favorite line in last night’s episode:
bart is flipping through magazines at the kwik-e-mart when he notices apu is tied up with duct tape over his mouth. apu is struggling to speak.
apu: mmmm mm mmmmm!
[bart goes over and rips duct tape off.]
apu: this is not a library!
Love it or hate it. I personally loved it (the series, I mean) and heartily recommend it. Last night’s episode was indeed either a bit weird (if you knew of the existence of The Prisoner), or totally weird (if you didn’t). But this pales in comparison with the last two episodes of the series.
As an aside, I always thought they brought the Prisoner to the island to pry out of him (by hook or by crook)the reason for his resignation from his job.
I’m another one who’s never seen an episode of The Prisoner, but I go to sci-fi conventions (perhaps too often) so I’m acquainted with it nonetheless. I “got it,” but, sort of like bio-brat, was wondering how it would make any sense to people who weren’t making the Prisoner connection.
However, I loved the whole new computer part of the episode because my mom just got herself a brand spankin’ new machine at home so I could see some parallels 
Favorite line: [Homer singing] “I’ve been sittin’ on the toilet, alllllllll the live-long day!”
Unlike other shows, The Simpsons doesn’t care if you get it or not. The only way one can be a “successful” viewer is by being totally immersed in the culture, popular and otherwise, and everybody else can laugh when Homer acts stupid and says “Doh!”
Oh, and it helps to be about Groening’s age to make all of the connections.
Yes, that is why. And it would have been funnier if that had been the premise of the Simpsons’ parody: trying to get Homer to reveal his source. But they still didn’t want anyone to escape; maybe you got to leave when you were completely burnt out, but not before, because knowing about the Village was definitely Knowing Too Much.
Personally, I thought this episode, while disjoint was very funny. Our grade seven teacher showed us all *The Prisoner[/i} reruns though.
“I AM NOT A NUMBER! Wait… I’m number five!” 
Could someone remind me what the sarcastic response of the female scientist was at the end, when asked why she thought the Rover would stop Homer?
Thanks.
My dad explained the Prisoner references in between laughing his ass off.
I particularly liked the Homer as journalist theme.
Marge: Well, it’s nice that you won the Pulitzer…
Homer: Yeah, finally.
Bwahaha! Classic.
Anthracite, that line was along the lines of this:
(male scientist) “Why did you think a balloon would stop him?”
(female scientist) “Because SHUT UP! That’s why!”