Log 123: Courtroom (Episode 9, Season 2)

Episode 35

So, I took a week off from all things Adam-12 while I focused on Route 66 for my MeTV blogathon post. As soon as I published the Route 66 piece I picked up my iPad and watched two episodes of Adam-12. It was like coming home again, it so wonderful to see all of those beautiful things that I missed; the Technicolor, the uniforms, the patrol cars, Reed. 

The episode I'm covering this week was one of the two that I watched after my week on Route 66. I'm surprised how much I liked this episode. Before I watched it in preparation for this blog post, I completely forgot it even existed. I seriously wonder if I even viewed it when I watched the series the first time around. Usually, when I forget about an episode it's because I either found it awful or awfully boring. Neither is true with this one.

Alright, it's been too long. Let's see what our boys in blue were up to in 1969.

Synopsis:

Reed discovers a cache of contraband while serving a traffic warrant. Will the evidence he found be admissible in court?

The Story:

Reed has, as Ed Wells puts it, "pulled himself a couple of 'greenies'" or warrant cards. Reed is perfectly willing to share the joy of serving traffic warrants, but Ed is still nursing a bruised jaw from a warrant he tried to serve a couple of days ago.

Ed and his partner arrested a couple on a 502 (drunk driving) a few weeks back. The "wife", a wild red head, was arrested for battery on a police officer. She "kicked, bit, fought, and scratched" the arresting officers.

Reed says the wild red head, "a real tiger", sounds like a red head he used to know. I think he's talking about a red head he currently knows, Jean.

When Wells served the warrant the wife aimed a punch at her husband, but Wells' jaw got in the way. Wells doesn't blame the wife for being sore at her husband. She's a brunette.

I don't blame Reed for laughing, this is literally the funniest story Ed Wells has ever told.

Reed is still chuckling at Wells' anecdote when he and Malloy are in the coffee room.  He reads the details from each warrant card to Malloy while they drink their coffee. 

Reed's hair looks really short in this episode. I think he has a fresh haircut. It looks like Malloy is checking out the barber's handiwork.

Malloy recognizes one of the names, James Lewellyn Brown, he's arrested Mr. Brown before for possession for sale and possession of paraphernalia.

He decides that they will call on Mr. Brown and bring Wells and Brinkman as backup. There is an alley behind Brown's house, he might try to use it as an escape route when they serve the warrant.

When they meet up in front of Brown's house, Wells wants to know, "Since when does it take four guys to serve a traffic warrant?".

"We thought we'd do you a favor, Wells. Give you a chance to get your name on an arrest report," replies Reed. 

 Wells does not like being the butt of Reed's joke.

"Oh, that's funny. Where'd you get your partner, Malloy? In a crap game?"

Malloy is all business and doesn't have time to trade insults with his brothers in blue. He directs Wells and Brinkman to cover the alley in case Brown tries to rabbit. Before they go around back, Brinkman asks, "Do I get my name on the report, too?".  

"We'll think about it."

Now it's time for Malloy and Reed to serve Mr. Brown his warrant. When Brown answers Malloy's knock at his door, he immediately tries to shut the door. But he is no match for the dynamic duo of 1-Adam-12, they shove past him and enter the house.

"You might as well relax, Brown, you're under arrest."
In case you haven't noticed; in the Mark VII universe respectable men wear ties, hippies and criminals wear neck scarves.

Brown, of course, wants to see the officers' search warrant and know why they have so forcefully entered his home. Malloy and Reed admit that they do not have a search warrant, but they do show Brown the arrest warrant they have. 

Malloy explains to Brown why they are arresting him today. Several weeks ago he was issued a traffic citation, when he signed the citation he agreed to appear in court. When he didn't appear the judge issued a warrant for his arrest.

He and Reed are here to serve that warrant.

Brown finds it funny that all of this is over a traffic ticket, he thought they were trying to "pull a number" on him and apologizes for his mistake. He recognizes Malloy, but doesn't remember from where. Malloy reminds him that he's arrested him before.

Brown assures him that he's been clean ever since.
(I think his fake mustache is falling off. It must have come unglued during his scuffle with Pete and Jim.) 

Brown willingly goes with Reed and Malloy. He regrets not paying his traffic ticket and is ready to pay his $620 debt to society.

