by Unknown
This is another case where the producers should have cast a different person due to Richman’s major role previously in the series. At the end of the episode, the F.L.A.G. family celebrates Michael’s four-year anniversary at the Foundation. As he puts it, “four years ago, I was reborn.”
Notes:
K.I.T.T. says to Michael, “I’m not what you would call a swimmer.”
From this statement, we can deduce that K.I.T.T. never got his Third Stage Aquatic Synthesizer back after it was removed in
“Return to Cadiz.”
Featured Songs:
“Obsession” by Animotion
Knight Racer
Episode: 71
PROD. #60222
266
• Knight Rider Legacy
Original Airdate: November 29, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: July 4, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Paul Diamond
Director: Charles Watson Sanford
Guest Cast: Jourdan Fremin (Elena Thomas), William Windom (Wayne Altfield), John Crawford (Mac Thomas), Grainger Hines (Steve Cochran), Tom Williams (Lon), Cliff Carnel (Jonathan Tunkel), John Mahon (Alfie Girdler), Pamela Bach (Betty), Norbert Weisser (Fredo Lurani)
Bonnie’s old friend needs the Foundation’s help when her racing car mysteriously blows up. Bonnie asks Michael to investigate and he goes undercover as a racer. During a warehouse raid, Michael discovers that the man responsible for the accident is a hit man named Fredo Lurani. Michael calls the racing team and informs them that he will be late—he’s got a fix on the killer and is going to take him out before the race. Commentary:
This episode has many similarities to season one’s “Give Me Liberty…or Give Me Death”—a racer is mysteriously killed and Michael enters the race to weed out the one responsible. Some parts of this episode give the viewer a sense of adventure rarely seen in the fourth season, such as the chase between Tunkel’s killer car and Michael.
Notes:
In the script, Steve Cochran was initially named Corky Batchelor, while Fredo Lurani was originally known as Paolo Lurani. Lurani’s boat was named The Bullseye.
Knight Rider Season Four •
267
Featured Songs:
“Go For It” by Kim Wilde
Quotes:
(K.I.T.T.) “If I keep feeling that beat, I won’t just loosen up, I’ll fall apart.”
(Michael) “No way, you’re uni-welded. You can take it.”
Trivia:
Pamela Bach, the future wife of David Hasselhoff, has a small part in this episode as Lurani’s mistress, Betty.
Writer Paul Diamond was only involved in penning the first-draft script of this episode.
Knight Behind Bars
Working Title: “Girls’ Knight Out”
Episode: 72
PROD. #60202
Original Airdate: December 6, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: July 18, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Richard Okie
Director: Bernard McEveety
Guest Cast: Julianne McNamara (Julie Rodgers), Peter Brown (Jason Nelson), Victoria Bass (Christine Brooks), Stephen Meadows (Matt Erickson), Rosalind Ingledew (Samantha Lawton), Bobb Hopkins (Officer Roark), Gloria Hayes (Dina Shelton), Bonnie Hellman (Woman Jogger), Dominick Brascia (Young Man), Stephen Anthony Henry (Guard), Elven Havard (Gate Guard), Faith Minton (Darleen), Douglas Lawrence (Walsh)
268
• Knight Rider Legacy
While at a party for one of Bonnie’s close friends, two women rob him and copy a set of blueprints for his hotel. Michael finds out the girls are being allowed in and out of prison in order to steal a precious crystal located on the hotel’s top floor. Going undercover as a prisoner, Bonnie infiltrates the prison to create a distraction while Michael breaks into the office to uncover the mastermind behind the theft.
Commentary:
Another Knight Rider story that deals with a corrupt system of justice. This episode is notable for putting Bonnie undercover as a prisoner and becomes one of the season’s highlights as the character of Bonnie seems to have less and less to do and say by the end of the season. If this story seems better suited for the third season, it is because the script was written during the third season and then rewritten as a fourth season episode to include RC III.
Notes:
K.I.T.T. uses Super Pursuit Mode at night in this episode—one of only two times he does so. The only other time is in the episode
“Deadly Knightshade.”
Many elements of this episode came from a third season script entitled “Girls’ Knight Out.” In it, Christine Brooks’ last name is Briggs; she and Jason Nelson use inmates to commit crimes. Matt Erickson is seriously injured as the inmates flee the scene in his stolen car. The basic story stays the same, however many of the other elements are rewritten for this episode.
