User Reviews

An aging Cardinal who is the leader of the "opposition party" is arrested, thrown into an "impregnable" prison, tortured, and will soon be executed. Dan's mission is to RESCUE him. We see at least 3 agents picked out for this assignment who are not regular members of his team, but 2 of them never show up in this episode. Which makes me WONDER what's waiting for me in PART 2. Rollin, posing as a pickpocket, is arrested, sneaks in a lockpick, and times exactly how long it will take him to get the Cardinal to the roof of the prison... before telling him the actual rescue will have to be the next day. OY! But, when the next day arrives... the man is MISSING from his cell, as he was taken away for more brutal interrogation. As a kid, I always hated when you'd run into a VISCIOUS cliffhanger like this, and the words "TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK" would appear onscreen. Never having seen Season 1 before, I'm still intent on watching ONE episode per week. So I have an entire week of suspense ahead of me, wondering, what happens next!

Mary Ann Mobley is "Crystal Walker", a trapeze artist who's worked with Dan at least twice before, and at first, flat out REFUSES to get involved in whatever it is he wants her for! I've never seen that in any other episode of M:I. Crazy enough, in some circles, Mobley is most remembered as "April Dancer" from a 2nd season episode of THE MAN FROM UNCLE... except, she was replaced by Stefanie Powers (playing an entirely-different character with the same name) when THE GIRL FROM UNCLE debuted months later.

Cyril Delevanti (THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA) is "Cardinal Vossek", who looks so old and frail you fear he might just die even without being "interrogated".

Joseph Ruskin (6 episodes of THE UNTOUCHABLES and 2 TIME TUNNELs) is "Colonel Scutari", who is extremely suspicious of everyone and winds up questioning Dan about the NON-UNION circus troupe he runs. I sometimes wonder if Ruskin ever played a likable character in his entire long career!

Oscar Beregi Jr. Is "The Commandant", who seems far too pleased when the order comes down to EXECUTE the old Cardinal. This guy seemed to specialize in playing Nazis, and I've seen him in tons of things, including THE UNTOUCHABLES, VOYAGE, THE TIME TUNNEL, THE MONKEES, BATMAN, UNCLE, TARZAN, THE WILD WILD WEST, GET SMART, GREEN ACRES, HOGAN'S HEROES, EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX, and, oh yeah, the prison guard in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.

Monte Markham (DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, THE NEW PERRY MASON) is "Tosk", a prison guard who takes a shine to Barbara Bain's alleged mind-reader.

Many times growing up, I had NO idea I was watching a 2-parter when the cliffhanger would suddenly come up. I knew this time... and so, just wound up LAUGHING (and cursing) at the screen when it arrived. I read many years ago that quite often on this show, things would appear onscreen early-on that the TV audience would have NO IDEA what they had to do with the plot, until the last act. I guess I'll find out... next week.