Patrick J. White's excellent book The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier (Avon Books, 1991) is required reading for all fans of the show. Unfortunately, one thing missing is a description of the locations and circumstances under which Dan Briggs and Jim Phelps listen to the opening tapes. The following list attempts to address this omission. The tape is assumed to be destroyed with billowing smoke unless otherwise indicated. A "V-type" recorder is one where the switch is in a V-like hollow. Thanks to Susan Walter (SW) and Richard Ovenall (RO) who did the descriptions except those with (MQ -- me) after them.
By the way, in many of the tape scenes, the takeup (right) reel already has a lot of tape on it, but the amount of tape prior to the end of the message on the supply (left) reel is more than could be expected to last for the entire message, yet it runs out, not in a realistic manner.
Also available -- the disc (no longer tape) scenes from the 1988 reboot of the show, plus episode reviews. Season One
1. PILOT. Dan Briggs goes up in a freight elevator to a busy office and tells the female clerk "I'm looking for a special recording - collectors' series." The puzzled woman is interrupted by a male employee who offers "I'll take care of the gentleman, Suzie." He deflects her by asking for "last week's invoices." The man closes the door behind her and then asks Briggs "exactly what recording are you looking for?" Dan responds with the appropriate symphonic music title, the clerk hands him a red record album, shows him a nearby record player, and then leaves. The record is vacuum sealed in plastic. The recorded voice of Robert Johnson delivers the first of 168 IMF assignments. However, Johnson's delivery in this first mission is a bit thin, almost as if he hadn't quite warmed to the part. In subsequent mission recordings, he became more robust. The message culminates in a personal greeting to Mr. Briggs: "I hope it's welcome back, Dan. It's been awhile." The record self destructs in a ring of acrid smoke. (SW)2. OLD MAN OUT. Dan knocks sharply on the back door of a small movie theatre. A caretaker answers with a sharply admonishing "we're closed." Dan responds, "there's a short subject I'd like to see." "A cartoon?" the caretaker asks, testing Dan. "No, the documentary" is the comeback remark. Satisfied that Dan is the right guy, he instructs him to go to the "fourth row, end seat on the right side," lets him in, and disappears into the projection booth to start the mission's movie. Dan plays the tape recorder as he views the film. The recorder is a hefty portable unit with a long handle on the front. Dan destroys the audio tape by putting it in an ashtray where it spontaneously ignites. (SW)
3. MEMORY. There is no tape scene. Briggs is given instructions on a card by a street photographer. (SW)
4. OPERATION ROGOSH. The date October 1966 flashes on the screen, the only time an M:I episode is dated. Dan drives his black convertible into a free parking space and, after suspiciously looking around, unlocks the passenger door of the adjacent car. Another key gains him access to the glove compartment. Inside is an 8-track tape and a brown envelope of photos. Dan plays the mission tape on the car's 8-track tape player and disposes of it in a much too handy nearby furnace. (SW)
5. ODDS ON EVIL. In a penny arcade, Briggs watches a movie on a peep show device. At the end, the images melt. (MQ)
6. A SPOOL THERE WAS. Briggs asks a hotel maid for a suite with "red decor." She gives him an LP record, he enters the room and plays it. After he listens to the recording, it disintegrates in smoke. (MQ)
7. FAKEOUT. A woman in a pigeon coop gives Briggs the tape; he plays it on a mini recorder. After he finishes listening to it, he disposes of it in a nearby incinerator. (MQ)
8. WHEELS. Briggs listens to a reel-to-reel tape in a TV sound truck in a lumberyard. After listening, he throws the tape in a nearby incinerator. (MQ)
9. THE RANSOM. No tape scene. The bad guy, Frank Egan (William Smithers), confronts Briggs during the opening sequence. (MQ)
10. ELENA. Briggs listens to the tape inside a trailer in a parking lot. The tape recorder is a V-type. When finished, he throws it into an acid-like solution. (MQ)
11. ZUBROVNIK'S GHOST. In a safe in a locked office, Briggs gets a recording which is on a plastic disc which he inserts into a Dictaphone-like device. When finished, he destroys it with acid in a sink. NOTE: The elevator that Briggs comes out of at the beginning of the show is the same one seen in The Carriers, which leads to a top-secret basement laboratory. (MQ)
12. THE TRIAL. In the office of Nicholas Manus, AIA, Architect and Engineer, Briggs uses a Dictaphone-like machine which plays a record-like disk. At the end, it catches on fire. (MQ)
13. THE CARRIERS. The mini tape recorder is located behind a grill at the front and bottom of a penny arcade booth which takes pictures. (MQ)
14. THE SHORT TAIL SPY. In a movie theatre, the tape recorder is on a seat. When finished, Briggs throws the tape onto an ashtray where it explodes. [Does he watch a movie?] (MQ)
15. THE LEGACY. Briggs listens to a reel-to-reel tape in a TV sound truck in a lumberyard. After listening, he throws the tape in a nearby incinerator (same as #8). (MQ)
16. THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. In a parking lot, Briggs pulls up beside another car, which he enters. The tape is in the glove compartment, he plays it in the 8-track player. When finished, he disposes of it in an incinerator. (MQ)
17. THE FRAME. Briggs talks to a woman about taking an aptitude test. He sits in front of a screen where what looks like a filmstrip is projected. [how is it destroyed?] (MQ)
18. THE DIAMOND. Briggs talks to the owner of an antiquarian book store, saying he wants to see "an FDR." The tape is in a desk inside the store, the pictures are in the flyleaf of a book. V-type recorder. The tape is destroyed in a water cooler with acid-like solution! (MQ)
19. THE LEGEND. In a building, a janitor props open elevator. Briggs enters and pushes a combination of buttons in the elevator which opens a door above them. The tape recorder is inside. After listening, Briggs tells the janitor, "Your elevator's working now." (MQ)
20. THE CONFESSION. Briggs talks to the owner of the Hersh Photo Gallery. The tape and pictures are in the darkroom. V-type recorder. After listening, Briggs throws the tape in a sink where it's dissolved by an acid-like solution. (MQ)
21. SNOWBALL IN HELL. A phone booth is out of order. Briggs dials three numbers, a door at the bottom of the phone opens, revealing the tape recorder [?]. (MQ)
22. ACTION! In a room inside a beauty parlor, Cinnamon listens to the tape which is inside a desk drawer. She has asked to see "Olga." This is the only episode where a "recorder" is used where neither Briggs nor Phelps appears during the tape scene. (MQ)
23. THE TRAIN. The mini tape recorder is located behind a grill at the front and bottom of a penny arcade booth which takes pictures (same as #13). (MQ)
24. SHOCK. In a locked pawnshop, Briggs takes a Dictabelt-like recording out of the cash register and plays it in a recording device. (MQ)
25. A CUBE OF SUGAR. In a liquor store, Briggs says he wants a "Château Delacroix 1959." After the owner leaves, Briggs finds it in a wooden box with shredded paper or wood packing. The recorder is the mini variety. (MQ)
26. THE TRAITOR. On a movie soundstage, Briggs finds an LP record in a sealed envelope. After he plays it, the label explodes in flames. (MQ)
27. THE PSYCHIC. Briggs listens to the instructions over a speaker in a drive-in movie theatre. (MQ)
Season Two
1. THE WIDOW Phelps drives up to a very weather-beaten observation telescope at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. While he seems to scan the view of the city below, the mini tape recorder plays, and Phelps sees pictures of the episode's protagonists inside the telescope. (SW)
28. TREK. The recorder is inside a locked door in a pay phone in a booth. After he listens to the message, Phelps puts a "temporarily out of service" sign on the phone. (MQ)
29. THE BANK. In a junk store, Phelps listens to a 78 RPM record on a gramophone. He finds the record in a cabinet. It self-destructs when the needle reaches the final grooves. (MQ)
30. OPERATION -- "HEART". The mini tape recorder is located behind a grill at the front and bottom of a penny arcade booth which takes pictures (same as #13). (MQ)
31 & 32. THE SLAVE. The mini tape recorder is located in a fire station call box in a public park. (MQ)
33. THE WIDOW. The recorder is inside a telescope at the Griffiths Observatory in Los Angeles. Phelps views the pictures by looking through the telescope. (MQ)
34. THE MONEY MACHINE. Phelps pushes the "empty" button on a cigarette machine inside a building. A very tiny tape recorder drops down. As he listens to it, one reel seems to be moving faster than the second. When he finishes listening, Phelps throws the recorder in a barrel, where it explodes in smoke. (MQ)
35. THE SEAL. Phelps enters a warehouse-like building where he finds a cassette tape recorder. The pictorial material is in the back of a picture frame. When he finishes listening to the tape, he throws it in a can where it's dissolved by an acid-like solution. (MQ)
36. CHARITY. Phelps finds the mini recorder in a bag inside a lumber yard shack. (MQ)
37. THE COUNCIL. Phelps, viewed from above, arrives at a building and gets out of his blue convertible via the right door. He is seen climbing up a flight of stairs and at the top pushes a "Ring for Admittance" button once, then twice. The door opens, Phelps enters and bolts it behind him. He then enters another door into a recording studio where he accesses a record player which drops down out of a cabinet. An LP record is on the turntable, Phelps places the needle on it, which seems to move from the centre outwards. When the message ends, Phelps pushes the "reject" button for the tonearm, after which smoke emerges from the LP in a ring-like pattern. (MQ)
