Reprisal (15 Apr. 1989)

When former IMF-agent Laura Ann Wilson is murdered, Jim Phelps's fingerprints are found at the scene of the crime, making him the police's prime suspect in the case. Knowing however that ... See full summary »

Director:

Rob Stewart

Writers:

Walter Brough, Bruce Geller (creator)

Stars:

Peter Graves, Thaao Penghlis, Antony Hamilton

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Peter Graves	...	Jim Phelps
Thaao Penghlis	...	Nicholas Black
Antony Hamilton	...	Max Harte (as Tony Hamilton)
Phil Morris	...	Grant Collier
Jane Badler	...	Shannon Reed
Bob Johnson	...	Voice on Disc (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ann Brisk	...	Pianist
Chelsea Brown	...	Laura Ann Wilson
David Cameron	...	Russell Acker
Ralph Cotterill	...	Dr. Vincent
Lynda Day George	...	Lisa Casey
Paula Goodman	...	Marilyn
Marshall Napier	...	Talbot
Christina Ongley	...	Female Newsreader
Peter Rollo	...	Pawn Broker

Storyline

When former IMF-agent Laura Ann Wilson is murdered, Jim Phelps's fingerprints are found at the scene of the crime, making him the police's prime suspect in the case. Knowing however that Phelps was in Thailand at the time of the murder working on a case, the IMF-secretary realises that Phelps must have been framed by someone. Jim identifies his former agent colleague Russell Acker as the only person who could possibly be responsible. After having been in a serious car accident 14 years ago, Acker lost his mind and started murdering beautiful women. Jim Phelps, Laura Ann Wilson, and two other female agents eventually put him away for life in a mental institution. Acker saw being caught by his own colleagues as the definitive betrayal and he must now finally have found a way of getting his own back from inside his high security prison for the mentally insane.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 1989 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Village Roadshow Studios, Oxenford, Queensland, Australia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

It's All Done with Mirrors

Former IMF agent Laura Ann Wilson (Chelsea Brown) is murdered in broad daylight by Phelps (Peter Graves) or at least it looks that way to witnesses. The feds know that it couldn't have been him because he was on assignment for them elsewhere a long way away from the murder scene. But his fingerprints are there and the police are poised to arrest him. His alibi is a government covert mission which does not officially exist.

Phelps and the feds suspect that a malignantly insane former IMF agent named Russell Acker (David Cameron) whom he put behind bars several years ago has targeted him and other former IMF agent for revenge. Acker - a raving lunatic confined to a maximum security asylum for the criminally insane having been convicted of murdering 8 women, taunts Phelps when he visits and offers a cryptic warning that more is to come.

Laura Ann Wilson was one of three female IMF agents used to trap Acker. Another is Lisa Casey (Lynda Day George - reprising her role from the original series) long since retired and working as a producer of stage musicals. A third one is also a target and Acker has found a way to leave his cell as he pleases.

Acker also knows, from his IMF days, how to make latex masks allowing him to convincingly impersonate anyone of his choosing and he chooses to impersonate Phelps. The Mission: Impossible team members mobilize to clear his name. This was one of the darkest episodes of the 1988-1990 version of Mission: Impossible which found a more balanced tone to the continuing narrative.

It seems like a lot of shows in TV history have an evil doppelganger character as a plot-line. When the writers run out of ideas it is the type of thing they can fall back on because it is easy to stage and the star gets to ham it up as a baddie which few of them ever mind doing.

The cast would be augmented each week by a guest star who was usually an established American star but the bit parts would be filled mostly with Australian actors and its Australianess would shine through. That along with use of aged stock footage to set action outside Australia would tend to clue viewers in to where it was really being shot - Queensland.