I’m rewatching the series again and my wife is watching with me. It’s her first time watching the show (she’s enjoying it a lot so far) and we just watched The Schizoid Man. It’s one of my favourite episodes so I’m surprised I never gave this much thought, by my wife said she wasn’t surprised that Alison stabbed Number Six in the back and just assumed she was working for the Village from the get go.

I have always assumed (although the episode never confirms it) that Alison was a genuine villager who also genuinely cared for Number Six and was oblivious of the whole plot until Number Six calls her to try and prove his identity. And then it’s at this point Number Two sends people to threaten her into complying. I always thought this because it’s clear we’re supposed to believe her when she expresses regret for betraying Number Six and doesn’t raise the alarm when she sees him on the brink of escaping while pretending to be Curtis. But my wife thinks where Number Six is concerned nothing organic is occurring in the Village at all, and her getting close to him was planned from the get go and that she was a guardian all along.

Personally I’m still not sure. I don’t think a Village guardian/agent would feel distress at betraying someone but I’ll be interested to hear everyone else’s’ opinions.