by Unknown
This is the first episode where the name of K.I.T.T.’s indestructible alloy is given—the Molecular Bonded Shell.
As Michael is driving to Caesar’s, just before April calls him to say Devon has been poisoned, a copy of David’s script can be seen lying on the passenger seat.
The part that Michael removes from K.I.T.T.’s engine bay confirms the car had the Crossfire Fuel Injection option.
Behind the Episode: “Goliath”
Details from the Novel
Michael’s comlink must be recharged.
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Garthe and Elizabeth’s last name is Bishop. In chess, the knight and the bishop pieces are equally matched, point-wise.
Elizabeth was Wilton’s fourth wife; they were married four years. Garthe’s African prison was called the Tongo M’Kimbe death camp in the Jimbaru Province.
Garthe left for Europe when he was seventeen and did not return to the States until this caper.
Wilton rebuilt Michael’s face not only from old OSS photos of himself, but also from the few photos that existed of Garthe. Wilton didn’t keep them in the house and never looked at them or mentioned his name. Professor Henry LaCosta is the third man to know the formula for K.I.T.T.’s Molecular Bonded Shell (called the Bonded Molecular Shell in the book).
After his collision with Goliath, Michael flipped K.I.T.T. over with a gas jack, then installed a ram jet stored in K.I.T.T.’s trunk. K.I.T.T. is able to move the dice in the casino with a new function called “The Pusher”—it animates small objects using ultra-high frequency sound. Brother’s Keeper
Episode: 23
PROD. #57805
Original Airdate: October 9, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: December 25, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #2: June 24, 1984 (Sunday)
Writer: E.F. Wallengren
Director: Sidney Hayers
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Guest Cast: Gerald Gordon (Peter McCord), Catherine Mary Stewart (Lisa Martinson), Michael Fairman (Eric Fenton), Tim O’Connor (Phillip Hunt), Robert Bralver (Alex Payne), Fred Lerner (Sal), Fitzhugh G. Houston (Brewster), Marland Proctor (Officer Jeffries), Dean Wein (Highway Patrolman #1), Michael J. Cutt (Highway Patrolman #2), Vince McKewin (Officer Rogers)
When inmate Peter McCord refuses to be granted parole, Michael goes in to the prison to get him out. Eric Fenton, Peter’s half-brother, has planted a bomb somewhere in the heart of the city and the Foundation believes the placement of the bomb somehow connects to Peter’s past. It’s a race against the clock to find out where the bomb is placed in the city and disarm it. Commentary:
Another very well known episode by fans, “Brother’s Keeper” has an almost non-stop sense of action and adventure. The effect of cutting to the bomb’s timer counting down multiple times in the episode adds to the excitement. Besides that, Michael has an All-Points Bulletin out on him throughout most of the episode due to his earlier prison escape. Many scenes from this episode would make it into the second season opening credits, including the prison wall turbo boost and some driving sequences. Notes:
Supervising Producer Joel Rogosin on the semi’s redesign: “We made an effort to redesign the truck by adding a sleeping compartment, We also redid the interior so it had a little bit more of an office feel to it. It warmed it up a bit.”
This episode is also one of the few that feature scenes in rooms of the Foundation other than Devon’s office.
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Highlights:
April installs a Bomb Detection Module.
K.I.T.T. briefly alters his license plate in this episode from KNIGHT to KNI 667 to evade a policeman.
Featured Songs:
“She Works Hard for the Money” by Donna Summer
Trivia:
Robert Bralver, who played Alex, was the show’s original stunt coordinator. This is the first episode where we see the familiar “desert” commercial breaks. Merchants of Death
Episode: 24
PROD. #57807
Original Airdate: October 16, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: March 18, 1984 (Sunday)
Writer: William Schmidt
Director: Alan Myerson
Guest Cast: Dana Elcar (Edward Strock), Joe LaDue (Jack Kragen), Deborah Allison (Camela/Amelia Clermont), Linden Chiles (Albert Ebersol), Kurt Smildsin (Sam Richards), John Wesley (U.S. Marshal) When Amelia Clermont disappears, her daughter Camela enlists the Foundation’s help to find out what happened to her. Going through her personal items, Michael finds a picture of a surplus yard and goes to investigate. He finds the SX-411 helicopter inside, an advanced chopper with Knight Rider Season Two •
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heavy armament. Using Camela’s likeness to her mother as an advantage, Michael manages to draw out the SX-411 for a showdown against Michael and K.I.T.T.
