Mission: Impossible backdrop
Action & Adventure•Crime•Drama

The Worst Episodes of Mission: Impossible

Every episode of Mission: Impossible ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Mission: Impossible!

Binge this in 1d 6h•Peaking at 8.6/10

Mission: Impossible is an American television series that was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicles the missions of a team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force. In the

Airs on
CBS
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
    Click to reveal
    Mission: Impossible Season 1 Episode 11 - Zubrovnik's Ghost
    6.1/10(444 votes)

    #1 - Zubrovnik's Ghost

    S1:E11

    The wife of a deceased scientist, Kurt Zubrovnik, is being pressured by Eastern forces to work for them. They are using a phony psychic to convince the wife her dead husband wants to defect! Accompanied by IMF ""psychic consultant"" Ariana Domi, Rollin and Barney try to disrupt the fraud and convince her to return to working for the U.S. The psychic, Poljac, is torturing the husband for information to use to convince his wife Poljac's powers are real. Ariana senses a real ghost present. In the end, Rollin sets up a final seance and Barney prepares to use a technological projection of Zubrovnik to decry Poljac. However, a blackout causes his equipment to fail, and Ariana's alleged powers, plus some ghostly phenomena, allow them to complete their mission.

    Director:Leonard Horn
    Writer:Robert Lewin

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Mission: Impossible Season 1 Episode 13 - Elena
    6.4/10(410 votes)

    #2 - Elena

    S1:E13

    Double-agent Elena Del Barra is acting bizarrely, sending a microfilm of defense secrets from her own country. Rollin is sent into investigate, and return the microfilm without its theft ever being detected. Complicating matters is that an assassin, Callao, has been sent to kill her if Rollin can't figure things out in two days. Rollin convinces her to meet with teammate Dr. Enero, who hypnotizes her and learns she is suffering from a post-hypnotic suggestion to denounce the President, her good friend. With time running out, Rollin must return the microfilm, figure out the traitor, and save Elena.

    Director:Marc Daniels
    Writer:Ellis Marcus

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Mission: Impossible Season 4 Episode 26 - The Martyr
    6.5/10(203 votes)

    #3 - The Martyr

    S4:E26

    As a duplicitous dictator courts the young people of his country, Paris poses as the son of his predecessor, a martyred youth leader.

    Director:Virgil W. Vogel
    Writer:Ken Pettus

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 14 - Takeover
    6.6/10(199 votes)

    #4 - Takeover

    S5:E14

    Phelps must stop Charles Peck from using violence, created by professional provocateur Billy Walsh, to elevate his puppet, Mayor Steven Tallman to the governorship. Dana is a provocateur herself, arrested by Barney the current governor's representative. Walsh gets Dana out, and Paris is a blackmailer who convinces Tallman that Dana is his previously-unknown illegitimate daughter. Peck is concerned that Tallman (actually Paris in disguise) will confess their plans to save his "daughter", and orders Walsh to kill Barney and Dana. Barney stops Walsh on TV before he can blow up a crowd of demonstrators and police during a protest, and Paris-as-Tallman confesses to Peck's involvement.

    Director:Virgil W. Vogel
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 21 - The Western
    6.7/10(160 votes)

    #5 - The Western

    S7:E21

    Van Cleve and his partner, Royce, robbed a museum of pre-Colombian artifacts - Cleve apparently killed his partner and has the artwork hidden somewhere in the U.S. and the IMF must find it and bring him to justice. The IMF convince Cleve that he has the ability to see the future with some rigged incidents. Then they convince him that he'll die in an earthquake that will cause a dam nearby to burst - Cleve flees to the desert where he has the art hidden. The IMF follow him and manage to grab him and Royce, who faked his death and planned to kill Cleve and grab the artifacts.

    Director:Leslie H. Martinson
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Mission: Impossible Season 1 Episode 7 - Wheels
    6.8/10(433 votes)

    #6 - Wheels

    S1:E7

    In the country of Valeria, the IMF must assure that the corrupt Nationalist party's rigged voting machine doesn't give them the election.