On the way out of the house, Reed straightens up. Jean has trained him well.

While Malloy and Brown wait at the car, the ever-thoughtful Reed tells them from the porch that he is going back in the house to make sure the back door is locked. He's also going to let Wells and Brinkman, who have been waiting in the alley behind the house, that they are done here. Before he goes back inside, Brown assures Reed that the back door is secure.

Once Reed is already inside the house, Brown makes it clear to Malloy that he does not want his partner in there.
"Get that crumb outta there, just get him out!" he exclaims.

After walking down a hall and making a left turn, Reed reaches the back door in the kitchen. It's locked.

There is no dialogue during the next scene, so we can only guess at what Reed is thinking.

Hmmm, Brown must like to bake. Why else would he have all these baggies of flour lying around. This white powder is flour, right? 

He must be baking a birthday cake, I think these capsule-looking things are cake decorations. Is that thing under the cover one of those stand mixers that Jean is always bugging me to buy for her? I wonder what kind of mixer this guy has, I think I'll take a look. 

That's a weird looking mixer. I wonder if the other guys know how this thing works.

Back at the station, Mac and Malloy review Reed's discovery (and I re-write their  dialogue).

Mac: I don't know about that partner of yours, Malloy.

Malloy: Yeah, he was kinda shocked when I told him it was a capsule maker, not a stand mixer. At least he doesn't get himself shot like Wells, though.

Mac warns Malloy that they are operating in a gray area and Malloy knows it. The evidence that Reed has discovered may not be admissible in court since he found it in the kitchen and they served the arrest warrant in the living room. The recently handed down Chimel decision limits the police to search only the area within the immediate reach and control of the arrestee. Their case will depend on how the court interprets reach and control.

Malloy knew the search and seizure was legally questionable, but he points out that they couldn't leave $2000 worth of contraband sitting on the kitchen table.

While Mac and Malloy worry about the strength of the case, the other officers think Reed has hit a home run. Wells and Brinkman don't want to be left out of the action, they pester Reed at the report desk to make sure their names are spelled correctly in the arrest report.

This other officer congratulates Reed on his bust. Wells corrects him, its their bust.

"Oh, pardon me," apologizes Reed.

Reed starts to tell an embellished version of the Brown bust. He now claims that he thought Brown was acting hinky, which prompted him to look around. Wells can't stand it and he leaves as a man with a camera around his neck walks past them.

The man with the camera is a reporter, he enters Mac's office and asks Malloy if he wants to comment on the bust. Since they haven't been to court yet, Malloy refuses. He then asks for a picture of Malloy and Reed together.

Malloy's afraid that Reed will become impossible to "live with" if  he gets his picture in the paper.

Mac thinks that Reed, who is rather inexperienced in the courtroom, is about to get a hard dose of reality when this case goes before the judge.

It is now Mr. Brown's day in court. Before the proceedings, Pete and Jim are discussing Brown's attorney, who has already asked for two continuances. Jim thinks he keeps asking for them because he knows his client is guilty and this is a stall tactic to keep him out of jail. Malloy believes that there is a straight-forward explanation for the lawyer's actions.

Pete explains that Brown's lawyer, Dudley Gray, is a busy man who can't be in two places at once, that is why he asks for the continuances and the judge grants them. If Pete were in trouble, he would retain Gray.

Wells and Brinkman join Pete and Jim in court today. Their names are on the arrest report, so they may be called to testify. Wells is not happy that he has to be in court on his day off, he states that he was only joking when he told Reed to put his name in the report. 

Don't Wells and Brinkman look cute in their off-duty clothes?

Court is then called to order, the Honorable George R. Perkins is presiding. The session begins with a Deputy D.A., who is working on another case, asking for a continuance.

Oh my God! It's Jim's frat brother, Wally!

I wonder if they'll reminisce about that prank they pulled on the Alpha's with the blue moose?

Richard Combest, an overworked District Attorney is assigned to Brown's case. When we first meet him, he asks Pete about the wrong case. He's got so many cases, he can't keep them straight. When the judge calls on him, Combest states that he and Gray are ready for trial today. 

Combest then explains to Pete and Jim that he will call Jim to the stand first and keep Pete on reserve in case Jim gets "blown up" on the stand. 