Commentary:
“Merchants of Death” uncovers a bit of Devon’s past, something not explored very often in the series. Michael and K.I.T.T. have an enjoyable scene where K.I.T.T. tests Michael’s music knowledge by playing “Name that Tune,” but Michael fails miserably when “California Girls” by The Beach Boys comes up. The story itself isn’t overly spectacular, however the climax with K.I.T.T. taking on the SX-411 chopper using a multitude of functions to try to throw it off plays out fairly well.
Notes:
The SX-411 is described in the script as “awesome, a full-blown attack helicopter, the K.I.T.T., as it were, of helicopters.”
Highlights:
April increases the Microwave Jammers to three times their normal strength and installs the Ultra Magnesium Charges.
Featured Songs:
“California Girls” by The Beach Boys
“Breakdown” by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Trivia:
Joe LaDue returns in “Knightlines.”
Dana Elcar would go on to play Phoenix Foundation boss Pete Thornton in ABC’s MacGyver. Both Edward Mulhare and Patricia McPherson would guest star in that series.
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Blind Spot
Working Title: “Insights”
Episode: 25
PROD. #57809
Original Airdate: October 23, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: January 1, 1984 (Sunday)
Writer: Jackson Gillis
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Guest Cast: Elyssa Davalos (Julie Robinson), Sam Vlahos (Alfredo Diaz), John Milford (Louis R. Gastner), Michael J. London (David Dudley), Arthur Taxier (Mel), Christopher Coffey (John Murray), Javier Grajeda (Ramon), David J. Partington (Officer Peter Gray), Akosua Busia (Nurse) A mysterious man calls the Foundation saying that he has evidence that Louis Gastner killed a man in a car compactor. Michael prepares for the evidence drop but two bystanders, John and his girlfriend Julie, get caught at the wrong moment and John is shot. However, Julie is blind and Michael finds out that he is no closer to finding out who shot John because of Julie’s condition.
Commentary:
“Blind Spot” is a well written installment that contains many lessons, such as not judging someone by their looks. Julie teaches Michael that even though she is blind, she is still capable. One of the funniest scenes occurs when the poor police officer keeps seeing Julie drive K.I.T.T. knowing that she is blind! The trajectory guide is used—the first time it is seen in the original airing sequence. However, it is not referred to as being “new” in this episode because it is introduced in “Big Iron” (which did not air until the end of the season).
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Notes:
Julie tells K.I.T.T. that his voice has, “a little too much gain to your tweeter and a slight metallic tone to your bass.” K.I.T.T. offers to change voices for Michael.
Featured Songs:
“Oye Como Va” by Santana
“Maniac” by Michael Sambiell
o
Trivia:
NBC touted this episode as “The Jaws of Doom” in its weekly promotions. Return to Cadiz
Working Title: “To Forgive, Devine”
Episode: 26
PROD. #57801
Original Airdate: October 30, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: March 11, 1984 (Sunday)
Writer: Larry Forrester
Director: Alan Myerson
Guest Cast: Anne Lockhart (Jennifer Shell), Guy Stockwell (Zachary Sloate), Nicolas Coster (Paul Manley), Michael Bowen (Bobby Shell), Marion Yue (Nurse Tracy), Ken Scott (Karl Roessler), Jack Gill (Jack) A young scuba diver is attacked while searching for a sunken Aztec treasure. After he washes on the shore with a case of the bends, Michael and K.I.T.T.’s investigation leads them to the man who wants the treasure—Zachary Sloate, a ruthless treasure hunter who is after a rare Aztec statue named Nacinda. 182
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Commentary:
Viewers would not get to see K.I.T.T.’s “waterwings” again in the original series due to the high cost. The next time K.I.T.T. would ride the waves would be the reunion movie Knight Rider 2000. The end of the episode has K.I.T.T. referring to April as a mother-type figure because when he was told to go in to the water, he didn’t want to. When he was told to get out, he wanted to stay in.
