User Reviews

"The Astrologer" is a better than average episode of "Mission: Impossible". While it has one silly gimmick (the SAME one used in the previous episode, by the way), the story itself is solid and keeps your interest.

A Colonel who is looking to advance up the ranks has captured the ex- leader of his country who is in exile. Now he plans on returning him to his nation and be one step closer to becoming the next leader. Of course, the IM Force doesn't want that so they come up with a plot involving an astrologer (Cinnamon). Additionally, Rollin and Barney will sneak aboard the plane with their prisoner and Colonel so they can switch him. At first, this part of the plan looked really lame--but HOW they use a silly looking dummy was pretty clever and rather funny (even if I could see the strings on it).

I mentioned something re-used from a recent previous episode and that is that Rollin somehow ALREADY sounds exactly like someone else--someone the IM Force wants imitated. Silly, of course, but seeing the team's plan not work out perfectly and how they used the dummy really made up for this and overall it's one of the better episodes of season two.

Nothing can be more dramatic than someone starved for oxygen. It can happen at high altitudes but certainly not 15,000 feet! If you were an out of shape, overweight individual or one with severe cardiac or lung issues, you would be uncomfortable for sure, especially if you were called upon to perform some stressful climbing or other exercise, but inside an aircraft doing little exercise it is highly unlikely especially for a couple fit guys such as our actors.

Now 25,000 feet, that could be an issue...

The radio used on board of the airplane was a transmitter and receiver made by Collins Radio. These were top of the line back then (60's) in ham radio. Today they are Collectible items going for hundreds of dollars.

Some fun M. I. trappings in this episode, largely thanks to the skilled direction of Lee H. Katzin, the master of so many classic tv movies.

This is another in a long series of stories concerning a renegade who wants to control a small European country. Familiar material, but nonetheless exciting. Briggs has to rescue a captured leader, now in the clutches of a diabolical colonel, played to the hilt by Steve Inhat. At the time, Inhat was also appearing on MANNIX. Popular German-born actor David Hurst guest stars as Grigov, in his second series appearance. Hurst was a natural in European roles, best known for his appearance in HELLO, DOLLY.

Also in the mix is a secret microfilm, which the team has to snatch. Absolutely amazing how many microfilms the M. I. force had to either steal or destroy throughout the series run.

The most original part of this story, special thanks to writer James Griffith, the mission takes place on a plane. You have to love this scenario as it opens the door to so many treacherous possibilities. Case in point, the team smuggles in a lookalike dummy (the captured leader) which is strapped in a seat and accidentally ejected out the door as the plane is in flight! You have to see this amazing scene. If you watch carefully, the actor plays both the dummy and the real person and is exceptional in both roles.

The only debit is Cinnamon and the colonel would have gone right out the door with the dummy (had this all been real) because the suction was that powerful.

As usual, Cinnamon and Rollin shine. Rollin is a master of voices and Cinnamon plays a mysterious astrologer who can pedict the future! Her psychic mumbo-jumbo, including a chart and book of endless numbers, is the best yet.

Yes, the opening scene was filmed at 811 Gower Street, which is "walking distance" from Paramount. Great script by James Griffith, also an actor and one of the best bad guys in many cult films. Griffith was also associated with indie producer Russ Meyer, king of sex comedies and wild adventures. He wrote the campy film, MOTORPSYCHO (1965), which has a following to this day.

Recommended for all the sly tricks and gimmicks. CBS/Paramount dvd box set. 7 discs total. 2007 release.