I'm presently contributing after doing research on and becoming increasingly fascinated with "The Prisoner" series. To date, I'm heavily immersing myself in the late-night Friday showings of each episode on Channel 13.
First and foremost, what's the significance of this episode's ending, when Number Six ambulates over to the Professor's wife (I presume it's the Professor's wife) and just apparently walks away from her? I figured he might've notified her of her husband's death, but there's no definitive indication.
Is this "general" the same general hinted at in the episode "The Schizoid Man"? Additionally, there's a new Number Twelve (or perhaps former) since that same episode "The Schizoid Man." Any meaning behind this number, other than the fact that twelve is clearly 6 + 6?
Contrary to popular belief, it is plausible for this episode to actually follow "A, B, and C" rather than precede the episode. Some of this episode's Number Two's comments reflect the possibility that this is indeed this particular Number Two's second stint in the role/position of Number 2 since "A, B, and C." Such remarks, that is, like "Number Six and I are old friends" and "he's a hard man crack" (the latter during Number Twelve's pseudo-interrogation), both uttered as if from personal experience dealing with Number Six.
I just know there's some more profound connotation to those tophat-sporting education members, as whom Number Six poses in order to infiltrate the facility. My theory/conjecture would be that the interpretation of what's important to know, what should and should not be taught and how it's filtered, can be ostentatiously blinded. This could explain, on metaphoric terms, the black sunglasses and the fact that they all are needlessly dressed up.
That's education BOARD members, and the paraphrased quote is more accurately "he's a hard man TO crack."
Great episode, but the show pulls a Kirk Moment and has Number 6 take out the General in a remarkably unimaginative way.
However, the VERY cool Speed Learn sequences carry it through
About that ending, what's so bad about it? Doesn't your computer explode in a deadly ball of sparks and flame at the slightest inconsistent command?
(Smart aleck that I am, I thought to myself that the General must be a PC the first time I saw this episode. yuck yuck yuck)
A 3-year course in 3 minutes. But the first lesson is 6 months in 15 seconds. At that rate, it will take only 90 seconds for the whole course.
Number 6 recites that Frederick “never accepted the Treaty of London.” But the person on the other end of the phone who recites the same information says he “never adopted the Treaty of London.”
When the last-minute arrival puts in his pass, the voice says the session will start in 87 seconds. When No. 6 attempts to enter, the voice says that the session will start in 8 minutes. Apparently, this refers to the lecture session, not the approval session, but this is not stated.
No. 2 feeds a problem to the General to try and find out who aided No. 6. He includes the fact that the passes were issued through Administration, and also the fact that No. 12 works in administration. Sounds like a foregone conclusion. Wouldn’t there be people other than No. 12 who have, or could gain, access to the passes? If so, No. 2 should have mentioned them. If not, why do they need the General when the answer is obvious?