# Favorite Mission: Impossible moments **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914 "2016-08-25T15:24:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/21 "2016-08-25T18:31:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > To get around Hill’s limited presence in the first season, Dan Briggs often (a) “impersonated” the mark, i.e., “wore and peeled off the mask,” or (b) simply didn’t go on the mission! There was also at least one episode where Hill didn’t appear _at all_ and someone else (Cinnamon in one case) picked up The Secretary’s message in the teaser. _“Good morning, Miss Carter. The man you are looking at…”_ The Secretary, BTW, was played by a CPA who made some extra money doing voice overs. Can’t remember his name right offhand; Robert something, I think. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/22 "2016-08-25T18:35:09Z")
> [@erysichthon](#): > > One of my favorites was a third season episode where Barney steals a villain’s gold from a vault by melting it and draining it through a hole in the floor. It was a lovely effect, although it couldn’t possibly have worked in real life. I later learned that the SFX crew had used ice cream for the melting gold bricks. Pernell Roberts was the evil South American dictator whom Cinnamon had to, uhm, “distract” while Barney and Willy made off with the gold. I was always amazed that there was no blast of superheated air or smell of fresh paint when Roberts opened the vault the next morning! Also that Barney was able to position the drill/drain _right smack in the middle of the vault_ from thirty feet underground! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/23 "2016-08-25T18:49:46Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I also especially liked the one where they set up Fernando Lamas (another Communist agent) with disinformation to discredit some authentic information he had come up with. Lamas’s evil Communist boss was played by Alfred Ryder, aka Dr Crater (Nancy’s husband) on _ **Star Trek** _. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/24 "2016-08-25T19:23:29Z")
There was another moment where Paris (Leonard Nimoy) walked into evil Communist headquarters in full uniform and told the drone on duty **[FAUX EUROPEAN ACCENT HERE]** _“I am Major Laszlo of the Secret Police. You will give me access to the vault and leave me alone with the Top Secret documents for the next hour!”_ (Or words to that effect.) _ **Of course** _ the poor shlub behind the desk does exactly what he’s told; why _ **wouldn’t** _ he? **DUH!** :smack: I’ve always wanted to try the same thing myself, just to see how far I’d get with it! :o ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/25 "2016-08-25T21:06:09Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was another moment where Paris (Leonard Nimoy) walked into evil Communist headquarters in full uniform and told the drone on duty **[FAUX EUROPEAN ACCENT HERE]** _“I am Major Laszlo of the Secret Police. You will give me access to the vault and leave me alone with the Top Secret documents for the next hour!”_ (Or words to that effect.) > > _ **Of course** _ the poor shlub behind the desk does exactly what he’s told; why _ **wouldn’t** _ he? **DUH!** :smack: > > I’ve always wanted to try the same thing myself, just to see how far I’d get with it! :o You will be caught immediately because you don’t use the official EVIL EUROPEAN COUNTRY spelling Zikret = secret Polizia = police Aksez = access ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/26 "2016-08-25T21:07:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was another moment where Paris (Leonard Nimoy) walked into evil Communist headquarters in full uniform and told the drone on duty **[FAUX EUROPEAN ACCENT HERE]** _“I am Major Laszlo of the Secret Police. You will give me access to the vault and leave me alone with the Top Secret documents for the next hour!”_ (Or words to that effect.) > > _ **Of course** _ the poor shlub behind the desk does exactly what he’s told; why _ **wouldn’t** _ he? **DUH!** :smack: > > I’ve always wanted to try the same thing myself, just to see how far I’d get with it! :o Heh. Reminds me of the one where they have to break a political prisoner out, and so three – count 'em, _three_ – of our heroes show up in full uniform, and with one con and another they each get as far as they can. And, well, it’s not enough. I mean, yeah, one of them gets like ten seconds alone with the prisoner’s _file,_ but so what? And, yeah, full marks for popping open his cell door; but that’s not going to get him out of the prison, so he stays put as our heroes lock him back in. Later, he starts acting like an impostor; upon noting that it looks like someone took a crowbar to the lock on his cell, the guards check his file – and the fingerprints don’t match! Hey, remember what those officers running that inspection had said: if you report this, your dick of a boss will be out of a job, and you’ll get that promotion, and they’ll haul this impostor off to a military base for brutal interrogation! After all, he’s not your prisoner, is he? Your prisoner escaped, on the other guy’s watch! ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/27 "2016-08-25T21:09:06Z")
The one where one of the IMF agents was a dog. His mission was stealing a list of secret agent’s real identities on microfilm or whatever. The episode was played totally straight - they showed the dog being lowered into air ducts and sneaking around, hiding from bad guys when he can’t get out right away, etc, all while the suspenseful music played. Barney is mic’ed up, talking the dog through it. “Good boy!” Jim Phelps even selected a photo of the dog while he was picking his team. [Enjoy](http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2g6mrq). ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/28 "2016-08-25T22:09:38Z")
