Favorite TV Episodes: Route 66 "City of Wheels" | Syracusefan.com

Favorite TV Episodes: Route 66 "City of Wheels"

SWC75

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ROUTE 66 2/12/62: “City of Wheels”

Another strong episode. The boys get a job helping out at a VA Medical Center. One of the patients is Frank Madera, (Stephen Hill, decades before he became the DA in “Law and Order”), who was a heroic fighter pilot in two wars and a test pilot who has become a paraplegic due to a plane crash. He doesn’t much like his new life and takes his displeasure out on everyone else. He is falling for Bethel Leslie, a nurse at the facility but holds back because “she wouldn’t want half a man”. He develops a grudge against Buz specifically because he wants to help and then because he starts romancing the nurse.

Some episodes of this show focus on the guest characters. Some focus on Todd. Some focus on Buz. This is a “Buz” episode, although he’s clearly co-staring with Hill. George Maharis does a good job of depicting Buz’s emotional journey through this particular job: He starts out wondering if he wants to spend his day with crippled or ill people, a discomfort most of us would probably have beginning in such a job. Then he gets into it, starts to relate to and respect the men he’s working with, (as most of us would.) Then he runs into a brick wall with Frank and wants to quit in frustration. Finally, when he saves Frank from drowning himself in the pool and Frank realizes he wants to live, he’s rejuvenated (as we would be.) it’s a show where it’s easy to step into the character’s shoes and feel what they would feel.

IMDB: "Route 66" City of Wheels (TV Episode 1962) - IMDb

You-Tube: (For free: and it’s not just the ‘opening scene’”)
 

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