Leigh Vance pens The Brothers, from a story by Robert C. Dennis, that saw the IMF heading to an oil rich country to overthrow the tyrannical leader of the nation, Selim (Lloyd Batista), and replace him with his twin brother, who is being held captive.

Phelps (Peter Graves), recruits his usual team, Paris (Leonard Nimoy), Barney (Greg Morris) and Willy (Peter Lupus) into the action, while throwing in Lisa (Michele Carey) for a bit of spice. Their plan is to perform a bit of medical chicanery, by making Selim dangerously ill, and then perform the ole switcheroo while they pose as doctors working to save the king’s life.

But problems arise when the country’s military leader, Colonel Hatafis (Joseph Ruskin) sees an opportunity to murder the king, himself, and blame it on the doctors, and assume power himself.

You know and I know that the IMF will be ready for every eventuality, and even as Jim Phelps pretends to operate on the king, the rest of the unit is making sure everything comes off without a hitch.

It’s a fairly enjoyable episode, and doesn’t put Nimoy into any prosthetics for any of his disguises. Lisa makes a beguiling addition to the team, and it’s too bad that she won’t continue with the series.

The switch itself is pretty bold, and it’s a wonder that no one noticed anything at all, but I guess that just ups the tension of the situation as Hatafis gets his just desserts, and democracy takes a huge step forward in this fictional country (through questionable means of course, but hey, democracy!).

The IMF are going after highly-placed mole turned rogue agent who has activated a nuclear bomb, a timer is counting down even now in Time Bomb. Written by Paul Playdon this episode was first broadcast on 21 December, 1969.

Anton Malek (Morgan Sterne) is suffering from a terminal illness, causing him to go rogue with the intention of setting off a nuclear weapon inside an Iron Curtain nation. The IMF is determined to stop him, and the team, joined by Wai Lee (BarBara Luna) slip into the country in a variety of disguises to put a plan into action.

The team is there to convince Malek that his illness can be cured, which would lead him to deactivate the bomb. Or at least a replica of it, while Barney copies his movements on the real thing. But what if Malek cottons to the IMF’s plan? He is a trained agent himself.

Will Phelps and his team save the day? Will they best Malek and keep the world from descending into nuclear war?

More assignments head my way next week as I explore more of Paramount Picture’s Mission: Impossible – The Complete Series on blu-ray, available now!