‘Pilot’, the very first episode of Mission: Impossible, aired in 1966. In the 59 years since then, the series has rebooted multiple times, most recently into the colossal, three-decade blockbuster franchise that (maybe) ended last week with The Final Reckoning.

On the suggestion of our intrepid editor, I watched the first episode this week. It was surprisingly hard to find, but once I did, I was surprised by how much of the spirit of the show is still present in the movies. Here’s what I found:

Colonel Briggs

We’ve talked elsewhere about the shadow Dan Briggs casts across the series, and how that changes the lives of both Jasper Briggs and Ethan Hunt. It’s a refreshing change then to meet him here. Played by Stephen Hill, Briggs is a calm, ruthless figure who has a willingness to think on the fly that looks very familiar. He also willingly puts himself in extreme harm’s way, and again, that’s very familiar. You could imagine Briggs jumping a bike off a mountain. Or at the very least talking himself into and out of an arms dealer function or two.

The Recruitment

Briggs gains access to IMF files via a music shop safehouse. It’s beat for beat the opening of Rogue Nation, although that goes much worse than this does…

The Team

Briggs selects a large team, many of whom would become regulars on the show:

  • Terry Targo, played by Wally Cox. the only one we wouldn’t see again. He’s a cheerfully fatalistic safecracker and the injury he sustains here may take him out of play for the IMF permanently.
  • Cinnamon Carter played by Barbara Bain. A fashion model and actress, she was an arch presence that was often written very well and led a mission in a later episode.
  • Rollin Hand played by Martin Landau. Magician, actor, disguise specialist and a stalwart presence in the show for its first three seasons alongside Bain’s Cinnamon Carter. Interestingly, Landau turned down the opportunity to play Spock in Stsr Trek and would be replaced in later seasons by Leonard Nimoy.
  • Barney Collier played by Greg Morris. A brilliant engineer and, interestingly, one of the only members of the IMF with a family. Barney walked so Luther Stickell and Benji Dunn could run. His son, Grant Collier, played by Phil Morris, would be a major part of the 1980 reboot.
  • Willy Armitage played by Peter Lupus. Big dudes represent! The team muscle, his role in the Pilot is to provide physical back up for the others and to carry the 200 pound nuclear warheads cases.

You can see the chemistry between the team from the jump and there’s a lovely, snarky air to their interactions. The first time we meet them all, they’re playing cards together and they’re ALL cheating. It’s a nice touch and sets the tone for the show.

The Job

The mission, which they do accept, is to remove nuclear warheads from a Caribbean dictatorship. It’s fair to say the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was just four years prior to this, was an influence on the plot. It’s also interesting, from our position in 2025, to see a major part of the pilot of a TV show like this involve one character spending an extended amount of time in what looks a lot like brown face. You could also argue that Barbara Bain’s Cinnamon Carter is used purely for her sex appeal but given how often that’s weaponised by her, and how much agency she has regardless, that hits less awkwardly.

The Fallout

Ethan’s team aren’t the only ones who have no manner of luck. Safecracker Terry Targo’s job is to crack the hotel vault where the target is staying and remove the warheads. When the target, General Dominguez, breaks Terry’s fingers in an escape attempt, Briggs shifts them to Plan C (and let’s take a moment to admire that Briggs goes into each job with multiple plans). This involves Briggs locking himself in the vault with General Dominguez and breaking him psychologically. It’s a gutsy move, and one that reveals a ruthless streak that sits very neatly between Ethan’s pathological need to sacrifice himself and Jim Phelps’ eventual ruthless fall from grace. It works, but it also resonates with the implication that Briggs is back from extended sabbatical and suggests why he would eventually leave again. He persistently puts himself in harm’s way, persistently goes just a little too far. Not disavowed, but closer than comfort.

The Exit

The team pull off the near impossible, include Hand playing three people in quick succession and even then, almost don’t make it out. The cathartic closing car chase is a neat touch, especially Hand’s symbolic dropping of his Dan Briggs mask outside the jet they’re making their getaway in. It’s almost too late, for all their plans within plans, and that does a neat job of emphasizing both the danger and just how good they are.

Verdict: ‘Pilot’ is a fascinating snapshot of the past and just how coherent the series has been. It’s hard to track down, but if you can, it’s well worth your time.

Alasdair Stuart