The Cage Around Maria

How is it that week-after-week, our hero Tod Stiles manages to get himself messed up with an insane lady? OK,....sometimes only MILDLY insane. In this case, Elizabeth Ashley ends up rocking herself silly in her nursery chair with a big, goofy-looking doll on her lap; and when the dialogue with Tod gets really stressful, her face contorts and she starts smacking the doll's head, combing its hair with a vengeance. Is this another Route 66-style commentary on the human condition----or just plain dumb?

In any case, it's getting pretty hard to take, especially since most of these characters are so "artsy" in their affectations.

That said, the performances of the three main guest stars are solid, which helps to maintain interest and some degree of credibility in this episode.

I can't wake for "Linc" to show up in the next installment; I don't care if the chemistry between him and Milner isn't as good as it was with Buz-- we need a different dynamic--and SOON! LR