was fired and replaced by McGoohan, who reshot some and completed the episode, another factor that might account for the poor nature of the production.
I'm a huge fan of this series, so normally make allowances as I adore the whole concept. But being objective there seems to be a slight dissipation of intent and quality with the series with the last two episodes, as if it's beginning to run out of creative steam (McGoohan still had a commitment to make 26 episodes). This might explain the huge pressure McGoohan felt at the time, which might account for his behaviour. In a series noted for high quality scripts, acting, and production design, it's all the more noticeable when these factors are lacking. And we haven't even got to the three 'filler' episodes. 
Overall, not one of my favourite episodes, indeed it would be nice to see someone take the concept of jamming and The Village assassinating its own, and remake it. But as that's not possible, and this is is the only version we've got, I'll accept it as  the inevitable slight slump often seen in the middle of a long series, and as a temporary aberration that doesn't really fit the concept, and concentrate on the first eight episodes, which are indeed excellent. Lowest score so far.

The Village rating (out of six): No.4
The Prisoner .................................................................. PATRICK McGOOHAN
Number Two .................................................................. DERREN NESBITT
The Butler  ..................................................................... ANGELO MUSCAT
Watchmaker's Daughter (No.50) ................................... ANNETTE ANDRE
Supervisor.....................................................................  PETER SWANWICK
Number 100 .................................................................. MARK EDEN
Retiring Number Two  ................................................... ANDRE VAN GYSEGHEM
Watchmaker .................................................................. MARTIN MILLER
Computer attendant (No.8) ..........................................  WANDA VENTHAM
Number Two's assistant ............................................... MARK BURNS
Artist ............................................................................. CHARLES LLOYD-PACK
Number 36 ...................................................................  GRACE ARNOLD
Stallholder .................................................................... ARTHUR WHITE
MC councillor ............................................................... MICHAEL BILTON
Kosho opponent ........................................................... GERRY CRAMPTON
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