The Checklist: Knight Rider (S3 Eps 1 & 2) “Knight of the Drones”
On September 30, 1984 a special two-hour season premiere of Knight Rider aired on NBC.
The episode entitled, “Knight of the Drones” would add to the backstory of F.L.A.G. (the Foundation for Law and Government for those in the know), by introducing the character C.J. Jackson. Jackson was in prison for the murder of Michael Knight’s F.L.A.G. predecessor and now he has busted out of prison, with some high tech help from the outside.
“Knight of the Drones” would also re-introduce the Bonnie Barstow character played by Patricia McPherson. Bonnie played K.I.T.T.’s chief technician in the first season of the show, but a decision was made to replace Bonnie with April Curtis (played by Rebecca Holden) in the second season. That decision was reversed in season three, due to both fan feedback and pressure from the stars of the show, David Hasselhoff and Edward Mulhare. Bonnie would be a major character in “Knight of the Drones” thanks to her past with F.L.A.G. and her connection with the villains in the episode.
But just how Knight Rider was this two part episode? There is only one way to find out, and a super-sized episode like this deserves a super-sized Checklist to put it to the test…
#1. Did the episode feature a cover of a pop music favorite?
Miami Vice was famous for incorporating popular music into the series, but licensed music is costly. Knight Rider took a more cost effective approach and often utilized covers of popular songs instead of the original songs by the original artists.
The covers of two 80’s favorites could be heard in this episode “Jump (For My Love)” and “Little Red Corvette”. 1/1
#2. Was there a car chase?
When one of the key elements of your show is a super fast, super high tech car, it only makes sense that you throw a car chase in as often as possible. “Knight of the Drones” not only throws in a car chase, it makes great use of the streets of San Francisco as K.I.T.T. finds himself pursuing another self driving car! 2/2
#3. Were there any notable guest stars?
The aforementioned C.J. Jackson was played by Jim Brown of The Running Man and Original Gangstas fame. Jackson is sprung from prison thanks to the high tech wizardry of Dr. David Halston, including a radio that transforms into a robot Decepticon style. Halston was played by Jared Martin of The New Gladiators and Karate Warrior fame. I should point out that Halston is also Bonnie’s mentor at this point and someone she has great admiration for… of course, she doesn’t know he’s using his skills for evil at that point.
Halston and his business partner, Margo Sheridan, plan on pulling off a major heist. Jackson was busted out because he has the reputation of being the best box man in the business (that’s slang for safecracker). Halston and Margo also recruit Peter Wong.
Wong HAD the reputation of being the best wire man in the business. There was not a security system made that Wong couldn’t bypass. Wong was played by Evan C. Kim of The Dead Pool and Hollywood Vice Squad fame. Wong did some time but since he’s been out he’s been trying to walk the straight and narrow. When we first meet Wong he’s working as a chef in China Town for a less than ethical businessman named Fong, but thanks to another one of Halston’s radio robots Wong finds himself getting fired by Fong, opening the door for Margo and Halston to make Wong an offer he couldn’t refuse.
This would probably be a good time to mention that Mr. Fong and Margo both had hired muscle… working for Fong, Al Leong (Rapid Fire) and Tadashi Yamashita (American Ninja).
As for Margo… she has some major muscle in the form of The Barbarian Brothers!! David Paul played Clifton and Peter Paul played Turk.
I haven’t even mentioned the creepy strip club manager Bubba was played by Joseph Ruskin, who I instantly recognized as the creepy old guy from PM Entertainment favorites, Firepower and Cyber Tracker or that Joan Chen of On Deadly Ground and Judge Dredd fame played Wong’s girlfriend, Su Lin. This has to be the most notable guest stars in Checklist history! 3/3
#4. Were any innocent bystanders confused by K.I.T.T.?
There is an elderly couple enjoying their retirement and visiting San Francisco… a popular tourist destination. They innocently stop to figure out what sites they are going to see next, they lay out their maps on top of a parked K.I.T.T. and then the old timers nearly crap their Depends when K.I.T.T. drives away on his own after receiving a call from Michael… how does a car without a driver just drive away!??! 4/4
#5. Did Michael Knight communicate with K.I.T.T. via his watch phone?
K.I.T.T. was called away by Michael who found himself in an alley fight with Al Leong and Tadashi Yamashita. K.I.T.T. shows up insults the martial arts duo in Chinese which prompts Leong and Yamashita to turn their attention to K.I.T.T. and allows Michael a chance to question their boss, Mr. Fong.
The watch would come into play later in the episode when Michael and K.I.T.T. “electrocute” The Barbarian Brothers in a cringe worthy scene. 5/5
#6. Was K.I.T.T.’s Turbo Boost button used?
They tease K.I.T.T. turbo boosting over a cable car in the first half of the episode, but there’s not enough room to make the jump safely so we have to settle for K.I.T.T.’s excellent braking system.
K.I.T.T. would get to show off his turbo boosting skills later when he jumped a missile headed in his direction from one of Dr. Halston’s drone cars. But turbo boost does K.I.T.T. no good when a second drone car shoots a second missile from behind and targets K.I.T.T.’s exhaust system. There’s no way K.I.T.T. can avoid the hit, but he can save Michael… 6/6
#7. Was K.I.T.T.’s Ejection Seat button used?
…before the second missile hits, K.I.T.T. activates the Ejection Seat button to propel Michael Knight out of the car and from certain doom. 7/7
#8. Did we get the shot of K.I.T.T. exiting F.L.A.G.’s mobile headquarters?
With K.I.T.T. temporarily out of commission, the F.L.A.G. mobile headquarters rolls in and it sure was a good thing Bonnie returned so she could not only repair K.I.T.T. but add a few new weapons to his arsenal. And when her work is complete we do get to see K.I.T.T. back out of the moving semi and return to action! 8/8
#9. Did Michael kiss the girl?
Usually when Michael kisses the girl, it is “the damsel in distress of the week” who Michael has helped out… but in this case Michael knowingly plays along with Margo Sheridan’s invitation for a romantic rendezvous, even though he is 100% sure it is a trap, but it is the only way he’ll be able to get close enough to figure out what Margo and Halston are up to… so Michael takes one for the team and is smooching with Margo. Very Bond like… 9/9
#10. Did the episode have a light hearted ending?
At the start of the episode, all Michael wanted to do was go sailing (and possibly listen to some “Yacht Rock” covers)… but the whole prison break disrupted those plans. At the end of the episode it looks like Michael will get to go sailing after all, he even has his friends Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare) and Bonnie volunteer to be his first and second mate… but they quickly change plans when they find Michael’s boat is anything but sea worthy. Maybe next time Michael, maybe next time… 10/10
- Final Score = 10/10 (100%) It really doesn’t get more Knight Rider than the Season 3 premiere. It had all the classic elements that made the show a hit… but I will say, there seemed to be way more murder in this episode than I recall.
