Actually I thought Geoffery Horne's monologue was riveting (it's actually ten minutes long, time it). It was extremely unusual on series television either at the time or today to have a character deliver a ten-minute monologue. Whether or not you felt it was a success or failure, you have to take your hat off to the series for even attempting such a thing.
An additional factor to consider: the Route 66 crew had just started shooting this episode on November 22, 1963, the fateful day when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Whatever you may feel about Geoffery Horne as an actor, delivering a ten minute monologue in front of the camera shortly after learning of JFK's death is nothing to shrug at (Horne later said it was the toughest thing he ever had to do as an actor).
One final note of trivia: screenwriter Alvin Sargent later went on to work on the recent Spider- Man films! Although, Peter Parker never got a ten-minute monologue in any of them.
An additional factor to consider: the Route 66 crew had just started shooting this episode on November 22, 1963, the fateful day when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Whatever you may feel about Geoffery Horne as an actor, delivering a ten minute monologue in front of the camera shortly after learning of JFK's death is nothing to shrug at (Horne later said it was the toughest thing he ever had to do as an actor).
One final note of trivia: screenwriter Alvin Sargent later went on to work on the recent Spider- Man films! Although, Peter Parker never got a ten-minute monologue in any of them.