Interim Number 2's

    In ‘A B and C’ the Tally Ho questioned whether or not Number 2 is fit for a further term of office. This could refer to ‘the General,’ seeing as this is the second episode in which Colin Gordon is Number 2. As that Number 2 was given a second term of office, does that mean Number 2 had left The Village, and been  brought back later, as with Number 6 {Leo McKern} in ‘Once Upon A time? Certainly he wasn’t overjoyed about having been brought back to The Village. But if ‘A B and C’ had been followed by ‘The General,’ then there would not have been any question of Number 2 having left The Village to be brought back, as his term of office would just have carried on. As it is there is a question of when the educational experiment of Speedlearn actually began. Because at the commencement of ‘The General’ it’s obvious that Speedlearn is already well established in The Village. However had ‘The General’ followed on after ‘A B and C’ there would still have been the question of time, but there wouldn’t have been ‘Free For All’ and ‘The Schizoid Man’ in between. As its stands with the absence of Number 2, might that not make any Number 2 between ‘A B and C’ and the return of Number 2 in ‘The General,’ interim Number 2s? It’s rather like the retiring Number 2 who had enjoyed such a long term of office, working for the good of The Village, he’s allowed to go on leave from The Village. And while he’s gone a number of interim Number 2s had taken up office. But then isn’t the term “interim Number 2” a contradiction in terms, because all Number 2’s have to be interim, otherwise Number 2 would be permanent!

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