KNIGHT
RIDER 2000
ACT
FIVE
105 EXT. DOCK – NIGHT
Hedges
and Strand appear at the dock edge, soon joined by their accomplices. All stare
downward as K.I.T.T.’s rear bumper and bar-code license plate disappear into
the dark salt water.
106 INT. K.I.T.T. – UNDERWATER (EFX)
as the
interior dome light flickers on, bubbles rolling over the windshield. It’s
perfectly dry inside.
K.I.T.T.
I trust
you two are all right, but there was no alternative. They’ll assume you drowned
when you don’t come up right away.
MICHAEL
Yeah,
me too. What gives?
K.I.T.T.
Despite
this car’s shortcomings, the passenger compartment happens to be air tight. You
have approximately twenty-five minutes of oxygen remaining.
Shawn
nods, digesting it, the old Shawn briefly emerging.
SHAWN
I never
would’ve thought of that. Forget all the nasty things I ever said about you,
K.I.T.T.
There’s
an abrupt electrical shorting sound.
K.I.T.T.
I’m
afraid I already have.
Another
crackle, sparks appearing under the hood outside creating bright smoke-filled
bubbles.
MICHAEL
What’s
going on?
K.I.T.T.
The
rest of the car isn’t as watertight. I only have about thirty seconds of voice
transmission left.
MICHAEL
K.I.T.T.,
if water gets into your motherboard…
K.I.T.T.
I know.
I guess this is goodbye.
(beat)
I’m
sure some of my chips will be salvageable, Shawn. Of course you’re welcome to
pick and choose.
She
tries to smile.
SHAWN
I’ll do
that.
A big
FLASH and bubbles from under the hood. The dome lights begin to flicker.
MICHAEL
K.I.T.T….you
still there?
A
pause.
K.I.T.T.
At the
risk of sounding maudlin, I think you’re going to miss me, Miccchhhaaaelllll…..
His
voice winds down like a record slowed by someone’s finger…then it stops for
good. Silence. Shawn wants to say something, but nothing appropriate comes to
mind. Michael stares out the windshield into black ocean…then the dome lights
slowly flicker to black.
107 INT. RNA TRAUMA CENTER – NIGHT
A
stretcher bangs through the doors, pushed by Hedges and Strand. They pass the
window of Dr. Glassman’s office, who catches a disturbing glimpse of them.
108 INT. ICU ROOM – CONTINUOUS
as the
gurney pushes through, coming to a stop with Devon’s face filling the frame.
He’s strapped down, very groggy.
A beat,
the Dr. Glassman enters.
DR.
GLASSMAN
Who are
you?
Johnny
Watts appears from the corner of the room and the question is answered.
Glassman can’t hide his recognition of all of them.
WATTS
I think
you know exactly who we are.
Watts
produces his 9mm.
WATTS
Read
the man’s DNA.
109 TIGHT ON RNA MONITOR (CLIPS FROM ORIGINAL
PILOT)
THE
ORIGINAL KNIGHT 2000, a sleek black Trans-Am, streaks by us on a desert plain.
WILTON KNIGHT (Richard Basehart) briefly superimposes over this…
WILTON
KNIGHT
One man
can make a difference.
Wilton
Knight disappears and the Trans Am metamorphoses into:
110 THE NEW KNIGHT 4000
coming
straight for us, swerving just before collision. We instantly go:
111 INSIDE THE KNIGHT 4000 (PROCESS)
as the
infrared image of the night highway streaks past us. It abruptly vanishes from
the windshield, replaced by the following (CLIPS FROM THE ORIGINAL SERIES) :
QUICK
FLASHES of Devon and Michael in the old days. Bits and pieces. No dialogue.
Then:
DEVON
appears in the windshield, sitting in Michael’s bungalow.
DEVON
Michael,
I came out here for two reasons: to see an old friend…and because I need his
help.
Devon
disappears and THE ORIGINAL K.I.T.T. comes racing towards us for a head-on
collision. The windshield FLASHES WHITE UPON IMPACT, then,
COMMISSIONER
DANIELS fills the windshield:
COMM.
DANIELS
Seattle
does not need another law enforcement agency. Period.
THE
ASSISTANT’S FINGERS move over his wrist computer at ten times normal speed,
then MADDOCK materializes:
MADDOCK
You
don’t know the system like I do, Devon. They would’ve needed inside help.
