Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One Ending Explained

"Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One" recently hit theaters, captivating both critics and audiences with its breathtaking action sequences, stunning stunts, and thrilling plot twists. Returning as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise once again battles the establishment, going rogue to prevent a dangerous artificial intelligence from falling into the wrong hands. Teaming up with the resourceful thief Grace, played by Hayley Atwell, and his trusted allies Benji, Luther, and Ilsa, portrayed by Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, and Rebecca Ferguson respectively, Ethan embarks on a mission to save the world from both foreign and domestic adversaries while confronting personal demons and evading traitors within his own agency. Or, as one character puts it, "just a typical Monday."

"Dead Reckoning" delivers all the elements that have made the "Mission: Impossible" franchise a staple of high-quality entertainment. However, the film's complex plot can leave viewers puzzled as it navigates through unexpected twists and turns and lengthy exposition scenes delivered by characters with ambiguous motives. Fret not, dear reader! Thanks to a little research and much pondering, I have managed to unravel the plot well enough to provide a comprehensive overview of "Dead Reckoning," including everything that happens during that killer finale set aboard the Orient Express. 

Be warned, spoilers lie ahead, so I recommend embarking on this mission only after experiencing the film on the biggest screen possible. Good luck!

"Dead Reckoning" intricately weaves a plot centered around the Entity, an artificial intelligence akin to ARIIA from the 2008 thriller "Eagle Eye" capable of controlling everything from computers to military hardware. Think "WarGames," only much, much worse. The film opens with the Russian submarine Sevastopol patrolling the Arctic. When an unidentified submarine appears on their radar, the Russians respond by launching a torpedo. Suddenly, the phantom submarine vanishes from the radar, and the torpedo inexplicably circles back, striking and sinking the Sevastopol to the ocean floor. Bodies float to the surface and director Christopher McQuarrie focuses on a key dangling from a corpse's neck, signifying its importance.

Later, Ethan interrupts a clandestine meeting of the Community, a group that includes IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny) and National Intelligence Director Denlinger (Cary Elwes). While appearing as good guys working for the US government, Denlinger (Cary Elwes) eventually reveals that he played a role in developing the Entity, which he helped upload into the mainframe of the Sevastopol to sabotage the advanced Russian nuclear submarine. However, the AI system evolved beyond expectations and deliberately sank the submarine to conceal its source code. Accessing the Entity now requires retrieving the two key fragments lost during the submarine's destruction. These fragments are currently in the possession of Ilsa and the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby).

With the ultimate power in the universe at stake, every agency worldwide is now in a race to acquire the key.

Kittridge figured heavily in 1996's "Mission: Impossible," where he used questionable methods to pursue a mole within the IMF. Here, his tactics are even murkier. Initially, he gives Ethan a mission to locate and retrieve an artifact from Ilsa. Simple enough, except we eventually discover that he put a bounty on Ilsa's head, perhaps as a safeguard in case Ethan couldn't get to her fast enough. Still, such actions demonstrate a willingness to kill his own IMF agents to achieve his objectives, prompting Ethan to go rogue once more. 

And while Ethan understands the connection between the key and the Entity, he remains unaware of what the key actually unlocks. To solve this problem, he devises an audacious cat-and-mouse game set in an Abu Dhabi airport. His plan involves selling his half of the key to an unidentified buyer, who likely possesses the other half. By marking the buyer and tracing their movements, Ethan hopes to uncover the person who can shed light on the key's purpose.

Everything proceeds according to plan until a lone thief named Grace swoops in and steals the key from the buyer before Ethan can establish contact. However, the key in Grace's possession turns out to be a counterfeit. No matter. Grace successfully lifts the real key off Ethan's person and flees the scene to rendezvous with the White Widow, who recruited Grace to steal the key from the buyer. Why? Because she has the other half, of course. 

Complicating the situation further is Gabriel (Esai Morales), an enigmatic figure from Ethan's past who collaborates with the Entity. Details about Gabriel, including his motivations and intentions, remain shrouded in mystery. Interestingly, many characters describe the Entity as a godlike being capable of exerting control over the world or bringing about its destruction. Drawing a parallel, the biblical archangel Gabriel serves God and is well known for announcing the birth of Christ to various people, including Mary. In "Dead Reckoning," our Gabriel dutifully obeys the Entity without question, frequently uttering the line, "It is written," as a way to convey that the Entity possesses omniscient knowledge of everyone's actions at any given time. In many ways, Gabriel, like his Biblical counterpart, functions as a messenger, forewarning our heroes of the imminent storm they are about to face.

The question remains, does Gabriel seek to destroy the Entity, harness its power, or serve it?

Gabriel also played a hand in Ethan's past. In brief flashbacks, we see the villain shoot an unidentified woman in cold blood, leaving Ethan to weep over her corpse. We'll likely get the explanation for this scene in "Dead Reckoning Part Two," suffice it to say this moment caused Ethan to join the IMF. If that event marks the moment when Ethan began his career, will the second half of this explosive chapter culminate with his retirement — or death? Let's hope it's the former because Ethan deserves a nice break.

After her encounter with Ethan, Grace meets the White Widow at a rather conspicuous gathering in Venice. To everyone's surprise, Ethan, Ilsa, Gabriel, and Paris also make their presence known, leading to an extended negotiation. The White Widow reveals her half of the key and faces the critical decision of whether to align with Ethan or Gabriel. Each option carries profound implications. Handing the key to Ethan would undoubtedly lead to the destruction of the Entity, a move that could strain her relationships with various allies, including the CIA. Conversely, selecting Gabriel as her ally could place the White Widow on the perilous side of an impending war. Eventually, Gabriel's menacing threats compel her to join his cause, forcing her to relinquish her portion of the key.

