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Checkmate (The Prisoner)
Encyclopedia
Checkmate is the ninth episode of the television
series The Prisoner
; as its title suggests, the plot centres around a game of chess in which the pieces are humans, directed by a mysterious "man with a stick". The chess game has been described as a metaphor for life itself, albeit a somewhat transparent one. Checkmate received the highest viewership of any of the series' episodes on its first UK broadcast.
in the courtyard. One of the rebellious rooks is taken to the hospital for "evaluation". After the game, Number 6 talks with the Chess Master, who comments that one can tell who is a prisoner and who is a guardian “[B]y their disposition. By the moves they make.” Number 6 later visits the hospital to inquire as to the fate of the rook, and sees him subjected to mind control exercises. Number 6 seeks an alliance with the rook, and other villagers that he can now identify as prisoners. Together they attempt an escape by building a 2-way radio and hoping to signal any passing ships. But he discovers he has been a pawn all along - the rook had thought that the strong-minded Number 6 was a guardian and that it was a test of his loyalty, and thus reported the escape attempt to Number 2.
. Parallels have been drawn with the Milgram experiment
, Asch conformity experiments
and the Stanford prison experiment
. Similar techniques are used to make Number 6 conform, hoping he will reveal the secret of his resignation.
However, Number 6 discovers, as usual, that his trust is misplaced
and the distinction between prisoner and warder remains blurred.
The chessgame is recreated annually by enthusiasts of the programme at their annual convention, held at Portmeirion
.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
; as its title suggests, the plot centres around a game of chess in which the pieces are humans, directed by a mysterious "man with a stick". The chess game has been described as a metaphor for life itself, albeit a somewhat transparent one. Checkmate received the highest viewership of any of the series' episodes on its first UK broadcast.
Plot summary
The show starts off with a game of chess using peopleHuman chess
Human chess is a variant of chess, often played at a Renaissance fair, where people each take on the role of a chess piece. Human chess is typically played on an outdoor field, with the squares of the board marked out on the grass. Many Human Combat Chess Matches are choreographed stage shows that...
in the courtyard. One of the rebellious rooks is taken to the hospital for "evaluation". After the game, Number 6 talks with the Chess Master, who comments that one can tell who is a prisoner and who is a guardian “[B]y their disposition. By the moves they make.” Number 6 later visits the hospital to inquire as to the fate of the rook, and sees him subjected to mind control exercises. Number 6 seeks an alliance with the rook, and other villagers that he can now identify as prisoners. Together they attempt an escape by building a 2-way radio and hoping to signal any passing ships. But he discovers he has been a pawn all along - the rook had thought that the strong-minded Number 6 was a guardian and that it was a test of his loyalty, and thus reported the escape attempt to Number 2.
Context
Apart from the obvious metaphor that life is a game of chess, the episode deals with conformity and pressures to conform, particularly peer pressurePeer pressure
Peer pressure refers to the influence exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change his or her attitudes, values, or behavior in order to conform to group norms. Social groups affected include membership groups, when the individual is "formally" a member , or a social clique...
. Parallels have been drawn with the Milgram experiment
Milgram experiment
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of notable social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that...
, Asch conformity experiments
Asch conformity experiments
The Asch conformity experiments were a series of studies published in the 1950s that demonstrated the power of conformity in groups. These are also known as the Asch Paradigm.-Introduction:...
and the Stanford prison experiment
Stanford prison experiment
The Stanford prison experiment was a study of the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The experiment was conducted from August 14th-20th, 1971, by a team of researchers led by psychology professor Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University...
. Similar techniques are used to make Number 6 conform, hoping he will reveal the secret of his resignation.
However, Number 6 discovers, as usual, that his trust is misplaced
Misplaced loyalty
Misplaced loyalty is loyalty placed in other persons or organisations where that loyalty is not acknowledged or respected; is betrayed or taken advantage of...
and the distinction between prisoner and warder remains blurred.
Production
At the beginning of the episode, the lawn is seen uncovered by chessboard squares; a few moments later, it is shown as the chessboard. The chessboard remained in place for a week during September 1966 during filming of this episode; when it was removed, the grass had been lightened and the pattern is clearly visible in prior episodes.The chessgame is recreated annually by enthusiasts of the programme at their annual convention, held at Portmeirion
Portmeirion
Portmeirion is a popular tourist village in Gwynedd, North Wales. It was designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village and is now owned by a charitable trust....
.
Additional cast
- Second Psychiatrist - Bee Duffell
- Supervisor - Basil DignamBasil DignamBasil Dignam was an English character actor.Basil Dignam, a native of Sheffield, acted on film and television between 1951 and 1975. He often appeared as an authority figure, such as a police officer, army general or peer....
- Painter - Danvers Walker
- Shopkeeper - Denis ShawDenis ShawDenis Shaw was a British character actor specialising in slimy villains. Born in Dulwich, he was a rotund man, with dark, wavy hair, and slanty eyes...
- Assistant supervisor - Victor Platt
- Nurse Shivaun O'Grady
- Skipper - Geoffrey Reed
- Sailor - Terence DonovanTerence Donovan (actor)Terence Donovan , also known as Terry Donovan, is an English-born Australian actor and the father of fellow actor and entertainer Jason Donovan...
- 1st Tower guard - Joe Dunne
- 2nd Tower guard - Romo Gorrara
Trivia
- The original title was to be The Queen's Pawn, a play on the fact that Number Six had recently been in "Her Majesty's service".