Notes:
Anne Lockhart on her return to the Knight Rider set: “David was still busy around this time doing car shows and being with Catherine Hickland without taking too much time off for himself. When we were filming this scene where David has to go in the water, he was scared to get his trunks wet and that made me laugh because in Baywatch he is always getting his trunks wet!”
Highlights:
April installs the Third Stage Aquatic Synthesizer, which allows K.I.T.T. to ride on water.
The Chemical Analyzer is also seen for the first time.
Featured Songs:
“Every Breath You Take” by The Police
Quotes:
(Michael) “You didn’t sink buddy! You didn’t sink!”
(K.I.T.T.) “No thanks to you.”
Trivia:
Ken Scott returns in “Knight in Disgrace.”
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Anne Lockhart had to take seasickness capsules when she filmed her scenes on the boat.
K.I.T.T. the Cat
Working Title: “An Attractive Nuisance”
Episode: 27
PROD. #57824
Original Airdate: November 6, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: April 29, 1984 (Sunday)
Writer: Janis Hendler
Director: Jeffrey Hayden
Guest Cast: Geena Davis (Grace Fallan), Keene Curtis (Griffin), Jack Starrett (Lieutenant George Barth), Bill Wiley (Maxwell Elliot), Terry Moore (Molly Friedrich), Paul Pepper (Ricky), Kopi Sotiropulos (Kopi the Gardener), Wally Taylor (Security Guard)
Devon tells Michael about a string of robberies committed by a cat burglar believed to be the deceased Raymond Fallan. K.I.T.T. accesses his file on Raymond Fallan and finds that he has a daughter, Grace. She tells Michael that she just got an invitation to attend a party thrown by George and Molly Friedrich, and the two go together. Grace excuses herself and heads to the powder room just as K.I.T.T. beeps in and says the silent alarm was just set off. The lights go out and the cat burglar strikes again, leaving many to believe, including Michael, that Grace is the culprit. Commentary:
Tom Green recalls, “[Geena Davis] was amazingly good, and way above the others in talent and personality and intelligence. I remember thinking 184
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she is going to go very far in the business. I also remember at the time she was bemoaning to the director, a wonderfully talented director named Jeffrey Hayden (who is married to Eva Marie Saint) how lonely it was in Los Angeles and how much she would love to find someone to go out with. At the time I had just broken up with my girlfriend, and Jeff came to me and said, ‘Why don’t you go out with her?’ I told him that I had a policy never to date people I work with. He kept pushing it, saying she was only working that one week, and when the episode was over, there would be nothing improper about calling her. I stuck to my policy, even after people have worked with me, so I politely said thank you, but I just can’t do that. Of course to this day, I keep slamming my head against the wall!
To think there was even the slightest chance that I could have had even one date with Geena Davis!!!!”
Featured Songs:
“Telephone (Long Distance Love Affair)” by Sheena Easton
Quotes:
(Devon, astonished by the large party bill) “Valet parking? Caterers? Orchestra? Do we really need an orchestra?”
Custom K.I.T.T.
Episode: 28
PROD. #57821
Original Airdate: November 13, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: April 1, 1984 (Sunday)
Teleplay By:
Story By: William Schmidt and Robert Specht
Director: Georg Fenady
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Guest Cast: Denise Miller (Carrie Haver), Melinda O. Fee (Suzanne Westen), Angel Tompkins (Nora Rayburn), Bernard Fox (Commander Henry Ashburton Smythe), Michael Huddleston (Hector), Albert Salmi (Buck Rayburn), Brian Cutler (Dobie), Robert Pastorelli (Leroy) During an afternoon drive with a friend’s classic Pennington Ascot Regency automobile, Devon is hit from behind by a young woman. Frightened, she asks Devon to retrieve her purse from the car. Devon does so, and the young woman takes off in the Pennington. Devon asks Michael and K.I.T.T. to join a car show to weed out the thieves. Commentary:
K.I.T.T. again protests over being decaled as he did back in season one’s
“Slammin’ Sammy’s Stunt Show Spectacular.” Seeing K.I.T.T. with bright red flames, a high rear spoiler, custom rims, and chrome exhaust pipes makes this episode very memorable, as does K.I.T.T.’s disappointment over receiving Honorable Mention at the car show’s conclusion. Notes:
Joel Rogosin recalls, “Bill Daniels called me up from the recording studio one day and asked me to look at a particular page in the script. I cracked up because he said, ‘I don’t think the car would say that’. He was right, so we changed it.”
