There is an election for a new Number Two, and Number Six decides to stand. But will the powers behind the Village really allow a rebel to be elected governor?
This episode provides examples of:
- Apathetic Citizens: Once he becomes Number Two, Six gains access to the control room and turns off all security systems, broadcasting to the Village that they are all free to leave. No-one does anything; either not believing the broadcast or too broken in spirit to escape their Gilded Cage.
- Democracy Is Flawed: The entire episode is about this.
- The entire election process is staged by those already in power, who merely use the illusion of choice to make people play along.
- Those who run for office are cajoled - even brainwashed - into campaigning using simple platitudes and meaningless promises.
- The media covering the campaigns write their own stories to fit pre-existing narratives, and never report on the real problems that need reporting— such as how everybody in the Village is a prisoner.
- The election results don't change anything because the institutions in control of the Village remain in control, and a new Number Two who is not part of the Village Organisation trying to shut it down will be ignored and then rapidly removed from office.
- Drowning My Sorrows: Number Two is found drunk in a secret alcohol lab, but it's a ruse to get Six to drop his guard.
- Fauxreigner: Number 58.
- Kangaroo Court: Number Two holds one against Number 6, with mannequins as a jury.
- Meet the New Boss: Same as the old Boss.
- The Mole: Number Fifty-Eight is actually the real new Number Two, manipulating Number Six as his apparent potential ally.
- Mood Whiplash: The episode goes from a light-hearted Take That! against elections and ends up being one of the handful of episodes where Number Six is not only beaten but utterly humiliated.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Happens to Number Six at the end.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The Village drugs Number Six into believing he's actually a democratic candidate who can free the Village once elected.
- Pointedly, Number Six willingly wears his number, the only time he does.
- Omniscient Council of Vagueness: It's implied the Village answers to one of these but there's no indication this isn't part of the Mind Screw.
- People's Republic of Tyranny: The Village's administration insists — loudly and repeatedly — that its government is democratically elected. Here, we see such an election: the voting is rigged and the results are overturned almost immediately anyway.
- Precision F-Strike: The words "damn" and "hell" are uttered several times, most notably when No. 2 says "To hell with the Village." This episode was made and broadcast (in the UK, at least) around the time Star Trek: The Original Series made waves for having a single use of "hell" in the episode "City on the Edge of Forever." This mostly applies in the US, though, as they're not considered particularly strong language in the UK.
- Red Herring: Number Two is this for his designated successor, Number 58.
- Religion of Evil: Only briefly seen, but there's a group of Villagers apparently worshipping Rover. May also qualify as a Cargo Cult.
- Speaking Simlish: Number Fifty-Eight speaks only an incomprehensible vaguely-Slavic language. Apparently.
- Take That!: The entire episode is a clear dig at voter apathy and political machinery sabotaging democracy. Number 2 promises great gains if Six is elected, but the exact same people respond to his speeches as Six's with equal enthusiasm (prodded on by the Butler). Six's "supporters" even have party posters of him made up before he's even aware of the election, and to add to the insult, they use the same picture from his resignation photo in the opening montage. At the end of the episode, Six has fought off party brainwashing, but his decisive election win is immediately annulled and he is no more free than before. Only his jailer's face has changed. Subtly, this is also the only episode he willingly wears a number pin, to show his support - under the influence of brainwashing the Village employs on every candidate - for his own campaign.