Featured Songs:
“Walking on a Thin Line” by Huey Lewis and the News
Trivia:
F.L.A.G. headquarters was designed by architect Matt Erickson. Knight Rider Season Four •
269
Julianne McNamara was one a gold medallist in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Knight Song
Episode: 73
PROD. #60230
Original Airdate: December 13, 1985 (Friday)
Rerun #1: July 25, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Burton Armus
Director: Georg Fenady
Guest Cast: Mark Venturini (Keith Lawson), Shelley Berman (Josh Bevins), Paul Carafotes (Velez), Sharon Acker (E.G. Sanford), The New Edition (The Kids), Tom Sullivan (Charley Conners), Hank Rolike (Bartender), Michael Masters (Cabby), Huck Liggett (Traffic Cop) Michael, K.I.T.T., and RC III head to RC‘s old Chicago neighborhood to hear a concert given by Charley Conners at Josh Bevin’s establishment. While listening to the rehearsal in transit, they hear that Josh and Charley are being attacked by a group of thugs. Michael puts pressure on Keith Lawson and discovers that he is working for E.G. Sanford, a land hungry tycoon who hired Lawson to push on Josh Bevin’s property. Commentary:
Struggling for new material, “Knight Song” goes back to shooting in Chicago and utilizing footage from the season premiere “Knight of the Juggernaut.” This episode tries to mask the poor writing by featuring the 1980’s music group The New Edition and plugs their hit song, “Count Me Out,” several times throughout the episode. The influx of guest stars only 270
• Knight Rider Legacy
puts more emphasis on covering up a flawed plot that makes one wonder how such poorly thought out scripts made it to production. Notes:
This is the only episode that has a story focusing on RC III. Bonnie references the last time they visited Chicago in “Knight of the Juggernaut”—“We owe this neighborhood, especially the pit crew RC III put together. Without their help, K.I.T.T. would’ve been declared dead on arrival.”
This episode features the popular 1980’s music group The New Edition. The network wanted to have high profile guest stars in the fourth season, which included Tom Sullivan (also in this episode); Kenneth Norton and Don King in “Redemption of a Champion;”
Lance Burton in “Deadly Knightshade;” Kathy Shower and three Playboy Playmates in “Knight of a Thousand Devils.”
Highlights:
During Michael’s departure from Chicago, he and K.I.T.T. listen to Charley’s concert over the radio. K.I.T.T. begins to sing horrendously—Michael comments that “it’s going to be a long trip.”
Featured Songs:
“Old Time Rock and Roll” by Bob Seger
“Count Me Out” by The New Edition
Quotes:
(Michael) “Boy are you lucky.”
(Bonnie) “Why?”
(Michael) “You didn’t have to lie to him. He always catches you.”
Knight Rider Season Four •
271
Trivia:
The character G. Sanford is named after the third season producer Gerald Sanford.
RC III and Keith Lawson meet at the same outdoor cafe that Michael and Marta Simmons met at in “Knight of the Juggernaut.”
The Scent of Roses
Episode: 74
PROD. #60212
Original Airdate: January 3, 1986 (Friday)
Rerun #1: May 16, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: E. Nick Alexander
Director: Sidney Hayers
Guest Cast: Catherine Hickland (Stevie Mason), Aharon Ipale (Durante/Kurt Rolands), Reid Smith (Stocker), Robert Feero (E. Martoni), Richard Partlow (Klus), Roy Jenson (Purdue), Michael John Meyer (Medic Driver), Craig Schaefer (Medic), Phyllis Applegate (Nurse Miller), William Knight (Head Surgeon), Tom McDonald (Guard), Henry Cutrona (Minister), Ellen Clark (Mildred)
Devon notifies Michael and K.I.T.T. about a break-in at a Government Data Center. Michael arrives and engages one of the men, but he is shot several times. Devon and Bonnie are relieved when the doctor informs them that Michael will make a full recovery. Michael awakens and informs them that he is leaving the Foundation because he has lost his sense of purpose. Devon seeks out the one person that can help Michael during his time of crisis—Stevie Mason. Realizing his mistakes of the past, Michael asks Steviet to marry him and she happily agrees.