38. ECHO OF YESTERDAY. Phelps drives to a parked car on a street. Inside the glove compartment he finds an 8-track tape cassette and envelope of photos. He inserts the tape into the player mounted on the car's dashboard. [I am pretty sure that the driver's side window is open, but Phelps unlocks the door with a key. Why would he bother, since he can just pull up the lock, which doesn't make sense anyway! - MQ] (SW)
39. THE ASTROLOGER. The drop is a parking lot attendant's hut. Phelps drives into the lot and opens the gate using a card. The tape recorder is the V switch model; Jim finds it in a closet in the hut. The tape is destroyed when it is ignited in an ashtray. (SW)
40. THE PHOTOGRAPHER. Jim drives to a warehouse. The camera angle shows him emerging from his convertible, entering the door and going up a steep flight of indoor stairs; on the second floor he presses a button to bring down a sceneshop fly where a brown envelope is taped and a small tape recorder sits atop a beam. The tape recorder is unlike any of the usual models: the audio head is mounted on the left corner and curiously, it plays from right to left; on the front vertical face are two slide switches. The tape and recorder are destroyed with sparks. (SW)
41. THE SPY. Phelps, viewed from above, arrives at a building and gets out of his blue convertible via the right door. He is seen climbing up a flight of stairs and in the next shot (up to this point, everything is exactly the same as #37!) emerges out a door onto the roof of a building. He inserts a key into a dumbwaiter-like device (the door of this says "Use key to unlock (align key with red side up)") where he finds the pictures and mini recorder. (MQ)
42. A GAME OF CHESS. Jim enters a phone booth on a street; uses key to open phone's coin box; one tape reel is seen revolving inside once a small paper envelope is removed; when we see the revealed photo in Jim's hands, curiously it is considerably larger (8"x10"); at end of taped message, Jim closes coin box cover; sparks come out of keyhole. (SW)
43. THE EMERALD. The drop is located in a coin operated photo booth on a street; Jim has a key in his pocket; he inserts a quarter into the photo machine to get it started but opens a compartment before him with the key; a Y type tape recorder is located on a sliding surface; all the while, the photo machine flash bulbs keep going off; smoke destroys the tape and machine. (SW)
44. THE CONDEMNED. no tape scene; Jim visits his friend David Webster in jail; later he briefs his IMF team in a hotel room. (SW)
45. THE COUNTERFEITER. Jim walks through a rock garden in a park to a red fire box on a pole (rock garden sequence is a location shot; fire box is conspicuously a studio shot). On his way he passes a sign which reads "Riding of Bicycles Forbidden. Keep out of Planted Area -- No Fishing or Wading" and something about "Dogs"... Inside the fire box is a small tape recorder, with a switch on the vertical front and a red button on the right front; tape and machine is destroyed with smoke. (SW)
46. THE TOWN. no tape scene; Jim's car overheats on the way to a rendezvous with Rollin at a mountain lodge; Jim, experiencing car trouble, stops at a gas station with an adjacent drug store. (SW)
47. THE KILLING. Jim inserts a coin in a cigarette machine, presses a button marked 'empty' and the machine dispenses a small packet; he walks back to his blue convertible which is parked outside the courtyard of a modern office building; once in the car, he tears off a small photo from the packet and places the very tiny tape recorder on the seat; the tape recorder seems to have tiny metal reels; recorder and tape is thrown in a waste barrel as Jim drives by. (SW)
48. THE PHOENIX. Jim enters a site workshop at a lumberyard, switching off an acetylene torch as he reaches for a plaid shopping bag (more like a satchel - MQ); he removes a small tape recorder (same one as in episode 45) and a brown envelope of photos; smoke detroys tape and recorder. The speed of the tapes is much too fast! (SW)
49. TRIAL BY FURY. Same as #37, The Council. (SW)
50. RECOVERY. The drop is a parking lot attendant's hut. Phelps drives into the lot and opens the gate using a card. The tape recorder is the V switch model; Jim finds it in a closet in the hut. The tape is destroyed when it is ignited in an ashtray. (Same as #39)
Season Three
51. THE MERCENARIES. Same tape sequence as #38 Echo of Yesterday (car parked on a street; 8-track tape in the glove compartment)
52. THE HEIR APPARENT. Jim drives to a relatively deserted park, finds a public phone near a reservoir, chooses a key from a key ring and inserts it in the phone's coin box lock but doesn't turn the key. He then removes the sign covering the coin slots that reads 'temporarily out of service' which is inserted into the slots and deposits two quarters [I don't think these are quarters! - MQ]. He presses the coin return and then opens the coin box with the key that's still in the lock. Inside is a small brown envelope and a very tiny tape recorder (the kind with the metal reels). Due to this camera angle shot of the recorder, you can see that the machine is a fake; the two reels are connected by a continuous belt that propells them around at breakneck speed; there is no mag tape at all. Smoke destroys the unit. (SW)
53. THE DIPLOMAT. There is a red fire box in a park with several waterfalls. Although the fire box is the same as the one in episode 45, The Counterfeiter, the setting is slighly different - in the earlier episode, the red box scene is shot partially in a studio. However, the small tape recorder used in both tape scenes is the same - a small model with a red button on the vertical front piece. The tape and machine is destroyed with smoke. (SW)
54 & 55. THE CONTENDER. Jim meets a man working on a rental boat by a small urban lake. He asks "have you got a five eighths horsepower?" and the man removes the 'out of order' sign, allowing Jim to get in the small pleasure craft. He drives the boat into the middle of the lake, and while drifting, reaches under the seat for a grey metal tackle box. Inside is a small tape recorder, the same one as in episode 40, The Photographer. However this time, the machine runs the tape correctly from left to right. To dispose of the tape, Jim tosses it overboard. (SW)
56. THE EXECUTION. In a stereo store, Jim asks the store clerk "Do you have a 30 RPM tape recorder?" He follows the clerk to a locked office, and after much looking around, he locates a large table model tape recorder. As usual, smoke destroys the tape and the very expensive machine. (SW)
57. THE PLAY. On a rooftop children's play area, Phelps speaks to a woman who points to a permanent ladder going up the side of the building. He climbs the ladder that leads to another roof area and behind a smoke outlet, finds a blue drawstring bag. Inside is the V type tape recorder. When the tape is finished, Jim throws the reel down the smoking chimney. (SW)
58. THE CARDINAL. A deserted library is the location for this tape scene. In a locked glass fronted cabinet of rare illuminated manuscripts, Jim finds a very small tape recorder on the top shelf and the usual brown envelope of photos within the fragile pages of an old book. The tape recorder is one we've seen before (episode 40, 54 and 55), with the audio head on the bottom left corner. The first shot of the running tape recorder shows the tape reel almost full. But this is the left reel. Given that the message is at the end, the full reel should have been on the right side. The editor goofed. (SW)
59. THE ELIXIR. Phelps opens a door marked "No Admittance" and enters a very dark room which is full of tape recorders and other electronic equipment. He tells a man, "I'm here for the special viewing." The man goes away without saying a word and Jim sits in a movie-theatre like seat. Curtains part to reveal a movie screen and Phelps leans over and turns on a V-type recorder beside him which relates the message. Phelps puts a cigarette in his mouth, but we don't see him light or smoke it. The tape runs out abnormally fast. (SW)
60. THE EXCHANGE. There is no tape scene in this episode. Jim and Rollin arrive at a foreign military building. Inside is Cinnamon, dressed in a uniform. Obviously we are joining the team halfway through a mission, one where our unfortunate heroine is caught. (SW)
61. THE BARGAIN. Jim arrives at a roller rink, goes into the sound booth and there under a cloth is the V type tape recorder. We've seen this model many times before but this time is sports a rigid plastic cover over the reels. When the tape runs out, we see the usual smoke, but under this plastic cover. (SW)
62. THE MIND OF STEFAN MIKLOS. A gate with a padlock is unlocked by Phelps who slides it closed behind him. A 'closed for alterations' sign beside film posters for Summer and Smoke and The Jayhawkers tells us that this drop location is a movie theatre, and the following tape scene is probably in a ticket booth, although it is difficult to tell. The tape recorder is once again the red button variety, and the tape is destroyed with smoke in the usual manner. (SW)
63. THE FREEZE. This parking lot tape scene is similar to the one in the first season's episode four, Operation Rogosh, except this time it is Jim Phelps who unlocks the passenger door of the adjacent parked car instead of Dan Briggs. (Phelps is viewed from above at the beginning.) The 8-track tape and envelope of photos are in the glove compartment and the cassette is played on the car's tape player. A blast of smoke renders the tape useless after it has been played. (SW)
64. THE TEST CASE. The camera follows Jim into a record store. He asks the store clerk for "Pavane in G" and is handed a red record box which he takes into a listening booth. The record is sealed in heavy plastic; Jim opens it by peeling off a length of red tape. As the record plays out the mission, it wobbles on the turntable since the vinyl disk is off-center. An interesting stream of white mist shoots out of the tone arm, destroying the record. (SW)
