TV-Reviewed

The pilot/movie didn’t excite me a whole lot, so when the series itself began, I frankly had my eyes set on the premieres of other shows. Knight Rider hasn’t received a whole lot of buzz and after watching the season premiere, it’s clear why: it’s not a very good show.

Although Knight Rider is a recognizable name for a series, it isn’t really known for its excellence. The 80s series was good, but not great. The same goes for the revamped movie which made for a backdoor series pilot. With such a lackluster history, it’s hard to imagine too many people getting excited about the new series.

I liked the fact that there weren’t any major casting changes between the movie and this episode. Sometimes things change, actors get booted when they don’t test well with audiences. There are a number of shows which see these kinds of changes.

Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman

The plot was rather simple, too simple for my tastes. Mike and Sarah were tasked with retrieving a package and some files but were met by some people from Mike’s past which he doesn’t remember. His lack of memory remains a constant throughout the entire episode. It didn’t get to the point in which it was annoying, but it was repetitive.

The question then becomes why doesn’t he remember what happened. It becomes clear at the end of the episode that not everyone within Knight Industries wishes Mike could remember everything. The secrecy about Mike’s identity and mysterious past was the few things that intrigued me, encouraging me to come back and see more of the series.

My biggest complaint with the show is KITT. I don’t have a problem with the Val Kilmer voice overs. My beef remains with the absurd technological advancements made. There’s also the fact that KITT wouldn’t have been able to run without oxygen. Plus, KITT’s escape from the bad guys early in the episode, going into turbo mode, suddenly flying through the air. And last, Knight Rider is looking less like Knight Rider of old and more like Transformers. The transformations KITT is capable of is laughable. This show shouldn’t be on NBC. It is a show for boys, but not for ones who have hit puberty yet. Seriously, this is a show for pre-teens and doesn’t belong on primetime NBC.

Rating: 4.8