Knight Rider : What are the best episodes to watch?

What are the best episodes to watch?

What are the best episodes to watch?

I just got the Mill Creek Bluray set of the full series but finding it hard to find an episode to get into.

I remember the show fondly growing up as a teen but am struggling a bit.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

"Short Notice", "Knightmares", "Race for Life", "Let It Be Me", "Knight of the Drones", "Halloween Knight", "K.I.T.T. Vs. K.A.R.R.", "Dead of Knight", "Junk Yard Dog", "Knight and Knerd", "Circus Knights", "Knight of the Juggernaut", "Knight Song", "The Scent of Roses", "Killer K.I.T.T.", "Deadly Knightshade", "Fright Knight", are the best ones.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

Thanks so much.... Lots there to look into

I really struggled through season 1. Goliath was an episode I had never actually seen on on the bluray they edited both parts into one episode and I actually did enjoy that one.

But reading some of the synosis here on IMDB I found some of the episodes I have seen sounded more interesting in words then the actual episode.

BTW the introduction to the show each episode seemed way more interesting then the actual episodes, and actually made the show feel a lot darker then it was.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

While season 1 does have some fine episodes (like the 2-hour pilot, Deadly Maneuvers, A Plush Ride, Chariot of Gold, White Bird) it also has its share of episodes that are too cheesy. Take the KARR episode for instance, "Trust Doesn't Rust", it gets a lot of praise but it's dang near impossible to get through because it's so damn cheesy and juvenile. Sure I liked it when I was a kid but watching it now is pretty painful. KARR isn't threatening at all, instead he acts like a buffoon who's completely stupid and has to rely on those 2 loser crooks to teach him the ropes. Compare this episode with season 3's "KITT vs KARR" and there's a world of difference. In that episode KARR is actually a cold and ruthless evil presence, not a bumbling fool. I actually call KARR the "Knight Automated Roving Retard" in the season 1 episode. There were other episodes in season 1 which felt too "cute" and cheesy, like something more out of DUKES OF HAZZARD. How about that episode "A Nice, Indecent Little Town" with Michael trying to catch a counterfeiter in a small sleepy town? Hardly what I'd call "criminals who operate above the law". "Not a Drop to Drink" was another pretty cheesy one. I think the show was still finding its footing.

I definitely think season 2 is a pretty big improvement over season 1. Like you said, the 2-hour "Goliath" was a strong season opener. Then later in the season you get "Goliath Returns" (another 2-hour episode). Other standouts are Merchants of Death, Soul Survivor, Ring of Fire, Knightmares, A Good Knight's Work, and I know I'm in the minority but I'm a fan of the 2-hour "Mouth of the Snake" which was supposed to be a launch for a new series. Also while I like Bonnie I had a major crush on April as a kid so I have a soft spot for her, even though she was only in this one season. Then in season 3 Bonnie returns and we get another strong season. Overall seasons 2 and 3 are definitely the show's best seasons!

But I really can't be too hard on season 1 because I still think the 2-hour pilot episode is the best KNIGHT RIDER you'll ever see! It's almost like watching a mini-movie. Best of all, it's tense, dark, touching, action-packed, with none of that cheesiness that plagued some of the other episodes. Michael Long getting shot in the face is an iconic moment (his "baptism by fire", as Wilton Knight calls it) and his re-birth as Michael Knight with a new face and identity is a great hook to build the rest of the series on. Great production values, strong guest cast with fine acting (especially Richard Basehart as Wilton Knight and Phyllis Davis as Tanya Walker), superb music score by Stu Phillips. It's vintage KNIGHT RIDER and probably the best pilot for a series that I've ever seen. It's almost a shame that the series could never again match the quality of the pilot.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

One thing I really did like is how David Hasselhoff managed to double act as both Michael and Garth. As Garth I found I actually liked him more.

Garth wasn't cheesy. But that wooden look on his face. That was a fun character.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

Actually I thought the way he was mugging it up as Garthe was pretty cheesy. Especially when doing that evil stare.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

That was the classic "soap opera stare" that you do into the camera.

Growing up with soaps I spotted that right off.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

Yep! And that can't be a good thing.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

Thanks for your post.

The whole Garth thing is something that bugs me even though I like the idea of actors playing dual roles. Why the hell would Wilton Knight want to make Michael look like Garth his disowned son? Seems a bit duff to do that.

BTW you picked the Best Bonds.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?


BTW you picked the Best Bonds.

Thanks! While I like Dalton and Craig too and can appreciate the darker edge that they brought to the role (a change of pace can be nice every now and then), it is ultimately Connery, Moore, and Brosnan that really captured the essence of the cinematic Bond. Perhaps the literary Bond was a bit different (I still haven't read Ian Fleming's novels) but no one will ever be able to capture the magic of the cinematic Bond the way Sean Connery did. Just think of that white tux and that red carnation at the beginning of GOLDFINGER. That assured swagger and masculine charm that only Connery had! That's just movie magic right there. Then Roger Moore brought in that extra refined debonair English gentleman charm that only he could possess, with that bemused raised eyebrow of his and those well-timed and well-spoken one-liners. No one could deliver those double entendres the way he could. And then Pierce Brosnan swooped in and practically saved the franchise in the 90s when everyone thought the series was pretty much dead. He re-energized the franchise and gave it life in a brand new post-Cold War world. Plus he found that nice balance between the toughness of Connery and the smooth charm of Moore. It was a nice mix of the two.

So yes, those 3 are my favorite Bonds.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

I read the book Bond By Bond written by Roger Moore. It was an enjoyable read.

I used to have a big hard cover book about all the Bond girls but that's since vanished and I can't find anything like that to replace it.

I have a few others about the cars and the movies themselves.

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?


I read the book Bond By Bond written by Roger Moore. It was an enjoyable read.

Indeed it was. I have that book. It's called BOND ON BOND. He also wrote another one called MY WORD IS MY BOND. That's what I love about Roger - he really has the fondest of memories of his time as Bond, and he sees it as the highlight and happiest time of his career. He loves doing his guest spots and talking about Bond. Unlike Connery who avoids anything Bond-related and still looks down on his time as Bond.

Connery, Moore, and Brosnan! Accept NO substitutes!

Re: What are the best episodes to watch?

My personal favourite episode is Good Day at White Rock, this has mostly to do with nostalgia as I remember the bikers camping out and stuff. Nostalgia <3

The guy who cherished his van so much wasn't too pleasant but at the same time it was a tad of a heartbreak to see the bikers breaking it apart.
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