History Recap / ThePrisonerE8DanceOfTheDead

* DrivenToSuicide: The (apparent) fate of Six's friend. [[spoiler:During the fake trial at the end, Number Six discovers that his friend is catatonic and likely lobotomized.]]

* KangarooCourt: Number Two tries Number Six on a minor offense - possession of a radio that can only receive messages from the outside - rather than try him on the more serious offense of trying to sneak information out on a dead body. Number Six is found guilty and sentenced to death. [[spoiler:Number Two then tells Number Six in private that they will [[DeathFakedForYou alter the already dead man to look like Number Six, to trick the outer world into thinking that he died]].]]

* ActorAllusion: Mary Morris' Number Two dresses as Peter Pan for the Masquerade Ball--a reference to Morris' portrayal of Pan earlier in her career.

* KangarooCourt: Number Two tries Number Six on a minor offense - possession of a radio that can only receive messages from the outside - rather than try him on the more serious offense of trying to sneak information out on a dead body.
** Number Six is found guilty and sentenced to death [[spoiler:which Number Two then tells Number Six in private they will alter the already dead man into Number Six's appearance to trick the outer world of his "death".]]

* MasqueradeBall: The Village is prepping for one during the episode and ''everyone's invited'' (even Number Six, who doesn't want to go).
** The costumes take on symbolic significance. Number Six is forced to wear a tuxedo similar to what Film/JamesBond wears (inferring his background as a spy, and hinting at the ActorAllusion of [=MacGoohan=] once offered the role of Bond), his handler Number 240 is dressed as Little Bo Peep (her role in the Village as a herder of docile prisoners), and Number Two as Literature/PeterPan (androgynous ruler of a hidden neverland).

* WhamEpisode: According to Creator/PatrickMcGoohan, the second in correct chronology of the seven episodes that "really count".

* WhamEpisode: According to Creator/PatrickMacGoohan, the second in correct chronology of the seven episodes that "really count".

* AnachronicOrder: Was originally aired eighth in order, but was one of the first four scripts commissioned after the pilot episode, and [=MacGoohan=] himself placed it second in his "correct" chronology of the important episodes.

* WhamEpisode: According to Patrick [=MacGoohan=], the second in correct chronology of the seven episodes that "really count".

* JudicialWig: Number Two dons a woolen wig to preside at the bizarre trial of Number Six. The charges are bogus, but it's all done to compel Six to reveal why he resigned from the Intelligence Service. Or kill him, either will do for Two's purposes.

* ActorAllusion: Mary Morris' Number Two dresses as Peter Pan for the Masquerade Ball--a reference to Morris' portrayal of Pan earlier in her career.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The episode was originally written for a man to play the role of Number Two - Trevor Howard - but he was unavailable. They recast the role for Mary Morris [[spoiler:making her the first woman out of three - depending on which order you watch - to play Number Two. She is the only woman to speak as Number Two during the opening credits]].
** This change forced Number Two's costume - originally UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper - to be Peter Pan, referring to Morris' performance in that role earlier in her career.

** The costumes take on symbolic significance. Number Six is forced to wear a tuxedo similar to what JamesBond wears (inferring his background as a spy, and hinting at the ActorAllusion of [=MacGoohan=] once offered the role of Bond), his handler Number 240 is dressed as Little Bo Peep (her role in the Village as a herder of docile prisoners), and Number Two as Peter Pan (androgynous ruler of a hidden neverland).

** This change forced Number Two's costume - originally JackTheRipper - to be Peter Pan, referring to Morris' performance in that role earlier in her career.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The episode was originally written for a man to play the role of Number Two - Trevor Howard - but he was unavailable. They recast the role for Mary Morris [[spoiler:making her the first woman out of two - depending on which order you watch - to play Number Two. She is the only woman to speak as Number Two during the opening credits]].

** The costumes take on symbolic significance. Number Six is forced to wear a tuxedo similar to what JamesBond wears (inferring his background as a spy), his handler Number 240 is dressed as Little Bo Peep (her role in the Village as a herder of docile prisoners), and Number Two as Peter Pan (androgynous ruler of a hidden neverland).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The episode was originally written for a man to play the role of Number Two - Trevor Howard - but he was unavailable. They recast the role for Mary Morris [[spoiler:making her the first woman out of two to play Number Two]].

* DrivenToSuicide: The (apparent) fate of Six's friend.
* FaceHeelTurn: Six's friend defects to the side of the Village.
* WhamEpisode: According to Patrick [=McGoohan=], the second in correct chronology of the seven episodes that "really count".

* WhamEpisode: According to Patrick McGoohan, the second in correct chronology of the seven episodes that "really count".

The discoveries of a radio and of an old friend give Number Six new hope of escaping the Village.