65. THE SYSTEM. This tape sequence begins with Jim walking the halls of a large old medical facility. In an examining room, he opens the drawer of a surgery table and removes a V type tape recorder as well as the familiar brown envelope. This time, however, it contains large colour transparencies that Jim views on the nearby x-ray light box on the wall. Robert Johnson's voice, at the end of the message, instructs "please dispose of this tape in the usual manner." However, the method Jim uses is far from usual. He puts it in a solution contained in a metal surgery pan. The solution causes caustic bubbles that produce an acid foam. (SW)
66. THE GLASS CAGE. Playing with a cigarette in his left hand (Peter Graves is left handed), Jim walks across the waiting room of a bus station and butts his smoke in an ashcan. He looks for a peep show machine near the arcade machines and removes the 'out of order' sign on it. He deposits a nickel in the machine and connects a tiny speaker to a small power receptable on the machine's front. Jim must crank the handle of this old fashioned contraption to view the black and white film through the double eyepiece. The image, at the end of the message, melts as if by heat. (SW)
67. LIVE BAIT. On a lovely sunny day, Jim's blue convertible drives up a hill to a lookout point at the Griffiths Observatory. He stops the car at a coin operated telescope. With a key, our man unlocks the service box of the telescope and inside we see the tape recorder with two slide switches on the front and a left front-mounted audio head. Photos of the villains are projected inside the telescope. The scene finishes in the familiar veil of tape-destroying smoke. (SW)
68. DOOMSDAY. This tape scene, with a red firebox in a park of waterfalls, is exactly the same as episode 53 The Diplomat. The tape recorder is the red button variety and, as always, smoke destroys the audio tape. (SW)
69 & 70. THE BUNKER. Jim emerges from an office building, stops near a modern sculptured fountain, and spies a brown car parked on the street. He enters the car on the passenger side and removes a brown envelope of photos and an 8-track tape from the glove compartment. The tape is played on the car's tape player; the tape goes up in smoke at the end of the message. (SW)
71. NITRO. Phelps walks up an ornate staircase in an impressive building, and enters a cataloguing office through double glass doors. The office is deserted. In a glass-fronted bookcase which he unlocks, Jim finds a microfilm hidden in the back of the top shelf. After loading it on to a microfilm reader, he cranks the tape (in a manner more like a movieola) and, from a hidden speaker somewhere nearby, the operative listens to the mission. A jet of smoke from the right tape reel destroys the microfilm. (SW)
72. THE VAULT. The parking lot attendant's hut is once again used in this episode, as it was for episodes 39 and 50. Only the voice-over is different. (SW)
73. NICOLE. The sceneshop used in the tape sequence of episode 40 The Photographer does double duty for this one, too. (SW)
74. ILLUSION. A rooftop door opens and Jim walks over to a steel door. The door is marked "Use key to unlock" and Jim produces a T-handled key from his breast pocket. Inside is the red button style of tape recorder and the usual packet of photos. Also, as usual, is the puff of smoke that destroys the taped message after Phelps has listened to it. (SW)
75. THE INTERROGATOR. The tape recorder scene is the same as that used in episode 48 The Phoenix. The mission drop location is a lumber yard site workshop. An acetylene torch is left burning. (SW)
Season Four
76 & 77. THE CONTROLLERS. Jim stops his car in a curious location, a bridge toll booth. While the attendant lowers the gate to block the lane, Mr. Phelps goes inside. There in a drawer is the V switch tape recorder. Cars zoom past as Jim listens to the tape, which eventually plays out to the end. Smoke destroys the message. (SW)
78. THE CODE. The opening shot of Phelps seen in the mirror at the top of a carousel gives the impression he is looking through a window. As the camera draws back, we see he is outside the carousel and he unlocks a chain link fence and goes inside. He walks through the horses to the center of the ride where he turns on a light and opens a desk drawer, which reveals a mini tape recorder that he removes. Smoke destroys the machine. (MQ)
79. MASTERMIND. On the docks in a busy urban harbour, Phelps moves a sign off a gate which he opens and walks down a ramp which he uses to climb up on to a old restored sailing ship named Buccaneer. He lifts a cage containing a parrot off a wooden floor cavity underneath containing the mini tape recorder. (Why doesn't the parrot give the message?) Smoke destroys the machine as usual. (MQ)
80. THE NUMBERS GAME. At the docks, Phelps removes the "Out of Order" sign from a telescope and, using a key, opens up a door on the left side, which contains the tape recorder. As he looks through the telescope, he sees a picture of General Gollan. The picture melts, but we don't see how the tape is "destroyed." (MQ)
81. COMMANDANTE. Jim's appointment with a tape recorder is in an empty bowling alley. He walks down a bowling lane through to the pin changer room and locates a stack of cardboard cartons. The V type tape recorder is inside the second one in the pile. When the mission tape has finished, smoke rises from the machine, rendering it and the mag tape useless. (SW)
82. ROBOT. A municipal recreaction and parks truck is parked in a children's playground and Jim has the keys. He lets himself in on the driver's side. Conveniently in the glove box is a small tape recorder, the model with two sliding switches on the front. As usual, smoke destroys the tape at the end of the scene. (SW)
83. FOOL'S GOLD. We find Jim watching elephants at a zoo. He walks over to a small electric utility cart and checks underneath a removable seat cushion. The red button type of tape recorder and the envelope of photos are hidden there. Smoke ruins the recording after it has been played. (SW)
84. THE DOUBLE CIRCLE. Phelps walks from beside a public swimming pool to a car, which he unlocks and enters. He unlocks the glove compartment which contains the photos in an envelope and an 8-track tape. He inserts the tape into the car's player. The tape is destroyed in a puff of smoke. (MQ)
85. SUBMARINE. In a hangar-like warehouse full of boxes and creates, Phelps opens an office with a key. He notices a clipboard propped up on the corner of a desk, studies it briefly and then opens a box on which the clipboard was sitting. Inside he finds the expected tape recorder. This time the model is the one with two slider switches on the front and the tape head off to the left side. A subsequent closeup of the tape recorder is not the same machine! (SW)
86. THE BROTHERS. In a white convertible, Phelps drives up beside what looks like a shopping mall or a terminal of some kind. He removes the "Temporarily Out of Service" sign from a pay telephone and inserts a quarter. With a key, he opens a metal door and inside are the photos and very tiny tape recorder. (MQ)
87, 88 & 89. THE FALCON. Jim's blue convertible pulls into an empty drive-in movie lot. In broad daylight, he mounts a movie speaker inside the car and the mission recording begins. Once the message has played out, Jim puts the speaker back on the mount outside the car. Sparks and smoke hiss from the speaker signaling the end of the message. (SW)
90. TIME BOMB. With his jacket slung over his shoulder, Phelps walks through a public park being watered by a sprinkler and where kids are playing. He approaches an older man sitting at a picnic table and feeding pigeons beside a tennis court (whether or not they actually speak is difficult to discern). The man moves away, leaving a bag on the seat. Phelps opens the bag and removes the small tape recorder (same model as in #85, Submarine) which he places on the table and photos. As Jim listens to the details of the mission played on the tape recorder, he warily looks around the park watching for anyone who might be observing him. The nearby tennis players don't seem to be a threat. (SW)
92. CHICO Beside the Angola giraffe compound at the zoo, Phelps uses a key to open the padlock on a locked yellow tool storage box which contains the V-type tape recorder and photos among some hoses and ropes. He must be having a bad day because he reaches to turn on the message - not once but twice. (SW)
93. TERROR. This time driving a white convertible, Jim stops on the side of a road just in front of a parked station wagon that has broken down beside an airport runway. The car is deserted. He removes a set of keys from his jacket pocket and stops to slam the car hood shut before unlocking the driver's door. The familiar 8-track cassette and brown envelope are in the glove compartment. The mission message is played on the car's tape player while Jim inspects the photos in the envelope. Smoke destroys the tape as usual. (SW)
94. GITANO. Jim drives a cream coloured convertible to a major building, possibly an airline terminal, parks the car and then unlocks a bright blue door in the building marked 'no admittance, keep clear.' After closing the door behind him, he flips on the light switch. He is in a luggage storage room. We see him pick through suitcases, eventually selecting a green one with a combination lock. He turns the tumblers to the correct numbers so that he can open the case. The tape recorder inside is the V-type switch and he lifts it out and then turns it on. The played out tape self destructs in special effects man Johnny Burke's smoke. (SW)
95. PHANTOMS. The same tape sequence is used here as in two previous episodes: 53 The Diplomat and 68 Doomsday. The only differences are the photographs Jim views and the voice over. (SW)
