SPOILER WARNING for the latest podcast episode of "Sound Speed Action": Dead Reckoning came out two years ago, but The Final Reckoning just hit theaters a week ago. If you haven’t seen it yet, pause this episode and come back, because we’re diving deep into both films.

The final chapter of our Mission: Impossible recap covers Dead Reckoning (2023) and The Final Reckoning (2025).

It’s wild to think this series has been running nearly 30 years. This two-part climax, although not always even, aims to tie things up and will likely leave fans divided.

Though the films share villains, Gabriel (mysterious and cartoonish) and the all-knowing Entity, they feel completely different in tone. What is going on with these villains?

Both movies bring stunning set pieces: the runaway train finale in Dead Reckoning is a franchise standout, and the submarine sequence in The Final Reckoning kicks things off with serious intensity.

We get standout new characters: Grace (Hayley Atwell, whose arc around “the choice every IMF member faces” is a great addition), Paris (Pom Klementieff, who steals scenes), Briggs (Shea Whigham), and Dega (Greg Tarzan Davis). Returning favorites include Luther (Ving Rhames, whose appearances remain inconsistent), Benji (Simon Pegg, better than ever), and Kittredge (Henry Czerny), finally back.

Lorne Balfe returns with a strong score for Dead Reckoning after Fallout. He was set to score Final Reckoning, but was replaced by protégés Max Aruj and Alfie Godfrey. Whether their work holds up is still debatable.

Christopher McQuarrie directs both films while navigating COVID, strikes, and more. Not everything lands. Some of the retconning is rough, but he has earned the right to bring it home.

Dead Reckoning is streaming on Prime Video and Paramount+. The Final Reckoning is in theaters now.