Knight Rider (1982) s03e22 Episode Script

No one ever hired Turbo Man for driving through | the front gate like a tourist.
"Turbo Man"? Welcome to Circus Major.
| Terrific.
My friends call me Michael.
She says you're going to give | Circus Major a real shot in the arm.
Why do l get the feeling someone | doesn't want Turbo Man in your circus? Together they'll pass through | the ring of fire.
lf he's that interested in fires, maybe | you should give him one he won't forget.
Incendiary bomb, Michael.
| Jump.
Knight Rider a shadowy flight into the | dangerous world of a man who does not exist.
Michael Knight, | a young loner on a crusade to champion | the cause of the innocent the helpless, the powerless in a world of criminals | who operate above the law.
All right.
The circus, | the circus, the circus.
You know, you can take the boy | out of the circus, KlTT but you can't take the circus | out of the boy.
Michael, would you | kindly explain to me what people find so amusing about 20 grown men, wearing | red noses and baggy pants climbing out of a car | the size of a baby carriage.
Well, it's kind of like | a pie in the face.
lf you have to explain it, | it's just not funny.
"A pie in the face?" Don't tell me that's | another form of circus humor.
Absolutely not.
Well, I'm | certainly glad of that.
They use tomatoes, | eggs, ice cream.
Oh, the magic | and wonder of it all, Bonnie.
Did l ever tell you | about the time- You went undercover in occupied | France as Valentino the Knife Thrower.
Well, well, well, | you remember.
Yes, l spent three months | with Circus Major.
As a matter of fact, my senior OSS | officer, may he rest in peace was Gunther Major, whose | father founded this very show.
Now, Gunther's two children | are the star attractions.
And here comes | our star attraction.
Yo, Devon.
Michael, l am so glad you could | make it to the dress rehearsal.
A herd of dancing elephants | couldn't keep me away.
Hi, sweetie.
KlTT, would you tape the | Flying Majors for me, please? Of course, Devon.
I'll even use | my new image-enhancement lens.
Thank you, l appreciate it.
And now, Circus Major | is proud to present our star attraction.
Ladies and gentlemen.
: The Flying Majors.
Only a handful of fliers | have mastered the art of the triple somersault, | and Peter Major's one of them.
l think l'd feel a lot better | if they used a net.
So would l.
But l don't think | they'd sell as many tickets.
Watch, she's about to fly.
Hey, way to go.
| Yeah.
Now wait till you see Peter.
| You think he'll try the triple? Yes, knowing his father as | well as l did, l'm sure of it.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, Peter | Major will perform the very difficult triple somersault | without a net.
We request your silence so he can | maintain his concentration.
Ladies and gentlemen the seldom performed | triple somersault.
ls it my imagination, or does | he look a little unsteady? Well, no, l don't think so.
No, l'm sure | it's part of the act.
No! KlTT, scan his vitals.
Michael, I'm sorry.
| He's dead.
Oh, dear God.
Devon, you're looking | at that tape for hours.
You want to tell me | what you're looking for? l wish l knew.
All l am certain of is that l | have a nagging feeling that Peter's fall | was not an accident.
Well, you lived | with the family.
l don't think | anybody's more entitled.
Look at this.
He is putting rosin on his hands.
| There's nothing unusual about that.
No.
But watch what he does just | before he catches the trapeze.
He wipes his brow.
Yes, with the | palm of his hand.
Thereby rubbing off some, | if not all, of the rosin.
Something a man whose life | depended on his grip wouldn't do.
KlTT, give me a close up of his | upper chest and head area, will you? Right away, Michael.
He looks like | he's gasping for air.
That's strange behavior for a | perfectly conditioned athlete.
That still isn't | any proof of foul play.
He might've suffered a brief seizure, of | some kind, or maybe even a heart attack.
Or maybe he was drugged.
Did the | authorities perform an autopsy? They're convinced his death was | accidental.
They saw no reason for one.
Do you think you can get them | to change their minds? l can certainly try.
Yeah, well, | for Terry's sake, try real hard.
l'll see you.
Michael, if you're expecting | circus people to bare their souls to you, | forget it.
My research tells me that they're | an extremely close-knit group who are about as open to strangers | as a convention of crime figures.
Ah, but l'm not going in as a stranger.
| l'm going in as one of their own.
