TV's "The Prisoner" *** SPOILERS REQUESTED ***

[arwalden]

How did it all end? Who was holding him captive? How did he escape?

Was it ever fully explained, or did the show just end cold without wrapping up all the details?

[LostinVA]

1. Number Six is Number One... maybe

[Frank Cannon]

2. Number 6 escapes and goes running off with a dwarf

I'm not even kidding.

[LostinVA]

3. I know -- and it's implied he's Number One

Number Six, not the dwarf.

[Frank Cannon]

6. That's right, and even more ingeniously, they clue this in...

every episode during the entire season, during the opening credits.

"Who is Number One?"
"You are Number Six." (Read that, "You are, Number Six."
"I am not a number!"

[LostinVA]

8. I know! McGoohan is so cool!

[Hell Hath No Fury]

4. Let's just say...

the final episode is a bit (a LOT) like a really wierd 60s acid trip with a groovy soundtrack.

Lots implied (such as mentioned above) but nothing truly answered.

The ending has been fodder for discussion since the night it first aired -- which I watched as a very confused kid. :)

It doesn't get any stranger than the ending of "The Prisoner."

[Kashka-Kat]

5. 1 is "I" (as in, me, myself &I)

He is released and goes driving off in his jazzy little car.

[LostinVA]

9. I would love one of those Lotuses...

[Book Lover]

7. The final episode is an allegory

Don't interpret it literally. Number Six is tried by a Greek Chorus/English Jury; the "trial" ends in chaos and Number Six finds Number One - it is himself. Number Six escapes with the dwarf butler, a Mod youth and the Judge (IIRC), who all leave his company one by one as Number Six reaches his final destination - his home. I think he then hops right into that spankin Lotus and drives off, though it is framed (again, IIRC) as him driving right into the camera.

[SteppingRazor]

10. You forgot the best part....

you have to expand on "the trial ends in chaos." Namely, the trial ends in a massive gunfight with bodies falling everywhere in slow motion as "All You Need Is Love" plays. Freaking brilliant.

[Book Lover]

11. Hey, I was trying to keep *some* suspense

Now it's all shot to hell :-)

[PassingFair]

12. So I was just dreaming the part with the mimes?

Oh, wait, that was the end of "BlowUp".

Silly, old, existential me!

[RandomKoolzip]

13. Bob wakes up in Suzanne Pleshette's bed in the last episode.