The Prisoner • Debriefing Session

As a matter of duty, he reports to Mi-6 for a debriefing. He’d done this before, in march of 1967 , just before his bvierthdya. They remember, still hve the photogaphs. It weasn’t a hallucination. But they want him to go over it again. So he does.
As objbectively as possible, he tells them about the Village. His abduction, his escape attempts, the series of mind games.
He gets to the point of his final escape. They’re very urious about hat.

What happened
Well, I survived the Degree Absolute session. Number Two died, and they put me in charge of the village.
Who did. The village council or I think. A group of men dressed in black and white masks. They told me I was in charge.
What else did they say.
I don’t know.
They kept pounding thei fisrts and shgouting “I, I , I.”
“I see. Then what happened.”

“Well, Nunmber Two came back to life, but he know had a crw cut. The hippy kept reciting poegtry and reingin g his bell. He also kept spouting this
and a verse from the bvible

Then what?
They took me to meet Number One
Did you?
Yes.
How woulde you describe this indiviueal?
Well, at fist he looked like a gorilla. Then I pulled off a mask, and it was me.
I see.
But I was toitally insane.
Then what happened.
Well, I escaped wioth the hippy and the previous number two. They fired off a rocket that destroyed the Village. Everyone evacuated.
How do you know?
It was playing on the radio, I think.
How did yo escapoe?
Well. We drove therough aj dtunnel and crashed through a gate and ke[pt driving. WE wound up on the M-5.
I see. After that?
And we kept driving — until we wound up in London.”

You think I’m lying.
No, John. We found the bloody trailer.
And the hippy? The butler? Number two …
Not as such. But three John Does have turned up in the hospital fitting their description.
Amnesia victims?
The  Colonel nods.
You’re not lyig john. This feels like mind control. A false memory on top of the real thng.
The thoughts occurred rto me.

No rocket launches or nuclea explosions have been reported along the M5

A mob of homeless Villagers has not descended on the London housing authority.

You think I’m lying.
No, John. This feels like mind control. A false memory on top of the real thng.
The thoughts occurred rto me. But lying is a simpler hypothesis --
No. We found the bloody trailer.
Oarked up agains the wellington monument.
And the hippy? The butler? Number two …
Not as such. But three John Does have turned up in the hospital fitting their description.
Amnesia victims?
The  Colonel nods.
What about the rocket? The bomb?
None of that happened. But you think it did.
That’s worse than lying.
Yes, I know.
 Shall I continue with the debriefing.
Nox … I think this will do for now.

What’s the point?

His old friend is too kind to say it.

They let him go home.

On a whim, he takes in a movie.