Good idea.
How about "The Magnificent Michael and | his Colossal Cotton Candy.
" A bit sticky, maybe, but safe.
l was thinking of something | a little more flamboyant.
What do you hope to gain | by going undercover anyway? KlTT, the only people who were | around him before he fell were his fellow performers.
You think one of them might've | had something to do with it? l don't know.
The only way l'm going to find out | is by being able to move among them.
ln the meantime, give me | everything you got on Circus Major.
Hidden assets, hidden debts.
Most of all anyone who might have had | a grudge against Peter.
Bombo, don't you Don't | you dare.
l am warning you.
lf you get | one drop of water on me Water? l'm not in any mood for confetti, | either.
Confetti? How about greens? Where'd all that come from? | The sky.
lt rained money.
Now, come on, Bombo, | it hasn't rained in a month.
Money or anything else.
Okay, okay, okay.
| Bang found it.
Right, Bang? Bombo, l am warning you.
Okay, Terry.
| Sweetheart, it's a gift.
lt's from us.
Your | friends who love you.
Yeah.
We admit it's not much, | but it's something.
And what the heck if it keeps this crazy circus | going one more day, right, gang we can afford it, huh? | Sure.
Right.
Thank you.
Thank you, | every last one of you.
Ah, don't mention it, Terry.
We | were glad to do it, huh, gang? You bet.
But l'm afraid, it's going to | take a lot more than this to keep Circus Major | from going under.
What we need | Well, we need another big act.
All right, KlTT l think it's time we made our | big entrance on two wheels.
Michael, you're not But | the front gate's wide open.
There's plenty of room.
No one ever hired Turbo Man for driving through | the front gate like a tourist.
"Turbo Man"? Good afternoon, | ladies and gentlemen.
For those of you who haven't | already heard of me allow me introduce myself.
l'm the world-renowned | Turbo Man and this is | my flying carpet, KlTT.
Your "flying carpet"? Excuse me, | ladies and gentlemen my talking flying carpet, | KlTT.
Who can also crash through | solid walls jump fences in a single bound, | drive by itself and imitate any sound | known to mankind.
Give them an example, | O great KlTT.
Michael, really | KlTT.
All right, you asked for it.
Michael, will you kindly take | this poor man's King Kong off my person? Well, don't say | I didn't warn you.
Come on, Bang, let's go.
| Bang? An orangutan named Bang? Let's go.
Well, you certainly | have some act.
Wait a minute, didn't l see | you at the dress rehearsal? Yes, as a matter of fact, you | did.
l came by to audition.
But under | the circumstances l'm very sorry | about your brother.
Yeah.
Yeah, l am, too.
But what's the saying? | You know "Tears are as much a part of | the circus as the laughter.
" Well, maybe even more so.
Look, l can't afford | to pay you much.
Truth is, l don't even | know how much longer l can keep this show going.
Well, the truth is, if l did | this for just the money l'd find another line of work.
Oh, well, then you've come | to the right place, Turbo Man.
Welcome to Circus Major.
| Terrific.
My friends call me Michael.
Let's go sign the contract, | Michael.
You got a deal.
This is the last picture ever | taken of Peter during a performance.
There'll never be | another flyer like him.
Circus is really | in your blood, isn't it? lt's in the blood | of this town.
Majorville has been our | winter home for over 50 years.
We help support the school, the | hospital, we give jobs to people and even help take care | of them when they get old.
Without this circus | in this town we'd just dry up and blow | away.
lt's as simple as that.
Well, we're not going | to let that happen, are we? l'll believe that | when l see it.
So, ready to sign, Turbo Man? | With pleasure.
On the dotted line, l presume.
Do you smell something burning? Yes.
KlTT, we got a fire.
Hurry! Jump in.
Call out | the fire brigade, pal.
Attention, circus crew there's a fire | in the costume tent.
All our costumes are in there.
lf they're destroyed, | we'll have to close down.
Hit it with the C02, | will you, pal? Terry! Terry.
All right, take some deep | breaths.
She'll be okay.
Oh, Michael, first my brother, | now this.
Why? l don't know, Terry, | but l'm gonna to find out.
Believe me, | l'm gonna to find out.
Looks like this is the flash point, | KlTT.
Scan the ashes, will you? I'm picking up a high | concentration of phosphorescence only a few feet | from where you're standing.
