Free For All is a television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 episode of the British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 science fiction

Science fiction

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

-allegorical

Allegory

Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...

 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...

. It originally aired in the UK on ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

 on 20 October 1967. This episode was filmed second, and was titled "Episode Two". It is usually broadcast fourth, but is located second in The Prisoner DVD Megaset.

The central theme of this episode is the difficulties with the democratic election process

Election

An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...

.

Plot summary

Number Six runs for election to the post of Number Two when it is suggested to him by the then-current Number Two, who promises that Number Six will meet Number One if he won. A woman who speaks only an unidentified foreign language is assigned to Number Six as his assistant. Both men campaign for the office, with Number 6 offering freedom if he is elected. However, he is drugged and coerced into believing he is part of the Village, and wins the election. As he and his assistant go to the dome, the assistant destabilises him by playing with the buttons on the control panel before slapping him and stunning him with bright lighting. As Number 6 attempts to broadcast to the Villagers that they are free to go, he is beaten up by a group of mechanics, and the assistant, now speaking perfect English, reveals herself as the real incoming Number 2, while the previous Number 2 heads off the island and gives his regards.

Additional guest cast

• Labour Exchange manager: George Benson
  George Benson (actor)
  George Christopher Benson was a Welsh and English actor of both theatre and screen, whose career spanned from the 1930s to the late 1970s...
  
  
• Reporter: Harold Berens
• Man in cave: John Cazabon
  John Cazabon
  John F Cazabon was an Australian actor born in Hertford, England.His parents were Albert Cazabon , a noted violinist and from 1927–36 musical director of Prince Edward Theatre orchestra and Mrs Albert Cazabon , a professional actor born in Australia, who became active again with Pickwick Theatre...
  
  
• Photographer: Dene Cooper
• Supervisor: Kenneth Benda
• Waitress: Holly Doone
• 1st Mechanic: Peter Brace
• 2nd Mechanic: Alf Joint
  Alf Joint
  Alf Joint was a British movie and television stunt performer, stunt coordinator and arranger....
  
  
• The Announcer/Telephone Operator: Fenella Fielding
  Fenella Fielding
  Fenella Fielding — "England's first lady of the double entendre" — is an English actress, popular in the 1950s and 1960s. She is known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice.-Family:...
  
  (voice only)

Continuity

• The photograph of Number 6 on his election poster is the same as that used for his former role as a spy and is seen being filed away at the beginning of each episode.