Ep 4. The Man on the Monkey Board

In this episode of Route 66 titled "The Man on the Monkey Board," Tod and Buz make their way to New Orleans where they get involved in the drama surrounding a tugboat captain. The captain, played by Gene Hackman in his first on-screen role, has been locked in a feud with a rival captain for years, and things come to a head when he hires a new crewmember, a man with a dark past and a dangerous anger. Tod and Buz become embroiled in the conflict when they come across the tugboat and its new hire, and they quickly find themselves fighting for their own safety. As the tensions come to a climax, the episode takes a closer look at the themes of loyalty, revenge, and the consequences of holding onto grudges.

The episode begins with Tod and Buz driving through New Orleans on their way to another adventure. They come across a dock with a tugboat named the Orleans Queen, sitting idle and empty. As they watch, a new crewmember, a man named Freddie, climbs aboard and starts working. Tod and Buz think nothing of it until they hear a gunshot and see the tugboat take off, with Freddie hanging onto the monkey board at the top of the ship.

The two men investigate the tugboat and discover that it belongs to Captain Joe Hargis, a man with a long-standing feud against another captain, named Captain Ernest Lee. Hargis is determined to best Lee in every way possible, but his new crewmember Freddie has a vendetta against Lee that goes far beyond normal competition. Freddie is a man with a violent past who holds a grudge against Lee for something that happened years ago, and he's willing to go to great lengths to get revenge.

As Tod and Buz watch from a distance, they see the Orleans Queen ramming into Lee's boat, the Judgement Day. They quickly realize that they need to step in and try to stop the violence before someone gets hurt. They manage to get aboard the Orleans Queen and meet Hargis, who is a gruff and mistrusting man. Hargis is hesitant to let Tod and Buz interfere in his feud, but when they tell him about Freddie's violent tendencies, he starts to listen.

Meanwhile, Freddie is holding onto the monkey board on top of the ship, determined to stay there until he can get a shot at Lee. Tod and Buz realize that they need to get him down before he hurts himself or someone else, so they devise a plan to scare him into getting down. Buz sets off some fireworks, causing Freddie to panic and almost fall off the ship. Tod manages to grab him and bring him down to safety.

Once they have Freddie under their control, Tod and Buz try to get him to see reason and let go of his anger towards Lee. They discover that Freddie's wife had left him for Lee years ago, but instead of moving on, Freddie had become consumed with revenge. It's a cautionary tale about the dangers of holding onto grudges and lettings these feeling lead to violence and destruction.

As the episode comes to a close, the tensions between Hargis and Lee come to a head in a final confrontation that threatens to destroy both of them. Tod and Buz try to mediate and broker peace, but it's clear that the hatred runs too deep for either man to let go of it. The episode ends with Tod and Buz left to wonder about the consequences of holding onto grudges and the importance of forgiveness in moving on from past hurts.

Overall, "The Man on the Monkey Board" is an exciting and tense episode of Route 66 that explores the dangerous consequences of holding onto grudges and the importance of forgiveness in moving on from past hurts. With great performances from Gene Hackman and the rest of the cast, as well as the usual captivating visuals of the Route 66 landscape, this episode is a must-see for fans of the show and anyone interested in powerful drama.