Continuity mistake: Channing turns off the tape recorder. But in the next shot, as he walks away, we can see the recorder's reels still turning. (00:18:00)
Visible crew/equipment: When Carlos confronts Dana about the gold watch, the microphone shadow can be seen moving on the wall above him. (00:30:15)
Audio problem: Throughout the episode, Alex's voice is very badly overdubbed, and his lips never quite match the spoken words.
Continuity mistake: Everyone in the rescue party is covered in dust and grime after crawling through the cave. But when they emerge, their white shirts are completely clean and spotless. (00:45:30)
Character mistake: On Barney's counterfeit military ID, the word "sergeant" is misspelled as "sargent." (00:10:30)
Visible crew/equipment: When the dignitaries' limo pulls away, its doors mirror several studio lights and reflectors. (00:34:15)
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.
The Ransom - S1-E8
Continuity mistake: When the doctor tells the agent he has to step behind the shield while they take the pictures, you can see that Augie's chest strap has already been secured. The very next camera shot shows Cinnamin (as a nurse) just starting to secure his ankle area with the straps, and you can see the chest has not been secured yet. A second mistake in the same timeframe shows Augie's unconscious head turned to his left. When she starts to secure his ankles, you can see his chin pointing straight up.
Continuity mistake: When Dan comes from the tunnel and through the rope to the prison room door, first we see that the door lock is on the left, but then when Dan tries to open it, it is on the right.
The Hostage - S5-E13
Revealing mistake: While Robert Siomney and Jorge Cabal are watching the news, the pictures on the screen, behind the news commentator, extend past the outside of the TV set and so can be seen against the wall in the room where Siomney & Cabal are standing.
Continuity mistake: The shots of the tape recorder giving Phelps his assignment don't match. Each time the camera angle changes, the tape reels are spinning at different speeds and in opposite directions.
Continuity mistake: During Phelps' mission briefing, the amount of tape on the left-hand reel, which should be diminishing as the assignment is read to him, increases instead. (00:01:45)
Continuity mistake: When the Major checks the prison log book, the box next to 27 where the time entry should be is blank. He closes the book and holds it under his arm while conversing with a subordinate, and when he opens it again to show it to the other man, the time box has, impossibly, been filled in. (00:43:30)
Continuity mistake: As Phelps listens to his assignment in the opening sequence, the distinctively different tape reels on the recorder switch positions twice. (00:02:20)
Continuity mistake: Barney is on the floor unconscious when the scene fades out for a commercial break. When we fade back in, he's still unconscious, but his head is in a different position. (00:14:40)
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)
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: 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)
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)
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 ★