"Mission: Impossible" Snowball in Hell (TV Episode 1967) Poster

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8/10
This one centers a lot on Barney.
JSouth116 October 2007
Warning: Spoilers
A former torture prison warden named Sefra, still resides at a now-closed prison called Bourador. He revels in the memories of his former "job" of beating prisoners into submission. Now, he has "come into possession" of a radioactive isotope, called Cesium 138, said to be "a key to a low-cost nuclear arsenal". (This is HIGHLY improbable, as cesium is NOT considered good "weapons-grade" fuel, for either fusion or fission designs...) Anyway, he has plans to sell this to the "highest bidder," along with the formula for its use. This could of course cause international repercussions in the cold-war atmosphere. Briggs is sent to stop the sale of the Cesium and make sure that the formula, which " Sefra memorized and then destroyed", cannot fall into the wrong hands".

So, the IMF arranges a little visit to Sefras prison, under the guise of taking a "photo expose", and Rollin and Barney pose as a photographer and model. After some reluctance, Sefra agrees to "re-create" conditions that inmates once faced. While preparing to recreate a flogging, Sefra notices that Barney has been "flogged before.." and it looks like his work. (this was just a good make-up job by Rollin, but it DOES fool Sefra.). Sefra then remembers that a few inmates manged to escape and one in particular, Jean Michael Carre, resembled Barney.

Rollin and Barney then go to the 'punishment cell" to " get some photos" and to place a powerful electromagnet inside of the wall area, where a tunnel had been dug. This is so that Briggs and Willy, can use a compass to find the way,and dig a path to the tunnel. All the while, Sefra is poring over Carre's old file.

Sefra then finds Barney and Rollin in the cell, and pretends to "leave them there forever", and he notices that Barney in particular fears the cell greatly. He then lets them leave, satisfied with his "joke".

Barney and Rollin prepare to leave, but Rollin sends Barney back to look for a strobe flash unit that was lost. Sefra questions his guard, Raff, and learns that Barney is still on the premises, and finds him in the cell. He questions Barney, and under duress, Barney "admits" that he is Carre, and that he came back to "kill Sefra". Sefra starts to beat "Carre" and then places him back in his cell.

While this is going on, Briggs and Willy make their way to the prison and foul up the generators supplying power. This causes great concern for Sefra...not so much for their comfort, but for the care of the isotope..as "cesium 138 will explode if the temperature goes over 70 degrees F." He has kept it in a freezer in his office, but without power, it will soon overheat and explode.

Then.."Carre" starts screaming that he is "sick, and needs to go to the hospital". This gives Sefra an idea...he will take the Cesium to the hospital and place it in the freezer, until his generators are repaired.

The cesium is placed into the hospital freezer and it is closed. But Rollin is there, and takes the cesium and pours the liquid into a container, and places it into a thermoelectric cooler, built into a small tank-like vehicle, and puts the empty bottle back into Sefra's container. Sefra learns that his generators are now running and retrieves his cesium and covering it in a bunch of ice, heads back to his lair.

Once there, Sefra learns that the generators were DELIBERATELY sabotaged by pouring molasses into the fuel. This makes him wonder..Why?? First "Carre" shows up out of the blue...and now this..he checks his isotope. The outer container looks OK, but the inner bottle is EMPTY!! He then figures out that it was all a plot by Carre and his cohorts to steal his Cesium. Sefra has "Carre" brought to his office and begins to flog him to get him to admit the "truth". "Carre" tells Sefra that his Cesium is in the cooler, under the punishment cell. Sefra goes to get his isotope, promising "Carre", that he "will be back for him...and it will be like the old days.."

Briggs places the cooler in the tunnel, switches the temperature control to "HOT"(a thermoelectric cooler can either produce cold or hot conditions), and starts the vehicle in motion toward the tunnel. He then LEAVES, knowing that in a few minutes the whole place will go BOOM!! "Carre" (Barney) then retrieves a lock pick, and frees himself from his cell, as Sefra goes to get his cesium. Just as Sefra sees the cooler coming his way..the temperature reaches the critical point..and the whole complex goes up in huge blast. Barney then joins the others waiting for him....and all drive off, mission accomplished.