CLOSE
ON WATTS’ FACE
watching
the RNA screen. Truly fascinated.
112 INT. ICU ROOM – TIGHT ON DEVON’S FACE – LATER
as
Devon’s facial muscles twitch at the memories…then relax. ADJUST as Watts steps
into the room. Hedges and Strand look at him with concern.
HEDGES
Well?
WATTS
They
have no hard proof. What the Knight Foundation knows consists of speculation and
vague allusions.
HEDGES
You
need the Doctor for anything else?
WATTS
(shakes
head)
It’s
sad he’s going to become a victim of another senseless handgun shooting, isn’t
it?
They
understand, moving back to the control room to retrieve Glassman. Watts leans
over Devon, lifting a needle from a tray. He injects it into Devon’s I.V. line.
WATTS
Pleasant
dreams.
113 TIGHT ON RNA MONITOR – INT. KNIGHT 4000
(PROCESS)
The
inside windshield of THE KNIGHT 4000 appears again as we speed down the night
highway…then it eerily washes out to a cottony white. The clouds
clear…literally. We’re flying high in the sky, as if the Knight 4000 were an
airplane.
114 INT. PRIVATE JET (ORIGINAL PILOT CLIP)
As
Devon lifts his glass to make a toast with Michael, more than fifteen years
ago.
DEVON
Shall
we drink to what may be the start of…
MICHAEL
…What?
DEVON
One
man’s dream.
MICHAEL
And to
our future, no matter who it may take us up against …or where.
As
their glasses touch, the monitor begins to glow with a bright, radiating light,
pulling us in….
115 INT. ICU ROOM – CLOSE ON DEVON’S FACE
As
Devon’s eyes peacefully close…along with an era.
DISSOLVE
TO:
116 INT. CATHOLIC CHURCH – HIGH ANGLE – DAY
An
ethereal pipe organ floats through the church, sunlight streaking through the
stained glass. A mahogany coffin covered with flowers rests on the altar.
TRACKING
DOWN THE AISLE
Maddock
sits in the front row as a Priest whispers final prayers. Sitting in the same
row are a tearful Sandy and fellow Knight Foundation Technicians. But no
Michael or Shawn.
A few
rows behind we find Mayor Abbey; across from him are Commissioner Daniels and
her Assistant.
RETURN
TO HIGH ANGLE
As the
mourners begin to filter out, the service concluded. SLOWLY PAN AROUND TO FIND
MICHAEL, taking it all in from the shadows of the upper balcony. Undeterminable
grief is etched across his weary face. Michael Knight is more alone right now
than at any point in is life.
117 INT. CHURCH FOYER – SAME TIME
As
Daniels appears, spotting Maddock. For once, she stops her Assistant from
tagging along as she approaches him.
COMM.
DANIELS
I had
respect for him.
Her
eyes say she doesn’t hold the same respect for Maddock. Daniels continues away
just as Mayor Abbey steps into view.
MAYOR
ABBEY
I can’t
tell you how sorry I am. I really liked the man.
Maddock
nods. An awkward pause.
MAYOR
ABBEY
I’ve
decided not to renew your contract, Mr. Maddock. It’s already cost all of us
too much.
MADDOCK
(very
quietly)
Mayor
Abbey, there’s a strong possibility your own police force is implicated with
regard to the illegal handguns.
MAYOR
ABBEY
Can you
substantiate this claim?
MADDOCK
We’re
very close. If you just give us some time…
MAYOR
ABBEY
I see.
Insinuation is not enough to justify your reinstatement, Mr. Maddock. I’m
sorry.
Mayor
Abby steps out the huge doors, facing a bevy of REPORTERS waiting on the church
steps. Leaving Maddock stranded.
118 INT. KNIGHT WAREHOUSE – DAY
The smashed,
rusted Volvo body of K.I.T.T. sits next to the pristine Knight 4000. Shawn
stares at the car which saved her life as Maddock paces past her, eyes focused
only on his creation.
MADDOCK
They
still think you and Michael are at the bottom of the ocean. That and the 4000
will be our major assets.
SHAWN
But
we’ve lost the franchise.
MADDOCK
More
importantly, we’ve lost Devon. One of our own has been killed…I’m not about to
let city sanctions keep me from doing something about it.