Jim doesn't understand what Combest means by "blown up".

Brown's trial will not be heard in Judge Perkins' court, he assigns cases to the courtrooms where they will be tried. The Brown trial will be held in Division 4 court.

Mr. James Reed is the first witness called to the stand. The first questions the D.A. asks establish Reed's occupation at the time he was in Mr. Brown's house and the reason he was in the house. Reed answers that his partner and he...

I'm sure he's not the first cop to say this, nor will he be the last.

The arrest warrant is marked as people's one for identification and probable cause.

Dudley Gray starts his cross-examination by asking about the arrest. His line of questioning then focuses on what happened immediately after the arrest. He asks if Reed could have used the radio to tell car 43 to clear. 

Reed answers, "Yes, sir" they could have, but they would have had to gone through control and meet Wells' car on another tac.

Gray objects to Reed's answer. The judge sustains his objection and everything after "Yes, sir" will be stricken.

He then asks if Brown told Reed that the back door was locked and if he specifically told Reed to stay out of the house. Reed answers that he did not hear Brown say either of these things.

Gray then asks if Brown's kitchen is visible from the living room, Reed confirms that it is not. Reed also establishes that he did not have a search warrant. This ends Reed's time on the witness stand.

Next, D.A. Combest moves to have the methamphetamine (pronounced meeth-amphetines) found in Brown's home entered into evidence. Gray objects to this and cites the Chimel case.

He quotes the crux of the Chimel decision. "There is no comparable justification for routinely searching rooms other than that in which the arrest occurs."

Brown, who has wisely ditched the mustache for court, confidently adjusts his tie.

Combest and Gray then argue if the kitchen was in plain view of the living room and whether or not Reed needed to go back into the house. After both attorneys rest their case, the judge decides that the methamphetamine will not be entered into evidence. He states that the officers could only search between the front door and where the defendant was apprehended. Gray then moves that the case against his client be dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Judge Ricks personally believes that Brown belongs in prison, but he must abide by the law and turn Brown loose again upon society. The case is dismissed.

After Judge Ricks hands down his decision, Brown is the only one in the courtroom who looks happy. He congratulates Gray on the victory and tries to shake his hand. Gray coldly replies, "You'll get my bill" and does not accept Brown's extended hand. Reed voices everyone's frustration at the situation.

"All the time, all the effort, and Brown will be out on the street pushing speed before the day is out."

Gray overhears Reed's comment and hopes that Reed doesn't blame him for the verdict. His oath as an attorney and the laws of the state prevent him from taking into consideration the guilt or innocence of a client if he is charged with a public offense. Reed did his job and charged Brown with a public offense. Gray did his job and defended Brown to the best of his ability. 

And that's the part that irks Reed the most.

"Well, we enforce, the D.A. prosecutes, you defend, and the court administers, and a guilty man walks out of here scot-free. Doesn't seem logical."

Gray agrees, "You've got a point there, Officer Reed."

The End

My Evaluation:

In this episode, lawyers get the Adam-12 treatment. Just like the police, they are shown as hardworking professionals who face a unique set of problems and responsibilities during their workday. They are not made out to be crooks or super-attorneys. They have no nefarious schemes cooked up with their criminal clients. There are no surprise witnesses called to the stand at the last minute to save the case. Nope, we are shown a regular workday with two over-worked attorneys. One of them loses his case and the other wins. In the end, no one (except for the defendant) is happy with the outcome. Everyone knows that the system that produced the outcome is flawed, but they have all made an oath to uphold it and work within it. 

We also, as usual, get to see the police fulfilling their day-to-day responsibilities. Along the way, some good-natured ribbing takes place between Reed and Wells and I love those moments. Reed has finally emerged as a full-fledged ball buster on equal footing with Wells. At times, during the first season, Reed was taken aback at the amount of needling that went on at the station. He now easily trades barbs and insults with more senior officers like a seasoned pro.

