some weeks back. The commentator is a real Prisonerista, and re-ordered the showings, for reasons discussed at length. ie you can change the order of showing and get a Different perspective upon the P's growing awareness of the scale(s) of deception / organization involved.

Surrounded by memorabilia (including a full-sized Penny Farthing bicycle), Scott ___? offered several interesting intro- and post- monologues re the Symbols: the cycle, the umbrellas ('umbra- - hidden) other latin derivations. Wish it were on DVD - the episodes and commentator illuminations. Surely this allegory IS the Everyman we had to read in Eng. Lit -- just as his company was named, Everyman Productions. Layers upon layers.

As likely you are aware, the surrealism, missing links are quite intentional; this is Not a 'serial logic' creation - and McGoohan had full artistic license. Think Zippy (great plastic heads speak back) and Bizzaro - or (ancient) Dan O'Neill cartoons of the '70s, pretty well nailing the Fat Cats and the daily euphemisms.

Frankly, I don't think I'd be up to adequately paralleling something (as Ross hits-nail dead-on) so like Beckett. Aren't we All both Vladimir and Estragon? Maybe I could build from my own occasional, oblique takes on the daily illusion and sorta tie that in - but not too closely to any Prisoner episode. I think it's the (artistry) fact of McG being capable of a just-consistent-enough abstraction which mades this Radio-like:

As with the great radio mysteries of yore, You Must fill-in the details Yourself! Now if you can morph Alex's character --> a more pensive creature than suggested all along (unbeknownst to us unwashed), then I'd think you could create your own vagueness-quotient. I don't think you can borrow McG's effectively - only let The Prisoner refs indicate a certain message:
'reader must do some work next' == I Won't Be Explaining.

Irony. You do pretty well with that, and properly brought off - and with the power of cartoon caricature: You can be a Nast!

(If any of this makes any sense)


Ashton

PS - Total Info Awareness alone.. is entr\ufffd to the entire facade of the manipulation of language by the powerful, seeking to retain their advantage via everything from slogans to outright absurdities in words.

(All are created equal but some are more equal than others)
(..thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears..)
(watch what you say!)
(A War for Peace / War on Drugs welovetouse but pleasestopus before we get High again / Yada)

Why.. you have Huxley, Orwell and The Bard all pullin fer ya!
(It's all always The Same Story, innitt? Power + Greed VS Others you mean to scam.)
AND
IMnsHO - - -