Knight Rider 1x16 "Kinght and the City" - Discussion and Spoilers

[Christopher]

Turbo boosting onto the overpass was pretty cool!

Except totally ludicrous. They were almost right under the overpass when they started; at best, they would've undershot it, at worst they would've slammed right into it.

Well, if they're trying to emulate the storytelling style of the original series, they've succeeded. Michael Knight helping an old friend who's being harrassed by petty crooks, Mike hooking up with the babe of the week, even the obligatory slapstick of the carjackers being befuddled by KITT. All the formulaic beats.

It did have some offbeat twists to it, though, like the pacifist bouncer and the car-crash artist.

I think this must've been meant to be the first episode after the format change. For one thing, it shows Billy bringing in the couch that was already in the control room in the bank-heist episode (he and Zoe were asleep on it at the start of that one). For another, it had Billy and Zoe trying to hash out who was in charge, as if it was a new arrangement they were still adjusting to.

 

[Trekker4747]

Turbo boosting onto the overpass was pretty cool!

Except totally ludicrous. They were almost right under the overpass when they started; at best, they would've undershot it, at worst they would've slammed right into it.

In the same show a large mini-gun appeared out of KITT's engine compartment and then retracted back into it -there's no sign of a minigun hatch on his hood- as well as in this show KITT occasionally morphs into a truck. Doing a side-turbo boost onto an overpass? Nothing.

Yeah, it was silly, but still pretty cool.

And, yeah, some of those things did make it seem like this episode was supposed to be earlier in the rotation.

 

[Christopher]

In the same show a large mini-gun appeared out of KITT's engine compartment and then retracted back into it -there's no sign of a minigun hatch on his hood- as well as in this show KITT occasionally morphs into a truck.

I can suspend my disbelief for those by assuming the application of advanced nanotechnology. But this isn't a conceptual error, it's an error in execution. You could clearly see that the car was way too close to the overpass when it started the jump for its trajectory to be at all credible. It's hard to suspend your disbelief when the car is visibly moving on one path (beneath or into the underside of the overpass) in one shot and a totally unconnected path (well above the overpass) in the shot that immediately follows. It's a problem of onscreen visual continuity, tantamount to, say, having a character's hairstyle go from straight in one shot to curly when the camera cuts to a new angle. It's quite simply a mistake. And it's a mistake that the director could've easily avoided by having the jump begin further back. That's just sloppy.

 

[Trekker4747]

Agreed enough. It's sloppy but also common. I see contnuity/distance nonsense all of the time in TV and movies.

Let's just say that some swamp gas reflected off the light from Venus causing a momentary localized distance judging discontnuity in the area.

 

[cb31]

I'm really starting to like this show! Some of the characters are a little annoying at times but it's nice to have a show on that isn't always dark and moody with bunches of cliffhangers.

 

[nx1701g]

It wasn't bad but for Knight Rider that usually equals at least an above average.

 

[davejames]

I can suspend my disbelief for those by assuming the application of advanced nanotechnology. But this isn't a conceptual error, it's an error in execution. You could clearly see that the car was way too close to the overpass when it started the jump for its trajectory to be at all credible. It's hard to suspend your disbelief when the car is visibly moving on one path (beneath or into the underside of the overpass) in one shot and a totally unconnected path (well above the overpass) in the shot that immediately follows. It's a problem of onscreen visual continuity, tantamount to, say, having a character's hairstyle go from straight in one shot to curly when the camera cuts to a new angle. It's quite simply a mistake. And it's a mistake that the director could've easily avoided by having the jump begin further back. That's just sloppy.

It looked to me like we only got the first and last shot of that sequence. I have a feeling, like with the KARR episode, that the FX guys had to cut some corners and take out some stuff in the middle which would have sold the stunt a lot better. After all the buildup, it just seemed way too quick and abrupt.

Who knows, maybe like the KARR stuff, it'll show up on youtube shortly...

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Do you think there's a market anywhere for a gun that spins it barrels at high speed but only fires about ten rounds completely inaccurately? Like maybe for people who want the feel of a machine gun but can't get the permit?

 

[zephramc]

I liked it. I really didn't care for the turbo boost scene, but eh... whatever.

On that note, why was Mike concerned about a few dudes with rifles chasing him in a couple of SUVs? The minigun was out of ammo? So what? He's still driving an almost indestructible car, that can travel at speeds exceeding 200mph and, if I recall correctly, also has missiles and a high powered laser.

Mike should have pulled over on the side of the road and moon'd them from inside KITT while they shot a him.

 

[God Magnus]

I think this must've been meant to be the first episode after the format change.

You're on to something. A couple episodes were shuffled around during the course of the season, this being one of them. The "why" is kind of a head scratcher though.

