Warning: This article contains spoilers for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is a unique film within its franchise, as it’s tasked with serving as a culmination of the series thus far. While this saga has never been overly focused on cameos, callbacks, and Easter eggs, the fact that The Final Reckoning might be the last time that Tom Cruise ever plays Ethan Hunt on the big screen does give it the right to get a bit nostalgic. Given that it’s the fourth film in the series directed by Christopher McQuarrie, it’s not all that surprising that The Final Reckoning connects strongly to its predecessors. However, one plot point in The Final Reckoning actually ties back all the way to the original film from 1996.
Early on in the movie, Ethan needs to win over the support of several important figures in the American military and government in order to continue his mission to track down Gabriel (Esai Morales) and find “The Entity.” Although the aircraft carrier’s Rear Admiral Neely (Hannah Waddingham) is skeptical about his ambitious scheme, she is convinced to trust Ethan after President Erika Sloane (Angela Bassett) has Ethan deliver a note that includes a specific date: May 22, 1996. There’s an “in universe” explanation for why this date matters, but it also serves as a clever Mission: Impossible Easter egg that dates back to Brian De Palma’s original film in the series.
‘Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning’ Homages the Original Film’s Release Date

When Ethan is initially brought in by the United States government, his plan receives sharp criticism from Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), who thinks that they should strike first before “The Entity” shuts down the world’s nuclear systems. Despite appearing to also oppose Ethan, President Sloane secretly allows him to independently search for Sevastopol, a submarine submerged in the Bering Sea. She sneaks him a note with the “May 22, 1996” date on it to deliver to Neely, as she and Neely apparently lost someone that day in a mission gone wrong that might have gone another way had they taken a risk. It’s Sloane’s way of telling Neely that Hunt is a risk worth taking.
But that’s not all! Long-time Mission fans might know that May 22, 1996 is also the date that the original film first opened in theaters. That film, which is also set in 1996, opens in a surprisingly dark way. Audiences that were familiar with the original Mission: Impossible television series expected a team-up adventure about a group of espionage agents, but the film opens with the shocking murder of Ethan’s team, which he is subsequently blamed for. It seems like ’96 was a rough year for a lot of folks in the Mission: Impossible universe.
The Final Reckoning examines the consequences of the first film by showing how some of the ancillary characters were affected. When traveling deep into the Bering Sea to prepare their underwater mission, Benji (Simon Pegg), Grace (Hayley Atwell), and their new recruits share an encounter with William Donloe (Rolf Saxon), the CIA analyst who famously failed to stop Ethan’s heist from CIA headquarters in the first film. Instead of harboring feelings of resentment towards Ethan, Donloe reveals that the transfer was the best thing to happen to him, as he ended up finding the love of his life in Tapeesa (Lucy Tulugarjuk).
Ethan also learns that the United States Intelligence Officer Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham), who had been pursuing him throughout Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, is actually the son of former IMF leader Jim Phelps (Jon Voight) and has held a grudge against the man responsible for his father’s death. Many fans of the original Mission: Impossible series were dismayed to see that Phelps had been turned into a villain, but The Final Reckoning ends with Briggs coming to an understanding with Ethan, implying that the family name “Phelps” can now be perceived in a more heroic light.

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‘Mission: Impossible’ Has Thrived on Maintaining a Strong Continuity

The date of May 22, 1996 is a nostalgic Easter egg to the past and serves as a reminder of just how long the franchise has been carried along a rigid continuity. Although Ethan has proved his heroics many times before, the government has often been skeptical about trusting him. Secretary Serling Bernstein (Holt McCallany) and General Sidney (Nick Offerman) both reference some of the catastrophic events in previous films that Ethan was directly involved with. Although she is not able to support him in front of her advisors, Sloane is convinced of Ethan’s strategy, perhaps due to the experiences they shared in Mission: Impossible – Fallout, in which she served as the CIA director. Although Neely does not have the same shared history with Ethan, getting a sealed message from the President of the United States with that particular date is enough to convince her to adopt his risky plan to infiltrate the Sevastopol.
The Final Reckoning closes the circle on the entire franchise by including direct references to Ethan’s earlier adventures. From a clever revelation about the “Rabbit’s Foot” from Mission: Impossible III to an allusion to the attack on the Kremlin in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, the film rewards fans who have been wondering how each of the missions have been connected. While The Final Reckoning is still a satisfying action thriller for those who have less knowledge of the franchise, its most rewarding moments are saved for fans who have been going on adventures with Ethan ever since 1996.