Mission Impossible – The Third TV Season

It was in the second year that the format of Mission:Impossible became what we all remember today. By this third year the show was running on all cylinders and full speed ahead. By now the formula was tight, so the audience knew exactly what to expect. They weren’t disappointed. The third year was also a very successful year in the ratings as the show began to come into its own. Mission:Impossible was a companion show to Star Trek. Both were produced at the Desilu Studios and often shared guest stars. If anything changed, it could be said there was a little more action in the third season. A few more fights and gunfights were added without compromising on the style or traditions of the series. A lot of time is still given to show the team performing some elaborate setup, often without any dialog for rather extended periods at a time. The scams were entertaining enough that somehow the audience stuck around for what many broadcast professionals would have called dead air.

The team was necessarily eclectic in nature. It featured Martin Landau in his signature role of Rollin Hand. Hand was very much akin to Martin Ross in his role in The Wild Wild West. He was a master of disguise. He could imitate almost anyone in very short order. Barney Collier was the gadget man, played by Greg Morris. Cinnamon Carter was the model and the team’s chief seductress and was played by Landau’s real life wife Barbara Bain. Finally, the muscle was supplied by Willy Armitage, played by brute Peter Lupus. Together they took on missions that the government could not be officially a part of. They were always admonished that should they be caught “the secretary would disavow any knowledge” of them.  Usually they were sent somewhere to put some evil mastermind out of business. Their tactics ranged from scams to outright theft. Sometimes they were a rescue team, while other times they would infiltrate a group of bad guys. There were certainly cold war elements to the whole thing. Each week the team concocted some convoluted con to play on their mark, walking away at the end of each episode often without getting any credit or congratulations.

Some of the better episodes in season three include:  Sugar Ray Robinson appearing in the two part episode The Contenders. A mob chief wants to discredit the United States in sports by controlling the world of amateur sports. Barney goes undercover as a boxer. Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek villain John Colicos appears in The Play. Colicos plays a culture minister using performances as propaganda. The IMF team rework one of these plays in order to send a rather different message. An example of the higher action is Nicole. In this episode Jim is shot and captured trying to spring Barney. Other guests for season three include: Ed Asner, Lee Meriwether, Marl Lenard (Spock’s dad), Joan Collins, Fritz Weaver, Henry Silva, and Walter Matthews. There’s plenty for even the most casual fan of the show.

 
Video

Each Mission Impossible episode is presented in its original television full frame format. We’re talking about a 40 year old television show, and your expectations should be adjusted accordingly. Overall the transfers are remarkably solid. While colors are a bit soft, the picture itself is rather clean. Print defects are minimal when you consider the age. Black levels are noticeably stronger than in other shows I’ve seen from this era.

Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track does what it needs to do, nothing less, nothing more. You get to hear the dialog and the famous theme perfectly even if not in a more modern dynamic presentation. Explosions are often muffled. The music even distorts at times, but for the most part this 40 year old soundtrack delivers enough to keep you in the mission. There’s not a lot in the rear but again this was never intended to be a surround mix. Most of the surrounds give some depth to the sound image than anything else.

Special Features

 Unfortunately nothing at all.

Final  Thoughts

I was always a fan of the series but found myself unexpectedly engaged with these episodes. It’s likely that as a child I didn’t have the appreciation for the complicated web the team spun each week. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with the nostalgic effect, but this stuff holds up particularly well after 40 years. If you’re asking for a great mix of sophistication, espionage, and action complete with gadgets and disguises, then the third season of Mission:Impossible “matches your requirements in every respect”.