The Mind of Stefan Miklos

I recently went back to the From the Archives site to watch this vintage episode of "Mission: Impossible" on it. Part of me was disappointed to not see much action on the part of the players both regular and guest but there was always the possibility of something going to happen especially when the main villain thinks he has everything figured out when he thinks of all the people he saw and met and remembered them in different places and uniforms. Nice seeing Ed Asner outside of his Lou Grant role in "The Mary Tyler Moore" show as well as Jason Evers outside of the MS3K entry The Brain That Wouldn't Die (he was credited as Herb there). Hope to eventually watch a DVD collection. Lalo Schifrin's theme is still one of the best...

One thing I enjoy about watching old TV shows are the familiar character actors....faces you enjoy seeing again and again on various programs. In this one, there are quite a few...Steve Ihnat, Ed Asner, Jason Evers AND Nat Perrin! That's quite a lineup of guests in "The Mind of Stefan Miklos"!

In this episode, the Americans have given a spy false information to bring to his handlers. However, another agent realizes there is a ruse and he brings the correct information. So, the team's job is to convince the enemy that the first information (which is false) is true and vice-versa. To do this, they concoct a complicated scheme...one that they know the brilliant handler, Miklos, will untangle...incorrectly.

This is a good episode with one problem...it's a bit too complicated. Still, the acting is good and it's well worth seeing...just pay extra attention.

"Mission: Impossible" was a show where the usual team played mind-games or what would later be called "stings" on enemies of freedom.

In this episode, the team had to protect an enemy spy who is gullibly passing misinformation to his people. Unfortunately, a fellow-agent has accused him of being a double-agent, and an expert is sent by the enemy country to sort things out.

The expert is brilliant. His only flaw is, he knows his own brilliance. In order to keep the enemy agent the US prefers, Phelps (Peter Graves) must lay the right clues so the brilliant expert deceives himself. Can Phelps do it without overplaying his hand and giving himself away or being so subtle the expert misses the clues?

All the best Missions depend on split-second timing, this episode more than most. Phelps is often seen at his chessboard and here he plays a dangerous game head-to-head against a dangerous opponent. One slip and he fails. Does he strike the right balance?

A very intricately-written episode. The dialogue is often weak, but the plotting is superb in this, for my money, best episode of the entire series.

At 27:01 there is a blue lump of clay next to the phone in Cinnamon's / Sandra's apartment... The problem is that the clay belongs to Stefan and is on his person and only comes into play at 29:14...

If you are a M. I. fan, this is your cup of tea. Beautifully written by British writer Paul Playdon, who created CHIPS. Playdon pulls out all the stops in a very complex story (watch carefully), the ultimate sting as you will see come the memorable ending.

Handsome Jason Evers, a staple in so many cop shows, plays double agent Walter Townsend who has acquired top secret government information. The catch is the material is totally worthless, but its up to Phelps and the MI Team to encourage him. This clever switch-aroo was also used in an earlier episode, and more to come, fascinating to see the team endorsing a thief.

Enter Stephan Miklos, excellently played by Steve Ihnat. Miklos is a super genius, called in to double check Townsend. What a challenging turn of events, making it all the more complicated for Phelps. I agree with the last reviewer, Playdon designed his character in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes! A force to be reckoned with, almost like the M. I. team up against someone very much like themselves.

Good support from Edward Asner, playing Simpson, who casts doubt on Townsend and sets off a unique game of chess, one team trying to outdue the other. So true, this story can best be described as a board game with real people. Asner was close friends with Ihnat and actually announced his sudden death a few years later.

Without fail, Martin Landau (as Rollin) is a marvel to watch in multi character portrayals. Definitely a scene stealer.

This was the only episode directed by Robert Butler, who was instrumental in bringing HILL STREET BLUES to network tv. Incidentally, both Butler and Paul Playdon passed in 2023. Butler lived to age 95, one of the oldest surviving tv directors.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 13 remastered color CBS/Paramount dvd box set. 7 dvds. Released 2007.