96. LOVER'S KNOT. This episode has no tape sequence.
97. ORPHEUS. For this tape scene, our man Mr. Phelps arrives at a dock in a station wagon. He by-passes a no admittance sign to board a freighter and finds a fabric pouch hidden in a life preserver mounted on the ship's bulkhead. Inside a quiet place on the ship, Jim takes the small tape recorder out of the pouch and plays the tape. The recorder is the type with the front mounted slide switches. A burst of smoke renders the audio tape useless. (SW)
98. THE CHOICE. Jim briefly stops to admire some flowers outside a florist shop before entering. There isn't a sole in the place, which is rather peculiar for such a busy shopping area. In a locked desk drawer, Jim locates the V-type tape recorder that has a dust cover over the tapes. He removes it and switches on the machine. While listening to the mission, he studies the accompanying photos and then turns off the recorder when the message has finished. The expected smoke emanates from the machine. (SW)
99. THE CRANE. This episode's tape sequence happens in an art shop. Jim Phelps enters through the shop's door that has a bell attached, announcing his entrance. There are at least two other people in the store so Jim is careful to admire several paintings on his way to the back room through a red curtain. A no admittance sign doesn't deter him. A locked filing cabinet is swiftly opened with Jim's key and in the top drawer he takes out the usual envelope of pictures along with a small tape recorder, the kind with the slide switches on the front. At the message's conclusion, smoke pours out of little holes on the face, beside the magnetic tapes. (SW)
100. DEATH SQUAD. No tape scene. The episode opens with Barney spending a quiet evening with his girlfriend. It doesn't end very quietly. (SW)
101. THE MARTYR. After entering through an archway into what looks like a small plaza, Jim arrives at a small shop full of Mexican merchandise. There is an "Out to Lunch" sign, saying the owner will return at 2:00. His key enables him to gain entry. On a table inside are whimsical toy birds bobbing back and forth into a bowl of water, but Jim bypasses this curious scene to unlock a nearby file cabinet. Of course, we know he'll find the usual tape recorder inside and this time it is the small model with the two slide switches on the front. When the tape runs out, the ubiquitous cloud of smoke gushes from the tape recorder. (SW)
Season Five
102. BUTTERFLY. Walking down a long pier away from the camera, Jim stops as a speedboat draw up. He leans over the dock's rail and says to the driver "nice looking boat." "It's for sale," he replies. Jim, looking relaxed in sunglasses, says "I'll give you forty-five hundred, cash, but I'll have to try it right now." The speedboat driver nods in agreement and Jim climbs down the ladder to the boat where he changes places with the man. Jim zooms off in the high powered water craft until he is a fair distance from shore, stops the engine, and then reaches for a metal tackle box under the dash on the floor. This elaborate rendezvous leads him to the mission tape recorder that him removes from the box and places on the adjacent seat. He slides one of the two switches on the front to start the tape. At the end of most IMF messages is the statement "this tape will self destruct in five seconds," but this particular recording carries no such warning. Jim simply throws the tape reel over the side into the sea. (SW)
103. HOMECOMING. No tape scene. Jim is back in his small home town doing a few repairs to the homestead. (SW)
104. THE REBEL. No tape scene. The episode begins with Jim and Dana arriving in a dusty foreign town in a Jeep. (SW)
105. THE KILLER. On a rocky seashore we see a retired man fishing while the surf pounds all around him. Mr. Phelps, leaping over tidal pools, goes over to the man and asks "how are the bass biting?" "I've caught three," he seems to hiss. "Yeah, good," replies Jim. "I caught six myself yesterday." At that, the man walks away, fishing rod in hand, and Jim delves into the yellow tackle box he has left behind (Jim's shirt matches the box - was the wardrobe department playing tricks here?). He removes two wooden trays of fish hooks and reels. There, in the bottom, is a brown envelope and the small slide switch tape recorder which Jim wastes no time switching on. He places it in the lid of the box while he examines the photos in the envelope. The tape and recorder are destroyed by a cloud of acrid smoke. (SW)
106. FLIP SIDE. Jim is at an outdoor shell-like amphitheatre where a barrel contains burning leaves. After a gardener walks away, Jim takes the tape recorder wrapped in burlap-like cloth from a wheelbarrow -- it's the V-type recorder. Despite a lack of instruction to destroy the tape when the message is finished, Jim throws it in the barrel where it's consumed by fire. (MQ)
107. MY FRIEND, MY ENEMY. No tape scene. Paris is shot off his motorcycle during a chase. (MQ)
108. THE INNOCENT. No tape scene. Barney is contaminated with deadly poison during the opening scenes. (MQ)
109. DECOY. Jim comes upon a group of kids who are putting out a fire in an above-ground pit. He speaks to their leader, an older man wearing a "Camp Tuckahoe" T-shirt: "North trail's closed." The leader replies, "Oh, what about the east trail?" Jim says, "Yeah, but only until twilight." The leader says "Let's go, kids," and he and the campers head up a nearby trail. Jim sits down on the edge of the pit and reaches into a knapsack which contains the small tape recorder and photos. The tape self-destructs with smoke. (MQ)
110. FLIGHT. Phelps walks through an amusement park apparently near the dock where the Queen Mary is anchored, and approaches "The Capsule Ride." A sign says "Tickets Only, No Cash Accepted By Operators." He asks the surly, moustached operator, "Time you open?" The operator replies, "Noon." Phelps says, "It's too bad, I've got a 10:30 train to catch." The operator nods with his head toward the ride, and Phelps goes through the turnstile and enters the bell-shaped car. Phelps locks the door and sits down as the operator turns some levers which start the ride's operation. Phelps looks out over the crowds below, and after a few moments, removes part of a metal casing in the middle of the car which holds the mini tape recorder and photos. After, smoke destroys the tape recorder. (MQ)
