The Village is conducting an educational program called Speed Learn, a miracle process where students acquire knowledge worthy of a college level degree in just three minutes. This is achieved by watching telecasts of a kindly looking gentleman known as the Professor, while data is subliminally planted onto the student's brain. For now, the information is merely historical facts, but Number 12 (a Village administrator) helps Number 6 discover and expose what is really happening - an experiment in total mind control over the masses.
This is a very interesting episode. It warns of the danger of perverted science and that some things in life require more than just fast and easy shortcuts. It also reveals there are indeed others in the Village that Number 6 can trust. Colin Gordon (of episode “A. B. AND C.”) returns and is the only other actor besides Leo McKern to play Number 2 in more than one episode. John Castle is very good as the sympathetic Number 12. As always, the music, writing, and direction are wonderful. This episode also holds a nostalgia factor for me. Back in 1969 at age 14, I was into recording theme music from television shows on my old reel to reel tape recorder. This is the first Prisoner episode I recorded the theme and some sequences to listen to. I was really starting to get into the show at this point and recorded the entire next episode, “MANY HAPPY RETURNS”.
As for Prisoner vs. Village, this is another victory for Number 6 though two innocents meet a sad demise.
"It's insoluble for man or machine... WHY?" ~ Number 6
PRISONER SCORE BOARD:
Village: 3
Number 6: 3