 CBS Home Entertainment awesomely follows up its (reviewed) recent epic CS DVD set of "Gunsmoke" with the Dec. 1, 2020 CS Blu-ray release of "Mission Impossible" OS (1966-73). This 46 disc set with all 117 never-a-dull minute episodes is just what Dr. Fauci ordered for the latest round of Covid lockdowns. Additionally, you no longer need to think about what to give the Unreal TV fans in your life for Christmas.
The IMDb profile of "MI" perfectly describes it as "an elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture." One spoiler is that the aforementioned disclaimer is abandoned on the famous self-destructing tape that sets the game afoot by the final season. Another perspective is that you might see the team in Persia, maybe France. They could be in India or perchance you could be with them in Bangkok. They are involved in this or that, everywhere the action's at. You can come on and watch the good guys win, The doctor's warning is that you will find yourself singing the classic "MI" theme; complete with the riff early in that composition. The good news is that watching a combination of "MI" DVD sets and this BD release for this post shows that the video is greatly enhanced. The better news is that the theme and the other audio is phenomenal! The 19 awards for this series that launched 5 blockbusters and an '80s reboot series include several Emmys and three Golden Globes. MI is equally notable for being progressive as to casting black actor Greg Morris, who is the ONLY cast member to appear in EVERY episode as team member Barney Collier. Genius-level member of the IT Crowd Collier is the undisputed brains of the operations and otherwise is the equal of his colleagues. The pilot has S1 team leader Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill) and his team go south of the border to retrieve nuclear warheads from a dictator. "Underdog" voice actor Wally Cox is the first of numerous consultants whom the team recruits for his or expertise. In this case, safecracker Terry Targo is brought in to help liberate the weapons of mass destruction from a hotel vault. This also is the first of many times that we see spy-in-disguise Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) and others don a "Scooby-Doo" caliber mask and make-up to help pull off the con that is on. This also is the first time that real-life Landau spouse Barbara Bain shows that she is more than a pretty face in her role as femme fatale/it girl Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain). Although strongman Willy Armitage (Peter Lupus) is only around to do the literal heavy lifting this time; MI wonderfully gives him a chance to show that he is equal parts brain and brawn over the 161 episodes in which he appears. This extends to often either supplementing or filling in for Collier as the tech, wizard of the week. There is at least one occasion that the mission requires freeing Willie. Briggs disappears without exposition at the end of S1 to be replaced by Jim Phelps (Peter Graves). Landau and Bain depart at the end of S3 due to a contract dispute. Not having watched all 171 episodes prevents declaring that the team never decides to accept a mission, Having watched every S7 episode allows asserting that there is at least one time that the personal nature of a crime that is more than a misdemeanor prompts the team to spring into action without being told to do so. The aptly titled "Kidnap" revolves around made men who recognize Phelps and Collier from their undercover roles in the S6 episode "Casino" kidnapping the former to coerce the latter into doing their bidding. The S7 episode "Two Thousand" is a personal series fave. It is one of many "outings in which the team pulls of an elaborate hoax to trick a bad-guy du jour into divulging critically needed information. This "War of the Worlds" level trickery has a rogue scientist believe that it is the end of the world as we know it and that we do not feel fine. The finale is a wonderful homage to fellow '60s cult classic series "The Twilight Zone" that only would have been better if the malfeasor has broken his glasses. Team "MI" also stays true to it roots in S7 by having a "Gaslight" episode that involves haunting a very masculine Ma Barker style crime boss who ices her traitorous son at the beginning of the episode. Our heroes haunt this mother of all hardened criminals by tricking her into believing that her son is visiting her from beyond the grave. An equally entertaining episode from an earlier season has a "family" guy seeing his dead wife, who triggers infighting. There also are many times that Team Briggs or Team Phelps must stage the prison break of either an innocent or not-so-innocent, thwart a deal that will finance a nefarious scheme, bring an elusive fugitive to justice. A VERY timely early season outing has Collier taking the lead in a mission to thwart using a rigged voting machine to fix an election. The series finale hits fills every square in "MI" Bingo. The accepted mission is to recover stolen crown jewels. The typically elaborate con has Collier prove his chops as a safe cracker and the independent contractor of the week use latex to pull off impersonating a fence. A twist this time it that Collier develops a Batman/Catwoman style relationship with his personal femme fatale. The debriefing this time is that it is doubtful that anyone in 2020 could assemble the team of writers, true prop masters, and dream cast that emulating "MI" requires. As such, the only buyer's remorse as to this set is if you decide to not do so.
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