A common theme among some of the best episodes of Route 66 is when a character has an unstoppable drive that unfolds as the episode progresses. I realized this when I saw "Like This It Means Father... Like This - Bitter... Like This - Tiger" for the third time recently. It's one of the best episodes where Glenn Corbett's character, Linc Case, carries the weight of the story. From the moment Case enters a bar and thrashes a person who appears to be a stranger, viewers witness a silent rage they hadn't seen since Case's first appearance, in the episode "Fifty Miles from Home." His single-minded mission to destroy the character he thrashes in the first scene is uncomfortable to watch (in a good way, because it's well-played) until the plot introduces the son of the man Case is trying to break; viewers can see Linc come back to consciousness as the son steps up to defend his father. The father is played in a bit corny but interesting way by the actor Larry Blyden, and the kid playing his son, Donald Losby (who doesn't even merit a picture on IMDB), turns in one of the best performances by a young actor in the entire run of the show. Glenn Corbett is underrated by those Route 66 fans who feel the need to compare him to George Maharis, but no comparison needs to be made; Maharis is great in his way, and Corbett is great in his own way. This episode is a chance to appreciate Corbett for what he brings to Route 66, which is solid acting and an open heart.
Route 66 (TV Series)
Like This It Means Father... Like This - Bitter... Like This - Tiger... (1964)
User Reviews
Review this title2 Reviews
1/17/64 "Like This it Means Father
Like This
Bitter
Like This Tiger"
schappe118 February 2016
The boys are still in Savannah. They wander into a bar and suddenly Linc runs at a man, (Larry Blyden) and beats him up. Tod has no idea why and Linc says it's so personal he won't tell him- or the police Blyden doesn't press charges and Linc begins a campaign of harassment against him. He finally explains why to Tod. The man was with his unit in Vietnam and was a picket on their flank. When he encountered the enemy, instead of fighting or warning his fellow soldiers, he hid in the bushes and two of the men were killed because of the surprise attack. He wants the man to admit to his cowardice, (apparently he hasn't told the truth in the past although obviously Linc suspected what happened).
Linc begins to soften up when confronted by the man's young son, who wants to prove that not everyone in his family is a coward. He continues his harassment of Blyden but he wants him to confess for a different reason . He can see that the act of cowardice has ruined Blyden's life: he's an alcoholic who can't hold down a job. He wants him to confess so he can be forgiven and thus forgive himself.
The ponderous title comes from Blyden's explanation of the Vietnamese language to his son. The same word, when pronounced differently means different things – just as people and events when viewed from different perspectives mean different things. It's a thoughtful comparison in a thoughtful episode.
Linc begins to soften up when confronted by the man's young son, who wants to prove that not everyone in his family is a coward. He continues his harassment of Blyden but he wants him to confess for a different reason . He can see that the act of cowardice has ruined Blyden's life: he's an alcoholic who can't hold down a job. He wants him to confess so he can be forgiven and thus forgive himself.
The ponderous title comes from Blyden's explanation of the Vietnamese language to his son. The same word, when pronounced differently means different things – just as people and events when viewed from different perspectives mean different things. It's a thoughtful comparison in a thoughtful episode.
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