112. THE AMATEUR. No tape scene.
113. THE CATAFALQUE. Judging from the noise in the background, Jim is walking along a midway, since there is merry-go-round-like music in the background as well as the sound of shooting from an arcade. He enters a booth for "Photos 4 Poses." Closing the curtain behind him, he unlocks a panel and slides the tape recorder forward. The photos are nearby. The usual smoke destroys the tape. Close examination of the tape, by the way, reveals it is rather wrinkled! (MQ)
114. FLIP SIDE. We find Phelps in a diver's locker room. He has a key to unlock one of the metal lockers that contains a small tape recorder and the usual brown envelope of photographs. Surrounded by air tanks and diver suits, he places the tape recorder (the small model with the red button on the front) on a nearby table and sits down to listen to the recorded mission. At the end of the message, as expected, the tape is destroyed with smoke. (SW)
115. THE MERCHANT. Using a key, Phelps enters a shop which looks like an old-fashioned pharmacy. He opens a cupboard and removes the mini tape recorder and pictures. (MQ)
116. CAT'S PAW. No tape scene. Barney's brother is fatally injured in an explosion in the opening sequence. (SW)
117. THE HOSTAGE. No tape scene. Paris is captured by revolutionaries who mistake him for a businessman. (SW)
118. TAKEOVER. Phelps enters a building with a sign above the entrance: "Madame Roberta Tells Your Future - Private Readings." A sign on the door says "CLOSED BE BACK AT 5:00." Phelps opens the door with a key and enters. As the door closes, the word "SECRETS" can be seen reflected. Viewed through a bead curtain, Phelps opens a wooden cabinet and removes the tape recorder (V-type) and photographs. (MQ)
119. THE MISSILE. High up a cliff above the ocean (the sound of gulls can be heard in the background), Phelps drives up in his blue convertible beside a building. Exiting the car, he walks up a ramp to a door with a sign "Gone Fishing Be Back Monday." Opening a screen, he unlocks the door with a key, and enters a room where he flips on the light switch. Seen behind some cans of beans, he opens a wooden cupboard with another key and removes the photos and V-type tape recorder. (MQ)
120. KITARA. Phelps drives up in his blue convertible and walks through a park with birds chirping in the background -- the location is the same amphitheatre as in #106. He speaks to the grounds keeper: "I hear they're looking for an electrician." The man with the rake says, "The production manager'll be in at three. How long you been in town?" Phelps replies, "Three weeks." The grounds keeper leaves, and Jim takes the tape recorder wrapped in burlap-like cloth from a wheelbarrow -- it's the V-type recorder. As in #106, when the recording is finished, he throws the tape in the trash barrel burning leaves nearby (again with no specific instruction to do so!) (MQ)
121. THE FIELD. Phelps is first seen in front of a small decorative waterfall. He then enters an art gallery, and after checking out some of the paintings goes through a curtain into a room marked "No Admittance" where the photos and tape recorder are inside a locked filing cabinet which he opens. The tape recorder is the mini variety. (MQ)
122. BLAST. Same as #90, Time Bomb. (MQ)
123. A GHOST STORY. Similar to #101, The Martyr, except there is no closeup of the "out to lunch" sign. Instead, Phelps is viewed from a balcony above when he approaches the door. (MQ)
124. THE PARTY. Same as #98, The Choice. However, notice when Phelps takes the V-type recorder out of the drawer, there is a black cover over the tape reels. In the next shot, when he turns the recorder on, the cover is not there! (MQ)
Season Six
125. ENCORE. Following what is perhaps the most incredible explosion special effect in the entire series, Phelps Phelps enters a building with a sign on the door "Museum Open 1:00 p.m. to 6 p.m. except Mondays." The door has a steam locomotive on it, but inside the building is what looks like a museum of old fire engines. On the running board of one of these old trucks is a red box with a padlock which Phelps opens, removing the V-type recorder which he balances on the corner of the box. Phelps' right hand is seen in the next shot turning on the recorder, and in the next shot he has presumably grabbed the pictures very quickly out of the box! At the end, the tape runs out completely, despite the fact that in the previous shot, the left reel is more than half full. (MQ)
126. BLIND. Phelps drives up beside in a building in a 4-door blue car and parks. He exits from the car and walks beside a building where the words "House ... Hotel and Apartments" is seen on the wall. In front of this is a hanging sign saying "Gate of Spain." An elevator descends behind an iron grate. Jim seemingly enters the elevator from inside the building. As he looks around warily, the elevator rises. He unlocks a black box which contains the photos as well as a speaker which relates the details of the mission after he flips a switch on the bottom (the elevator is rising very slowly at this point). When the message is over, Phelps flips the switch to the "off" position and closes the box's door, after which the usual smoke billows out of it. (MQ)
127. THE BRIDE. A starting pistol goes off and four women start racing in an indoor swimming pool as Phelps enters down some steps. The next shot shows him entering the locker room where he opens a padlock and takes the photos and mini recorder from a locker's upper shelf. He sits on a nearby desk and places the recorder on the desk. The tape runs out abnormally fast from the second last to the last shot. (MQ)
128. RUN FOR THE MONEY. Phelps drives up beside a pitch-and-putt golf course in what looks like a downtown park, gets out of his car and walks to a miniature windmill. He unlocks a padlock on a door and opens it to reveal the mini tape recorder and photos. (MQ)
129. THE MIRACLE. A tape player (left inside a steam cooker for fish, and is reel to reel) is started by a slide button on a table. The location of this tape scene is very, very vague. It could be a fisherman's hideout underneath a pier. (RO)
130. MINDBEND. The camera goes straight to an undisclosed location, with a hand sliding the play button (a V-shaped button). Following insert shots of photos, Jim is shown looking at the tape player crouched down on what appears to be a balcony (some kind of lookout tower or lighthouse?) overlooking the ocean. After the message finishes the tape reel stops, and Jim slides the V-shaped button to Stop and smoke billows from the tape player. (RO)
131. THE TRAM. Jim pulls up at a marina/boat yard in a brown car (make?). He walks up some steps onto the rear deck of a parked boat/yacht, crouches down and opens a secret floor compartment. Inside a brown envelope is seen. Jim picks this up, along with a mini tape player, and closes the compartment. He places the tape player on a worktop/flat surface at the back of the boat/yacht. After the message ends the tape self-destructs with the usual smoke billowing from the tape player. (RO)
132. ENCOUNTER. A mini train ride comes to a stop as Jim walks up from a car park to the mini train. The train driver rings the bell and tells the passengers to get out. Phelps says "Mr. Thomas?" The train driver says "No, Mr. Thomas is out of town till next week." Phelps replies with "Maybe you can help me. I'm from the Bureau of Safety." The train driver says "Oh I see. You'll find everything you need in there on the counter", and gives Jim some keys to an office/shed. Jim goes into the office/shed and walks round to the back of a counter. he sits down and presses the V-shaped button down on the tape player. After the message finishes Jim presses the V-shaped button upwards and waits for the smoke to appear. (RO)
133. SHAPE-UP. Along a pier harbour front Jim pulls up in a car beside a rug making shop. Outside the shop is a sign with the words "Rug Making Demonstration", above an image of a tiger on a rug. He walks to the shop's entrance and opens the door (on which is a sign saying "Rug [illegible word)" Jim walks to the back of the shop counter. From an alcove behind the counter he takes a tape player and envelope and places them on the counter. The tape player (reel to reel) has a slide button to press play. After the message finishes he slides the stop button and the smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
134. UNDERWATER. The opening shot is of a notice reading "HELP KEEP POST OFFICE CLEAN." Jim is looking down various numbered post boxes - 145, 146, 147, 148...(the camera shot is from behind the box). Inside compartment no.149 is a small packet and the usual envelope. The camera shot changes to the front of the box. Jim takes the packet out (which has three stamps on it) and closes the post box. He takes the packet and envelope to a blue table which he places on the table. He puts the envelope to the side, takes a tape player out of the packet and slides the Play button on the tape player. After the message is played Jim slides the Stop button and smoke comes from the tape player. (RO)
135. THE VISITORS. This tape scene was more abrupt and short. The first shot of a mini tape player, with the Play button slided across to start the message. Jim is already holding an envelope. The location is a furniture shop. (RO)
136. THE CONNECTION. Jim is sitting higher up on a grandstand alongside a running/hurdling track. He turns and walks up some steps to the commentating box, taking a key out of his pocket and opens a door into the box. Next shot: Jim turns a knob at the bottom left-hand corner of a record player and pushes the arm across, which starts the message. After the message finishes the record self-destructs, smoke billowing from the record. (RO)
137. INVASION. Jim is having dinner with a beautiful woman in a restaurant. He sahres a toast with her. The waiter comes over to his table and tells him "Excuse me, there's a call for you in the booth sir." Jim says "Did they say who was calling?" The waiter shakes his head and says "It's about an appointment you have for tomorrow." Jim says to the woman "Wait for me." The woman says "Of course". He gets up fron his table and heads to a private telephone booth. Inside he sits down, and on his left is a packet, out of which he takes a mini tape player. He slides the Play button on the tape player. As the message starts he takes the photos out of a packet. (RO)