The “evil country spelling” has a name. It is called “Gellerese”, in honor of Bruce Geller. It came in two “dialects”. Eastern European and Latin American. Google “Gellerese” for some prime examples. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/29 "2016-08-25T22:11:55Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > You will be caught immediately because you don’t use the official EVIL EUROPEAN COUNTRY spelling > > Zikret = secret > Polizia = police > Aksez = access Good one! How did I \*ever \*miss that?!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/30 "2016-08-25T22:13:42Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > The one where one of the IMF agents was a dog. His mission was stealing a list of secret agent’s real identities on microfilm or whatever. The microdot was on a postage stamp. I think Fernando Lamas was in that one too! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/31 "2016-08-25T22:23:41Z")
How about the one where Barney had to assemble a full-scale helicopter with a piston engine all by himself in the middle of a desert? Meanwhile, Paris was convincing the evil dictator that he was from the Red Chinese government, and he was there to \*help \*him! How tall was Leonard Nimoy? At least six feet? :dubious: The latex eyefolds made him look like … you-know-who! ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/32 "2016-08-25T22:27:22Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was another moment where Paris (Leonard Nimoy) walked into evil Communist headquarters in full uniform and told the drone on duty **[FAUX EUROPEAN ACCENT HERE]** _“I am Major Laszlo of the Secret Police. You will give me access to the vault and leave me alone with the Top Secret documents for the next hour!”_ (Or words to that effect.) > > _ **Of course** _ the poor shlub behind the desk does exactly what he’s told; why _ **wouldn’t** _ he? **DUH!** :smack: > > I’ve always wanted to try the same thing myself, just to see how far I’d get with it! :o Believe it or not, it’s been done: [Wilhelm Voigt - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Voigt) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/33 "2016-08-25T22:44:29Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > Believe it or not, it’s been done: [Wilhelm Voigt - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Voigt) Hilarious! And Paul Scofield in the role! The mind boggles! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/34 "2016-08-26T00:41:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was another moment where Paris (Leonard Nimoy) walked into evil Communist headquarters in full uniform and told the drone on duty **[FAUX EUROPEAN ACCENT HERE]** _“I am Major Laszlo of the Secret Police. You will give me access to the vault and leave me alone with the Top Secret documents for the next hour!”_ (Or words to that effect.) > > _ **Of course** _ the poor shlub behind the desk does exactly what he’s told; why _ **wouldn’t** _ he? **DUH!** :smack: If that hadn’t worked, he would’ve pulled out a clipboard. Now _that’s_ official! I watched a number of episodes but my favorite part was the opening music. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/35 "2016-08-26T00:48:24Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > If that hadn’t worked, he would’ve pulled out a clipboard. Now _that’s_ official! He had a briefcase with him. Even better! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TheInimitableMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TheInimitableMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheInimitableMaven)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/36 "2016-08-26T03:41:57Z")
IMO, one of the better later episodes, if not THE best one, was “The Fountain” where they staged a fountain of immortal youth and its effects right down to doing what you could call the first photoshop jobs with ‘historic’ pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/37 "2016-08-26T03:50:54Z")
Ones that made an impression on me as a kid, that stuck with me for all these years: The vat of acid used to dissolve executed prisoners, under the gallows (Death Squad, IIRC). The idea of it seemed cool, though I didn’t actually want to dissolve anyone. Paris being captured and brainwashed to kill Phelps. I liked his sweater so much I had my mom buy me one like it. (My Friend, My Enemy) Anthony Zerbe’s bomb shelter house, and his periscope which he uses to look at the “devastation” outside. (The Photographer) I loved the way that was done, and the idea of fooling him that way. The aforementioned gold melting one. That episode in singularly memorable, almost as much as the McMillan & Wife with the fumigation bag over the house. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/38 "2016-08-26T12:57:24Z")
This may be of interest to some: > **[10 episodes of Mission: Impossible that are formulaic television at its most...](https://www.avclub.com/10-episodes-of-mission-impossible-that-are-formulaic-te-1798237703)** > > These are the 10 must-watch episodes of the Mission: Impossible TV series It never occurred to me that the mock execution episode was intended as a statement against capital punishment. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/39 "2016-08-26T13:01:34Z")
Lesley Ann Warren, mmmmmmmmmmmmm! :o ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914/40 "2016-08-26T15:04:09Z")
#10/terentii: You scooped me. My favorite episode, or at least my favorite guilty pleasure episode. That train wreck of a bad Dietrich impression was SO bad, that I couldn’t tear my eyes away. Miss Bain was such a wretched actress, but on a par with most of the rest of the cast. She was a trouper, even with all the dreck they assigned to her. Her Princess Celine was indescribably awful. But no one was as bad as Leonard Nimoy. I truly do enjoy the series, have them on CD, and watch them all every couple of years or so. I wish we could have a MI Dope, and get together to hash out the series face to face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-mission-impossible-moments/763914.md?page=3)