A very good final episode for the first season, which also was the last appearance for head man Steven Hill.
William Read Woodfield wrote this very interesting flim flam story with Cinnamon now posing as a psychic. She plays the attractive bait to a businessman called Alex Lowell (played by Barry Sullivan), a modern Benedict Arnold. His company has gained control of a foreign company with some U. S. security patents --which he will gladly sell to the usual anti-American operatives, more than likely with ties to Russia. He has since fled to South America, where he cannot be captured, but the IMF team can certainly play some clever mind games.
Best of the best is a little game of poker, all influenced by Cinnamon (Barbara Bain), whose said psychic abilities get Lowell into boiling hot water. A must see and one for M. I. history books. Rollin (Martin Landau) certainly looks his most devious, wearing dark sun glasses and a little smirk. William Woodfield wrote 24 episodes for the series, also known for his legendary candid shots of Hollywood stars, such as Marilyn Monroe.
Barry Sullivan, as always, is fun to watch, making the most of his role as a guy who thinks he's got it over everybody else. Sullivan was an actors actor, very much in demand in movies and tv.
Two filming notes. The opening drive-in scene was obviously filmed somewhere in the sprawling San Fernando Valley, where there were endless acres of vacant lots to build outdoor movie theaters. Today, they'e all gone, replaced by apartments, condos and office buildings. That scene is actually historical.
Second. The Lincoln being blown up in the garage, looks to be Joe Mannix's garage, only rebuilt for a single car. Note the cheap, plywood walls that probably were installed in minutes. The car explosion, as usual, is always fun.
Steven Hill was replaced in Season 2 by Peter Graves, but he nevertheless was missed as the original man with the master plan. Hill reportedly sold real estate for many years thereafter, returning to tv in the 70s and later, co-starring in LAW AND ORDER as DA Adam Schiff.
Well directed by Charles Rondeau, who headed six episodes, later directing more comedy shows, such as LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE and the PARTRIDGE FAMILY. He worked for Warner Brothers ABC/tv for many years earlier, directing many of their top cop shows.
Recommended for all us dedicated M. I. fans.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 28 remastered ABC/Paramount dvd box set 2006.