Mission: Impossible (TV Series) The Amnesiac (1969) User Reviews

Familiar MI plot line, but enjoyable

[shakspryn · 8/10 · 1 December 2021]

This episode is built around a story type that was very popular with the show's producers: villain knows the location of something, or information about something, and must be tricked into revealing it. What helps make this episode stand out are three very good guest stars.

Anthony Zerbe was in 5 MI episodes, and Steve Ihnat was in 3. They are excellent as always; here they are officers in some country behind the Iron Curtain (could be East Germany, say). They are in episodes like this one, that the fans really like, because they show the MI force as either working overseas, similar to the CIA, or clearly as intelligence agents if Stateside.

Season 4 was a very interesting season, because it was the only season in which there was no woman agent who was a regular member of the MI team. This time, that job goes to beautiful Julie Gregg. The producers must have been pleased, as they brought her back to guest star in a Season 5 episode. Fans will enjoy this episode, which is so much enhanced by these three outstanding guest stars.

Excellent Outing

[Guad42 · 8/10 · 27 September 2021]

The IM force has to recover an isotope that allows for the manufacturing of cheap nuclear weapons. The isotope was stolen by three men, one of which, Otto Siliff, is dead as the episode begins. Paris (Leonard Nimoy) impersonates the dead man as an amnesiac. Julie Gregg, the weekly Barbara Bain replacement, plays a friend of Paris and she gets him introduced to the two remaining bad guys, Major Johan (Steve Ihnat) and Colonel Vorda (Anthony Zerbe). Major Johan knows where the isotope is as he killed Siliff and hid the isotope. The bad guys soon get hold of Paris who sells the amnesia angle. The bad guys turn to a conveniently available expert in amnesia, Jim Phelps (Peter Graves). Phelps goes to work on Paris to make him "recover" his memory. In the meantime, Johan has figured out that Julie Gregg is after the isotope also. He tells her the isotope is in a warehouse so she can pass it on to Paris who will tell his captors. Barney was listening in and he and some of the team go after the isotope as Phelps and Paris keeps the bad guys entertained. Our team gets into the warehouse and gets the isotope first after using a car accident to lure the guard away. They leave a fake isotope in the warehouse. Paris "gives away" the location of the isotope while reporting it was Johan who killed him. Col Vorda races to the warehouse and tells Major Johan to follow. Once as the warehouse, the bad guys confirm the "isotope" is there and then Vorda shoots Johan. The IM force leaves in a truck - mission accomplished. Willy does the usual heavy lifting and Barney does the listening of conversations. Barney has a nice jump into the back of a moving truck.

The episode moves right along and there are not a lot of gadgets or breaking into bad guy's lairs as often happens on this show.

The guest cast is great. Ihnat and Zerbe are perfect villains for MI. The producers must have thought so too as each actor made several appearances on the show. Julie Gregg is a good fill-in as the sole woman on the team. I wonder if they were auditioning each actress who made an appearance to see if they would be a good fit on a permanent basis.

A well done episode that gives Nimoy a chance to show off his acting chops. A good way to spend an hour.