MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: THE GOLDEN SERPENT, PART 1 {SEASON TWO PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The pilot of this series of adventure dramas about the exploits of the new Impossible Missions Force; a revival based on the original 1966 “Mission: Impossible” television series. In southeast Asia, an IMF agent is detected while investigating an opium smuggling ring and is killed in action. Jim receives his mission: the ring is run by a powerful southeast Asian triad known as the “Golden Serpent.” Another IMF member has infiltrated the Golden Serpent and is working alongside their most powerful member: Prince Selimun of Benarli. The mission is to bring Prince Selimun and the mysterious leader of the Golden Serpent to justice. The IMF monitors Selimun and discusses the mission; Selimun is known as a dangerous sociopath and may have murdered his twin brother when they were children in order to gain access to the throne, although there is no proof. However, the prince is deathly afraid that his brother will one day return to reclaim the throne. The Golden Serpent pays Selimun handsomely for covering up their drug trade on his island. The IMF plan to make it seem that the Golden Serpent is trying to betray Selimun while simultaneously making the Golden Serpent believe that Selimun is trying to go into business for himself. The opium is transported to the prince’s headquarters via torpedoes launched from a submarine and transported through a special underwater gate. Selimun contacts the Golden Serpent; both ends use special golden serpent rings to activate phone scramblers and then arrange the latest opium shipment. The prince throws a party and Shannon infiltrates it, gaining the prince’s attention by showing him a photograph of him and his brother as children. Meanwhile, Grant meets up with the agent who has infiltrated the Golden Serpent: it is none other than Barney Collier, his father and key member of Jim’s original IMF team. Shannon speaks with Selimun, claiming that she’s trying to save his life. Meanwhile, Barney scans the image of one of the vitamin C bottles Selimun is using to disguise his opium. Shannon suddenly leaves when she notices Jim and Nicholas at the party. Selimun orders that Shannon be followed, and he also wants to know about Jim and Nicholas. Barney hands off his scan of the bottle to Grant, but is picked up by a security camera. Selimun sees the footage and Barney is captured. Selimun’s doctor uses a laser device to torture Barney for information, but he reveals nothing and passes out from the pain. Selimun’s right-hand man, Baal, discovers Jim, Nicholas, and Shannon’s cover identities. Grant uses Barney’s scan to create imitation vitamin C bottles. The IMF plans to infiltrate Selimun’s compound armed with projectile crystals which cause unconsciousness and memory loss. Barney is to open the underwater gate for them. Nicholas scans Selimun’s face to create a mask, disguising himself as Selimun’s long-lost twin brother. He, Jim, and Shannon have a conversation at her hotel, photographed by a man working for Selimun. Upon seeing the photos, Selimun orders that Shannon be brought to him. Shannon allows herself to be kidnapped by Baal. Jim, Grant, Nicholas, and Max get into position on their boat and dive underwater with the fake opium. Barney, dying from exposure to the lasers, barely manages to open the gate before he is knocked out by a guard; Max and Grant are able to enter the compound. Grant wants to help Barney, but Barney tells him to make the heroin switch and not worry about him. Shannon and Selimun converse about his twin brother, Jahani. She maintains that he is alive and working with the Golden Serpent to replace Selimun as ruler of Benarli. Meanwhile, Grant and Max exchange the real heroin for their fakes and prepare to leave, but Grant won’t leave his father behind. Barney says he can’t make it and Grant pleads with him to go. Max convinces Grant to leave Barney behind and they barely escape capture. On board Selimun’s yacht, Shannon reports that he’s heading to Sydney, but before she can say more Selimun appears and she is forced to dispose of her communicator. Grant laments the apparent death of his father, and Jim tries to comfort him. Grant is saddened that his father seemed to value his work more than his family, but Jim attempts to disavow him of this notion. The IMF discovers that Selimun is going to Sydney to be a guest speaker at a drug rehabilitation conference at the Opera House. They fly to Sydney and prepare a trap for Selimun. When Selimun arrives and takes the podium to make his speech, he notices Jim and Nicholas in the audience. Jim signals Max, who uses a sniper rifle from atop a nearby bridge to set off squibs by Selimun’s feet, making it look like a botched assassination attempt. Selimun summons a helicopter, which carries Baal to the bridge. He chases Max and throws shuriken at him until one pierces his leg. After an intense struggle, Baal is pierced through the chest with his own shuriken and hurled off the side of the bridge. The episode ends as the helicopter passes by, sending Max off the edge as well. To be continued. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: September 21, 1989 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:04
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:15310
- GENRE: Drama, spy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, spy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1988-1990
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – Breath Savers breathmints
- TV – Commercials – Crest toothpaste
- TV – Commercials – Diet Pepsi soft drink
- TV – Commercials – Dupont carpeting
- TV – Commercials – Folgers coffee
- TV – Commercials – Head and Shoulders shampoo
- TV – Commercials – Heinz ketchup
- TV – Commercials – Life Savers breathmints
- TV – Commercials – McDonald’s restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Mitsubishi automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Newton snacks
- TV – Commercials – PLUS literacy program
- TV – Commercials – Partnership for a Drug-Free America non-profit organization
- TV – Commercials – Pizza Hut pizza
- TV – Commercials – Ritz crackers
- TV – Commercials – Snuggle laundry detergent
- TV – Commercials – Unisom sleeping pills
- TV – Commercials – Weight Watchers desserts
- TV – Promos – “20/20”
- TV – Promos – “ABC College Football”
- TV – Promos – “ABC Nightline”
- TV – Promos – “Family Matters”
- TV – Promos – “Free Spirit”
- TV – Promos – “Full House”
- TV – Promos – “Good Morning America”
- TV – Promos – “Perfect Strangers”
- TV – Promos – “Primetime Live”
- TV – Promos – “The Preppie Murder”
- TV – Promos – “The Young Riders”
CREDITS
- Jeffrey M. Hayes … Executive Producer, Writer
- Ted Roberts … Producer, Writer
- Frank Abatemarco … Supervising Producer
- Dean Barnes … Coordinating Producer
- Don Chaffey … Director
- Bruce Geller … Created by
- Michael Seims … Writer
- John E. Davis … Music by
- Lalo Schifrin … Theme Music by
- Peter Graves … Cast, James Phelps
- Thaao Penghlis … Cast, Nicholas Black
- Tony Hamilton … Cast, Max Harte
- Phil Morris … Cast, Grant Collier
- Jane Badler … Cast, Shannon Reed
- Greg Morris … Cast, Barney Collier
- Patrick Bishop … Cast, Prince Selimun
- Rod Mullinar … Cast, Conrad Drago
- Adrian Brown … Cast, Baal
- Nadja Kostich … Cast, Big Blonde
- Max Fairchild … Cast, Burrows
- Tim Bell … Cast, I. M. Agent
- David Letch … Cast, Lee
- Sharon Tyrrell … Cast, Ranger
- Leong Lim … Cast, Supervisor
- Vincent Ball … Cast, Presenter