As pretentious as its title, this "Route 66" segment spotlighting new cast member Glenn Corbett is quite disappointing. Looking more like a stand-in than a replacement, Glenn Corbett as Milner's new "on the road" teammate opens the show at a Galveston, Texas restaurant having a "Love at first sight" locking of gazes with Ann Helm as she does a Greek dance, and then he's slipped a Mickey, somewhat humiliated by the bar patrons en masse. It's an oddball opening to the show and later when he picks her up in their new Corvette (a sleek shiny metallic model, with no headlights visible) it's a bit late.
The boys are working in a cotton processing plant with forklifts, and first thing, the local constabulary visits Glenn and tells him to leave the girl alone. The script emphasizes his return from Vietnam where he served as a special forces soldier, a quite topical element for 1963.
The boys get into a fist fight with the locals later on at the same restaurant (where's Maharis when you need him?) and get arrested. Once back out, Glenn resumes romancing Helm, but his dull set smile is boring, making one wonder what she sees in our new hero. And Helm is stuck with lousy dialogue, not up to the Silliphant level of early shows.
Like the boys, Helm represents a free spirit trying to find herself, but hanging out in her home town is hardly the stuff of a Kerouac odyssey. Key scene has her ringing a bell at night, perched atop an old red fire engine launching into a Beat Era monologue about herself, a maudlin neurotic breakdown. Glenn continues his blank stare.
Milner steps in, introducing Glenn to Helm's parents, with Alan Hale Junior in a more sombre role than usual. They're worried about her future, expecting her to settle down -she's already engaged, and in college. Glenn rejects Hale's lecture and doesn't listen to Milner's advice either.
Helm recites the Greek myth about Narcissus and feels aimless, wondering if Glenn can be the one to guide her. Intervening is her fiance Bill, who shows up with thugs to attack Glenn, who easily beats all three of them up. Then he gives Helm a speech about the futility of his battles "to take a hill" in Vietnam, and promptly drops her.
Next up the local sheriff lectures him on the generation gap, and Glenn gives him good news -he's about to leave town for the open road once more. And he earns another lecture from Milner. Pretentious emphasis on Vietnam war weariness proves wearying in this episode. Low point is the climax: Glenn and Ann at the fire engine again, with her turning suicidal. Followed by some suspense at last, as he chases her along a scenic pier, trying to save her.
It's not a moment too soon when Milner drives the Corvette away from the Seahorse Hotel and stops to pick up Glenn, ready for their next adventure on the road.