This season marks the series' midpoint, and with it comes a few major stories, a two-parter, and a three-parter. On the first disc are the two episodes titled "The Controllers" where an enemy country has staked a claim on two defecting American scientists in order to create a mind-control serum. The MI Force must capture these scientists, impersonate them and convince the government that their fake serum works over the rival drug that is well on its way to really working. When the government sides on the fake drug, and it turns out to not really work, the people in charge get what they deserve and, as usual, another potential enemy is defeated and the American way is safe for another day.
The other major storyline is called "The Falcon" where the team needs to free a prince from a dungeon, his wife who is being forced to remarry the enemy general and his brother who is put in power as a stooge. The enemy's plan is to have the general, Sabattini, keep the crowned prince (whom everyone else believes is dead) alive just long enough to marry his wife and take the throne. Then, in a seat of power, he will be able to dispose of the entire royal family all at once. Of course, that's where the IMF, and their pet/trained falcon, will come in.
Sabattini's plan relies on being able to sell the royal jewels, so the IMF must sneak the jewels out and replace them with fakes. They will use their falcon to get past the pressure-sensitive floor and help Barney break into the room. Paris will switch places with the person currently sitting on the throne (Prince Nicolai), so that he can help maneuver Sabattini. The team's female guest will take on the role of a medium who predicts Sabattini's fall and his helper's rise to power. When all of these pieces come together, the IMF will once again shame a rising enemy power and put all things right in the world.
Another episode includes having to make a fake robot to impersonate a leader, so that the person who is holding him will think it is a robot on TV, when it is actually the leader who will announce a period of democracy instead of imperialism. In "Phantoms", the IMF must trick an enemy leader into thinking he is being haunted by ghosts in order to get him to give up his reign, while the last episode of the season, "The Martyr" puts Paris in the role of the son of a revolutionary who died many years ago. The country's leaders believe him to be adamantly against his father's views, but when they get him to denounce those views publicly, let's just say things turn out differently.
People familiar with the series should remember the way they always have all of their bases covered, and as we watch their plans within plans unfold, we get just a small idea of how complex and innovative the schemes that Phelps' team comes up with. I was always impressed by the way the writers kept the MI Force's hands clean when it comes to killing off the big, bad commie leaders. As far as I can tell, every time a person dies in the series, it is at the hands of either themselves (because they realize what they've lost), or a bigger commie bad guy who is disappointed in the dead-man's failings.
Having not really watched the series in a long time, I had forgotten that Leonard Nimoy joined the cast, and I have to say, I can easily see why the man gets frustrated by only being remembered as Spock from Star Trek. The amount of range and acting skill that Nimoy portrays in this series as he takes on different nationalities and mannerisms is far better than the cold, scientific-minded character from his previous series. I have nothing against Spock - heck, I can Trek with the best of them, but Nimoy really shines in the role of Paris.
And of course, the other regular members of Phelp's team, Barney (Greg Morris) and Willy (Peter Lupus) continue their roles. Barney, ever behind the scenes, will sneak between the walls and across ledges in order to get into those tiny hidey-holes so he can keep an eye on the enemy, while Willy is the only member of the team that ever shows any real force. Whenever someone unexpectedly walks in on the team, it is he who knocks them out, but he is also one of the people who takes on various disguises in order to help Phelps, Paris and whoever the female guest star is, get into positions. If you have been keeping up with the series, Mission: Impossible: The Fourth TV Season is one you'll want to pick up.
