The Only Way to Die riffs on the idea of Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) being publicly dead, and using that as cover to get his mission done. But everyone is going to have to believe he’s dead including 99 (Barbara Feldon), the Chief (Edward Platt) and Fang. Written by Arne Sultan, this episode first aired…
Tag: spycraft
Get Smart (1966) – Ship of Spies: Part 2, Shipment to Beirut, and The Last One in is a Rotten Spy
The second part of Ship of Spies first aired on 9 April, 1966. Smart (Don Adams) and 99 (Barbara Feldon) are still in trouble in this story written by Leonard Stern and Buck Henry. They are working on getting the plans of a super secret weapon, but have to resolve last week’s cliffhanger first! Something…
Get Smart (1966) – Back to the Old Drawing Board, All in the Mind, and Dear Diary
Back to the Old Drawing Board introduces a fan favorite character to the series. Hymie. Played by Dick Gautier, Hymie is a humanoid robot, with super strength, a computer for a brain, and he’s bulletproof. Sure, the idea is silly, but this is Get Smart right? The episode was written by Gary Clarke under the…
Red Sparrow (2018) – Francis Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence trusts to Francis Lawrence, who directed her in the final three Hunger Games films. As such, she bares it all in this taut spy thriller. Based on the novel by Jason Matthews the story introduces us to Dominika Egorova (Lawrence). Her promising career as a ballerina is brought to a brutal end when…
Magnum P.I. (2018) – I Saw the Sun Rise, and From the Head Down
Jay Hernandez took over the iconic role of private investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum from Tom Selleck with the launch of the revitalized and updated series, Magnum P.I. Running for five seasons, it launched on 24 September, 2018 with the episode I Saw the Sun Rise. Written by Peter M. Lenkov and Eric Guggenheim the new…
The Russia House (1990) – Fred Schepisi
Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, and J.T. Walsh star in the cinematic adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, The Russia House. Written for the screen by Tom Stoppard, the film was the first, big Western film to be shot on location in the Soviet Union. Featuring a gorgeous score by…
The Equalizer (1987) – Mission: McCall: Part 2, and Shadow Play
Edward Woodward’s recovery from his heart attack between seasons necessitated the creation of a story that would cover his absence while he recovered. Mission: McCall: Part 2, is the second half of the storyline to explain his absence. Written by Ed Waters, Scott Shepherd and Robert Eisele from a story by Waters and Coleman Luck,…
The Equalizer (1987) – Beyond Control, and Carnal Persuasion
McCall (Edward Woodward) and Mickey (Keith Szarabajka) find themselves back in the spy game in Beyond Control. Written by Coleman Luck it first aired on 14 January, 1987. Control (Robert Lansing) comes to McCall when a KGB mole is killed. To protect names, sources, and plans within plans Control has to work outside the Company…
TIFF ’22: Hunt
South Korean action star Lee Jung-jae makes his directorial debut with the brilliant action thriller, Hunt. Set in the 1980s when tensions were heightened between North and South Korea, the film is a white knuckle ride that sees two government rivals, KCIA Foreign Unit chief Park (Lee) and Domestic Unit head Kim (Jung Woo-sung) working…
Mission: Impossible (1970) – The Amateur, and Hunted
Hey look! Sam Elliott is back as Doug (yay!). And Anthony Zerbe returns as a guest star (yet again) in The Amateur. Written by Ed Adamson, this episode first aired on 14 November, 1970. Working undercover in an East European country, the IMF team have unexpected trouble when a bar owner, Eric Schilling (Zerbe) with…
The Mind Reels 