272
• Knight Rider Legacy
K.I.T.T. attends the wedding of Michael and Stevie [Courtesy of P. Sher Jr./Code One Auto]
Commentary:
Although this is not the final episode of the series, it is the high point of the fourth season due to a great storyline, excellent acting, and very good writing. It gives viewers an exciting plot that allows them to neatly tie up what we all knew the writers were heading towards—Michael’s inevitable burn out. In retrospect, the hints over the last few episodes were apparent. Alan J. Levi turns to this episode to further explain Michael’s leaving the Foundation in 1990 in Knight Rider 2000.
Notes:
It was David Hasselhoff’s desire to have this broadcast as the series’
finale. He was disappointed when NBC decided to air it midseason. This episode foreshadows the 1991 reunion movie Knight Rider 2000. In this episode, Michael states that he’s getting tired, and in the reunion movie we learn his ultimate decision to quit rested on the fact that he burned out and lost his sense of purpose. Knight Rider Season Four •
273
The title of this episode comes from a quote by Stevie: “You may break, you may shatter the vase…but the scent of the roses will hang
‘round it still. The scent of the roses will linger forever. Forever…”
This episode marks the first time we see how deep Michael is hurt when he loses a loved one. A similar reaction can be seen with Devon’s death in Knight Rider 2000.
The Government Data Center is visited by Michael and K.I.T.T. again in “Knight of the Rising Sun” as Tanika’s business complex. Michael (temporarily) leaves the Foundation to be with Stevie, something he almost did in “Let It Be Me.”
When Michael and Bonnie are reviewing K.I.T.T.’s angle of Michael’s shooting, if they would have backed up a few seconds they would not have needed to perform the complex task of building Durante’s image from the reflection on the briefcase—his face is clear for a few seconds and a simple zoom-in would have sufficed. Featured Songs:
“For All We Know” by The Carpenters
“As Time Goes By” by Rosemary Clooney
“White Bird” by It’s a Beautiful Day
Quotes:
(K.I.T.T.) “Where are we going Michael?”
(Michael) “We’re going home, K.I.T.T., to our family. We’re going to the Foundation.”
Trivia:
David Hasselhoff and Catherine Hickland wept when they heard the music for this episode.
Michael and Stevie’s wedding shadowed David Hasselhoff and Catherine Hickland’s own wedding. In the episode, Devon gives the bride away while the ceremony is presided over by the Reverend 274
• Knight Rider Legacy
Henry Cutrona. At Hasselhoff’s wedding, Edward Mulhare and Reverend Cutrona performed the same duties two years earlier. Killer K.I.T.T.
Episode: 75
PROD. #60226
Original Airdate: January 10, 1986 (Friday)
Rerun #1: May 30, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Simon Rose
Director: Chuck Bail
Guest Cast: Harvey Jason (Marco Berio), Andrea Howard (Bronwyn Appleby), Anne Ramsey (Crossing Guard), Andy Epper (Gordon), Tony Epper (Nicholas Farrell)
During a routine road test, Michael and K.I.T.T. are attacked by two men with rocket launchers. Michael gets out and chases the two men while a woman who looks and sounds exactly like Bonnie gains access to K.I.T.T.’s CPU service port and installs a new memory board. A bitter electronics genius named Marco Berio reveals to Brownwyn that his sophisticated computers are breaking down each component of the car and that K.I.T.T. will soon be under his complete control. Commentary:
“Killer K.I.T.T.” is another rare bright spot in the fourth season. It is also one of the most action packed episodes of the final season (“Knight of the Juggernaut” being another) with K.I.T.T. turning against Michael and even making physical attempts against his life. The producers were no doubt trying to create another K.A.R.R. by having an evil super-car on the loose. Although K.I.T.T.’s programming has been altered before in Knight Rider Season Four •
275
“Chariot of Gold” and “Soul Survivor,” he is clearly much meaner and has a different tone to his voice synthesizer.
Notes:
A line cut from the shooting script has Michael explain to K.I.T.T. why he goes around a stalled truck during his initial chase of Farrell instead of jumping over it—“No turbo boost pal. There are cars on the other side.”
