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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is an American action-thriller movie by Christopher McQuarrie, the co-author of the screenplay with Erik Jendresen. It is the sequel to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) and is the eighth installment of the long-standing franchise.
Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt, who is the head of an all-star ensemble cast that includes Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Henry Czerny, and Angela Bassett. Hunt and his IMF team here again have to prevent a rogue AI called the Entity from causing a global disaster.
Two months since heists a critical piece of potent AI source code, Ethan Hunt and his team at IMF have to act on the run to save the world from global disaster. With old foes back and new loyalties forming, Ethan finds himself facing more ominous threats from human and cyber enemies.
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The mission of the team runs from submersibles to underground bunkers, finally leading to the ultimate showdown that will decide the destiny of the world's most lethal artificial intelligence.
The eighth Mission: Impossible film brings intense action and emotional closure as Ethan Hunt faces off against a rogue AI. But beneath the spectacle lie subtle nods to the franchise’s past—Easter eggs, character callbacks, and hidden details one probably didn’t notice in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Phineas Freak’s farewell and 6 other things you probably didn’t notice in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
1) The hidden date in The Final Reckoning
A quiet observation in The Final Reckoning that may only be noticed by the most perceptive eyes is the date on President Sloane's letter, May 22, 1996.
Within the story, it is a personal tragedy Sloane employs to intimidate a naval captain into helping Ethan Hunt. But the date is actually more meaningful since it is the release date of the first Mission: Impossible movie on film.
While the reference does not impact the plot itself, given that Sloane's history is not linked to what happens in the 1996 movie, it is a subtle allusion to how the series began. It also works on the general theme of the movie about coming full circle and how past decisions influence the future and current lives.
2) Phineas Freak’s farewell
One of the less obvious yet strong callbacks in The Final Reckoning is when Luther uses his nickname of "Phineas Freak" for himself in his dying moments. That nickname brings to mind his debut mission appearance in the first 1996 Mission: Impossible, where Ethan Hunt used that as a reference to his famous hack on NATO Ghostcom.
The nickname is more than just an homage to the past. It is a subtle reminder of the long-standing friendship between the two men and a subtle means by which Luther can remind Ethan that he is still the authority figure he has always been, more than capable of commanding the mission at hand.
Ethan and Luther's bond has long anchored the Mission: Impossible series, and while Luther's death in The Final Reckoning was expected, it still carried emotional weight. His brave, witty sacrifice highlights the film’s core theme: risking everything for love.
3) Donloe returns Ethan’s lost knife
A subtle yet emotionally powerful moment in The Final Reckoning is the interaction between Ethan and Donloe. As they head to South Africa to confront Gabriel and weaken the Entity’s control over global nuclear systems, Donloe takes a moment to forgive Ethan for the Langley break-in.
He explains that the incident ultimately led him to the woman he loves, making peace with the past. As an act of compassion, he gives back a knife, one that Ethan had misplaced during the robbery.
Although the Mission: Impossible franchise is most famous for action and stunt work, The Final Reckoning has more character-building moments.
The Ethan vs. Donloe showdown is peaceful, but is used to wrap things up and provide them with emotional depth, and is an example of the movie's emphasis on relationships and redemption.
For devotees, the return of the knife is an Easter egg, but represents Ethan's life coming full circle.
4) Crimes and consequences: Ethan’s CIA reckoning
At the start of The Final Reckoning, after Ethan surrenders to the CIA and hands over the cruciform key, Holt McCallany’s Secretary of Defence lists several crimes attributed to Ethan.
The list begins with the “CIA black vault break-in,” a pivotal event from Brian de Palma’s original Mission: Impossible. It also mentions a Kremlin explosion and the infiltration of a CIA security briefing.
The Kremlin incident refers to the opening of Ghost Protocol, where Ethan and Benji’s mission is compromised by Kurt Hendricks, and the IMF is wrongfully blamed. The security briefing infiltration points to the start of Dead Reckoning, when Ethan secretly gains access to Kittridge’s inner circle.
Both are among Ethan’s most risky and illegal exploits in the franchise, which explains the CIA’s continued grudge.
5) Briggs and the Phelps connection
While William Donloe’s return and the Rabbit’s Foot were teased in The Final Reckoning trailers, a major surprise was the true identity of Shea Whigham’s character, Jasper Briggs.
In a tense exchange, Briggs is revealed as the son of Jim Phelps, adding depth to his rivalry with Ethan. Their conflict stems not just from present loyalties, but a shared history.
This backstory sheds light on Briggs’ intense opposition to Hunt in Dead Reckoning and makes their uneasy alliance in The Final Reckoning even more meaningful.
6) Donloe’s quiet redemption
The Final Reckoning introduces several new characters while also bringing back familiar faces from earlier films. One notable return is William Donloe, the CIA agent who lost his position after Ethan’s Langley break-in in the original 1996 Mission: Impossible.
Though a minor character back then, this film expands his role, showing that he is just as courageous and honorable as Ethan’s other allies.
Grace, Benji, and Paris find Donloe at a remote Arctic station while tracking the sunken Sevastopol, tying into his exile after the Langley incident. Though unplanned, the subtle storytelling fits seamlessly into the franchise’s continuity.
7) Grace, Julia, and Gabriel’s game
There is also a clear nod to Mission: Impossible III when Gabriel references the film’s villain, Owen Davian, and Ethan’s wife at the time, Julia. Gabriel taunts Ethan by recalling how Davian used the threat against Julia to force Ethan into doing something against his will.
In Mission: Impossible III, Davian kidnaps Julia and demands the Rabbit’s Foot in exchange for her safety. In The Final Reckoning, Gabriel tries to follow a similar tactic by threatening Grace’s life to coerce Ethan into handing over a hard drive that would give him control over the Entity.
However, Gabriel’s plan doesn’t unfold as he expects.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is now playing exclusively in theaters.