    Director:Tom Gries
    Writer:Laurence Heath

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 BEST Episodes of Mission: Impossible

    READ
  7. Mission: Impossible Season 4 Episode 18 - Gitano (aka Toys)
    6.8/10(223 votes)

    #7 - Gitano (aka Toys)

    S4:E18

    A 12-year-old king whose life is in danger is rescued by gypsies - Paris and Willie in disguise - and forced to dress up like a girl to fool his assassins.

    Director:Barry Crane
    Writer:Laurence Heath

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 15 - Cat's Paw
    6.9/10(206 votes)

    #8 - Cat's Paw

    S5:E15

    Larry Collier, newspaper editor and Barney's brother, is killed while trying to establish a link between corrupt police chief Abbott and Corley, the head of a ghetto mob who masks his illegal activities with an insurance front company. Barney, set up with a past as a crooked accountant, gets close to Corley by rescuing his secretary Millie - Corley hires him on when he finds out about his "past." Barney plants money to make it look like Corley's assistant Goslin is working against him, while the IMF use a phony seance to convince Goslin to quit with some incriminating evidence. Jim arrests Goslin with the evidence, a codebook, and uses it to force Abbott to back him as a mob boss then bribes Corley's guard to try and kill the mob leader. Barney rescues him and Corley runs into Jim, who threatens to take him to Abbott - knowing Abbott will have him killed, Corley turns state's evidence.

    Director:Virgil W. Vogel
    Writer:Howard Browne

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Mission: Impossible Season 6 Episode 13 - Run for the Money
    6.9/10(167 votes)

    #9 - Run for the Money

    S6:E13

    Syndicate members Trask and Mason control the Syndicate's illegal racing operations, while Trask ruthlessly dispatches the competition - the IMF must take them out. Trask is jealous of thoroughbred owner Mason so Jim offers him a mysterious but promising racehorse - Trask finds out the horse is a kidnapped fast-racer. The IMF arrange for him to get the horse and then place a number of bets on the horse in Trask's name. After keeping Mason from having the horse killed, Trask's horse wins and the IMF get the $4 million from the Syndicate funds, leaving Trask to hold the bag.

    Director:Marvin J. Chomsky
    Writer:Edward J. Lakso

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 18 - The Fighter
    6.9/10(163 votes)

    #10 - The Fighter

    S7:E18

    Syndicate man Jay Braddock has corrupted promoter Paul Mitchell into working with him - they had middleweighter Loomis killed when he refused to throw a fight and the IMF must bring both men to justice. They do so by convincing Mitchell that his partner plans to kill him. Barney and Jim steal $37,800 from Braddock and then as a rival mob offer the partners the same amount to buy out their fighter Novick. Braddock decides to have Novick killed but the IMF intercept the call and send in Jim as the hit man. He ""kills"" Novick with a firebomb along with Susan Mitchell (actually Casey in disugise), the promoter's daughter. Mitchell tries to back out as the IMF pressure him, but Braddock messes things up by offering to kill Jim to reassure Mitchell. He manages to escape and they arrest both men.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 20 - The Pendulum
    6.9/10(166 votes)

    #11 - The Pendulum

    S7:E20

    Gunnar Malstrom leads the Pendulum, a secret terrorist group that is planning Operation Nightfall, targeted at the U.S. government - the IMF must stop it and bring Malstrom to justice. Casey dates Malstrom and brings him to World Resources Ltd., an IMF front company and supposed rival organization to Pendulum, and offer him a job if he leaves Pendulum. The IMF use a hidden polygraph to determine that Pendulum plans the assassination of a general - they fail to learn that the assassination has already taken place and Pendulum plans to have their general blow up the Chiefs of Staff in an explosion. Jim tries to warn the fake general, who asks him to sit in on the meeting. Thanks to a planted transmitter, the IMF discover Pendulum's true plan and Jim gets rid of the bomb just in time.