See anything interesting | down there? Nothing that doesn't | get better on the way up.
l'm Tiger.
| Huh, you're kidding? And you must be Turbo Man.
| The one with the magic car.
Oh, yeah, well He just sits there.
l mean, l do | all the work.
I heard that, Michael.
And speaking of work, | don't we have some to do? Not now, KlTT.
Michael? | Not now.
He's a workaholic.
You know, | practice, practice, practice.
l see, and you're the type who | enjoys his relaxation, right? Like cuddling up | with a nice soft, kitten in his lap? Maybe my partner | is right after all.
Practice does make perfect.
The show must go on.
There's | no business like show business.
Maybe some other time.
l'm gonna hold you to that, | Turbo Man.
You really | played her along, Michael.
That's one tiger that will never | be on the endangered species' list.
What was that all about? He's snooping around the fire.
l think he found something.
Look, if he's that interested | in fires maybe you should give him one | he won't forget.
Michael, I have that | information you requested.
Shoot.
It's a self-contained, | auto-delay fuse.
I'll try to find out which | company manufactured it and to whom it was sold.
| Also on Circus Major although they have | no hidden assets it appears they have | plenty of visible debts.
All of which they barely manage to pay | the interest on by the first of each month.
Just in time to keep the | wolf away from the door, huh? That's a very good way | of putting it, Michael.
Thank you very much.
| What about Peter? Did you find out if there's anybody | who held a grudge against him? Not to my knowledge.
In fact, it seems he didn't | have an enemy in the world.
There is one thing I found | curious, though.
What? There has been | a good deal of activity on the part of | a European holding company called ITZ | to buy Circus Major.
Now, I realize holding companies | are always buying something or other.
But seldom bankrupt circuses.
| Exactly.
Plus the fact it appears no offer was | ever made directly to Peter or Terry.
Who'd they make it to? Someone | by the name of Jeff Barnes.
Jeff Barnes, huh? See what you | can find out about him, will you? Oh, there's Terry.
Hi.
| Hi.
Where are you off to? | To the bank.
The old mortgage payment, | huh? Oh, you got it.
And as nice as Jeff Barnes is, | he's still a banker inside and out.
Wait a minute, did you say | Jeff Barnes? Yeah, you know him? No, but l'd certainly like | to make his acquaintance.
Well, come on.
Well, the feeling's mutual, | it's nice meeting you, too.
l'm sorry, | l didn't catch your name.
Well, my fans call me | Turbo Man.
Turbo Man.
Of course, Terry's told me all | about you.
Please, sit down.
She says you're going to give | Circus Major a real shot in the arm.
Actually, l was hoping to give | it a shot in the box office.
A shot in the box office.
| That's a good one, real good.
Glad you like it.
| Tell you the truth there isn't anything about | the circus l don't like.
Terry knows this, but well, l wanted to be | a lion-tamer myself.
Ran away with the circus four | or five times when l was a boy.
Trouble is my father was a | banker, as was his father and l'm kind of stuck | lion-taming this desk.
Plus l have a deep responsibility to | each and every one of my depositors.
Look, if that's a hint, Jeff, say | no more.
Here's this month's payment.
Thank you, Terry.
Believe me, if there was any way l | could make this easier, you know l would.
What about finding an outside investor | until Circus Major can get on its feet again? An outside investor? Well, you may be good at jumping | through fiery hoops, Turbo Man but, l'm afraid you're | not much of a businessman.
No investor in his right mind | would be interested in Circus Major.
l mean, as it is now.
Now, that's funny, because when | l was appearing back East l heard rumors | about a company named lTZ.
They said they were interested | in buying out Circus Major.
ls that true, Jeff? Yes.
Yes, somebody from l TZ.
TZ did contact me a while back but l told them that you wouldn't | sell under any conditions.
You wouldn't, would you? | Are you kidding? Even if my life | depended on it.
Well, that's what l figured.
So | l told them to forget about it and l haven't | heard from them since.
Does that | answer your question? l'll think about it | and let you know.
Nice to meet you.
| Nice meeting you.
See you at the show tonight, | Jeff.
Oh, yeah, wouldn't miss it | for the world.
Thank you.
| Okay.
Bye-bye.