Although Reed is now able to poke fun at his fellow officers like an expert, he still has a lot to learn about some aspects of being a police officer. Particularly, that every flashy bust may not be a slam dunk in the courtroom. Just as Malloy did not tell Reed about the fish under the porch in "Log 23: Pig is a Three-Letter Word", he does not give him advance warning that he is about to get "blown up" on the witness stand. He lets Reed take the stand thinking that everything will go well. When the prosecution doesn't win, Reed may be disappointed; but he has learned a valuable lesson through his experience. Just as the experience of crawling under that porch taught him about the stinky fish.

I really don't understand how or why I forgot about this episode. I must have been tired and fell asleep when I first watched it. There's nothing here that I didn't like, so I rate this episode:

(Come on Season 2, give me some stinkers! I have four other ratings that I barely get to use!)

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments. See you next time! KMA-367

Summer of MeTV Classic TV Blogathon 2015: Route 66

When I saw the list of MeTV shows I could write about for this blogathon, I knew I had to write about Route 66. I was compelled to cover this show for two reasons. First, since Martin Milner starred in Route 66, a piece about the show would fit nicely with the overall theme of my Adam-12 blog. Second, I actually had something to say about this show other than, "I enjoyed watching it when I was growing up".  Now, what I have to say is not a lesson on the history of the show or how it was made. I'm going to tell you about my road to becoming a Route 66 fan and my favorite episode of the series. Bear with me, it's a road with a lot of twists and turns.

My journey to becoming a Route 66 fan begins in the Winter of 2013. My husband had just finished watching every episode of every version of Star Trek Netflix had to offer, from the Original Series to Enterprise, and I was jealous. I wanted my own show to binge-watch. My problem was solved when I discovered that Netflix offered the 1960's version of Dragnet, a show that I had seen before and loved. I quickly began devouring all 98 episodes of the classic crime drama. As I neared the end of the series, I had to pace myself. I didn't want my time with Friday and Gannon to come to an end! But, it did and I was distraught. 

After a few days, I pulled myself together and resolved to move on and find another show that had also come from the Jack Webb universe. Netflix recommended either Adam-12 or Emergency!. I had never heard of this Adam-12, but since it chronologically came before Emgerency!, I would watch it next.

Well, in case you can't tell, that turned my life upside-down.

After I finished that series in the Summer of 2014, I had to have more Milner in my life! I decided that I would next tackle Route 66, the series Martin Milner starred in from 1960 to 1964. The show is about two best friends, the well-to-do Tod Stiles, played by Milner, and the not-so well-to-do Buz Murdock, played by George Maharis. They travel the country in a Corvette, left to Tod by his recently deceased father. Every week Tod and Buz found themselves in a new town, where they would help the townspeople with a problem they faced. What wasn't to love? The attractive and talented Martin Milner, driving a car, with an equally cute brunet passenger by his side; I was sure to love to this program!

This looks like a great show!

But, after I watched about 10 episodes I was not hooked the way I had been with Adam-12. I hated to admit it, but I didn't really like the show, I found it formulaic. In every episode there were some rural townspeople with a problem, that usually involved a pretty girl. Then Tod and Buz would drive into town, they would get jobs, kiss the girl, get into a fight, help solve the problem, and finally drive off into the sunset. I could never understand why the locals listened to Tod and Buz. If two twenty-something strangers started giving me input on a predicament, I don't think I'd give much credence to their advice. Even if they were in a sweet Corvette convertible and looked like Milner and Maharis.

Would you trust these two?

What was wrong with me? How could I not like Route 66? It had Martin-freakin'-Milner in it for Pete's sake! All of the reviews I read about the show were glowing. Why did I not agree? Was I not smart enough to appreciate an hour-long black and white drama? Or was everyone, particularly the women, lying to me? Did they only like the show because of Marty's good looks?  I stopped watching Route 66 and decided to spend more time outside. (Ha, ha, ha, sometimes I crack myself up.)

Then, a few weeks ago, an intelligent and discerning friend said he was watching Route 66 and found the show impressive. I knew this person had good taste and couldn't be swayed by Marty's handsome features. If he said Route 66 was worth watching, then I knew it must be true. I decided to take a second look at the show.

I started with an episode that my friend had highly recommended,"Like a Motherless Child". I liked it, I actually liked it. The story explored Buz's, and guest star Sylvia Sidney's, search for permanence and a sense of family. I liked that this episode focused on Buz's personal problem instead of a difficulty faced by the townspeople.