    Director:Lewis Allen
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Mission: Impossible Season 1 Episode 12 - Fakeout
    7.0/10(393 votes)

    #12 - Fakeout

    S1:E12

    Anastas Poltroni is the head of an international narcotics syndicate, and has taken refuge in a country with no extradition treaty. The IM Force is assigned to lure him out without kidnapping him (to avoid the publicity). Cinnamon woos Carson until Briggs, pretending to be her husband, interrupts. Carson refuses to bribe Briggs, while Barney plants some of Carson's heroin in his own hotel room and tip off the police. The IMF ambush Carson and steal the heroin, and Carson later escapes. He grabs Cinnamon and follows Briggs to a deserted lodge to retrieve his own heroin. The police are hot on his trail, and he flees with Cinnamon still in his grasp. Thanks to confusing road signs altered by Barney, Carson ends up over the border where he is arrested and the heroin is taken into custody.

    Director:Bernard L. Kowalski
    Writer:Leigh Chapman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Mission: Impossible Season 3 Episode 22 - Nicole
    7.0/10(280 votes)

    #13 - Nicole

    S3:E22

    Jim is sent in to recover a list of Allied agents from the enemy's highest ranking intelligence minister, Anton Valdas. Nicole Vedette's, Valdas' secretary, is apparently on the IMF's side but Jim decides not to use her. Instead Jim and Rollin plansto break into Valdas' safe during a party. Jim and Nicole meet and have a romantic attraction. The effort goes awry and Jim is shot and captured while helping Rollin to escape. Nicole is imprisoned on suspicion but tells Jim that no one is looking for Rollin. Nicole also tells him that Rollin's contact is a double agent. Jim believes Valdas substituted a fake list that he wants them to take back. The two escape and Jim collapses from his wound in a barn. Nicole reveals she is the double agent and reports the success of their charade to Jim. But because of her attraction to him she blackmails Valdas into letting them escape for real. Jim realizes the deception and Nicole confesses, unaware that Valdas put a bug on her. They are caught by Vald

    Director:Stuart Hagmann
    Writer:Paul Playdon

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 2 - Flip Side
    7.0/10(235 votes)

    #14 - Flip Side

    S5:E2

    The IMF must break up a drug-smuggling ring - Bracken gets his drugs from Mexico compliments of Diego Maximillian, who gets his drugs legally from C.W. Cameron. The IMF must connect Cameron to Bracken. Jim plays a Syndicate man who orders the pills from Bracken, and Barney tracks the shipment and switches out the drugs. The team has Maximillian picked up in Mexico so that Bracken has to go directly to Cameron to buy the drugs - the IMF get everything on camera and turn them both over to the authorities.

    Director:John Llewellyn Moxey
    Writer:Jackson Gillis

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 21 - A Ghost Story
    7.0/10(203 votes)

    #15 - A Ghost Story

    S5:E21

    Howard Bainbridge, a chemical warfare expert who defected to East, was contaminated by his own experiments and then returned back to the U.S. and his family manor, where his father (a paranoid arch-conservative) had him killed and the body buried. Since Howard destroyed the records before defecting, the IMF must recover the body to get a sample of the chemicals. The elder Bainbridge, Justin, is unaware that his head of security is an enemy agent also trying to find Howard' sbody. The IMF gain access to a air-raid shelter on the grounds and start ""haunting"" Justin with a secretly-implanted microphone and holographic projectors. Plagued by visions only he can see of his son and his dead wife Janette (played by Dana), Justin calls in physician Paris, who recommends he assauge his guilt conscience and Justin ends up digging up his son's body, which the IMF take.

    Director:Reza Badiyi
    Writer:Ed Adamson

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Mission: Impossible Season 6 Episode 6 - The Miracle
    7.0/10(182 votes)

    #16 - The Miracle

    S6:E6

    Only two Syndicate men know where $8 mil in heroin will be arriving - narcotics dealer Alvin Taylor an dhis executioner, Frank Kearney. When Jim approaches Kearney to make a deal and he refuses, Willie ""shoots"" Kearney - Barney as a surgeon then operates providing a heart transplant and covertly uses drugs and hypnotism to make Kearney mild-mannered. Kearney can't bring himself to shoot Jim and hears on the radio about people taking on the traits of persons they received organs from - with the aid of new girlfriend, the church-hating Kearney finds out the man who donated a heart was a priest! Realizing he can't do his job and the Syndicate will wipe him out, Kearney leads Casey and the rest of the team to the beach where the heroin drop occurs, and the police arrive just before Taynor can kill Kearney.

    Director:Leonard Horn
    Writer:Daniel B. Ullman

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 7 - Underground
    7.0/10(160 votes)

    #17 - Underground

    S7:E7

    Gunther Schell, the brains behind many Syndicate operations, escaped with the aid of a gang specializing in smuggling criminals out of the country - the IMF must locate Schell and the millions in Syndicate money he hid. The gang apparently brainwashes their ""clients"" and steals their money. Jim goes in as a doctor wanted for murder with his cash hidden after Barney hypnotically programs him only to divulge the information they want. Jim is contacted by the gang, led by Clavering, but the IMF loses contact with him when he's moved in a lead-lined casket to the gang's location, where Schell (who hasn't broke yet) is also at. Jim manages to knock Schell into a coma by triggering his diabetes and claims only he can save him. Jim calls in Willy as an anesthelogist and then the two of them knock out the gang and get Schell out. Barney sell's Schell's location to his superior, Lutz, and they all go to the hidden cash, where the police take them into custody.

    Director:David Lowell Rich
    Writer:Leigh Vance

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  18. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 14 - Incarnate
    7.0/10(177 votes)

    #18 - Incarnate

    S7:E14

    Hannah O'Connel rules over a Syndicate family, including her two sons who act as her lieutenants. Hannah masterminded the theft of a million dollars in gold bullion, and escaped to the Caribbean with her surviving son Thomas - Robert turned government witness but Hannah shot and killed him. The IMF must get her to return to the U.S. and recover the gold. The O'Connel's are set up in a house run by Casey and led to believe it's haunted by Robert - their gunsels turn up ""dead"" and Hannah contacts shopkeeper Barney to arrange a voodoo exorcism. Hannah blacks out thanks to the IMF and they send her son Thomas running after faking him killing Willy over Casey. When Hannah wakes up Barney tells her that Robert is alive and got her to tell him the location of the gold while she was unconscious. Hannah hires Jim as a pilot to take her to the gold and the IMF move in for the arrest.

    Director:Barry Crane
    Writer:Buck Houghton

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  19. Mission: Impossible Season 7 Episode 19 - Speed
    7.0/10(165 votes)

    #19 - Speed

    S7:E19

    Sam Hibbing, a major Syndicate drug dealer, stole three tons of amphetamines from a chemical plant and hit the stash in a secret location - the IMF must get it before he sells it. The IMF replaces Hibbert's drug-addicted daughter Margaret with Casey and her new friend Jim, who turns out to own a charter plane and served time for murder. Meanwhile Barney teams up with Hibbing's buyer Dayton to purchase the drugs but they must have them the next day - Jim sets it up so Hibbing's regular courier gave drugs to Margaret/Casey, leaving Hibbing with no other choice then to use Jim as the delivery man. Hibbing sees through Casey's disguise and she escapes, but Hibbing tries to stop Jim - Barney and Willy stop him and Margaret goes into rehab.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  20. Mission: Impossible Season 2 Episode 22 - The Killing
    7.1/10(290 votes)

    #20 - The Killing

    S2:E22

    Burt Gordon has set up a new version of Murder, Inc. for the Synidcate. The IMF need to get evidence of his actions. Jim and Cinnamon become Gordon's new neighbors, and their brother Rollin claims they are being haunted by the ghost of their long-dead sibling. Cinnamon seduces Gordon and wants him to kill her husband. A provoked Jim then attacks Gordon and is ""killed"" by Gordon's hitman, Connie and fake-disposed of in an incinerator. But then Jim's ghost comes back to haunt Gordon, ""killing"" Cinnamon. Gordon follows Jim's ghost-voice to his body and shoots it again...only to find out that the IMF disguised Connie as Jim. The police arrive and arrest Gordon for murder.

    Director:Lee H. Katzin
    Writer:Allan Balter

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  21. Mission: Impossible Season 4 Episode 25 - The Choice
    7.1/10(196 votes)

    #21 - The Choice

    S4:E25

    A duchess is under the powerful spell of a mystic, who notices his uncanny resemblance to Paris and plans to use him in a plot to ascend to the throne.