 

[Christopher]

You're on to something. A couple episodes were shuffled around during the course of the season, this being one of them. The "why" is kind of a head scratcher though.

Probably they felt an episode about Mike stopping a grandiose, violent bank heist was a stronger opening for the new format than an episode about Mike stopping a few bar fights.

 

[Darth_Pinche]

The episode was just ok. Nothing terrible, but nothing really enjoyable either. Which is my main disappointment. The early shows in the season were so over the top and ridiculous, it was like going to a carnival. Cheesy, lowest common denominator fun, but also some real thrills. Now it is so bland. This show is just going to fade away, which is too bad.

 

[TheInsideMan]

I wasn't impressed with this one.

+1 to the 'turbo-boost looked very silly' camp.

 

[davejames]

I liked it. I really didn't care for the turbo boost scene, but eh... whatever.

On that note, why was Mike concerned about a few dudes with rifles chasing him in a couple of SUVs? The minigun was out of ammo? So what? He's still driving an almost indestructible car, that can travel at speeds exceeding 200mph and, if I recall correctly, also has missiles and a high powered laser.

Mike should have pulled over on the side of the road and moon'd them from inside KITT while they shot a him.

Actually watching it again, the street was wide enough that he could have just swerved around them. lol

 

[davejames]

The episode was just ok. Nothing terrible, but nothing really enjoyable either. Which is my main disappointment. The early shows in the season were so over the top and ridiculous, it was like going to a carnival. Cheesy, lowest common denominator fun, but also some real thrills. Now it is so bland. This show is just going to fade away, which is too bad.

Nah, I far prefer the new version. The stories before jumped all over the place and were so badly-executed that it was painful to watch. The stories now may not be original, but at least they flow well and make some kind of sense.

Plus the interaction between Mike and KITT and the rest of the team has become much more fun and entertaining to watch.

 

[Iasius]

I like this rebooted version of Knight Rider. I'm never going to watch this show for its intellectual appeal, but I do remember watching the original show together with my father when I was a young kid (say 7 or 8 years old) and the latest episodes capture that feeling much better than the earlier episodes.
I can't really say that the plots have gotten more believable overall; though the structure has improved, but that's not even the point (for me). It's really a nice show to think back to the old days (of my childhood) and not to worry too much about the plot. I think this latest reincarnation of Knight Rider is actually quite close to capturing the spirit of the original and that's enough for me. The earlier episodes just didn't capture that feeling and also were just too stupid.
I still won't feel particularly bad if this show gets canceled, but if it is not, I look forward to a second season.


Also, my now 27 year old self doesn't mind seeing Deanna Russo every week.

 

[Christopher]

Also, my now 27 year old self doesn't mind seeing Deanna Russo every week.

We hardly see any of her anymore. That's the main problem with the reboot: she's been marginalized. They should've kept Bruce Davison around to do the job she's doing now, and let her continue going out in the field with Mike and KITT.

Heck, in the pilot movie, she was more credible as a lead and a partner for KITT than Mike was. He seemed like he was just tacked on as an obligatory male lead; Sarah was the interesting one. But in the series, she's become progressively less and less interesting, to the point that she's now just kind of there.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Heck, in the pilot movie, she was more credible as a lead and a partner for KITT than Mike was. He seemed like he was just tacked on as an obligatory male lead; Sarah was the interesting one.

I agree with this.

 

[davejames]

We hardly see any of her anymore. That's the main problem with the reboot: she's been marginalized. They should've kept Bruce Davison around to do the job she's doing now, and let her continue going out in the field with Mike and KITT.

I'd like to see her out in the field more too, but not riding along with Mike and KITT. We got lots of that early on, and I don't really want to see any more. That relationship has already been explored to death.

 

[Nick Ryder]

But I do love the whole Zoe and Billy dynamic. I'm in love with Smith Cho now. God I want a girlfriend like HER! Sarah's alright, but eh... she's a bit of a bitch in heels at times. At least Zoe's kinda fun. Far more fun to watch than April or Bonnie ever were. And the fact that there's a sort of 4 man team kinda works. Two techs that play off each other is much better than one know it all tech that just has Mike to play off of.

And KITT is definately getting more and more likeable. He's got personality now. And that SCREAM he gave as they turbo boosted, that was CLASSIC. I thought it was a Mike shout out, but it was KITT! "You scream like a girl KITT."

I loved this episode, some decent music, some interesting sci-techy stuff (those monitors they use at the SSC are pretty awesome) a cute 'babe of the week' that Mike 'played' with. Dumb crims trying to steal/break into KITT.

Now if they had more that evoked the spirit of the 80s series, this would kick ass