# The Prisoner on AMC (open spoilers after each airing) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712 "2009-11-16T00:52:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/1 "2009-11-16T00:52:32Z")
AMC’s remake of **The Prisoner** premiere tonight with a double epside. Four more will follow. I’ve been looking forward to this. There’s only going to be six installments so hopefully they’ll forget about some of the more fillerish stuff from the original. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/2 "2009-11-16T01:42:28Z")
It looks interesting. The cab driver was in that Kansas place name show I liked that was canceled. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/3 "2009-11-16T02:59:59Z")
This is getting hard to follow. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/4 "2009-11-16T03:04:42Z")
It’s definitely different. Like an acid trip though Kafkaville. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/5 "2009-11-16T03:08:54Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > It’s definitely different. Like an acid trip though Kafkaville. Gregor Samsa and the girl with kaleidoscope eyes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/6 "2009-11-16T03:20:54Z")
Dull and pretentious. And it got worse as it went along. The problem is that there is no goal to anything; it’s all just mystery, and it’s not helped by the flashbacks, flashforwards, fantasy sequences, and general incoherence of the direction. Also why in hell did they spoil things at every commercial break? Loved seeing the Namibian settings, though. Also, I discovered the next episode’s tomorrow night. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have started; I have too much to do to commit myself to two hours a night every night. This is an extremely stupid way to run a miniseries (though, for some reason, all too common) and it usually means I don’t watch at all. Certainly not for warmed over crap like this. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/7 "2009-11-16T03:41:15Z")
I was just gonna DVR it, but I started watching while waiting for the Colts/Pats to kick off, and I got sucked in. I liked it. Very trippy with elements of cool. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/8 "2009-11-16T04:05:15Z")
Very interesting character cameo at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/9 "2009-11-16T04:14:47Z")
The cab driver was in the cancelled-brought back-cancelled Jericho…Who’s the pretty young guy hanging with ‘Gandalf’ and who’s the sick woman in bed?..There are way too many things that don’t make sense - where do they think their food comes from? are there farms around? what about that list of names JC reels off, Charles Darwin, Thomas Edison - do they or don’t they know about evolution, and light bulbs?.. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/10 "2009-11-16T04:20:03Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > …This is an extremely stupid way to run a miniseries (though, for some reason, all too common) and it usually means I don’t watch at all. Certainly not for warmed over crap like this. Yeah, I thought this was going to air an episode a week after this. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/11 "2009-11-16T04:24:44Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > The cab driver was in the cancelled-brought back-cancelled Jericho… Thanks! > [@salinqmind](#): > > Who’s the pretty young guy hanging with ‘Gandalf’ I dunno, but Ian plays for the other team. 🙂 > [@salinqmind](#): > > where do they think their food comes from? As the original, Six doesn’t know who is a fellow prisoner and who is posing as one. Apparently some have been drugged and brain washed to believe in the village and some are lying. ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/12 "2009-11-16T05:59:13Z")
Finally we’ll find out who’d win a fistfight: Jesus or Gandalf. I’m DVRing them, but got bored halfway through the first hour. We’ll see if I wander back. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/13 "2009-11-16T07:14:38Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Dull and pretentious. And it got worse as it went along. The problem is that there is no goal to anything; it’s all just mystery, and it’s not helped by the flashbacks, flashforwards, fantasy sequences, and general incoherence of the direction. I think you’ve put your finger on it. The only real conflict driving this series is that Six wants to escape and he can’t. The conflict in the original series was that Six had information he didn’t want to give away and the forces behind the village want to get it out of him through mindgames and trickery. The old series was a contest of wills and this series can be resolved between picking a direction and driving since we know that this can’t be in his head due to scenes not involving Number Six (unless they do a cop out like I suspect they’re going to). Not to say that I’m complaining because it’s different; my problem is that the difference in the core concept isn’t nearly as interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/14 "2009-11-16T07:29:17Z")
