Joseph Ruskin Movies

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Sydney (Jennifer Garner), her father, Jack (Victor Garber), and her mother, Irina (Lena Olin), are still in Pakistan, still searching for the code that will enable a group of rebels to activate half a dozen nuclear warheads. Despite Irina's protestations of good intentions, Syd and Jack still doubt her sincerity. Sure enough, Irina reverts to type by handing her family over to her villainous former ally Gerard Cuvee (Derek de Lint) -- but is this betrayal all that it appears to be? And back in the U.S., Sloane (Ron Rifkin) is blackmailed by an unknown party regarding his role in the attempted assassination of his wife, Emily. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Irina (Lena Olin) turns herself in to the CIA, insisting that her main purpose in life is "Defeating Arvin Sloane. SD-6. The Alliance." She also offers to help track down "The Bible," the elusive operations manual for the evil cartel which she formerly headed. But her ex-husband, Jack (Victor Garber), and daughter, Sydney (Jennifer Garner), are extremely skeptical about Irina's sincerity, even after she provides Sydney with the safety measures needed to retrieve a computer disk used by Irina to blackmail other secret agents into complicity -- an assignment given to Sydney by the sinister Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin), as yet unaware of Irina's surrender. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Things get off to a deceptively light-hearted start as popular professional wrestler Kornberg (Nils Allen Stewart) is brought into the ER with a twisted knee. But the story quickly turns deadly serious when, stuck in the middle of a street riot, Carter (Noah Wyle) is forced to man the wheel of the paramedic ambulance -- and in so doing sparks an even worse situation when he accidentally runs over a youngster. Meanwhile, Carol (Julianna Margulies), still mooning over the departed Ross, receives confirmation of her pregnancy. And Lucy (Kellie Martin) comes face to face with an intransigent Asian family who refuse to let their mother know that she is in dangerously declining health. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Quark's troubles begin when an inebriated Klingon accidentally dies in his bar. Hoping to improve his business and earn a little respect, Quark claims that he killed the man in combat. Unfortunately, Klingon law demands that Quark marry Grilka (Mary Kay Adams), the dead man's widow, a situation that catalpults Quark into a duel to the death to defend Grilka's honor and property. First telecast October 15, 1994, "House of Quark" was scripted by Ronald D. Moore, from a story by Tom Benko. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this made-for-TV "roman a clef", Joe Don Baker stars as Tommy Vanda, a Hoffa-esque labor leader. Told in flashback, the film recounts Vanda's humble beginnings on the Chicago docks, where he gains fame and notoreity amongst his coworkers and his bosses by spearheading a wildcat strike. Rising to top dog of the Cartage Union, Tommy doesn't care whon he has to crush on the way up the ladder. Inevitably, Tommy's peccadilloes catch up with him, resulting in federal charges, an arrest, and (remember who he's supposed to be) a mysterious disappearance in the night. Written by Ernest Tidyman of The French Connection fame, Power was telecast in two two-hour installments by NBC on January 14 and 15, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While doing volunteer work at Willowdale, a sanitarium which houses convicted criminals who have been deemed mentally incapable of serving prison time, Quincy (Jack Klugman) hears rumors that some of the inmates are being forced to participate in illegal boxing matches. After the mother of a recently deceased inmate comes forward insisting that her son's "accidental" death was anything but, Quincy is all the more determined to find out what's really going on--and not surprisingly, imperils his own life in the process. This is one of a handful of fourth-season Quincy M.E. episode deemed worthy of three prime-time NBC telecasts. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

American soldiers (Tom Selleck and James Whitmore Jr.) must travel behind enemy lines to procure the formula for a deadly Nazi toxin in this World War II adventure. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

In retaliation for the death of his son, a big-time hoodlum hires an expert female assassin known as Sydney to murder the three thugs responsible. At the same time, SFPD detective Keller (Michael Douglas) becomes romantically involved with his attractive new neighbor (played by Douglas' then-girlfriend Brenda Vaccaro. In this case, the viewer is way ahead of the detective: Keller's sweetheart is none other than the elusive Sydney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Banyon is an A-number-one detective yarn set (very accurately) in the 1930s. Robert Forster, emulating John Garfield in virtually every scene, plays private eye Miles C. Banyon. Right now he's in dutch because a beautiful young woman has been found murdered--and Banyon's gun was the murder weapon. This state of affairs plunges the detective into a maelstrom of deceit and double-cross involving (among many elements) a Winchell-style radio commentator (Jose Ferrer), a paroled big-time gangster, a scar-faced assassin, and a Nazi Bund camp. Once he solves the main mystery, Banyon is faced with the unhappy Maltese Falcon task of exposing a close friend as a murderer. First telecast March 15, 1971, Banyon spawned a brief TV series one year later, with Robert Forster still in the lead. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Friendly Middle Eastern potentate King Selim (Lloyd Battista) has been imprisoned by his lookalike brother Prince Samandal (also Lloyd Battista), the better to usurp Selim's throne and hand over the kingdom to enemies of the West. To rescue Selim and restore the status quo of his country, the IMF must throw a good scare into Samandal. Posing as a doctor, Phelps uses all the medical trickery at the IMF's disposal to accomplish his task. Michele Carey guest stars as female IMF agent Lisa, here impersonating an actress named Irina. Originally broadcast December 7, 1969, "The Brothers" was scripted by Leigh Vance, from a story by Robert C. Dennis. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The first multipart adventure of Mission: Impossible's second season, "The Slave" was written by William Read Woodfield and Alan Balter. The scene is the Persian Gulf state of Elkabar, where King Ibn Borca (Joseph Ruskin) supervises a vicious but entirely legal slave ring with the aid of his crony Karl de Groot (Warren Stevens). To depose Borca and end the slave trade in Elkabar, the IMF agents must resort to drastic measures...with the lovely Amara (Antoinette Bower), the wife of Borca's nephew Fasar (David Mauro), as the innocent pawn. Part one of the two-part "The Slave" was first broadcast on October 8, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

John Wayne, who'd made two unforgettable guest appearances on I Love Lucy, is back in the saddle for this hilarious Lucy Show installment. Much against his better judgment, Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon) assigns the starstruck Lucy (Lucille Ball) to deliver some important financial papers to Wayne's movie set. Despite strict orders that she is not to pester "The Duke", Lucy not only manages to splatter ketchup all over the nonplussed Mr. Wayne, but also makes a shambles of an important action scene in Wayne's latest movie. Milton Berle also shows up in a cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi