After watching The Mind Of Stefan Micklos about 20 times (at least), I still can't tell if our intrepid heroes mission succeeded. In fact, it has one of the most convoluted plots in Mission Impossible history. In fact, every time I watch it, I get a headache.
So, can any of this boards' IMF experts help me out on this?
Rest In Peace, Dan.
jayhn1111, tyler_a_arse, lima-2? You want to field this one? 😀
shareI was waiting for Lima2, the Phelps-phanatic, to jump on this one, but ...
Yes, the IMF came out ahead on this one. Stefan bought the bogus info hook, line and sinker. Cinnamon and Phelps had a bug on Miklos, and were listening to his conversation with Townsend.
MIKLOS: "I wish I could meet the man that masterminded their operation. He was brilliant. I feel sorry for him. He played the game well, but he lost. And it'll destroy him."
A few seconds of dialog were cut out of the finished show.
CINNAMON: "What do you think will happen to Stefan and Townsend?"
PHELPS: "I'm certain their country will reward them 'suitably.' "
Peter Graves referred to the Miklos episode as the most intellectual ever filmed. He never came out and said it was his favorite episode, but it made his Phelps-character look like a genius.
If you really want a headache, re-watch the episode, close your eyes and listen ... just listen to the taped instructions. Huh?!
Thanks, Klondike6. That episode has been driving me nuts! And the fact that Jason Evers was in that episode. I've never liked him since I saw him in The Brain That Would Not Die (he was using the first name of Herb at the time-huh?)
shareThanks mariakelly-04164 for your post and question on this episode. This episode rates at or near the top of a lot of Mission Impossible "phanatics" list as best of the series.
Thanks too klondike6 for your detailed response to the OP. Tons of great info! I would add that, without Steven Ihnat's icy performance, this episode, with its tricky script and convoluted dialog, may well have fallen flat. How's that for a run-on sentence?
BTW, there's book called 1001 TV Shows You See Before You Die. Of course it was listed in this book as is right and proper. But the best part is they listed The Mind Of Stefan Micklos as the best MI episode! Isn't that cool?
This post will try NOT to explode in 5 seconds.
Steven Ihnat has so much range as a actor. I was watching this episode and I kept saying, "where have I've seen Stefan Milkos before?" . Then I watched it again and it hit me, that's Lord Garth from Star Trek episode Whom the Gods Destroy. Garth can't be anymore opposite of Milkos than is humanly possible. Ihnat is totally convincing in both roles. It's a shame he died so young.
Spenser with an "S", like the poet.
Klondike6, I took your advice and listened to the episode with my eyes closed. The instructions and the briefing scene reminded me of the Abbott and Costello "Whose On First?" Routine.
I am not afraid of the car, Captain. I am afraid of YOU driving the car.
Steven Ihnat was Czechoslovakian so he didn't have to ham-up the accent like the rest of them do with that stilted Mr Data routine - they think being unable to use contractions makes them sound foreign.
LOL!
That was definitely one of the more complex episodes. Everybody here remembers the specifics better than I do. But I remember the scene were Jim was worried that he overthought the whole thing and went a little overboard. Because not only did they have to feed him the information but also make him think that they fed him false information so he'd think the opposite. So it had to be in such a subtle way to make the whole thing believable. As Jim said his ego demanded that it was something really challenging for him to figure out himself. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong about that. But it was just one of those masterpiece episodes that is on a lot of fan's favorites list including mine.
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