This episode's concept isn't entirely original but it is interesting. A foreign agent is accused of assassinating a US senator, and the IMF's job is to prove that the Soviet block was NOT behind it. I grew up in the 1960's and the anti-Communist sentiment in the USA brought to the boiling point by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 50's was still very prevalent. When this episode aired, JFK had recently been assassinated by a communist sympathizer, and Senator Robert F Kennedy's assassination was only a year in the future. The episode was probably also influenced by the then recent popular novel and movie "The Manchurian Candidate".
Pat Hingle gives a somewhat sympathetic performance as the Senator's backer, who is an almost fanatical anti communist. It could have easily been an over the top role but Hingle gives a finely nuanced performance, making him more human and believable. Hingle's character happens to be an amateur artist who made a portrait of the Senator, featured prominently in his office. Bold for its time, the episode gives hints about a subtext that the Senator and his supporter may have had more than a political relationship - the Senator apparently lived part time in his supporter's mansion! In another interesting performance, the assassin (actor David Sheiner) is portrayed as a weak, almost timid character, not at all what you'd expect from a cold blooded killer. Rollin impersonates a criminal to become his cellmate, and has no trouble stepping all over the assassin. There is some good stunt work as they escape from out of a police van.
There is a big plot twist at the end - again, not original but a bit surprising nonetheless. There are a couple of what I call "Mission Impossiblisms" - Dan pretends to be a artist and "unpaints" a portrait, and Pat Hingle's character catches him in the act but Dan kind of "brushes" him off; the TV van that the team uses sports an old time TV multi-element receiving antenna that would be better found on a home's roof rather than the more likely dish antenna for transmitting.
Whether or not you agree with the politics in this episode, the political rhetoric, fear of communist governments (Russia, North Korea), and the killing of members of Congress by fanatics is still very relevant today. A memorable first season episode.
Pat Hingle gives a somewhat sympathetic performance as the Senator's backer, who is an almost fanatical anti communist. It could have easily been an over the top role but Hingle gives a finely nuanced performance, making him more human and believable. Hingle's character happens to be an amateur artist who made a portrait of the Senator, featured prominently in his office. Bold for its time, the episode gives hints about a subtext that the Senator and his supporter may have had more than a political relationship - the Senator apparently lived part time in his supporter's mansion! In another interesting performance, the assassin (actor David Sheiner) is portrayed as a weak, almost timid character, not at all what you'd expect from a cold blooded killer. Rollin impersonates a criminal to become his cellmate, and has no trouble stepping all over the assassin. There is some good stunt work as they escape from out of a police van.
There is a big plot twist at the end - again, not original but a bit surprising nonetheless. There are a couple of what I call "Mission Impossiblisms" - Dan pretends to be a artist and "unpaints" a portrait, and Pat Hingle's character catches him in the act but Dan kind of "brushes" him off; the TV van that the team uses sports an old time TV multi-element receiving antenna that would be better found on a home's roof rather than the more likely dish antenna for transmitting.
Whether or not you agree with the politics in this episode, the political rhetoric, fear of communist governments (Russia, North Korea), and the killing of members of Congress by fanatics is still very relevant today. A memorable first season episode.