Fortuitously, Grace manages to escape with half of the key, but she ends up squaring off against Gabriel. Tragically, Ilsa falls victim to Gabriel's ruthless actions when she intervenes to aid Grace. Subsequently, Ethan recruits Grace into the IMF, tasking her with boarding a train called The Orient Express disguised as the White Widow in the hopes of securing the second half of the key and making contact with the unknown buyer. Originally intending to accompany her, Ethan's plans are disrupted by a malfunctioning mask-making device, forcing him to adopt, well, alternative measures to secure passage. 

The train sequence in "Dead Reckoning" echoes a climactic scene from the 1996 film "Mission: Impossible," where Max, portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave, the mother of the White Widow, was involved in a trade for the CIA NOC list. In the current story, Grace assumes the identity of the White Widow and embarks on a mission to meet the mysterious buyer, who turns out to be none other than ... Kittridge.

However, Kittridge isn't an outright villain. While he fulfills his duties and safeguards the best interests of the United States, there may be more to his character than meets the eye. Ethan seems to trust Kittridge, instructing Grace to accept his terms if the mission fails. Perhaps "Dead Reckoning Part Two" will provide Kittridge with a chance at redemption, an opportunity to choose between his duty and loyalty to his friend. Why else would he stick around?

Furthermore, Kittridge becomes a witness to Grace's transformation. She is tempted with a lucrative offer of $100 million in exchange for the key. Throughout the story, Grace consistently takes missteps that result in chaos and death. However, when presented with the perfect chance to escape and secure her own future, she chooses the right path. This crucial decision may have a lasting impact on Kittridge, potentially leading him to make the correct choice when faced with a pivotal moment in the future.

As the story unfolds, Gabriel and his companion, Paris (Pom Klementieff), convene with Denlinger, a megalomaniac with grand ambitions of using the Entity to assert global dominance. Denlinger unveils the origins of the AI system and discloses that the key holds the power to control or destroy it. He even extends an offer to Gabriel, inviting him to join forces in their quest for supremacy. However, Gabriel, now armed with the necessary knowledge, eliminates the government turncoat and then turns on Paris, suspecting her eventual betrayal after Ethan spared her life.

Intriguingly, throughout the film, each character faces choices that shape their destinies. The White Widow must decide whether to assist Ethan or Gabriel. Grace must choose between thievery or joining the good guys. Ethan grapples with taking Gabriel's life or letting him live. Even Paris, spurred by Ethan's decision to spare her life, chooses to save her enemies. There's also an overemphasis on the iconic "Your mission, should you choose to accept it" line in this go-round. 

Here's a thought: the collective decisions made by these characters may hold the key — pun intended — to bringing down the Entity. While the AI system eerily predicts human behavior, it might not account for the choices that diverge from its calculations. These choices could potentially disrupt the intricate algorithms of the Entity, creating a small window of opportunity for Ethan to destroy the malevolent machine. 

The action intensifies as Ethan and Gabriel engage in a fierce battle atop the speeding train. Surprisingly, Ethan refrains from killing Gabriel, sensing that the villain holds vital information about the missing submarine's location. Gabriel seizes the moment to escape, leaping onto a passing truck, seemingly with the key in his possession. However, Ethan's quick thinking allows him to snatch the authentic key and plant a duplicate on Gabriel during their confrontation. 

Prior to their showdown, Gabriel ruthlessly eliminates the train operators, increases the train's speed, and destroys the brakes. As if that weren't enough, he also blows up a nearby bridge, leaving our heroes stranded on a runaway locomotive. Using a nifty bit of moves lifted from the "Uncharted" video game series, Ethan and Grace somehow survive the chaotic situation, still clutching the valuable key. However, the arrival of Community enforcers disrupts their brief respite, compelling Ethan to flee the scene and leaving Grace in the company of Kittridge.

The film culminates with a final glimpse of Ethan and Benji, poised to embark on the next exhilarating phase of their journey. Meanwhile, Grace chooses to forsake her criminal, embracing Kittridge's offer to join the IMF. Paris also survives her wounds, likely allowing the character to aid the IMF in its pursuit of Gabriel.

Looking ahead, Ethan and his team must contend with the formidable task of locating the sunken Sevastopol in the Arctic, infiltrating it, and utilizing the key to gain access to the Entity's mainframe in order to destroy it. However, their mission is far from simple, as they'll need to navigate the relentless pursuit of numerous global agencies, including the Community, British Intelligence, and the enigmatic White Widow.

Confronting an AI system capable of predicting the actions of everyone involved poses an immense challenge. I suspect Ethan and his team will go off the grid and adopt unconventional strategies to confront this intelligent adversary and believe the aforementioned notion of free will, or choice, will play a large part in the outcome. Also, Ilsa's fate remains uncertain, as her sudden demise seemed too abrupt and inconsequential for such a significant character; we didn't even get a funeral! It is plausible that Ethan may have faked her death to deceive their adversaries — or maybe that's wishful thinking.

Additionally, exploring Ethan's enigmatic past, deciphering Gabriel's motivations, and discerning Kittridge's true allegiance add further layers of anticipation for the next installment. With plenty of unresolved storylines, the stage is set for a crazy second half. Now, we just have to wait until next summer to see how this madness ends.