On vacation Posting from cell so sorry. Watched the premier in hotel room. Terrible show unbelievably boring. was utterly amazed at how dragging and just insanejy stupid. soul less and without a moment of tension. jim cavewgel is a washed up hack. even mac kellen was boring. amazingly boring waste of time. sex in the hot tub was way more fun. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/15 "2009-11-16T07:47:02Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > …Also, I discovered the next episode’s tomorrow night. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have started; I have too much to do to commit myself to two hours a night every night. This is an extremely stupid way to run a miniseries (though, for some reason, all too common) and it usually means I don’t watch at all. Certainly not for warmed over crap like this. I think they are assuming that most of their target demographic will DVR it. Doing it this way, those who want to watch it all at one crack can, and those who don’t want to don’t have to. They are also doing the DVR-busting trick of embedding lots of trivia and other “extras” inside the commercial breaks, to discourage you from just zipping through them. Overall, after watching the first two hours, I liked it. Yes, it differs from the original, but I think that it mostly differs in reasonable ways, designed to update it for the current state of the world. My mind is still open…TRM ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/16 "2009-11-16T13:21:16Z")
Got Bored… It was all a little dull… In the original series we knew. 1. he was an Agent who wanted to get out of the game. 2. he had a secret and they knew he had one, and wanted to extract it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/17 "2009-11-16T15:42:11Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Dull and pretentious. And it got worse as it went along. The problem is that there is no goal to anything; it’s all just mystery, and it’s not helped by the flashbacks, flashforwards, fantasy sequences, and general incoherence of the direction. Yeah, that about sums up my reaction. I was a big fan of the original, but this one seems to be trying to do too much, to fast. Maybe it’s because they’re doing 4 episodes to see how it plays before committing to the whole season. > [@](#): > > Also, I discovered the next episode’s tomorrow night. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have started; I have too much to do to commit myself to two hours a night every night. This is an extremely stupid way to run a miniseries (though, for some reason, all too common) and it usually means I don’t watch at all. Certainly not for warmed over crap like this. I’m getting 2 episodes tonight and 2 episodes tomorrow night. > [@salinqmind](#): > > ``` > The cab driver was in the cancelled-brought back-cancelled Jericho...Who's the pretty young guy hanging with 'Gandalf' and who's the sick woman in bed?... > > ``` I recognized the cab driver’s voice before I recognized his face. The kid was kind of creepy-- is he No 2’s young lover or son? Is the woman in bed his wife? Anyway, I was very, very disappointed. AMC has been scoring some good hits lately, so my expectations were high. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/18 "2009-11-16T15:50:09Z")
I lasted seven minutes before shutting it off. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/19 "2009-11-16T15:57:33Z")
Not impressed. It seemed to lack any disernable plot. Also missing was a Number 6 you could care about. The original kicked asses and took names, even when they were doing incredibly wierd stuff to him. This one lacks the same - well, anything. I liked the setting more than I thought I would, though again it doesn’t match the weirdness of the original Village. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2009, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712/20 "2009-11-16T16:39:29Z")
Haven’t seen / ain’t gonna see it, but I’m responding anyway a bit off-topic. 😉 > [@RealityChuck](#): > > Also, I discovered the next episode’s tomorrow night. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have started; I have too much to do to commit myself to two hours a night every night. This is an extremely stupid way to run a miniseries (though, for some reason, all too common) and it usually means I don’t watch at all. Certainly not for warmed over crap like this. This is how miniseries usually worked back in the seventies/eighties. They were multi-night events, like _Roots_, _Winds of War_, _Holocaust_, etc. I rather like the convention as it made it more ‘special’. Of course now TV is far more diffuse an experience, not as communal as it used to be, thanks to DVRs and VCRs, so people watch whenever they want to. I don’t necessarily think that’s always a good thing. But then I’m very old-fashioned. Anyway, if you don’t like it over one night, I don’t see why the fact that it’s multiple nights matters. Why would you waste time either way? > [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > On vacation Posting from cell so sorry. Damn! What did you do to piss off the locals? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prisoner-on-amc-open-spoilers-after-each-airing/517712.md?page=2)