 I decided to continue watching with "Effigy in Snow". Which was not as good as the previous episode, but was still interesting. It was about a serial killer and, in case you can't tell, I love crime stories. It also had lots of loudly patterned sweaters, which is also a plus. 

Next, I watched "Eleven, the Hard Way" with Walter Matthau as a boastful gambler and Edward Andrews as a prudish man trying to save his town. It turns out both men are not so different, Matthau's Sam Keep and Andrews' Mr. Oliver both want to save the town and both are easily seduced by the high of winning at the craps table.

I decided to cap off my Route 66 mini-binge with "The Thin White Line". In this episode Tod drinks a beer laced with an experimental drug that causes hallucinations, psychosis, and mood swings. I had heard good things about this episode, but before my Route 66 change of heart I was worried that it would be silly. I soon discovered I had nothing to worry about, Milner plays every emotion Tod experiences perfectly and Maharis also does a fine job as Tod's worried best friend who will stop at nothing to find him. 

Of all the Route 66's I've seen, this one is my favorite. Actually, it's little wonder that this is my favorite Route 66. It's not hard to draw parallels between "The Thin White Line" and the Adam-12 episode "The Search". In both Milner's character is lost and in distress while his partner desperately searches the city to find him.

So, without further ado; I bring you my electronic rendering, through words and pictures, of "The Thin White Line".

This episode is set in Philadelphia, which is not on the Mother Road. But, that is not atypical of the series. Tod and Buz visit many places that are not on the actual Route 66.

Route 66 did all of it's filming in the actual locations where the episodes were set. So, those are actual Philly streets you see, not the Universal backlot. Part of the fun of the series is seeing what America actually looked liked from 1960 to 1964.

I went to college in Philadelphia, maybe I'll recognize some of the locations.

Our story starts at a party in a hotel suite.

Tod is having a good time with his date.

Buz is having a good time with his date.

This guy is not having a good time.

This big oaf bumps into both Tod and Buz on the dance floor.

The guy watching from the door is Harold, he is hosting the party in his father's hotel suite. The big oaf is Duke, who showed up to the party without an invitation. He then proceeded to steal Harold's girl and insult Harold by telling him, "Get me a beer, boy." 

Harold's getting the beer for Duke. But, that's not all he's going to give Duke. He and his friend, Ray, are going to spike Duke's drink with an experimental drug. Although it's never stated in the episode, I think these two are students and they got the drug from the university they attend.

Harold is hesitant about putting the drug in the beer, but Ray convinces him that it will do no permanent harm to Duke. Ray himself as participated in the drug trials and knows that Duke will start yawning, then go "ape for while". When it wears off, "he won't know what hit him". Ray pours the white powder into the beer and Harold takes it out to Duke on a tray.

But, Duke refuses the drink! Tod then seizes the opportunity to quench his thirst and swipes the beer. He quickly downs the entire glass.

That didn't go as planned.

Shortly thereafter Tod is sitting on the couch yawning.

His date wants him to "dance those yawns away". They are on the dance floor for a matter of seconds when Duke bumps into Tod again.

The listless Tod is knocked to the ground by the careless Duke. Tod returns to the couch for a nap while his date is summoned to the kitchen by Harold and Ray.

In the kitchen, Harold and Ray ask Tod's date if he is a stable individual.

"He's a very nice guy, a dreamboat, and a gentleman."

Tod's date reminds me of another petite brunette with large eyes, Judy Milner, Martin's wife of 58 years.

(This picture of Mr. and Mrs. Milner is from the Martin Milner Private Collection page on Facebook.)

Ray then spies Tod sleeping on the couch. Thinking this will be the extent of the drug's effect on Tod, a relieved Harold and Ray begin acting as if nothing has  happened.

But then, Tod suddenly awakes with a start.

He sees Duke dancing nearby.

He punches him, then throws him across the room.

Buz tries to intervene, but Tod pushes him out of the way, too.

Like a scared rabbit, Tod backs out of the hotel room and away from the shocked party guests.

He climbs over the balcony, drops down two stories, and begins running away from the hotel.

Buz fights his way through the crowd and chases after his friend. He can't keep up with Tod and he loses him. Tod runs away from hotel and into the night.

