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.
"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.
shareThanks 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.
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!
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.
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!
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.
BTW you picked the Best Bonds.
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.
I read the book Bond By Bond written by Roger Moore. It was an enjoyable read.
You list 'K.I.T.T. vs. K.A.R.R.' (the 'vs' is not capitalized), but not 'Trust Doesn't Rust', the original K.A.R.R.-episode with Optimus Prime's voice actor?!
Holy cow.
And someone in this thread has the audacity to call this episode cheesy, while the 'sequel' is more corny, more cheesy and more cringy!
'Trust Doesn't Rust' has a really interesting atmosphere, really cool scenes (I can NEVER get enough of the 'quick, bright flash in the dark that reveals 'a shape of something' before disappearing'. That scene is just amazing.
Sure, the drunkard hobos are a bit annoying and the whole capturing Bonnie is a bit silly, but all in all the episode has really cool scenes, like when K.I.T.T. ponders about its 'strange feeling', and then Michael points out, it doesn't HAVE feelings - and when K.I.T.T. is left alone at the end to ponder about things..
This episode is no more cheesy than any other episode, I don't see how anyone could leave this out of their 'best episodes' list, and I really can't see how anyone can insult this episode or call it cheesy!
The whole 'hobos invading the lab' thing is pure gold, beautifully done, and suspenseful. The banter between K.I.T.T. and Michael and the musics, the atmosphere, everything - brilliant. The 'laser solution' is a bit silly, and Michael's psychological conclusion about K.A.R.R. is a bit nonsensical, but all in all, 'Trust Doesn't Rust' is ..
__ T H E __ B E S T __
episode of this whole darn show, so shut your mouth about it being 'cheesy', for crying out loud!
I would NEVER have expected anyone to say that.. haven't you seen the 'old grandma senator' episode? Haven't you seen some of the 'Garth' stuff? What the heck qualifies as 'cheesy' these days??
Also, categorically just STATING 'these are the best ones', implying 'there's no debate', is a bit egotistical, isn't it?
Those are the best episodes according to YOUR OPINION, or even if it's 'consensus', it's STILL an opinion.
Also, there are many good and many bad episodes, lots of atmospheric, interesting or cool moments, great musics and satisfying storylines - it's not written in stone which episodes are 'best' and which aren't.
Sure, some of what you listed are 'classics' for good reasons, but 'are the best ones' is a statement you shouldn't use when talking about things that are heavily opinion-based, like 'which episodes (of ANY show) are the best'.
A viewer might have reasons to like some episode that everyone else hates, for example. Why would you rob the viewer of that experience or at least possibility?
There's a MacGyver episode I am CONVINCED everyone else hates, but I love. I have my reasons for loving it, and it's not a typical episode at all. It might not 'fit' the show, but I am happy they dared try a story like that.
If I had listened to people that write a small list and say 'are the best ones', I might have never seen that episode.
This is why it's important to EXPLORE on your own. Sure, take heed of people's OPINIONS, but remember, that's ALL they are. Yours might vary! Always explore on your own, you might find treasures that go against the grain, like I did.
Best thing is to watch them all and form your own opinions.
Just remember that this is basically 'live-action cartoon', and you'll be able to enjoy it.
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.
All of them. In a row.
share