The BEST episodes written by Harold Livingston

Ultimatum
star
9.46
64 votes

#1 - Ultimatum

Mission: Impossible - Season 7 - Episode 10

The IMF has 16 hours to find a nuclear bomb placed by an extortionist, Dr. Cooper, in one of seven Pacific Coast cities and find Cooper's associates in charge of disarming the bomb. The IMF track Cooper to a cafe and fake a radio broadcast announcing his demands will be met - then Jim and Mimi break in as convicts and take Cooper and the others hostage. The IMF eventually "let" Cooper call his associate Rogers to disarm the bomb but Cooper's wife Adele kills Rogers when she fears the plan has gone awry. When Rogers' death is announced on the radio, a frustrated Cooper convinces Jim and Mimi to take him to the bomb (beneath City Hall) which he shuts off with seconds to spare - the IMF take him into custody.

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A Small Favor for an Old Friend
star
8.92
9 votes

#2 - A Small Favor for an Old Friend

Mannix - Season 8 - Episode 7

Old friend dies on a mob run, they suspect Mannix.

The Merchant
star
8.73
77 votes

#3 - The Merchant

Mission: Impossible - Season 5 - Episode 23

Armand Anderssarian is an illegal arms dealer who is about to complete a multi-million dollar deal selling arms to guerrilla groups around the world - the IMF must stop him. Jim pretends to be setting up a theft of a secret radar system and Anderssarian "sponsors" Jim with $5 million through Minister Sartori then plans to sell the system for $20 million. Meanwhile Anderssarian loses his $5 million to Paris (with Barney providing an assist) in a poker game. The IMF team perform a fake raid (under the scrutiny of Anderssarian's aide Leon) on a IMF-staged radar station but the stuff is useless and Sartori wants to be reimbursed. When Anderssarian can't do so Sartori takes care of him for good.

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The Hostage
star
8.72
93 votes

#4 - The Hostage

Mission: Impossible - Season 5 - Episode 13

After completing a mission Paris is undercover as an American businessman and still in disguise when he is kidnapped by Latin American revolutionaries led by terrorist Robert Siomney - they ask for the release of three prisoners in return for Paris' life. Paris fakes a disease forcing the government to drop medication, which the IMF has planted a tracking device in. Once they know where the revolutionaries' compound is, Jim fakes the exceution of two of the prisoners, putting pressure on the revolutionary leader Jorge Cabal since his son Luis is the third prisoner. Dana poses as Luis' girlfriend to get close to Jorge so Siomney orders her covert death to keep Jorge on track - Barney takes the killer's place and rescues Dana. Then Jim fakes Luis' death as well - Barney fake-kills Paris and then they reveal that Luis got a last-minute reprieve. With nothing else to bargain with, Jorge turns over Siomney, Barney in disguise, and the "dead" Paris in return for the government commuting his

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Two Thousand
star
8.70
89 votes

#5 - Two Thousand

Mission: Impossible - Season 7 - Episode 2

Joseph Collins, a nuclear physicist, steals plutonium and is going to sell it to a unidentified foreign interest through a man named Haig. The IMF must identify Haig and locate the plutonium, so they feed Collins fake news story about military action in the Middle East, then arrest him for murder and show him film of Los Angeles under attack before knocking him out. When he wakes up, for Collins its the year 2000, he's been unconscious for 28 years, and the state exterminates anyone at the age of 65...which Collins will be in two days. Desperate, he escapes from his cell and finds a secret meeting of military heads who are ready to surrender beacuse of their lack of nuclear material - Collins obligingly gives them the location of his cache.

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The Party
star
8.64
97 votes

#6 - The Party

Mission: Impossible - Season 5 - Episode 22

Alexander Vanin, arrested and convicted for espionage, hid a list of agents operating in the U.S. His control, Mishenko of the EEPR, has been ordered to get the list but Vanin refuses to give in because then Mishenko would cut him loose. The IMF must get the list. Vanin hypnotized himself to forget the list's location and only his wife Olga can give the trigger command to let him remember. Jim gets Olga to the U.S. while Barney and the others clear out the EEPR Consulate with a bomb ruse and then take it over and stage a party where the reunited couple meet (while Mishenko waits across the street for Barney to defuse the bomb). The IMF fake partygoers sneak out and Mishenko shows up to find Vanin there. To prove his loyalty and that he didn't talk, Vanin has his wife give the trigger, unaware that the IMF are listening in and get to the bus where Vanin hid the list before Mishenko can.

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Flight
star
8.41
92 votes

#7 - Flight

Mission: Impossible - Season 5 - Episode 5

Presidente Rojas plans to give a speech to the U.S. Congress while his Chief of Internal Security Ferrar plans a takeover and sends an assassin known only as Plato (and known only to Ferrar) to kill the Presidente before he gives his speech. The IMF must find out who Plato is and thwart the assassination. Ferrar follows Rojas to the U.S. where the IMF fake a plane crash - when Ferrar wakes up he is on an uncharted island colony inhabited by the prisoners from a missing penal ship. Paris pretends to be a double-agent working for Ferrar that the Chief knows of but never met. Paris reveals his plan to escape and convinces Ferrar that Plato plans a double-cross. When the other "prisoners" come after them, Ferrar is forced to hold them off so Paris can go off to thwart Paris, whose identity Ferrar reveals. Paris gets the information to the team in Washington just in time to stop the assassination.

