Rover (The Prisoner)

Rover is a fictional entity from the 1967 British television program The Prisoner, and was an integral part of the way 'prisoners' were kept within the Village. It was depicted as a floating white ball that could coerce, and, if necessary, disable inhabitants of the Village, primarily Number Six. In one incident, it even killed a person, but it is not clear whether the ability to kill was a normal feature of Rover or if this incident was a malfunction. Several aspects of the Rover device were not explained, presumably left to the imagination of the viewer.

In the novel The Prisoner: Number Two by David McDaniel, based upon the series, the name Guardian was used instead of Rover.

Rover was depicted as a large white inflatable balloon, not quite fully inflated, with a flexible skin. Rover would often produce a muffled roar sound when attacking. It would also sometimes emit a strange light display or luminescence from its interior. Once released, Rover could bounce and glide across the land and sea for a long range and at high speed, faster than a vehicle or boat.

Rover behaves as if it were a self-aware or quasi-intelligent entity and can interact with its surroundings, as well as adjusting to and anticipating the actions of Number 6 and other characters. No apparent direct control was ever shown to be exerted over it by the controllers of the Village, other than to release it. Rover would occasionally be seen outside its normal environment, sitting placidly in rooms, in Number 2's chair, roaming the streets of the Village, or being studied by unidentified persons in "secret" areas of the Village.

Rover possessed considerable strength, and was able, if necessary, to incapacitate people either by blunt force impacts, or through suffocation by engulfing them.

In the first episode the rest of the villagers freeze when instructed as Rover appears and attacks an unidentified man (played by Seamus Byrne) who does not comply. This happens again at the start of "Checkmate," the ninth episode.

The use of Rover appeared to be both intimidatory and functional. Following encounters in the early episodes, where Rover physically interacts with prisoners, the Number 6 character gradually gives up trying to defeat Rover directly, and its mere presence is often enough to achieve its objectives.

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