Dr. Anderson, who has been running the drug trials, is now at the hotel suite. He can't believe the "idiotic and dangerous" prank Harold and Ray have pulled. He calls the police and reports that Tod is in an "induced psychotic state and potentially dangerous to himself and others".

Buz provides a description of Tod, "6' 1", 185 pounds, light brownish hair, green eyes, and loaded with freckles".
That sounds about right.

Shortly after the dispatch on Tod goes out to the Philadelphia PD, Officer Romero in car 22 arrives at the hotel to question Dr. Anderson about the drug and the effects it will have on Tod. 

Tod will experience intense drowsiness (this has already taken place), then confusion and helplessness, next a euphoric and unpredictable stage, followed by paranoia and terror. Finally, the doctor predicts that Tod will fall into a deep depression accompanied by suicidal thoughts.

An angry, impatient, and concerned Buz will join Officer Romero as he searches for Tod.  Dr. Anderson will also ride with them so he can administer the antidote.

Out in the darkened city, Tod wanders the streets in a stupor; oblivious to his surroundings.

He almost gets hit by this van, which reminded me of another van.

Not only did the Route 66 production crew travel across the country to film the show, but Marty's entire family traveled with him to almost every location. For a time, Marty, Judy, and their children went from state to state in this Chevrolet Greenbrier Sportswagon.
(This picture is also from the Martin Milner Private Collection page on Facebook, which has lots of great personal photos Martin took while filming Route 66.)

Tod moves along a sidewalk and comes across a shop with a display of mirrors in the window.

He looks alarmed at his own reflection.

And with good cause, he's hallucinating that his reflection is laughing at him.

He flees from the shop window down an alley where he knocks over some rubbish. A man comes out on a fire escape, shouts at Tod and shines a flashlight in his eyes. He takes off and runs erratically through the city streets.

Exhausted, he collapses in a doorway.

The sound of his own heartbeat suddenly becomes deafening.

His pulse becomes fainter, only to be replaced by a loud ticking.

He tries to silence the noise by smashing his watch against the building.

But that does not work. Tod is in the doorway of a clock shop, with a variety of timepieces displayed in the window. 

The maddening cacophony of the clocks spurs him to flee.

Tod then spots a hot dog vendor and asks him for water.
The vendor tells him, "Water, you want water? Pray for rain."

He grabs the vendor and shouts, "The world's full of wise guys! Guys that push and shove on the dance floor!"

Not wishing to enrage him any further, the vendor gives Tod the water. He quickly drinks it, then asks for more. 

He takes the second cup and dumps it over his head. He runs away laughing like a lunatic.

After Tod leaves his stand, the hot dog vendor calls the police. When Buz arrives with Officer Romero and Dr. Anderson he asks the vendor what Tod looked like.

"He looked like a kook, that's what he looked like."
He goes on to claim that Tod looked like a "psycho, a killer".
"With that guy loose, there ain't nobody safe in their beds tonight."

Meanwhile, a deliriously happy Tod has come busting through the door of John's Chancellor Room.

Tod wants to shake the hand of his new friend, Joe the bartender.
Yes, that is "Grandpa" Al Lewis! This episode just got better!

Joe, however, does not want to shake Tod's hand. He doesn't like the way he slammed the door when he came in. When his friendship is not reciprocated, Tod's mood turns dark.

"The Earth turns. I just offered you the bright side of friendship, there's also the dark side. Choose!"

 After staring each other down for several tense seconds, Joe decides to offer Tod his hand in friendship. Tod then orders a beer with a martini chaser. He makes a lengthy and poetic toast to friendship in rapid fire cadence and orders another beer, this time with a manhattan chaser. Tod's mood quickly changes from happy to confrontational when he catches Joe staring at him.

He also flirts with the piano player, Red.
Who, ummm, how can I put this? Doesn't look like your typical Route 66 girl, the likes of which include Julie Newmar, Joey Heatherton, and Barbara Eden.

An old lady, who looks like she is part of a Salvation Army band, enters the bar asking for charity donations. Joe tries to chase her out and Tod makes a solemn toast to "Lady Charity".

"He who bestows his goods upon the poor shall gains much and ten times more."

