I Am (Not) A Number by Alex Cox

Author:Alex Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2017-09-15T12:20:19+00:00

Episode Eleven

A. B. AND C.

A. B. and C. was written by Anthony Skene, and directed by Pat Jackson. It was shot at MGM immediately after The General. It’s the weakest of all the episodes. Tomblin had told Skene to write a script using as much Portmeirion stock footage as possible. Disliking the assignment, Skene took a walk around the backlot at MGM, and came up with a story to be shot on the ‘French’ locations there, instead. A. B. and C. relies on several replays of the opening credits sequence – to remind us that Number 6 has resigned. Number 6 spends much of the episode asleep and dreaming.

This is the second show to feature Colin Gordon as Number 2. Though it was broadcast before The General, it’s clearly meant to follow that episode. Number 2 has lost his former confidence and is terrified of his superiors following the collapse of Speedlearn. He stammers into the telephone, ‘I am doing my best… I know I’m not indispensable.’ Number 2’s milk consumption has risen (in the script he has numerous milk bottles lined up ready to go; in the episode, the Butler serves him his milk in glasses) so presumably his ulcer is getting worse. Number 2 seems heavily dependent on a new lab-coated scientist, Number 14 (Sheila Allen). Number 14 is developing an experimental drug which influences the subject’s dreams while the experimenters watch those dreams unfold on the big screen. Number 2 is convinced that Number 6 resigned in order to offer his services to another party, and has three suspects – whom he calls A, B and C.

Number 14 warns him that three doses of the drug – which has not yet been tested on animals – are all a person can take: a fourth will kill them. Number 2 insists the risk is worth it. Number 14 has Number 6 transported, unconscious, to her underground laboratory, gives him his first dose, and plugs him into dream cassette A, which activates a dream of one of ‘Mme. Engadine’s celebrated parties’, in Paris, where he will meet Suspect A. Mme. Engadine’s residence looks a great deal like that of the Professor and his wife in The General – but this is a dream, so no matter. At the party, Number 6 – elegantly clad in black tie and tuxedo, à la Bond – tells Mme. Engadine (Katherine Kath) that he is planning to take a holiday. He quickly encounters the dashingly moustachioed A (Peter Bowles), a defector who ‘made world news a few years ago’.

A and a couple of henchmen attempt to kidnap Number 6 in a Citroen. But, taking control of his dream, he is able to defeat all three of them with some well-placed knockout blows. Number 2 wants to try a second dream immediately, but Number 14 insists it is too dangerous, and that they must wait a day before continuing the experiment.

The next morning, Number 6 encounters Number 14 in The Village cafe, and remembers her from his dream.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.