by Unknown
Notes:
K.I.T.T.’s final line (“Given a choice, I prefer alligators”) was added late in production. The script has it ending with Chuck’s line (“Hey little buddy, look who’s here”).
Featured Songs:
“Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes
“Won’t You Please Come Home” (Jazz song)
Quotes:
(Chuck) “And what does this little button do? Eject Left?”
(K.I.T.T.) “Why don’t you check it out, Chuck?”
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Trivia:
John Considine gains a beard and a mechanical hand in “Knight of the Juggernaut;” Ken Foree returns in “Redemption of a Champion.”
This episode marks the one and only time we see a wide shot of the monitor actually working in the picture car.
The ski mode seen in this episode is reused footage from “Chariot of Gold.”
LaSalle is the only person ever able to override K.I.T.T.’s voice transmission, and speak to Michael through his voice synthesizer. Dead of Knight
Episode: 50
PROD. #58607
Original Airdate: December 2, 1984 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: June 9, 1985 (Sunday)
Teleplay By: Peter Baloff and David W. Wollert
Story By: Janis Hendler and Tom Greene
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Guest Cast: Tony Young (Paul Renard), Karen Kopins (Cindy Morgan), Aarika Wells (Eva), Stanley Kamel (Sonney Martin), Victor Campos (Colonel Faisur), Jean Hasselhoff (Rosemary), Bob Larkin (Colonel Jennings), Richard Peabody (Security Guard), Guylaine Sanford (Michele), Joanie Allen (Lori Meadows), Richard Brose (Arnold), Ed McCready (Tourista), Clay Lacy (Pilot)
Michael is on the boardwalk watching a dancer at a beachfront bar while waiting for a meeting between Sonney Martin and a chemical poison dealer. Michael goes after Sonney but he pulls a canister of the deadly 228
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chemical out. Michael ducks and it sprays a young girl behind him, killing her. Back at F.L.A.G., Michael and Devon discuss the incident and Michael vows to find the girl’s killer. Sonney tells his boss, Paul Renard, about Michael and his associate suggests that Michael be eliminated by lethal injection. Searching for the antidote, Michael is told by Renard that he keeps it in his pocket, close to him at all times. The patrons overpower Michael, leaving him helpless as Eva seals his fate by administering the poison.
Commentary:
Another first-rate third season installment, this one having K.I.T.T. race against time to save Michael’s life. Although Michael is initially annoyed at K.I.T.T.’s new found love for telling jokes, it is that very same quality in K.I.T.T. that keeps Michael clinging to life. K.I.T.T. manages to tell joke after joke in order to keep Michael conscious on their trip back from Mexico. Notice the clothing on the occupants of the plane—they match the clothes worn by Tanya Walker and her gang in the pilot episode and the woman is even wearing a blonde wig! The reason is because the producers wanted to keep continuity since the plane explosion sequence was reused from the pilot episode.
Highlights:
K.I.T.T. attempts to tell jokes. Although he gives it his best shot, Michael is clearly in torture with each one. However, when Michael was near to death, it was K.I.T.T.’s jokes that helped to keep Michael alive.
Featured Songs:
“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol
“Torture” by The Jacksons
“When Doves Cry” by Prince
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Quotes:
(Michael on comlink) “K.I.T.T., is that someone coming or going?”
(Rosemary) “It’s Rosemary, and why are you talking to your arm?”
Trivia:
K.I.T.T. states that he has 1000 Mega Bits of memory, and a 1 nanosecond access time. Rosemary the receptionist is actually Jean Hasselhoff, David’s sister. Guylaine Sanford, who played Michele, is producer Gerald Sanford’s wife.
Lost Knight
Working Title: “K.I.T.T. Phone Home”
Episode: 51
PROD. #58619
Original Airdate: December 9, 1984 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: June 30, 1985 (Sunday)
Writers: Robert Foster and James M. Miller
Director: Sidney Hayers
Guest Cast: Jason Bateman (Doug Wainwright), Lenore Kasdorf (Lori Wainwright), Anthony James (Bobby Pell), Karl Johnson (Julius Korso), Duncan Gamble (Jim Turner), Bill Cross (Conrad Marrs), Anne Wyndham (Ms. Jordon), Pamela Bowman (Angel), Alice Nunn (Nurse) The Foundation is invited to watch the demolition of a building using a new type of explosive called XPL nitro plastique. Meanwhile, two masked criminals in a red Jeep hold the security guard at gunpoint and steal the nitro plastique. Devon calls and informs Michael of the situation and he pursues the Jeep. Peli and Korso set off a stick of the plastique underneath 230
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a power transformer. The power lines fall on K.I.T.T. and both he and Michael are electrocuted. Michael gets out of K.I.T.T. and starts to walk to get help. As Michael goes down the road, K.I.T.T. self-activates and drives away. Meanwhile, a young boy named Doug is walking along a path deep in the hills and runs into K.I.T.T. who has apparently lost his memory. Early the next morning, Doug sneaks out of the house to visit with K.I.T.T. but he is caught by Peli and Korso. They grab Doug and take off to the dam to arrange a little explosion to get rid of him. Commentary:
With Michael having already experienced amnesia in “Knightmares,” here it is K.I.T.T.’s turn to lose his memory. Michael is clearly frustrated searching for K.I.T.T. while at the same time trying to find Peli and Korso. This episode contains a few references to E.T.—The Extra Terrestrial. At one point during the episode, K.I.T.T. mistakenly calls Doug “Elliot;” the episode was originally entitled “K.I.T.T. Phone Home.”
Notes:
A promotional commercial for this episode read “An accident destroys K.I.T.T.’s memory. Can guest star Jason Bateman help Michael save him?”
Highlights:
Here, we see K.I.T.T.’s “Evade” button for the first time. Featured Songs:
“Carribean Queen (No More Love on the Run)” by Billy Ocean Quotes:
(Doug) “A talking car…if that’s not a mind blower.”
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Trivia:
Lenore Kasdorf returns in “Fright Knight.”
In this episode, K.I.T.T.’s CPU access terminal is located under the car. In “Killer K.I.T.T.,” it is located underneath the dash inside the car.
Knight of the Chameleon
Working Title: “The Chameleon”
Episode: 52
PROD. #58631
Original Airdate: December 30, 1984 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: June 2, 1985 (Sunday)
Writer: Robert Sherman
Director: Winrich Kolbe
Guest Cast: Dick Gautier (J. Gordon Baxter/Chameleon), Kimberly Foster (Tonie Baxter), Byron Webster (Armand Pressler), Nicholas Worth (Ryals), Don Gibb (Gibbs), Shari Shattuck (Ingrid), Dominick Brascia (Harry), Alice Backes (Judge Edith Webster), Alan Jordon (Major William Anderson), Raymond Lynch (Bryson), James Williams (John Maxwell), Gustaf Unger (Gustaf), Bertil Unger (Bertil), Eric Lawrence (M.P. Guard) Michael and K.I.T.T. face a former enemy dubbed “The Chameleon,”
who can disguise himself as anyone or anything. Michael’s only lead is his daughter Tonie Baxter, whose college career was diverted due to her father and his attempts to secure their financial future. The Chameleon meets with Armand Pressler, an arms dealer, and wants one last assignment to ensure that he is set and offers to steal a prototype jetpack. He manages to steal the rocket pack and blasts himself into the air, nearly avoiding capture by Michael. With time running out, The Chameleon assumes 232
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Michael’s face and Devon’s voice in an attempt to deliver
the “Lone Eagle”
project.
Commentary:
The shoot out between Michael and his double (Baxter in disguise) is a high point in the episode. The fun is in watching Dick Gautier change into so many disguises throughout the show and manage to make himself a great foe that Michael must outwit and outthink. Sadly, Devon and Bonnie are relegated to some very short scenes and are not worked into much of the script.
Notes:
Michael put the Chameleon in jail the first time in August 1982, but that would have been nearly impossible based on the facts of the pilot (he was working on a 6 month case with Muntzy) and the episode “A Good Knights Work,” which had Michael killed on August 8, 1982.
Armand’s Cafe is an homage to the classic movie Casablanca; actor Byron Webster was cast because of his likeness to actor Sidney Greenstreet. Michael meets a young lady there named Ingrid (as in Ingrid Bergman).
Highlights:
A cut scene from the script has Michael trying to impress a girl named Julie in a golf game. She suggests an “indoor sport,” but Michael insists on her getting out once in a while. Michael goes to hit the ball, but K.I.T.T. rings in saying he forgot the tee. Bonnie asks Devon that if he could disguise himself as anyone, who would it be? She suggests Laurence Olivier and Winston Churchill. Michael suggests Boy George. Bonnie says that she would like to become Madam Curie or poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Michael Knight Rider Season Three •
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then says he would like to be Count Dracula and asks Bonnie if he may kiss her on the neck!
Another line in the script, but not the episode, has Bonnie reminding Michael that the first time the Chameleon was loose, he tried to steal K.I.T.T.’s master control.
The script has Michael being locked in a generator room with 3 million volts of electricity threatening to kill him. K.I.T.T. the activates the MEC (Magnetic Energy Concentrator), an unseen function that forced the 3 million volts directly into K.I.T.T.
During Michael’s final chase of Baxter, he originally turbo boosts through an ice truck filled with seafood.
Featured Songs:
“The Lucky One” by Laura Branigan
Trivia:
Nicholas Worth guest stars in “Knight of the Juggernaut,” and Dominick Brascia is in “Knight Behind Bars.”
Scenes in the teaser but not in the episode include Devon saying,
“The Chameleon has already threatened to kill you if your paths should ever cross again,” and Michael saying, “Just when you think he’s run out of surprises.”
While K.I.T.T.’s monitor is scrolling data for Michael’s aliases, it actually reads:
“What the heck, the jury decision to deny Mayor Smith his choice of…these and other stories can be seen on the amazing Canterbury Stories.”
Custom Made Killer
Episode: 53
PROD. #58640
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Original Airdate: January 6, 1985 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: September 13, 1985 (Friday)
Writer: Burton Armus
Director: Harvey Laidman
Guest Cast: James Luisi (D.G. Grebbs), Elaine Giftos (Debra Sands), Alan Oppenheimer (Joe Lewis), Kai Wulff (Flutt), Viveca Parker (Joan Keahey), Phil Rubenstein (Joe), Michael Fox (Phil), Guerin Barry (Photographer), Jimmy Murphy (Tom O’Malley), Maria Lauren (Model), Ron Lunceford (Attendant)
Michael and K.I.T.T. are asked to investigate the death of a fashion designer and determine how his car ended up going over a cliff. Michael begins by introducing himself to Debra Sands and Joan Keahey, who own Deb-Jo fashions. Michael gets Debra to admit that D.G. Grebbs is pushing her hard for money. Set up by Joan, Michael goes to the top of the building and meets the custom made killer car that killed two other individuals. David Hasselhoff leaps to safety as K.I.T.T is destroyed in
“Knight of the Drones” [Courtesy Linda Borchers]
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Commentary:
Getting injured in this episode is one of the few times that Michael really sticks his neck out physically to make a difference (“Knight Song” is another). Here, Michael does the job well in getting Joe Lewis to support those in his industry and they get the satisfaction of watching Grebbs go to jail. A cute scene has K.I.T.T. helping out a photographer and kindly informing a model of her exact weight. Of course, K.I.T.T. didn’t feel as if he said anything wrong at all!
Featured Songs:
“What’s Love Got to Do With It” by Tina Turner
Trivia:
At the very end of the episode, viewers can see through the window that K.I.T.T.’s driver’s side door is open, yet a few seconds later when Michael walks around to get in, the “door open” sound effect is heard.
A fun driving scene has Michael watching hockey in K.I.T.T. as Devon calls in to scold him about his diversions.
K.I.T.T. manages to have another model pose on him, just as he did in season one’s “The Topaz Connection.”
When K.I.T.T. runs a search on the local fashion companies, the monitor displays the following: MCA International, run by Lew Wasserman (the real head of the company in 1985); Blowhard, Inc., run by a G. Larson; Inserts Unlimited; Titles and Opticals; Retardo Graphics; Borg Janitorial; Whamtronix, Inc. and Digital Gorilla. Knight By a Nose
Episode: 54
PROD. #58604
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Original Airdate: January 13, 1985 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: July 7, 1985 (Sunday)
Writer: William Elliott
Director: Bernard McEveety
Guest Cast: Patrick St. Esprit (Tommy Lee Burgess), Toni Hudson (Maxine Flemming), F. William Parker (Dr. Harley Thorpe), Don Gordon (Randy Cavanaugh), Dave Cass (Louis), Rene Assa (Rashid), John Allen (Gino), Floyd Levine (Oscar), Leigh Lombardi (Croupier), Roger Rose (Valet)
When Maxine Flemming’s horse takes a fall during a routine run, Michael volunteers to help her find the real reason behind King Jack’s “death.” His search leads to the track where King Jack last raced. He finds a broken syringe that contained a tranquilizer. Michael deduces that King Jack was not killed, but tranquilized so the prize winning horse could be sold to the highest bidder. Michael must rebuild Maxine’s confidence in horse racing while at the same time, try to find the real truth behind King Jack’s disappearance. Commentary:
A slow story dealing with a missing horse, a foreign buyer, and an illegal casino. Perhaps the highlight of this episode is K.I.T.T.’s new Auto Currency Dispenser which allows Michael access to a Foundation bank account at virtually any time.
Notes:
Notice the shot sequence in the opening montage. It first shows the horse running, then K.I.T.T. driving. Next it shows the horse’s nose, followed by K.I.T.T.’s nose. It then shows the horse’s feet, followed Knight Rider Season Three •
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by K.I.T.T.’s wheels. Finally, it shows Maxine, the horse’s rider, followed by Michael, K.I.T.T.’s driver. Featured Songs:
“Still the Same” by Bob Seger
Trivia:
Michael says that he met Maxine while on the “Grimaldi Case,” a reference to Gino Grimaldi, show’s producer.
Junk Yard Dog
Episode: 55
PROD. #58641
Original Airdate: February 3, 1985 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: August 9, 1985 (Friday)
Writer: Calvin Clements, Jr.
Director: Georg Fenady
Guest Cast: Ramon Bieri (“Acid” John Birock), Heather McNair (Fran), Curt Lowens (Dr. Von Voorman), Alex Kubik (Mike “The Torch”
Zoormagian), Jim B. Raymond (Arthur Stiles), Kathy Shower (Tori), Louis Elias (Chuck)
Seeing that a woman needs help, Michael and K.I.T.T. pull to the side of the road and discover excessive toxic waste in the area that is killing off the land and its wildlife. Bonnie informs Michael that “Acid” John Birock is behind it, and Michael and K.I.
T.T. both go to raid his toxic waste dump. K.I.T.T. gets picked up and dumped in a pit of acid where he is literally eaten alive, completely destroying him. In an attempt to rebuild the super 238
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car, the Foundation must call in the original team assembled by Wilton Knight to create K.I.T.T., but Bonnie fears the car will never be the same again. After a failed test run, the original team recommends that K.I.T.T. be decommissioned and used only for recreational purposes. Commentary:
Knight Rider hits its highest point of the third season in this adventure.
“Junk Yard Dog” manages to feel more like a two hour episode by taking K.I.T.T. and completely destroying him. Here we see Patricia McPherson deliver an intense dialogue when she tells Michael that “K.I.T.T. is more then just the sum of his parts” and even blow up at Michael when he tells her that K.I.T.T. isn’t the same. She delivers the lines with the same emotion as if it was her own child that was dumped in the pit. It’s the only time where K.I.T.T. was damaged seriously enough to warrant the return of the original team that Wilton Knight assembled to repair him. The episode explores K.I.T.T. and his unwillingness to come back so quickly and face his fears, much as a human who was seriously injured would react. Devon gives his okay to fund the rebuilding of the car, but it takes Michael’s guidance to get K.I.T.T. past his fear of going into action. Notes:
After K.I.T.T.’s shell was pulled from the acid pit, Michael originally reaches for the remains of his voice box only to have it crumble at his touch.
A quick eye can spot a set of keys in the ignition of K.I.T.T.’s gutted interior when Michael examines the damage. This is one of the rare times when viewers see that K.I.T.T. did have keys.
Trivia:
Kathy Shower is back in “Knight of a Thousand Devils.”
This is the first time we see K.I.T.T. in his primer undercoat. The next would be during his reconstruction in “Knight of the Juggernaut.”