Terry, how long have you known | Jeff Barnes? Since l was old enough | to grab hold of the trapeze.
Don't you ask me | how long ago that was.
Why? Just curious.
Well, that makes | two of us, Michael.
Me about you.
| Oh, l see.
Why is it that l have this suspicion that | you're not really who you say you are? Probably just | your fertile imagination.
No.
No, it's the way you seem concerned | about what's going on around here.
About what's happening to me.
Well, Terry, the circus is | just one big, happy family.
l mean, if we don't look | out for each other, who will? ls that the only reason? l'd be a liar, if l said yes.
l'm glad you didn't.
Okay, l've got | some good news for you.
Couldn't come | at a better time.
We're sold out for tonight.
No kidding? And tickets are going like cotton | candy for the remaining performances.
Well, terrific.
What've you | got to say to that, buddy? Well, Michael, | with Terry in the air and us on the ground, | what can you expect? l've got a little surprise | for you.
We're not going to be | on the ground for very long.
Michael, that's one surprise | I think I can do without.
All right, Tiger Lady.
Isn't she great, | ladies and gentlemen? Now, focus your attention | on ring number 3 for Bombo | and the Fire Brigade.
And now direct from the continents | of Europe and Asia a daredevil | who has risked his life over a thousand times.
And now ladies and gentlemen the great, the fabulous the incomparable Turbo Man.
Michael, going undercover | is one thing but do I really have to get | lit up like a Christmas tree? l know how you feel, | partner but if they're planning | on closing this circus there's no better time to | do it than on opening night.
l have to admit, Devon, | he looks fantastic.
Yes.
ln spite of that ridiculous | costume he's wearing.
No, l'm talking about KlTT.
And now, | ladies and gentlemen Turbo Man, will perform | his death-defying feat with no protection | whatsoever fearless Turbo Man | and his faithful KITT will attempt the impossible.
Together they will leap | 10 feet into the air pass through | the ring of fire unscathed.
Now, Turbo Man, can you do it? All right, partner.
Like they | say in show biz, "Break a leg.
" In my case it's "blow a tire.
" Turbo Man, here he comes.
Here he comes.
Incendiary bomb, Michael.
| Jump.
Michael, are you all right? Say something.
Anything particular in mind? Ladies and gentlemen, | the amazing Turbo Man.
lt's funny.
Very funny.
Don't tell me that was part of | your act.
Nobody's that good.
Why do l get the feeling someone | doesn't want Turbo Man in your circus? You can't imagine | how afraid l was when l saw you flying | through the air like that.
lt wasn't the flight.
| lt was the landing.
Michael, will you be serious? | All right, all right.
You have any idea | who planted the bomb? No.
| No.
Did you see | anything unusual tonight? Opening night at the circus | everything's unusual.
No, you know | what l'm talking about.
No, l didn't see | anything unusual.
Look, l'm sorry.
l just don't want to | see anything happen to you.
Can you understand that? | Yes, l can.
But you don't have to | worry about me.
You don't have to be | afraid for me.
But l am.
That's just it.
You know, Terry, in many ways, | you and l are a lot alike.
We live with risk in our lives | so much that it's become | second nature to us.
lf we stop and think about it, | l don't think we could go on.
That's all there is | to it, huh? No.
Good night.
| Good night.
What's that? | Stay here.
Stay here.
Who was it? l don't know.
| But, look, l promise you l'm going to find out | what's going on here, okay.
Okay.
Come on.
Oh, well, if it isn't | the amazing Turbo Man.
Don't rub it in.
l'm not sure | all the parts still work.
You could've gone undercover | as a peanut vendor or a roustabout, but no.
l just hope KlTT's all right.
| She hopes KlTT's all right.
My self-diagnostic indicator | suggests only minor damage.
I hope Turbo Man | is as fortunate.
Don't start on me | with Turbo Man.
Any idea who might have done | it? Someone in the circus.
Oh, that's very good, Michael.
| Very good.
But seriously, folks there's a banker in town | that l'm very curious about.
Did you have any luck with the coroners | performing the autopsy on Peter? Yes, the report | has just come back.
l think we may have something.
"Muscle relaxant.
" There's nothing unusual about | that, not for an athlete.
Wait a minute.
lt's | a very, very large amount.
Enough to cause a shock to his system, | and make him lose his balance which according to the tape | is exactly what happened.