138. IMAGE. Jim pulls up in a four door blue car on a gravel driveway (camera shot is from behind a wire fence). He gets out and walks along and down a pathway (taking a key out of his right-hand side suit pocket) to an entrance door (the camera shot at this point is from behind a spider web, which then goes out of focus). Above the entrance door a sign reads "No Admittance." He unlocks the door. Inside, Jim walks down some ladders in what looks like a boiler room. He then takes another key out of his pocket and opens a storage box on a wall, taking out of it an envelope and tape player. Jim then takes a chair, sits down and places the tape player on a lower shelf to his left side. He slides the button to Play. After the message finishes Jim slides the button to Stop and smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
139. BLUES. At a fun park slide Jim pulls up in his car (wearing sunglasses) and walks over to the male attendant. He says to the attendant "Looks like business is picking up over last week." The attendant says "Yes, so far so good. What did the weatherman say?" Phelps replies with "Low clouds with a possibility of a storm by nightfall." The attendant nods and says "In the drawer, underneath the shelf." Jim walks over to the ticket booth and enters. He closes the door, takes a key out of his pocket, unlocks the drawer and takes out an envelope and tape player (which has a slide button). This tape scene description, like the previous one, looks incomplete at the end. (RO)
140. NERVES. Above a pier Jim walks down some steps from his parked car (passing a man with two women), onto the pier and over to a angler along the pier edge. He asks the angler "How are the bass fighting?" The angler says "They're not. Something must have frightened them off." Jim replies "I hear the sharks are running." The angler nods and says "Might be." He turns and walks away with his fishing rod. Jim goes to sit down on the end of a bench along the pier with the fishing tackle box. He opens the lid and takes out an envelope and mini-tape player with a slide button. After the message finishes Jim slides the button across to Stop, and smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
141. COMMITTED. At a horse riding stable Jim walks up to one of the teachers (or a stable hand) and says to him "Hi, my nephew left his lunchbox here yesterday. Have you seen it?" The horse riding teacher replies "Might be. What colour was it?" Jim then replies "There's a stagecoach and some horses on the lid." The teacher opens a large tin box on the ground and takes out the lunchbox, which he then gives to Jim. Jim turns and walks over to a bench a short distance away, sits down on the bench and places the lunchbox on his left-hand side. He turns to the lunchbox and opens the lid, out of which he takes an envelope and the tape player (which he places on the bench). After the message finishes Jim slides the button to Stop and smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
142. STONE PILLOW. The opening camera shot focuses on a sign reading "US Forest Service - Department of Agriculture", which is on the driver's side of a Fire Patrol wagon/car. Camera pulls back to show a fire patrol officer with hard hat looking through binoculars at something. Meanwhile, a car is seen in the driver's wing mirror pulling up. Jim gets out of his car and goes up to the fire patrol officer and says to him "Any sign of fire?", to which the fire patrol officer says "No, but it's the weather for it." Jim replies "Low humidity, winds from the desert." Fire patrol officer replies "Yeah, I sure hope folks are careful with their camp fires." Jim nods to the officer. The fire patrol officer walks away and Jim turns and walks to the front passenger side of the fire patrol wagon/car. He opens the door, sits on the passenger seat and opens the glovebox. He takes out the tape player, places it on the dashboard, and then slides the button to Play. The message starts (the photo and document are already out of the envelope). As the message is about to end Jim places the photo and criminal profile document back in the envelope. He slides the button on the machine to Stop and smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
143. DOUBLE DEAD. At a funfair park Jim walks to an entrance door to a shop, opens the door and goes into the shop. Behind the counter, Jim takes a large tape player (with V-button) and envelope, places the tape player on the counter and slides the V-button down to Play. After the message finishes, Jim slides the V-button to Stop and places the two photos back into the envelope. Smoke then billows from the machine. The start of this episode's tape scene is similar to one from earlier in the season, but there is a difference. Instead of Jim walking over to the funfair rides and ending up going up in one of then, he goes into a building by the funfair. Side Note: Unusually, the episode's teaser is shown after and not before the tape scene (which happened in the fifth and sixth seasons of the original Mission: Impossible TV series). Also, after the tape scene it cuts straight to the start of the mission, with no title sequence showing clips from the episode after smoke billows from the tape player. This is the only episode in the sixth season which has no apartment scene. (RO)
144. BAG WOMAN. Jim, in a two door brown convertible, pulls onto the forecourt of a petrol station. The mechanic/attendant, fixing a car (the bonnet up), walks over to Jim. Jim says "Maybe you can help me. I'm looking for an historical site on Thompson Street." The mechanic/attendant replies " Go inside. There's a map in the desk drawer", hands Jim a key and Jim says "Thanks." The mechanic/attendant walks away and Jim gets out of his car, walks round the front of it and over to the petrol station shop/office. Inside the shop/office (tyres and other motor accessories can be seen in the foreground and background) Jim walks over to a desk, sits down and opens the desk drawer. He takes an envelope and large tape player out of the drawer (the camera shot is through the hole of a car tyre). Jim slides the button to Play. After the message finishes Jim slides the button to Stop and smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
145. CASINO. At a marina Jim is seen walking up the steps round the perimeter of a tower/lighthouse. At the top of the steps on a landing he opens a door into the tower. Inside, he walks up some more steps to a watchout (shown in the tape scene of Episode 130 "Mindbend"). Jim crouches down and unlocks a metal box on the floor. Inside is an envelope and large tape player (with V-button). He places the tape player on the lid of the box and slides the V-button to Play. After the message finishes he slides the V-button to Stop and waits for the smoke to billow from the machine. (RO)
146. TRAPPED. In the sixth season finale's tape scene a sign is shown on a door, reading "Closed." Jim walks up to the door and unlocks it. Above the door is another sign, which reads "Life Guard STATION No.7." Jim goes inside. In the locker room Jim uses another key on a keyring and unlocks a locker. He takes out a mini tape player and envelope, goes over to a low table and starts the message on the tape player. After the message finishes Jim stops the machine and places the photo back in the envelope. Smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
Season Seven
147. SPEED. This episode, partly shot on location in San Francisco, was the first seventh season episode filmed, although the tape scene may not have been filmed first. At a trainyard, in the distance Jim, in a four door blue car, drives over a train track junction (the camera is behind a train carriage). He goes left after passing the train track junction, and drives past the train carriage. Jim then gets out of the car and walks up some steps, then climbs up some short ladders onto the front of a train, and goes into the train driver's compartment. He takes a key from his left side suit pocket and unlocks a box which is on the left hand side of the train driver's compartment. He lifts the lid, and inside a large tape player (with V-button) with a brown envelope can be seen. He pulls the V-button down to Play and the message begins. Jim puts his keys back in his pocket and then takes the brown envelope out of the box. He then takes a photo out of the envelope. After the message ends Jim pushes the V-button up to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
148. TWO THOUSAND. Jim pulls up in a two door silver car outside San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. He gets out of the car and walks over to a photographer (taking pictures of a fashion model on a podium). The location is inside some monumental circle at the park. Jim cuts in, saying to the photographer "Morning." The photographer says "Hi" to Jim. Jim then says "But what lens are you using?" The photographer replies "85 mm." Jim says "Now for portraits I like a 135 or 150 myself." The photographer turns to Jim and says "In the lens case on the tailgate". Jim walks over to the tailgate of the car as the photographer continues taking photos of the fashion model in the background. The camera now moves to following just Jim as he goes over to the tailgate of the photographer's car. He removes the lens case from the tailgate and walks off under some arches to a stone wall. He places the lens case on the wall, opens the case, takes out an envelope and starts the message on the tape player (remaining in the case). As the message is about to end Jim puts the photo back in the envelope and a quick camera shot of the the tape player is shown (it's a tape player with a large V-button). Jim slides the button to Stop after the message finishes. Smoke then billows from the machine. (Source of the location info for this episode is Patrick J. White's book The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier.) (RO)
149. UNDERGROUND. At a park, Jim walks up to a waitress dressed in a kimono, who is standing by two dining tables and chairs and a food serving cabinet. She says something to Jim in Japanese, but then says in English, "May I show you to a table sir?" Jim replies, "I'm looking for Miyoshi." The woman replies, "I'm Miyoshi." Jim says, "I'm very fond of camellias." The woman replies, "Then perhaps you know the haiku: 'Behold, a camellia flower'." Jim replies, "It spilled water when it fell." The woman smiles, nods and points to a drawer on the top of the food serving cabinet. Jim says "Arigato [thank you], Miyoshi," and she leaves. Jim takes a key out of his pocket and opens the top drawer on the food serving cabinet. He takes a brown envelope and large tape player (with V-button) out of the drawer, and sits down at one of the dining tables. The camera shot changes to an insert shot of Jim sliding the V-button down to Play to start the message. The message finishes and Jim puts the photo back in the envelope, then he slides the V-button up to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
