Mission: Impossible (1970) – Phantoms, and Terror

The IMF are working to stop a brutal dictator by haunting him, and making his staff think it’s time for him to retire this week in Phantoms. Written by Laurence Heath, this episode first debuted on 8 February, 1970. Leo Vorka (Luther Adler) is getting older, but his hold on his country remains iron tight….

Mission: Impossible (1969) – Submarine, and Mastermind

Donald James pens an exceptional episode of Mission: Impossible, Submarine, which was first broadcast on 16 November, 1969. Phelps (Peter Graves) and his IMF team are working with a ticking clock. They have to kidnap former SS officer, Kruger Schetlman (Stephen McNally), and learn the location stolen Nazi funds, before the local military police track…

Mission: Impossible (1969) – The Controllers: Part 1, and Part 2

Laurence Heath pens the first two-parter of season four, and despite what I feel is the wrong point for the To Be Continued notice to be delivered, it ends up being a pretty solid story, with some real world parallels. The episodes first aired on 12 October, 1969, and 19 October, 1969. Jim Phelps (Peter…

M*A*S*H (1975) – Bulletin Board, The Consultant, and House Arrest

Alan Alda steps behind the camera to direct Bulletin Board, a bit of a vignette episode written by Simon Muntner and series developer Larry Gelbart. It debuted on 14 January, 1975. Trapper (Wayne Rogers) is writing a letter home to his kids (and occasionally smooching a nurse or two), Frank (Larry Linville) and Margaret (Loretta…

Mission: Impossible (1967) – Snowball in Hell, and The Confession

Ricardo Montalban (!) guest stars in Snowball in Hell, the first mission I accept this week as I continue my exploration of Mission: Impossible – The Complete Series on blu-ray, available now! Written by Judith and Robert Guy Barrows, this episode first debuted on 18 February, 1967, and featured new IMF photos for both Barney…

The X-Files (1996) – Tunguska, and Terma

Frank Spotnitz and series creator Chris Carter bring Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) deeper into the mythology arc with Tunguska, which debuted on 24 November, 1996. That duplicitous rat, Krycek (Nicholas Lea) resurfaces, having been freed from the missile silo by an extremist far right group which found him on a salvaging haul….

Chuck (2011) – Versus the Hack Off, and Versus the Curse

Zachary Levi directs this episode of Chuck, which was written by Craig DiGregorio and Alex Katsnelson. It debuted on 9 December, 2011. Both Casey (Adam Baldwin) and Lester (Vik Sahay) are in prison for their individual crimes, though Lester has the place more wired (literally) than Casey who has to deal with some problems. Meanwhile,…

Chuck (2009) – Versus the First Kill, and Versus the Colonel

Scott Rosenbaum pens Chuck Versus the First Kill which debuted on 13 April, 2009. While the staff at BuyMore try to deal with Emmett’s (Tony Hale) evaluation and whether or not they move against him, Chuck (Zachary Levi) is hoping for leads and information about his father’s (Scott Bakula) location, since he’s being held by…