Highlights:
After getting oil all over themselves during the climatic fight, K.I.T.T. refuses to let Michael and Carrie back in the car. Featured Songs:
“One Thing Leads to Another” by The Fixx
“Promises, Promises” by Naked Eyes
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Quotes:
(K.I.T.T.) “You wanted to steal a car, and now you’ve stolen the ride of your lives!”
Trivia:
The teaser features a scene with Devon talking to Michael without the monitor frame in the shot.
Soul Survivor
Episode: 29
PROD. #57829
Original Airdate: November 27, 1983 (Sunday)
Rerun #1: March 25, 1984 (Sunday)
Rerun #2: August 12, 1984 (Sunday)
Writers: Robert Foster and Robert W. Gilmer
Director: Harvey Laidman
Guest Cast: Ann Turkel (Adrianne Margeaux), Brian Robbins (Randy Merritt), Jon Cypher (George Atherton), Janet Carroll (Denise Merritt), Carl Strano (Fredericks), Frank Birney (Assistant Manager) Michael is lured to a young woman’s house where he is drugged and tossed out on the side of the road. Meanwhile, a young boy named Randy manages to override K.I.T.T.’s CPU and takes control of the car. Back at the Foundation, Devon asks Michael if he thinks he can find the woman’s house. As they are leaving the abandoned home, Michael senses that K.I.T.T. is nearby. He walks into the garage, and sees a red glow from a box. Devon and Michael are speechless when they realize that the item glowing from the box is K.I.T.T.’s CPU.
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Commentary:
This episode is one of
the best from season two and the series. Seeing K.I.T.T. have an “out of body experience” is quite distressing to both the F.L.A.G. family and the viewers at home. The scenes that have K.I.T.T.’s CPU installed in a portable television unit are true classics and it is easy to tell how “downgraded” K.I.T.T. feels in this state. Michael doesn’t help the situation, throwing quips like “How ya doing down there” at him. Introduced in this episode is Adrianne Margeaux, a ruthless seductress who manages to incapacitate Michael and reprogram K.I.T.T. for an art heist. She would later team up with Garthe Knight in “Goliath Returns,”
marking the only time that two villains from different episodes team up against Michael.
Notes:
Robert Foster on Michael and K.I.T.T.’s friendship: “Dick Lindheim told me (early in the second season) that he asked his secretaries what they liked most about the show, and they said the relationship between Michael and K.I.T.T. He asked why they felt that way, and they responded, ‘Who wouldn’t want a friend like that?’
He credited me with developing that relationship. Apparently, I had unconsciously created that camaraderie.”
The episode begins with Michael playing “Pac-Man” on K.I.T.T.’s dash, a fact which he remembers in Knight Rider 2000. The turbo boost at the end of the episode is actually the same turbo boost from earlier in the episode, only shot from a different angle. Also notice the guest credits list Ann Turkel’s character’s last name as
“St. Clair” when it is actually “Margeaux.”
Highlights:
While driving in Devon’s convertible, Michael states that “It’s kind of fun driving with the top down,” to which K.I.T.T. replies, “If being burned by the sun and buffeted by the wind is your idea of 188
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fun.” He apparently had a change of heart by the fourth season when a convertible option was added to him.
Trivia:
Ann Turkel returns in “Goliath Returns” and “Knight in Retreat.”
K.I.T.T.’s portable television set seen in this episode would be back in “Junk Yard Dog” and “Knight of the Juggernaut.”
During the filming of this episode, actor Brian Robbins, who played Randy Merritt, caused quite a panic when he took K.I.T.T. off the set for a brief joyride.
Ring of Fire