After Michael is ambushed at Farrell’s place, Michael asks K.I.T.T. how he knew they were coming. This line does not make sense in the episode, and the reason is because David Hasselhoff misspoke it. He was supposed to say “How did those two know we were coming?”
K.I.T.T.’s evil voice is described as having “a malevolent tone with an Exorcist hiss.”
K.I.T.T. originally stopped so close to Devon and Dr. Albert in the Convention Center that his front bumper tapped the podium and knocked it over. Although that does not make it into the episode, a line at the end of the episode has K.I.T.T. saying, “To think, I introduced myself to the man who designed my systems by toppling his podium.”
Highlights:
This is the first episode to feature RC III’s dirt bike. He tells the story of how he got it for free, and Devon jokes that he was robbed. His bike is again featured in “Knight of a Thousand Devils” and
“Voo Doo Knight.”
Featured Songs:
“Finally Found a Home” By Huey Lewis and the News
Quotes:
276
• Knight Rider Legacy
(Michael via comlink) “Tell RC his bike is running great. I’ll take good care of his pride and joy.”
(RC III) “You hear that Bonnie? My ‘pile of junk’ is humming along.”
(Bonnie) “I heard, RC. Michael also said he’d take care of it. You know how he takes care of equipment.”
Trivia:
This is the only episode to feature a forty-five second teaser. All others are thirty seconds or a minute. Devon makes a reference to riding a motorcycle, something we actually see him doing in “Speed Demons.”
Michael’s comlink is destroyed again, something that happened in
“The Final Verdict” and would happen again in “Voo Doo Knight.”
Out of the Woods
Episode: 76
PROD. #60211
Original Airdate: January 17, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Gregory S. Dinallo
Director: Harvey Laidman
Guest Cast: Nancy Everhard (Samantha Dutton), Peter MacLean (Jonathan Dutton), P.J. Soles (Ellen Whitby), J. Eddie Peck (Erik Whitby), M.C. Gainey (Jerry Nash), Curtis Taylor
(Dave Nash), Marty Arkelian (Log Grappler), Michael Grayson (Party Guest)
During a party at Jonathan Dutton’s home, Erik Whitby breaks in and begins destroying priceless items with a chainsaw. He claims the Dutton’s are undercutting him in their logging business and demands they stop. Michael investigates and learns that the mill is cutting the timber illegally Knight Rider Season Four •
277
and certifying them with false tickets. Samantha Dutton, Jonathan’s daughter and the one in charge of the mill, realizes that Michael is uncovering the truth and decides to eliminate him and the Whitby’s by setting their house on fire—with Ellen, Erik, and Michael inside. Commentary:
A fairly well done episode with the right amount of action and excitement. During Michael’s investigation, he nearly has a head-on collision with a semi truck, has a load of lumber dropped on him, is caught inside a burning house, is shot at, and is hit by a pickup truck! It’s no wonder that Michael felt burnt out in the earlier episode “The Scent of Roses”!
Notes:
Devon retells a story about how he danced drunk on a table at the last Dutton party.
Featured Songs:
“Workin’ Man Blues” by Merle Haggard
Highlights:
K.I.T.T. is having problems with his voice synthesizer and speaks like a Bronx cabbie every time his system is jolted.
K.I.T.T. uses his Hydraulic Lift and Rapid Cycle functions to free himself and Michael from the timber slide.
Trivia:
This is the only fourth season episode where RC III does not appear. Deadly Knightshade
Episode: 77
PROD. #60229
278
• Knight Rider Legacy
Original Airdate: January 24, 1986 (Friday)
Writer: Philip John Taylor
Director: Sidney Hayers
Guest Cast: Lance Burton (Austin Templeton), Mary Beth Evans (Nancy Marston), Hurd Hatfield (Ariel Marston), William Jordon (Dr. Ian Browning), Sally Julian (The Blond), William Utay (Harry), Mark Harris (Max Henderson), Roberta Haynes (Maid)
At a performance of the great Austin Templeton’s magic act, Max Henderson is summoned by Devon to discuss the Curtis Foundation. Moving up his final act, Templeton goes to Henderson’s room, murders him, and then flees. Michael returns to find Templeton on stage with the perfect alibi—he was bound in chains underneath a wall of spikes. Commentary: