R. Doug Wicker — Author

Congratuations to those who solved this week’s Mystery Destination. Unless you’re a fan of 1960s classic cult television, you probably had some difficulty with it. There were also a lot of red herrings in this week’s Mystery Destination Quiz, especially on the automotive front, but there were many subtle clues there as well. For instance, there were multiple references to James Bond, which most of you probably think were designed to confuse you. But the star of the show that made the Mystery Destination famous actually turned down the role of 007 because he objected to the character’s womanizing ways and the use of firearms. Indeed, he rejected the role twice — first in Dr. No, and then almost a decade later when Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were looking to replace Sean Connery after Diamonds Are Forever. That actor later found fame in the television series Danger Man, shown in the U.S. as Secret Agent, and what some consider the sequel to Danger Man — The Prisoner.

The actor to whom I refer is Patrick McGoohan. The series that made this week’s Mystery Destination famous was indeed The Prisoner. And the village? In The Prisoner it was referred to simply as The Village. When you say The Village, use a deep, ominous tone and emphasize both words independently. The… Village….

One clue this week was the above photograph. Checkmate referred to The Prisoner episode of the same name, and the grassy area in the foreground was the area on which a game of chess was played using residents of The… Village… as living pieces. Protagonist Number Six was, of course, a pawn. The… Green… Dome… (also highlighted in an ominous, almost reverential, tone) was the residence of Number Two. Number Two is the antagonist, and the role of number two was changed almost weekly, whenever the preceeding Number Two failed in the mission. The mission? To extract information from Number Six, a former secret agent (hence the rumored Danger Man connection) who angrily resigns his job and attempts to flee England before being gassed in his apartment and awakening in… The… Village…!

“And if you spill your secrets you are retired into the old people’s home.” — Number Six

The Mystery Destination Is…

Give up? This week’s Mystery Destination is not in Italy (despite the Fiat and Ferrari photos and the series quote about The… Village… being “Italianate”). The English cars were closer to the truth. The… Village… is, in fact, Portmeirion in County Gwynedd, Wales. I’ve written a series of articles on this fascinating place, and you can begin that series at this link: Portmeirion — Part 1

If you watch this seventeen-episode series, which I highly recommend because I adore it (I have the entire series on both DVD and Blu-ray), you will be shocked at the two-part ending unless you understand that what you think this series is about is not what this series is about. For instance, it’s not really about a kidnapped former secret agent hauled off to some mysterious village. And if you then rewatch the series knowing how it ends, you’ll pick up on all the clues that stretch as far back as the very first episode. All the quotes I used this week come from my favorite episode, Many Happy Returns (episode 7, which if you watch very closely will tell you who Number One is. And that revelation will in turn tells you exactly where the series ending is headed.

Other references to the ending hidden deep within the series include subtle clues such as:

• “In a society, one must learn to conform.”
  — Number Two (Checkmate)
•  “I am not a number. I am a person.”
  — Number Six (Arrival; pilot episode)
• “I’m the boss.”
  — Number Two
  “No. One is the boss.”
  — Number Six
• “Everyone votes for a dictator.”
  — Number Six
• “A still tongue makes a happy life.”
  — Village Motto (Arrival)
• “Unlike me, many of you have accepted the situation of your imprisonment and will die here like rotten cabbages.”
  — Number Six (Free for All)
• “We deplore your spirit of disharmony.”
  — The Chairman (A Change of Mind)
• “I assure you that no matter what significance you may hold for me, to the Village and its Committee, you are merely citizen Number Six, who has to be tolerated, and if necessary, shaped to fit.”
  — Number Two
  “Public enemy, Number Six.”
  — Number Six

I hope you enjoyed this week’s little experiment. Either way, yes or no, feel free to drop a comment and let me know your thoughts. Until then, “Be Seeing You!“

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