The Prisoner/A. B. and C.

A. B. and C.
Season 1, Episode 3
Airdate	October 15, 1967
Written by	Anthony Skene
Directed by	Pat Jackson
← 1x02 The Chimes of Big Ben	1x04 → Free for All
The Prisoner — Season One

A. B. and C. is the third episode of the first season of The Prisoner. Number Six is drugged and kidnapped from his home so that Number Two can direct the manipulation of his dreams, hoping that his subconscious will tell the truths that Number Two so desperately wants to hear.

Starring: Patrick McGoohan (Number Six)

Guest Stars: Katherine Kath (Engadine), Sheila Allen (Number Fourteen), Colin Gordon (Number Two), Peter Bowles ('A')

with Angelo Muscat (The Butler), Georgina Cookson (Blonde Lady), Annette Carrell ('B'), Lucille Soong (Flower Girl)

and Bettine Le Beau (Maid at Party), Terry Yorke (Thug), Peter Brayham (Thug), Bill Cummings (Henchman)

Plot Overview

Number Two is feeling increasing pressure from an unseen administrator about something, likely Number Six. He demands that the scientific research group under the control of the government rush forward with a "wonder drug" combined with a machine that visualizes thought patterns and memories. She insists that they haven't had ample time to test the drug on animals or humans, but Number Two delivers an unconscious Number Six to them anyway. During their test of the machine, Number Six wakes up and the scientist seems unsure about injecting him with the drug. They go forward with the plan, implanting the setting of Paris in his dreams.

In the dream world, Number Six is confronted with the woman who threw the party and several of his former colleagues in an attempt to get the information they seek from his subconscious. He mentions his vacation to the woman, but his encounter with the defected spy lets loose little information. Number Six refuses to give any secrets to the spy and attempts to leave, but it instead taken hostage by the spy. At the time that Number Six reaches his destination, he attacks his captors and breaks free with ease. Unsatisfied with this turn of events, Number Two demands that they go forward with the second dose, but the woman tells him that he needs 24 hours of rest before they try again.

The next morning, Number Six awakens and realizes something is amiss. He recognizes the scar on his wrists from the machine and recognizes Number 14 from the night before. He leads her to believe that he met her in a dream and also that he's onto her scheme. That night, Number Six is reattached to the machine and the two move on to "B" in his dream scenario. Although at first he seems to resist, the maid delivers a message from B to meet him in the hedge maze. Six meets the woman, another former spy, and the two find themselves in much friendlier conversation. She quickly pries in to his vacation. Though the two are pleasantly dancing in his dream, Number Six is violently fighting against the drug in the real world. Number 14 attempts to guide the dream by speaking through the woman, despite her worries that Six will recognize her voice and wake up due to the shock. When the conversation steers into her asking for a bargaining chip against the people who want to kill her lest she give them information, several men burst in on the scene and one holds the woman at gun point. Her sudden change in attitude causes Six to ask questions about her life until he comes to the conclusion that she's not real.

In the morning, Number Six again awakens with a fresh scar on his wrist. He leaves his home and follows Number 14 into a wooded area where she escapes into a disguised hatch that leads to her base of operations. The door doesn't let Six in and forces him to resort to sneaking down a ventilation shaft. Once she departs, Six freely inspects the facility and realizes what exactly has been done. To prevent a third occurrence, he dilutes the drug he would be given that night with water. Finished with his task, Six returns home and pours out his drugged tea in favor of some similarly drugged water.

That night, Six is brought in for his final drugging. They attempt to introduce the final person into the dream, but they don't have a picture of her. In the dream, Six plays roulette with an earring and is given a key when he wins. The hostess of the party turns out to be "C," and the two use their keys to open a door. But before the door is opened, the dream spins violently out of control and Six collapses. The dream comes back eventually and the hostess, Engadine, drives Six to "the summit" where he'll hand his papers over to the person she's working for. She drops him off at a castle where he meets a man with no face that speaks in a slight Italian accent. Six demands to see the man's face so that the people who are watching can get what they're looking for. He tears the black mask off of the man's face and reveals him to be Number Two. Number Six exits the castle and appears again in the village. He delivers the envelope of papers to Number Two in the laboratory, but it turns out to be nothing more than resort pamphlets. Number Six explains that wasn't selling out, he resigned for other reasons.

Now back at square one, Number Two begins to consider his fate when the red telephone rings and decides his future for him. As explained earlier, Number Two is dispensable and that phone call will likely be his last.

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Number Six: Number Two makes reference to "what he was going to sell," implying that Number Six had intended to take the secrets he knew while with the British intelligence agency and sell them to the other side. This, however, turns out to be idle speculation on Number Two's behalf and Number Six tells him via the dream that he resigned for reasons other than selling out.

Trivia

The Show

• Chronology: The chronology of this episode is frequently disputed by fans. In the opening segment, Number Two describes himself as just "I am Number Two," rather than "the new Number Two." In "The General," this is how the same actor describes himself although that episode was broadcast after "A. B. and C."

• Weather: Although umbrellas are frequently seen and the threat of rain is always considered imminent, this is the only episode in which it rains on the village. Appropriately enough, the rain comes during the night when none of the villagers can see it.