150. LEONA. Jim walks into an empty bar (no staff or customers in there) and takes a key out of his right-hand suit pocket. He walks over to a drinks stand/open cabinet. On the second shelf down is a large carved, varnished, wooden box (like a large tea caddy) positioned on it's side. Jim (from his viewpoint) opens the lid from it's right-hand side (the long front face of the box). Inside is the envelope and tape player (mini type). He takes the envelope out and slides the button on the front of the tape player to Play. The message begins. After it finishes Jim slides the same button to Stop, and smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
151. BREAK!. In the seventh season premiere's tape scene (this season the tape scene (following the teaser) is now shown after the title sequence with clips from the episode, and before the apartment scene), set over the road from San Francisco City Hall, the camer shot reverses through to show a female artist drawing the City Hall. The camera moves round to show Jim Phelps walking towards the artist. Jim looks at what she is painting, then says "These sketches for sale?", to which the woman replies "Sometimes." Jim replies "I have an artist friend in Chicago who has a similar style." The artist says "What's his name?" Jim answers "Frederick Berrington." The lady nods, gets up and walks away. Jim sits down in front of the drawing (on an easel), looking down towards his right as he sits down on the artist's chair, and opens the artist's box (not a paint box). Inside, the brown envelope is seen. Jim removes this from the box. The tape player (mini type) is seen lying in a small compartment in the box. He starts the message on the tape player. After the message finishes smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
152. THE DEAL. This episode has no teaser. Instead, after the title sequence (showing clips from the episode), it goes straight to the tape scene. Jim is driving a blue two door open-top car down a street, then pulls onto a car park. He drives along a short lane to a drive-up teller, pulling up alongside a window where an older woman is behind a counter. He says to the woman "Could you change a $1,000 bill?" The female teller says "No, you'll have to see the manager." Jim replies "I was told by Mr. Harrington that you'd change it." The female teller says "Mr. Harrington? Of course sir", and then pushes an empty tray through to Jim's side of the drive-up window (on the front flap of the silver metallic tray is a Mosler logo with a partial red outline of a key). Jim places (what is assumed to be) the $1,000 bill inside the tray. The female teller exchanges the $1,000 bill for a large packet, which she places in the empty tray and passes through to Jim. He places the large packet on the passenger seat and drives off, along and off the drive-up lane, back round onto the car park below, and pulls into an empty car park space in the foreground of the camera shot and parks. Jim takes out of the large packet a tape player, which he places on the dashboard, and slides the button to Play. As the message finishes Jim quickly puts the photos back into the envelope. The message ends and he slides the button to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. This episode has no apartment scene. After the smoke billows from the machine the episode cuts straight to the start of the mission. (RO)
153. IMITATION. The tape scene for the seventh season and series finale of the original Mission: Impossible TV series, apart from the insert shots, is identical to the tape scene in episode 167 "The Fighter", from the shot of the swinging pendulum in the office in San Francisco City Hall onwards. (RO)
154. CRACK-UP. Jim, in a blue, two door open top car, pulls over at a kerb along a street.. He gets out, walks round the front of the car, and over to a motorcycle (Harley Davidson?) which is being tended to by its owner, parked in front of a large, square public lake/pool with a fountain in the middle. Jim says to the male motorcyclist "Having trouble with the bike?" The man answers "Yeah, plugs keep fouling." Jim replies "What fuel mixture are you using?" The man answers "20 to 1." Jim says "Maybe you ought to try a 32 to 1." The motorcyclist nods, gets up, and as he walks away from the motorcycle he taps a pouch on the back of the motorcycle seat. Jim opens the pouch and takes a tmini ape player and brown envelope out, which he takes over to a white bench behind the motorcycle, which surrounds the public lake/pool. He sits down on the bench and places the tape player on the bench to his left hand side. Jim takes a dust cover off the top of the mini tape player (which he places on the bench), and slides a grey button at the front of the tape player across, to start the message. He takes a photo out of the brown envelope as the message begins. As the message finishes he places the photo back in the brown envelope. The message finishes and he then slides the grey button on the front of the player to stop the reels. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
155. TOD-5. The opening (slanted) camera shot is from the floor of a paved courtyard. Jim, having walked under an archway to the courtyard, takes a key out of his right grey suit pocket (the camera shot is now behind him as he walks to a set of double doors, and slanted again). He opens the lock and walks into a music room. Jim then heads over to a cabinet (to the right of Jim is a sign on a pedestal saying "Early Pueblo Furniture", with writing underneath (not clear enough to read). He opens the lid, and inside is a record player with a gold/brass arm. Jim takes a brown envelope out of the box containing the record player (the camera shot then changes to an insert shot of the record player (a large vinyl record (with a red label in the centre) is already placed on the player)). Jim flicks a switch out of view (to the right hand side of the record player) which starts the record spinning, and places the record player arm onto the spinning vinyl record's groove on the perimeter of the record. The message begins and and Jim takes three photos out of the brown envelope. As the message is about to end Jim places the three photos back into the envelope. The message ends and Jim flicks the out of view switch, which stops the vinyl record spinning. Smoke then billows from the vinyl record. (RO)
156. COCAINE. Jim, in a four door green car, pulls over beside a kerb in front of a bookshop (the location is in San Francisco, along one side of San Francisco City Hall). Jim is wearing an open brown leather raincoat. He walks into the bookstore. Inside, he walks along a short corridor on the shop floor, and over to the counter where a young woman is serving. Jim says to the woman "Good morning, I'm looking for Victorian first editions." The woman replies "Er, do you have a particular author in mind?" Jim answers, "Yes, a novelist. Richard Tremaine." The woman answers "Yes. In the office on the centre shelf." Jim walks into the office (the camera stays behind the shop counter) and goes over to the centre shelf in the office, taking a large, thick book/tome off the shelf. Turning round, he carries the book/tome over to a table/desk in front of the centre shelf. He sits down, placing the book/tome on the table/desk and opens the book/tome. On the opened out right hand page is the brown envelope, which he takes out off the page. The tape player is inside a cut-out rectangular hole with wooden edges. The camera shot changes to an insert shot of the tape player. Jim presses a button on the side of the tape player to start the message, and takes two photos out of the brown envelope. The message finishes and Jim slides a button round the corner of the Start button on the tape player to stop the reels on the tape player. Smoke then billows from the machine. (It should be noted that when Jim goes into the office, there is a hole like a window between the office and the front area where the woman is. The window is known as a "serving hatch" or "pass through" when it is in a house between the kitchen and dining room. This window probably means that when Jim listens to the tape, the woman can hear everything! - MQ) (RO)
157. THE QUESTION. The opening camera shot (from left to right) is of a fountain (the jets are pouring water into the central jets shooting upwards) in a very large public lake/pool. Behind this pool, Jim, in an open top blue car, is driving down a road. He turns left onto a raised road. He then turns right and onto a car park underneath a tall skyscraper. The camera then moves up the tall skyscraper, and as the shot moves to the roof a figure can be seen on the one side of the edge of the roof. The camera shot changes to on top of the roof of the skyscraper. The figure seen before is a man on some portable stepladders fixing an aerial on the roof. Jim walks over to the man on the portable stepladders, and looking at the aerial as well, says to him "Hey, you won't get much reception with that kind of rig around here." The man asks Jim "What do you know about it?" Jim answers "I used to work for Station KBEX." The man gets off the portable stepladders, takes his coat off the ladders and walks away (his toolbox, open, is still on the portable stepladders). Jim takes the brown envelope out of the toolbox and starts the tape message (the tape player is inside the toolbox and out of view because the opened toolbox lid is in the foreground, with the front of the toolbox facing Jim). He takes a photo out of the brown envelope (as the message plays an insert shot is shown of the tape player inside a compartment in the toolbox). The message ends and Jim slides a button to stop the reels. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
158. HIT. It is still dark and just before sunrise (the voice on the tape message says "Good morning Jim..."). A blue car (with headlights on) pulls up alongside a docked ship (the Bay Cruise. The location is San Francisco) in a harbour, in front of a ramp which leads down to the cruise ship. The headlights switch off. A man gets out of the driver's side of the car and walks onto and along the ramp, down onto the cruise ship. The camera shot changes from on the ship to an interior scene, showing a bell. A door in the background opens, and Jim enters the room. He closes the door and turns a wall light. He gets a key out of his left suit pocket and unlocks a drawer underneath what looks like a desk/bureau, which has a shipping map/chart on it. (In the background views cane be seen of San Francisco through three square portholes.) The camera shot changes to a shot of the opened drawer which has a few compartments. In one of them is a small tape player, which Jim removes from the drawer compartment and places on top of the map on the desk/bureau. He presses two buttons on the tape player to start the message, and also takes the brown envelope out of the drawer. As the message is about to end Jim places the photo back in the envelope. The message ends and Jim presses two buttons on the tape player to stop the reels. Smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