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Cocaine
star
8.32
57 votes

#8 - Cocaine

Mission: Impossible - Season 7 - Episode 6

Carl Reid, a Syndicate cocaine distributor, has as his chief supplier Fernando Laroca, and the two of them have created an undetectable series of pickup and payoff locations. They're planning a huge shipment in 72 hours and the IMF must stop them. The IMF set up Reid's lieutenant Conrad to take them to the cocaine, although even he doesn't know where it is. The IMF set up a fake new cocaine organization with Willy as a chemist with a machine that can manufacture cocaine. Conrad makes a deal with them to undercut his boss and sell the cocaine to three big buyers - the IMF steal the money and leave him with fake cocaine, so Conrad kills one of Reid's man to find the real shipment of cocaine - when he finds it the IMF move in and the police arrest everyone.

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The Visitors
star
8.17
83 votes

#9 - The Visitors

Mission: Impossible - Season 6 - Episode 11

Publisher Granger is controlled by the Syndicate, killing reporters and protecting Syndicate-owned politicians in his state. The IMF must make sure the voters know what Granger is up to before the next elections. Appealing to Granger's interest in UFOs and his obsession with immortality, chauffeur Barney hits him with a paralysis drug delivered by bee sting and Jim and Casey mysteriously appear in a light show, "cure" him with futuristic equipment, and appear. Thanks to IMF-rigged reports of UFOs, Granger believes they are aliens! After another rigged death of Casey that Jim "cures," Granger begs for immortality. Jim agrees if he publicly renounces his way. Granger exposes the Syndicate candidates and then is shot by his former aide and Syndicate man.

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Encore
star
7.94
85 votes

#10 - Encore

Mission: Impossible - Season 6 - Episode 2

Kroll and Stevens run the Northeast Syndicate and the IMF must bring them down. In '37 the two of them killed a rival mobster, hid the body, and killed the witnesses, so the IMF needs to get Kroll to lead them to the remains. They grab Kroll, drug him up, and cosmetically alter him to look like he was in '37. Then they dump him on a Hollywood set and convince him through incredibly elaborate means he is in 1937 on the day of the murder and the rest of his life is a dream. Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of detail, Kroll and "Stevens" reenact the murder at a cafe, which gives them the location so that Barney and Willy can find the real body in the real cafe's basement. The IMF fade away, leaving a reaging Kroll to confront his partner as he flees the 1937 New York set and wanders into an adjacent Old West street.

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Fly Me -- If You Can Find Me
star
7.71
24 votes

#11 - Fly Me -- If You Can Find Me

Banacek - Season 2 - Episode 7

A crippled airplane makes an emergency landing on a tiny desert airstrip, only to vanish the next morning.

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Reward
star
7.15
34 votes

#12 - Reward

Dynasty - Season 7 - Episode 4

Blake discovers La Mirage manager Jay Bradley purposely failed to tell him he hired the man believed responsible for the fire. Alexis continues her ruthless campaign against Blake, offering a $100,000 dollar reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the arsonist. Michael Culhane, bent to avenge the humiliation caused him by Blake in the past, intensifies his efforts to charm Amanda. Blake and Dex agree to work together on an ambitious new drilling venture; a gamble that could win him back his empire or lose everything he ever had. Desperate to know more about their secret deal, Alexis acquires the talents of Gordon Wales, an investigative reporter with a dislike for Blake. Ben and Adam continue to distrust each other, as they are asked to prove their loyalty to Alexis. Ben bribes Jay Bradley, bitter after losing his job, to conspire against Blake. A moment of joy shared with Krystle is crushed by a warrant for Blake's arrest for murder and arson.

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The Girl from Nowhere
star
7.11
8 votes

#13 - The Girl from Nowhere

Mannix - Season 7 - Episode 19

A little girl is killed leaving no identity.

The Letter
star
7.06
34 votes

#14 - The Letter

Dynasty - Season 7 - Episode 10

As life slowly fades from Emily's body, she whispers a last request to Blake to use the letter she left for him. The letter reveals the truth behind Alexis and Ben's lies and will clear his name. Alexis discovers Michael Culhane secretly acquired thirty percent of The Crater project behind Blake's back. She plots to possess the shares for her own sinister deeds. Upon learning of his mother's tragic death, Clay and Sammy Jo return from their Las Vegas wedding, only to suffer the hateful wrath of Buck's drunkenness and consuming guilt. Sammy Jo renews her threat to take Danny away from Steven. Nick Kimball sweeps an unsuspecting Dominique into his arms, as the two share a moment of passion. Michael Culhane confesses his quest for revenge to Blake in hopes of winning his trust and proving his love for Amanda. An outraged Blake discounts his confession as more treachery and vows to use Emily's letter to bring Alexis and Ben to justice.

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