There's also a trace of DMSO.
And it's my guess that it is | was used to administer the drug.
At the rate DMSO is absorbed | into the bloodstream it had to be applied no longer than a couple of | minutes before the reaction occurred.
Anyone patting him on the shoulder | with a small sponge hidden in his hand? Exactly, Michael.
You know, someone wants to | destroy this circus awfully bad.
When killing Peter didn't do the job, | they turned their sights on Turbo Man.
KlTT, did you have any luck in | locating the manufacturer of that fuse? I'm sorry, Michael, the search of | my data banks turned up negative.
That's all right, partner.
l think l have an idea where | to locate one just like it.
You want me to tell Terry? | Thank you, Michael.
l think l should do | so myself.
All right.
l'm gonna set | a little fire of my own.
Catch you later.
KlTT, l keep coming back | to one question.
Why? Michael, we're dealing with | individuals who eat fire hang by their hair, | and swallow swords.
If you want to know | why these people do things you're asking the wrong | computer.
Come on, will you? l mean, it can't be personal.
| They came after me, too.
What's the market value | of that circus land? It's never been on the market, | so it's hard to project.
No minerals, no natural water, | no unusual value.
It's just another piece of | land.
Yeah, well, not to Terry and not to the town and not to the kids | who come year after year.
And not to lTZ.
| Dig a little deeper, will you? Then who is he? | How should l know? All l do know is that l have checked | with every circus in operation today and this so-called Turbo Man has | never worked for any one of them.
He's bringing in bigger crowds | than Peter did.
lt's not the size of the | crowds l'm worrying about now.
Forcing this circus into bankruptcy | is a luxury we can no longer afford.
Meaning? Meaning we have to take a | more direct route to ownership.
Terry.
You're learning, | Bombo.
You're learning.
You know, underneath | that makeup you wear beats the heart | of a true entrepreneur.
All right, take it easy, | Barnes.
Do you want her or not? l want her.
Now.
It looks like Turbo Man's | getting popular.
Let's see how popular he is | with the Tiger Lady, huh? There's her tent | right over there.
Anyone inside? | Negative, Michael.
All right.
Keep your scanner peeled, huh? No question about that.
What do you think | you're doing? Trying to get | your undivided attention.
l'm rehearsing.
| No kidding.
l'm not.
Well, if you want | my undivided attention there are much | better ways of getting it.
Well, why don't you drop the | act? You've lost your audience.
l don't know what you mean.
| You know exactly what l mean.
You set the fire yesterday.
Success has gone to your head, | Turbo Man.
lt's giving you delusions.
All right, get up.
How about it, Tiger? | You're ready to talk? You're wasting your time.
Speaking of time, l wonder how much time | you're gonna get for killing Peter Major? First the fire, and now Peter.
You have quite an imagination.
lmagination won't put you | behind bars, but the facts will.
The way l figure it, you're gonna | be about 50 when you get out.
Give or take a year or two | for good behavior.
l didn't kill anybody.
But you know who did.
| l don't l thought it was an accident.
Then who hired you to start the | fire? l didn't start anything.
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, | l found the fuse in your tent.
Now who hired you? All right.
Either you talk to me, or | you talk to the state police.
Your choice.
Bombo.
Why? l don't know.
He just | said l'd be paid well.
What's Bombo's connection | with this banker, Jeff Barnes? Jeff Barnes? | l don't know any Jeff Barnes.
Tiger.
| l don't.
Okay, now will you let me go? Wait, wait, wait.
You've | got one more performance.
KlTT, call the police | and have them pick her up.
Right away, Michael.
But why? Who? l wish we knew, Terry.
Devon, everyone loved Peter.
| A circus is family.
You can't mean it was | someone here, one of us? l'm afraid everything | points to that.
Peter's murder, the fire, | the attempt on Michael's life.
But why now? l don't | understand.
What's the point? This circus has no real value.
Except to the people who love it, the | people who struggle to keep it alive in a world of pay TV, satellite | dishes, and Michael Jackson concerts.
l have no answers to your | questions, Terry.
Not yet.
But l will have, l promise.
Not only because of what | your father did for me but because l have always loved | you, too.
And l love the circus.
And the world needs | all the circuses it can get.
