It’s revealed in this film that some of the IMF agents were former criminals given a shot at redemption by the IMF to use their talents for good. This not only applies to good agents, but the bad agents who later went rogue as well. Suddenly it makes much more sense why there are so many IMF agents who've gone rogue. Being former criminals or violently unstable killers mean there are very high chances of these people returning to villainy once more. It also explains why the IMF is so harsh on Ethan Hunt when he apparently went rogue in previous films. With Hunt’s past as a former criminal and the extraordinary talents he has at his disposal, no wonder why most of the IMF/CIA authorities are very much willing to terminate him with extreme prejudice if Ethan ever slightly shows a sign of rogue behavior (which is to say, a lot).
The reveal also recontextualises the end of the first film. After clearing his name, Ethan initially plans to leave the IMF, but then on the plane back home he's given a new tape/mission. While we may have previously assumed that Ethan simply chose to stay and take over Jim Phelps' old position as team leader, it's possible that Ethan simply wasn't allowed to leave the IMF because of whatever deal he originally made to stay out of prison!
It also explains why the IMF was so cool with Luther, a criminal hacker who aided an alleged traitor to the agency, join up at the end of the first movie: this isn't out of the ordinary for IMF recruitment. Though it makes you wonder what Benji did to get here.
The "Safe Car" that Ethan and Grace use for their escape might seem like a simple opportunity for a gag at first, but considered in depth it makes sense. If the car was placed there in case IMF agents need it for an emergency, naturally the agents want to be sure that no aspiring thieves are going to be interested in stealing the car by chance, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to choose a car that nobody would actually want to steal.
Kittridge's Heel–Face Revolving Door and eventual decision to let Ethan go on his objective go to show why Ethan trusts him specifically to do what has to be done. All involving his pragmatism.
On the one hand, he understands Ethan's concerns about the Entity and how it's too powerful for any one person or country to use. On top of ordering the IMF/CIA to use what analog tech they still had, he likely arrived at the same conclusion as Briggs and Degas and realized that the risks involved would be far too horrifying to be worth even attempting to control it.
On the other hand, he puts his country's well-being and self-preservation, including his own, above all other considerations. Given that people like Denlinger are also conspiring to ally themselves with the Entity in order to transform America into a global oppressive super-state, Kittridge would be among the first "patriots" to be eliminated, both for knowing too much and for having some moral standards.
This may also explain why Kittridge is careful about how he explains both the IMF and the Entity to Denlinger. He likely had suspicions early on that Denlinger not only knows more than he's letting on but would be foolish and treasonous enough to align himself with the Entity for his own ends, having been among those who came up with the original AI in the first place.
There are hints that the Entity, for all its nigh-godlike capabilities, is Not So Omniscient After All, and it's not just an inability to access old Cold War-era tech. Even with algorithms that process trillions of possible outcomes, they're still dependent on known, inputted data. The moment some outside, unforeseen variable enters the picture that was never factored in whether it's Briggs and Degas being involved, or Ethan slyly swiping the key from Gabriel, those seemingly eloquent probabilities are thrown astray, even for just a few proverbial seconds.
Of course, this may all be part of the plan. Note that it created the conditions for a betrayal by simply revealing it could happen. Mistake or plan?
Gabriel's fondness for white suits fits his Light Is Not Good deal. But it also probably makes it easier for the Entity to erase him from camera footage in real-time. White makes it easier to notice and subsequently erase him. And we see the only thing left distinguishable is patches of white, meaning the only visible parts of him are also totally non-indicative.
We see him not wear white on the train, but the train probably doesn't have any cameras.
He also only wears white at the Abu Dhabi airport and the Widow's party - both large, highly secure locations crawling with security and cameras.
Gabriel's Villainous Breakdown upon finding out that the Sevastopol key was swapped with Ethan's lighter during the fight, which notably is the only time he ever loses his cool, isn't just out of frustration. More than merely Ethan's audacity, it's the realization that the Entity either may not be as godlike as he's convinced himself it is (thus throwing his worldview into doubt), or might decide that he's next on the kill list. Whichever way, he's on borrowed time.
Some contrasts between Paris and the other ladies:
Grace is a charming white British thief who lives on her wits and evasion, and only uses violence as a last resort. Paris is a creepy half-Asian Frenchwoman (historical rivals of the UK) who uses violence and threats as her first, last, and only resort, and is a Blood Knight with a Kubrick Stare to boot. Grace is loyal only to herself until Team Hunt convinces her to change while Paris is unfailingly loyal to Gabriel until he tries to kill her. Grace is a newbie to all this spy nonsense, but Paris seems to have no problem with it, as long as she gets to hit stuff.
Also, to Ilsa. Both are women who are extremely good in a fist fight, but Ilsa likes to use knives and agility, while Paris prefers blunt objects. Ilsa is moral and uses violence reluctantly, but Paris lives for it. Ilsa is a semi-independent ally of Team Hunt and experienced spy, while Paris is Gabriel's muscle and hates using subtlety. note Assuming both characters share theiractresses' ancestry, Paris is Korean, French (Western Europe), and Russian (Eastern Europe), while Ilsa is Nordic.
All three are conventionally good-looking, though only Grace uses her looks regularly onscreen.
Paris somehow manages to be an evil(er) counterpart to the White Widow too. Both are blonde, but the Widow prefers to talk and be charming (at least superficially), though she has zero problem with ordering or personally using force. She's also the leader of her arms-dealing organization, and controls her brother, while Paris is just Gabriel's servant. Widow's public face is a philanthropist, but Paris' public face is the exact same as her private face: a violent psychopath.
On the Entity basically being God:
The Russian sub captain referring to the force messing with them as the Ghost in the Machine.
An indestructible, inscrutable, and nigh-omniscient entity that seems to know everything and can reach out and touch anyone, anywhere. Gabriel serves as its prophet and its angel (dressing in white, the name, etc.) and carries out its instructions like a religious zealot who knows his fate is already decided.
The keys to communing with its earthly form? Crucifixes that characters often hold like they are religious icons.
Given that we learned from the beginning of the movie that the Entity has already infiltrated every single digital-based database and intelligence network all over the world, theoretically it's pretty much unbeatable already. It can hack into any digital system no matter how secure it is, what's to stop it from launching all the nukes in the world at once or crippling the entire world's financial system right then and there? The only reason none of it has happened yet is because the Entity is choosing not to, for reasons yet unknown. It must've also known that all the intelligence agencies and other interested parties are now competing against each other to find its sole weakness locked deep into the Sevastopol in order to control it to become a world superpower and it doesn't exactly prevent this; it only wanted to stop Ethan and his team - who's the only party that's explicitly out to destroy it and not to control it. What if the reason why the Entity doesn't take over the world by itself yet is because it wants everyone to believe they have a chance to control it, and that it has some ulterior motive to use whichever faction that wins as a proxy, making them believe they control the world while it manipulates everything from behind-the-scenes, à la "The Patriots A.I." from the Metal Gear series?
Alternative Title(s):Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One