    Director:Alan Greedy
    Writer:Ken Pettus

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  22. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 6 - My Friend, My Enemy
    7.1/10(226 votes)

    #22 - My Friend, My Enemy

    S5:E6

    A Communist agent, Karl Maur, spots Paris on vacation, knocks him out and turns him over to Dr. Tabor, who is a brain specialist and mind control expert. Unable to break Paris, Tabor blanks out Paris' memories and uses an implanted electrode to program him to attack Jim by convincing the disguise expert Jim represents an authority figure, similar to the ones he has lost two women to in the past. Doug and Jim find nothing wrong with him, but Barney finds fingerprints pointing to Maur and Jim delays reporting to the Secretary and tries to find out what's going on with Paris. Paris is befriended by a Communist agent working with Tabor - Tabor murders her and makes it set up as if Jim did it. Paris attacks Jim but snaps out of it when Jim's life is threatened and turns against Tabor.

    Director:Gerald Mayer
    Writer:Gene R. Kearney

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  23. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 7 - Butterfly (aka Poor Butterfly)
    7.1/10(224 votes)

    #23 - Butterfly (aka Poor Butterfly)

    S5:E7

    Toshio Masaki, a powerful anti-American industrialist, kills his sister and frames her husband, an American businessman named Harry Kellem, so as to discredit America and discredit the Economic Council. Paris and Willy enter as a Kabuki artist and a fighter (along with Jim) while Barney and Dana sneak into the grounds and restage the murder as they believe it occurred but with no way of knowing how it ended well enough to convince Musaki. To create a distraction, Willy must engage in a fight with Osaki, Moshio's supposedly-unbeatable champion. Once the film is made Dana tries to blackmail Masaki and then Kellem's daughter Nobu. Paris tips the police to Dana's negotiations with Musaki and they show up as Musaki screens the film as Dana escapes (with Willy's help). Musaki panics and rips the film from the projector before it ends at the spot where the team couldn't recreate him performing the murder, thus confessing his guilt.

    Director:Gerald Mayer
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  24. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 8 - Decoy
    7.1/10(211 votes)

    #24 - Decoy

    S5:E8

    Anna Kerkoska plans to defect with a list of American agents given to her by her father, the late Premier. Her brother Alexi also plans to defect, but it's actually a plan to grab the list, turn it over to Police Chief Petrovitch, and sell out his sister. Jim and Dana pretend to be a publisher brother-and-sister team and Paris kidnaps Dana to fake-force Jim to kidnap Anna for the Americans. Petrovitch and Alexi let the plan go ahead, while Jim becomes romantically involved with Anna. The bad guys overhear Jim "confess" how he is going to smuggle Anna out of the country, unaware its a ploy to draw them away from the real means of escape via a mini-race car in the back of the hearse - Jim and Anna use it to bypass the mined security gate and exit the country.

    Director:Seymour Robbie
    Writer:John D.F. Black

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  25. Mission: Impossible Season 5 Episode 11 - The Rebel
    7.1/10(216 votes)

    #25 - The Rebel

    S5:E11

    The IMF must rescue three scientists in a dictatorial country and destroy their notes. They rescue two but the third one, Khora refuses to leave and is executed. Jim and Dana meet with his son Alex (a rebel leader) to get his notes and Dana is captured by the militia along with Alex's girlfriend, who has memorized the doctor's notes. Barney and Doiug parachute in with a giant hollow religious statue that Jim uses to get close enough to dig into the prison while Paris, pretending to be an Intelligence officer, plays the militia leader, Bakram, against the people. When Bakram discovers that the prisoners have escaped he destroys the statue, further enraging the country's people against him while the team make his escape.

    Director:Barry Crane
    Writer:Ken Pettus

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Worst Episodes Summary

"Zubrovnik's Ghost" is the worst rated episode of "Mission: Impossible". It scored 6.1/10 based on 444 votes. Directed by Leonard Horn and written by Robert Lewin, it aired on 11/26/1966. This episode scored 0.3 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Elena".