Thank you, Devon.
l don't know what l'd do | without you and Turbo Man.
Bombo! Michael.
| Yeah, what is it? My sensors detect an | unconscious body in the trailer.
Terry.
Devon, what happened? | Where's Terry? That awful clown.
| Bombo? Yeah, l guess so.
| He must have taken her.
He zapped me before l | had a chance, Michael.
You gonna be all right? | Yes, of course.
l'll find him.
Believe me, | l'll find him.
All right.
Michael, I have that | information you wanted on ITZ.
Lay it on me.
It's not exactly what you'd | call a high-profile corporation.
It has more puzzling twists and | turns than an Agatha Christie novel.
Just get to the heart | of the issue.
Tell me if banker Barnes | is on the payroll? Yes, Michael.
He's a rather | highly paid consultant.
No kidding.
| That's exactly what l figured.
Anything else? I also learned that because of | the proximity of Circus Major to a large container port | and a rail terminus ITZ wants the land to build a | new computerized assembly plant.
Which means they'll eventually have | to buy up all the surrounding land for their warehouses.
| Exactly.
And maybe employ | two dozen people at best.
While all the people who lived there all | their lives are gonna have to move elsewhere.
KlTT, has lTZ acquired any | other property around here? Yes, Michael.
They recently purchased a | warehouse just outside of town.
Bingo.
Let's hit it.
Can't let you do it.
l can't let you and your circus stand | in the way of this kind of progress.
Progress? | What are you talking about? You killed Peter.
| l had no choice.
You wouldn't sell the circus, | not in a million years.
And you helped him.
After all these years, all the | struggles we went through together.
How could you? Well, the circus is dying.
| lt's a dinosaur.
l got my future to think of.
Now, you gonna sign that | contract or not? Never.
This isn't a negotiation.
| You don't have a choice.
Michael, why would a man | in Barnes' position resort to these kind of | tactics? Good question, pal.
Maybe he sees it as one last shot | to do what his father never could do.
Turn a one-stop town | into a personal fortune.
He knew Terry would never | abandon the circus or Majorville.
My guess is lTZ offered him millions | to get her to change her mind.
I do hope we get there in time, | Michael.
So do l, partner.
So do l.
Well l'm glad you saw reason.
Bombo.
Take her out to the desert.
| Michael.
No.
Stop him, stop him.
| Come on, move.
Move.
There are three people in | that garage, Michael, and What? Now l have seen everything.
What are they going to do? | Kill us with confetti? Don't count on it, pal.
| This is no joke.
Michael, those flames | are a mixture of phosphorus, gasoline, | and napalm.
They explode, burn, | and stick to their target.
Tiger's crowning achievement, | huh? I'm glad you admire it but the heat's too intense | for my pyroclastic lamination.
Can't you hit him? l would if | you could hold this thing still.
That was close.
| lt's getting hot in here.
You'd better keep me moving.
Our speed is the only thing | keeping those flames from spreading.
All right, let's show him | how you can move, buddy.
Michael, | if we hit his fuel tank- We won't, pal.
| Just the flame thrower.
Get the clown, KlTT.
| With pleasure, Michael.
You always wanted to be in the | circus, huh? Let's see you fly.
Oh, Michael.
Oh, Michael, thank God.
l'm still shaking.
| lt's okay, babe.
lt's over.
lt's over.
l don't know how you do it.
Hey, | practice makes perfect, you know.
The roar of the grease paint, | the smell of the crowd.
Michael.
There's no | business like show business.
Michael tells me that you're | hiring a new flyer for your act.
l hired the great | Alfredo Mancini.
l lured him away from the Circus Roma by | promising him a percentage of the gate.
Well, l'm sure that he'll be a | very rich man in no time at all.
Michael, do you mind? Hey, | that's what the circus is about.
Sharing the good things in life with | the people you really care about.
Then let me have | some of your cotton candy.
Forget it.
lt's sticky, and | it's messy, and it's all for me.
Michael, will you please | come here at once? What's the problem? The problem is I don't like | bananas in my scanner.
He's just | trying to be friendly.
That's the second problem.
I don't like orangutans, | either.
l want to thank you, Michael.
| Or should l say Turbo Man? Turbo Man is history.
| lt's Michael from now on.
Anytime you need anything, | you call me, okay? Okay.
All right, here we go again.