159. MOVIE. Jim, driving a terracotta two door car, turns off onto a car park (a large arrow sign is on a post at the turn off onto the car park, reading "EMERGENCY"). He parks outside the entrance to a building (hospital or research building?), gets out of the car and walks up some steps to the entrance doors and goes through. The camera shot changes to a scrolling shot (right to left) of some mice in a cage. The camera moves upwards to show another cage on top. In the background behind the two cages Jim is seen entering through some double doors. He uses a key on a drawer underneath a worktop (which has some more cages on top of it) to his left hand side of the room. He pulls the drawer out and takes the mini-tape player out, along with the brown envelope. Jim takes them over to a chemistry worktop, places the tape player on the worktop, and slides a button on the player to start the message. After the message ends Jim pressed two buttons on the tape player to stop the reels. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
160. ULTIMATUM. The opening shot is of waves crashing against rocks and a stone wall along a shoreline. The camera pulls back to show a road leading to a pier (lined with a chained guard rail along the edge of the shore). A pale, grey two door car is seen driving at speed past the pier (camera follows the car. The camera shot is now focused on a tall, large deserted building. The car pulls up outside the building's entrance (gusts of wind and the waves and be heard in the background). Jim gets out of the car and walks round the back of it to a large, wooden entrance door. He unlocks the entrance door (a sign on the door in the top right hand corner reads "OPEN", and underneath it "10 TO 5"). Jim has to shove the wooden entrance door a bit for it to open (a wall light can be seen lit on a wall inside). He walks in and closes the entrance door behind him. The camera shot switches to inside the deserted building (several archways and tall windows can be seen in the background). The camera moves from right to left, now showing Jim walking along a corridor (which led from the large, wooden entrance door). He is now in a vast courtyard. The camera follows Jim as he walks over to a vintage wagon or stagecoach (is this building a tourist attraction?) with a white blanket roof covering it (on the side of the wagon/stagecoach is a red 'X', (made of what look like two cannons) with the word 'Ammunition' on the right hand side of the wagon/stagecoach. Jim uses a key to unlock a padlock (with chains) on the back of the wagon/stagecoach. He pulls a wooden flap back, to reveal a large tape player (with V-button), with the brown envelope, on the floor of the wagon/stagecoach. He takes the tape player and places it on the pulled back wooden flap. Jim pulls the V-button down to Play to start the message. As the message is about to end Jim places the photo and typed document back in the brown envelope. The message ends and Jim pushes the V-button up to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
161. KIDNAP. This episode has no tape scene. In the original Mission: Impossible TV series' only sequel (to the sixth season episode "Casino" (episode 145), and the last of the 'personal' episodes, Jim is kidnapped after he and Barney are discussing a game of tennis at a private club while on vacation, and Barney is told there is a message for him in the reception. Jim and Barney were spotted on a security camera at the Aquarius Casino when the vault was broken into. (RO)
162. THE PUPPET. Jim is already inside a shop (watches can be seen behind him on a wall), behind a counter with coloured beads hanging in front of it. He looks down at something under the counter, and takes a large tape player (with V-button) with the brown envelope from under the counter. He places the tape player on the shop counter and pulls the V-button down to Play to start the message. He takes two photos out of the brown envelope. After the message finishes smoke billows from the machine. (RO)
163. THE FOUNTAIN. Jim is walking down a shop promenade. He takes a key out of his right side suit pocket and goes over to a door along a wall on the left hand side of the camera shot (his right hand side). He unlocks the door and enters a deserted shop. At the shop counter he removes a red/orange china/porcelain ornament off a flat wooden box on the counter, and unlocks the box with another key. Jim takes a brown envelope and small tape player out of the wooden box, goes over to a low writing desk, places the tape player on the writing slope and sits down. He starts the tape message and takes a photo out of the brown envelope. As the message is about to end Jim places the photo back in the envelope. The message ends and Jim stops the tape player's reels. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
164. BOOMERANG. At a park (in San Francisco), a beautiful large greenhouse or glass building can be seen in the background. The camera pulls back to show Jim walking up a glass verge/embankment to a gardener/groundsman crouched down. He says to the gardener/groundsman "Morning", to which the man says "Morning." Jim says "Are the
blooming out yet?" The gardener/groundsman answers "Not yet. It's been too cold." Jim replies "And the same down south, all the spring flowers were late." The gardener/groundsman nods and gives Jim a key out of his right jacket pocket. Jim takes the key and walks off to the driver's side of the gardener's/groundsman's truck. On the driver's side of the truck is a green compartment box, which Jim opens with the key. He opens out the lid. Inside is a large tape player (with V-button) with the brown envelope underneath. He puts the tape player on the top of the opened-out lid, and pulls the V-button down to Play. The message begins. Jim takes three photos out of the brown envelope. As the message finishes Jim places the three photos back in the brown envelope. The message finishes and Jim pushes the V-button up to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO) 165. INCARNATE. Jim walks into an office and over to a bureau. He pulls the desk cover up. On the writing desk is a large tape player (with V-button) with the brown envelope on top of it. Jim pulls the V-button down to Play, which starts the message. He takes two photos out of the brown envelope as the message begins. Before the message ends he places the two photos back in the brown envelope. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
166. THE WESTERN. Jim is driving a blue open top car along a paved driveway/pathway alongside a public lake/pool with large fountain. He pulls up beside a path leading to the fountain lake/pool, gets out of the car and walks down the path, down some steps and then to a man tending to the fountain. Jim says to the fountain keeper "Beautiful." The fountain keeper turns to Jim and nods in agreement. Jim adds "Makes me think of some fountains I've seen in Italy." The fountain keeper says "Such as the Fontana la Travi." Jim replies "That's right. Designed by Nicholas Salvi. 1762 I think." The fountain keeper nods his head to Jim in the direction of his wagon (a low buggy), which Jim walks over to. On the back of the fountain keeper's wagon/low buggy is a toolbox. Jim takes the toolbox and walks over to a ledge along one side of the public lake/pool with large fountain, and sits down after placing the toolbox on the ledge. He unlocks the box (no key used) and opens the lid. The lid opens out to reveal an upper and lower compartment. In the lower compartment is a mini tape player. Jim takes a brown envelope beside the tape player out of the toolbox. He starts the tape message and takes two photos out of the envelope. Before the message ends Jim places the two photos back in the brown envelope. The message ends and Jim stops the tape reels. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
167. THE FIGHTER. Jim, in a green car, drives down a road along the side of San Francisco City Hall. He turns right, onto the road along the front of City Hall. He pulls up along the kerb, gets out, walks round the back of the car and onto the pavement and up some steps into City Hall. The camera shot is now focused on a swinging pendulum on a clock inside an office inside City Hall. The pendulum goes out of focus, focusing instead on Jim entering the office. He walks to behind a desk and unlocks, then opens, the centre drawer with a key out of his right side suit pocket. This then unlocks another drawer to the left of the centre drawer. Jim takes the brown envelope, then a large tape player (with V-button), out of the left hand drawer. He places the tape player on the desk and pulls the V-button down to Play. Jim then sits on a corner of the desk, and as the message begins takes two photos out of the brown envelope. As the message ends Jim places the two photos back in the envelope. The message ends and he pushes the V-button up to Stop. Smoke then billows from the machine. (RO)
168. THE PENDULUM. This episode was the last episode of the seventh season, and the last episode of the original Mission: Impossible TV series to be filmed. Although the tape scene for this episode may not have been filmed last. At a park (or public square), Jim, in a four door brown car, drives past what looks like a bandstand (a flock of birds fly off as he drives past). He then crosses over a road onto a street beside a building (near Los Angeles City Hall). The camera shot changes to inside the building, which is lit by a ceiling light fitting. The camera pans down, and a door in the background opens. Jim walks through, down some steps, then walks further along and down another set of steps, and goes over to a set of gates (the camera shot is from behind a row of ballistrades). He unlocks a padlock (after taking keys out of his right side suit pocket), opens the gate, then closes it after he walks through. From here on, the tape scene is identical to that seen in episode 150 "Leona", apart from the insert shots.