Joe wants her gone, she is a con-artist who goes by the moniker Tambourine Maggie. This infuriates Tod, so Joe lets her stay. Tod then makes a compassionate speech and convinces all of the bar patrons to contribute to Maggie's cause. Before she leaves, Maggie promises that all of the money will go to charity.

Red shows her appreciation to Tod for bringing "life and love to this crummy joint". She and Tod will leave the bar together.

Once again, Officer Romero and company are one step behind Tod. They arrive at the bar after Tod has left with Red.

Joe doesn't like cops and doesn't want to help Officer Romero. He thinks Tod "ain't no psycho".  In fact, he praises Tod for having "more brains, more moxie, and more hutzpah than any other guy who's bellied up to this plank". Officer Romero and Dr. Anderson leave without getting any information out of Joe.

But, Buz is not going to leave without Red's address. He locks the door after Romero and Anderson leave, hops over the bar, and brandishes Joe's behind-the-bar bat. He persuades Joe to give up the address.

At Red's apartment, she and Tod are having a good time. Drinking, laughing, rolling around on the floor kissing, throwing their champagne glasses into the fire. In the midst of all this, Tod starts shivering with cold.

"It's like the angel of death just flew between me and the life-giving sun."

Red leaves the room to get more champagne and Tod tries to warm himself by the fire. When Red returns, it is evident that Tod has moved onto the paranoia and terror phase of the his trip.

Oh, hey, Red have you done something with your hair?
He has a hallucination that Red has transformed into a witch.

A frightened Tod makes a hasty retreat from Red's abode.

When we see next Tod, it is morning; but he is still trapped in his night of horrors.

He is stranded on the street, sobbing uncontrollably.

The officer in car 12 (OMG, car 12!) spots Tod. 

The officer tries to convince Tod to come with him, but the paranoid Tod punches him and knocks him out cold.

"I know you, you're trying to kill me," says Tod right before he takes the officer's gun.

At this point, Officer Romero, Dr. Anderson, and Buz finally catch up with Tod. The armed and frantic Tod fires the gun at the police car, wounding Officer Romero.

Tod runs from the scene and starts climbing up the Ben Franklin bridge. Buz follows him.

After the long and terrifying night, Tod and Buz finally reunite high over the Delaware on the Ben Franklin bridge. Tod, now in the final stage of the drug's effects, wants to die. He tells Buz, "The two great adventures for mortal man, being born and dying. Now I want to experience the second, and I believe, greater of those adventures; death."

Buz tries to convince his friend that he does not want to die, he has his whole life ahead of him.

"No, in this night I lived a hundred lifetimes. I saw God and the devil locked in mortal combat. Infinitely vivid, incredibly detailed. I lived my whole life, back to the very moment of my birth. For me, only one great adventure remains."

Buz tells Tod that he was drugged and asks him if he wants the devil to win. God wants him to live. If he dies, the devil will win. His words break through Tod's drug-induced fog. 

As if he has just awoken from a dream, Tod is suddenly aware of his surroundings. He fearfully clings to his best friend for safety.

The next scene opens with a shot a of this building, which I presumed was a university or hospital in Philadelphia.

But, the Route 66 production crew played a sneaky trick on me. This is a  stock photo of Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore! 

After Tod's rescue, he sleeps for a deserved twenty hours.

Dr. Anderson examines Tod and gives him a clean bill of health.

Buz is waiting for him in the hall, they then walk out of the university (or hospital) together.

Actually, they're leaving neither a university nor a hospital. They're on the stairs of the Franklin Institute here.

This monument, The Aero Memorial, is directly across the street from the Franklin Institute. That's how I knew where they were standing.

Tod pauses to appreciate the gifts he has regained, "the good sweet air, the newborn day, the sun, the sky, and the life He gave us".

The End

Well, that's my favorite episode of Route 66. A beautiful combination of Milner's acting, poetic writing, and the story of a dedicated friend. I hope you have a chance to see it, if you haven't already. 

If you want to catch Route 66 this summer on MeTV, here is a link to their site and summer schedule.

I hope you enjoyed my contribution to the blogathon. If you want to read more blog posts about other classic TV shows from the MeTV line-up. The link to the blogathon schedule is here.

Finally, I want to give a special "thanks" to Johnathan Andrew Sheen and Diana Downing for their help with this piece.