Continuity mistake: The gray dye job on Rollin's hair varies noticeably (from lighter to darker and back) throughout the episode.
Continuity mistake: When the two baddies are counting out the money stolen from their latest victim, the piles of currency change positions on the table between takes.
Continuity mistake: When Cinammon is in the gallery and turns around after seeing The Seal to follow Taggart, we can see that her jacket is different from behind.
Continuity mistake: When Mr Phelps finishes choosing the mission candidates he closes the bag and puts it on the table. When they show us the bag with the IMF typing on it, it is now open again.
Continuity mistake: When the episode starts, Mr Phelps put a black cassette to listen, during the mission announcement, we can see that the cassette color is white and even the cassette player is different.
Continuity mistake: When Rollin sets the bed quilt on fire, the burned portion gets larger, then smaller, then larger again in alternating shots. (00:21:05)
Visible crew/equipment: The fire on the bed is contained within a small space by a visible asbestos pad. (00:21:45)
Continuity mistake: The drink Cinnamon ultimately knocks off the edge of the pool table moves several inches between takes, and in one shot disappears altogether. (00:23:40)
Continuity mistake: When Hagar's wife opens the Mercedes' trunk, the deflated silver mat is wrinkled and covers the entire space. When she picks it up, it's less than half its original size and has no wrinkles in it at all. (00:47:50)
Visible crew/equipment: When Phelps and Barney shove Frank into the back seat of the car, the door captures a clear reflection of the camera crew. (00:36:20)
Revealing mistake: The "microfilm" that Rollin and Barney steal from the safe isn't micro at all. It's a conventional single frame of 35mm movie film, not coincidentally the same film stock on which Mission: Impossible was shot. (00:36:05)
Revealing mistake: When Rollin and Barney are setting up the fake Kurzan, the "dummy's" eyes move several times. (00:42:45)
Visible crew/equipment: In the final scenes at the airport, the camera crew and lighting panels are reflected in both the limo door and the sides of the white panel truck. (00:48:20)
Character mistake: There are two minor German mistakes. The sign 'Nur für Arbeitnehemere' should be 'Nur für Arbeitnehmer' (the last word is totally wrong). And the title of the German newspaper 'Die tagliche Zeitung' should be 'Die tägliche Zeitung' (the two points over the German Umlaut are missing). (00:05:35 - 00:41:05)
Continuity mistake: In the opening sequence, the tape giving Phelps his assignment is running backwards in some shots, isn't threaded properly in others, and in reverse angles, it's running twice as fast as it is in the previous shots. (00:02:30)
Visible crew/equipment: When Phelps is in the phone booth getting his assignment, the camera can be seen reflected in the booth's glass door. (00:01:10)
Continuity mistake: As Phelps receives his assignment, the amount of tape on the recorder changes several times between shots. So does the style/design of the plastic reels. (00:02:05)
Continuity mistake: While Barbara Bain is opening the puzzle box, Martin Landau is removing pieces of his disguise. First, he has a handkerchief in his right hand. Next, the handkerchief is gone and he is peeling off his left leather pocket, and the left leather lapel is already gone. Next, he removes his mustache with a handkerchief. Then, while removing the left leather lapel, the left pocket is back in place. (00:39:45 - 00:41:25)
Continuity mistake: When Rollin confronts Wesley about the supposedly shaved dice, the two are inches from each other. When the shot cuts to a wider angle, they're several feet apart. (00:08:35)
Answer: We don't know what would happen because the show never addressed this issue. Any answer would be speculation. This is a TV show, and the plot is structured so that only IMF team will retrieve the secret message.
raywest ★