This is one of my favorite missions, probably my favorite of the first season. Barney gets a lot of screen time as "Carre" and shines in his performance. Highly recommended for MI fans.
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7/10
Not always logical but very satisfying.
planktonrules6 February 2014
Gerard Sefra (Ricardo Montalban) is the commandant of a place much like the infamous Devil's Island but it's called Brodure. However, he's sad because his prison was recently closed and all the prisoners sent to more humane places--so he has no one to torment. Instead, he's forced to stay and do nothing. And, true to the old expression "an idle mind is the Devil's workshop", Sefra is up to other forms of evil. Where he got it, they never say, but he's apparently gotten a hold of some Cesium isotope needed to make nuclear bombs--and he's prepared to sell it to the highest bidder! So, the team needs to go to this empty prison using a ruse and locate the dangerous material and remove it. And, like sometimes happened in season one, they decide to take it one step further--and ultimately deal with Sefra in a way very atypical of the show beginning in season two. See the show and you'll see what I mean.

This is a perfect example of an episode that makes a few logical errors but the finale is so fitting that you are willing to cut it some slack. For example, why would they send Barney in to get caught and tortured by Sefra? And, why not just shoot the son of a ....? But, it is fun and well thought out otherwise--even if the story is needlessly complicated. Worth your time.
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8/10
Fantasy Island Indeed
aramis-112-80488026 September 2022
Ricardo Montalban plays a former warden of a prison fortress right out of "Beau Geste" who has fissionable material the team has to steal.

Montalban's first words are very funny, and his initial interchange with Barney and Rollin is well written. He's not only cruel, he's rude. Brr.

I don't usually enjoy episodes with lots of violence, but Montalban is so delightfully over the top, simultaneously wild and restrained, like a beast on a leash but occasionally able to feast on a stray animal, it's impossible to take seriously.

I always enjoy a good Montalban performance, whether in "Neptune's Daughter" with Esther Williams, 1960s TV fodder or Mr. Roark. In this episode, in his desert fiefdom, all he lacks is a small assistant. Good episode with good diversions confusing to the naughty (Montalban) and the nice (us).
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10/10
WELCOME TO THE ISLAND WITHOUT FANTASY!
tcchelsey17 September 2023
Ricardo Montalban, who was once compared to Rudolph Valentino, said he found it difficult to return to villainous roles after starring in FANTASY ISLAND. He often had to watch clips of his old screen appearances for show prep.

However, this episode, long before that tv series, shows how versatile he could be, and what a dynamic actor. Actually, Montalban had just appeared in an episode of STAR TREK as the evil Khan (which would later become a blockbuster movie), and that role probably lead to this appearance.

Montalban plays Sefra, the dictator slash commander of an inhumane prison called Boradur, now closed --but he's still there with some loyal guards. The creep belongs where he is, however there's another problem. Sefra has somehow gained access to Cesium 138, a powerful explosive and also has memorized its composition.

That, in itself, is a bit over the top... but the story continues. The writers do, in fact, make a mistake here as Cesium 138 can only explode under water and burns in the air. Still, it's one powerful explosive to get your hands on, and actually looks like gold and is worth more. It's fascinating how villains like this so easily get explosives, dangerous chemicals, deadly bacteria, etc, etc. In the first place. Right??

The IMF team naturally wants to eliminate Sefra ASAP, this time using Barney (Greg Morris) as the pawn. Morris does a terrific job as a prisoner who Sefra is very much interested in, not to mention the racial tension that comes to full boil in this story.

Director Lee H. Katzin works his magic as usual, the master of so many outstanding tv movies of the week in the 70s, in addition to some classic big screen material, such as the exciting racing documentary LE MANS, starring Steve McQueen. If Katzin directed it, you know it was going to be cool.

This was the only episode written by Judith and Robert Guy Barrows, a popular husband and wife team who wrote stories for several top tv shows.

This was a super script, and they put a lot of imagination into it to their credit.

Watch this for some top drawer acting, especially Greg Morris for a change of pace. Not to be missed.

From SEASON 1 remastered Paramount dvd box set.
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10/10
Racism played out! 60s style!
debroberts-831751 May 2018
This is one of the best episodes of of Season 1!! This year gas's few contenders also! Ricardo Moltabond was especially menacindhtin rhe role as a racist prison warden!
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8/10
Standard fare with a glaring are you serious
MiketheWhistle29 May 2020
This is a typical outing for the IM Force and with Ricard Montalban it's particularly good as he turns in an excellent performance. The one glaring thing that I disliked was that Barney was to be mistaken for another person and that other person is obviously not him. What makes this particularly glaring is that Rollin usually takes on the mission task of impersonation and the actor who plays him also plays the person he impersonates. This is probably pretty petty to many people, but I find it a bit stereotypical what they did. Also the science on this one as the trivia/goofs will show is completely bogus. I suppose there may have been good reasons to mess up the science, but I honestly don't know.
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