A short while ago, I finally saw the entire 17 episode run of The Prisoner. It was the first time I had seen the show and viewing it with no nostalgia attached, I could still see why the series had maintained a cult status. Like Twin Peaks, of which I am a huge fan of, the more one delves into the quirkiness, lore and theories, the more one appreciates what was done. It has clearly inspired many shows including Lost, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The X Files and so many more.

It is a singular show and it's tight episode run has kept it evergreen by avoiding the bloat and repetition that plagues a lot of series.

The series is now seen as cult with its allegory of socio-politics, but it was a prime time show when it was initially released. I don't know how Patrick McGoohan managed to get funding for it as it is so ahead of its time yet of its time; the Cold War was alive and well and the fear permeates this singularly psychedelic and Kafka-esque show with some real world analogies. However, it also embraced the Summer of Love with its fashion, crazy carnival of colours and The Beatles' All You Need is Love.

The show sure goes to some odd places and it can be difficult to parse what you have just seen, so a book promising to explain the key takeaways sprinkled across the episodes as well as a grand theory intrigued me enough to buy it.

Alex Cox gives a brief overview of each episode (in the order in which they were shot) and dissects aspects of them which builds to his grand theory or decoding if you will.

The book is slight but it does capture the zaniness and kookiness of the show well, showing how McGoohan created a vibe without necessarily spoon-feeding the audience with an ending that neatly tied the solution in a bow. Instead, what we get are little clues dotted throughout, which, if considered as a whole, makes sense and is cohesive. I agree with Cox's final analysis and also agree that the ending is rather obtuse but decodable if you consider the show as a complete tapestry with a overarching design that takes in the geopolitical situation of the time as well as the space race confirms my views too.

The book is a good read and enjoyable as a companion piece whilst watching the show.

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