(beat)
What
about you?
SHAWN
Me
neither.
He nods
at her with respect, maybe for the first time.
MICHAEL
steps
into view, slowly walking around K.I.T.T. He looks unshaven; a regression
towards the man we saw climbing off his salmon skiff. He picks up his duffel
bag full of tools.
MICHAEL
I
promised Devon I’d help out until your car was done. I’ve filled my end of the
bargain.
He
heads for the door.
SHAWN
You
can’t be serious about leaving now….
Michael
continues on. Then Maddock angrily steps forward, blocking his path.
MADDOCK
I knew
you could never hack it. God only knows what Devon ever saw in you.
MICHAEL
Get out
of my way.
MADDOCK
Gladly
– you’re just as obsolete as that pile of rust you wasted our time and money
rebuilding, my friend. The only thing worse is the foolish effort Devon put
into rebuilding you.
Michael
recoils with a punch to Maddock’s jaw, knocking him against his shiny red car.
He stares at Maddock long and hard, ultimately walking away. Maddock wipes his bloody
mouth…then looks at Shawn with disappointment. He didn’t want Michael to go
either.
119 EXT. FERRY – AFTERNOON
Michael
stands at the railing. Shawn walks up behind him, pulling up her collar against
the salt breeze.
SHAWN
When we
first met, I pegged you as a loser too. But I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Michael
says nothing.
SHAWN
I had
some of the Techies look K.I.T.T. over. They said he isn’t a total write-off.
Maybe you can….
MICHAEL
Maybe
you can.
SHAWN
Not
alone I can’t. Yeah, Maddock’s an ass, but I really think he means well. Still,
he’s not you.
(beat)
This is
hard for me to admit…but in some ways you’re actually superior to me. You have
common sense I don’t. I need you.
MICHAEL
How
about if we dance together one last time at your senior prom?
That
really hurt her…more than he wanted it to.
MICHAEL
Look…you
don’t need me, and I don’t need you.
SHAWN
Oh yes
you do. Only somebody hurting really bad would turn their back now.
He
spins to face her, his anger, frustration and pain purging itself.
MICHAEL
Don’t
you think I know what I’m walking away from? Nobody cared about Devon more than
me, understand? Nobody!
Michael
kicks the metal railing. Gets out his anger…or at least tries to. He leans on the
edge, eyes closed. Shawn moves close to him.
SHAWN
Come
back and help us, Michael. Help Devon.
MICHAEL
I
tried. Look what it got him.
(beat)
He was
wrong. One man can’t make a difference.
She
follows his gaze out to sea.
SHAWN
I’m so
good at research now…I knew I’d find the big reason why you gave up ten years
ago. But guess what? I couldn’t. I think you just burned out. You lost your
purpose.
His
face doesn’t overly confirm it, but she’s right.
SHAWN
Devon
never lost his. I’m sorry to be saying this, but he’d be ashamed of you right
now.
She
exits, leaving Michael alone in the cold.
120 INT. KNIGHT FOUNDATION – COMMUNICATIONS
CENTER – NIGHT
As
Maddock walks through the corridor, passing the bank of worldwide monitors…
U.S.
Secretary of Defense Takashi Yokohama has unveiled plans to train military
troops in computer warfare. All chocolate products must contain a Surgeon
General’s Warning. Due to a five year backup of cases in the Supreme Court,
People’s Court will not televise selected felony trials with home viewers
faxing in their verdicts……
Life
goes on, and so does Maddock. Sandy converges on him with some documents, just
like she used to with Devon.
SANDY
Here’s
the list of police-owned warehouses within county limits.
MADDOCK
Good
work, Sandy.
A
bittersweet smile crosses her face as he continues on. Shawn steps from an
office, joining him.
MADDOCK
Any
word from him?
She
shakes her head.
SHAWN
It’s
been almost a week now. I don’t think he’s coming back.
They
head towards the front door, passing the Security desk.
SHAWN
‘Night,
Charlie.
Maddock
takes another few steps…then stops.
MADDOCK
It
certainly is.
Maddock
moves to the surveillance display, zeroing in on the warehouse monitors.
Everything looks normal. Almost.
SHAWN
What is
it?
MADDOCK
There’s
sunlight coming through those windows….
121 INT. KNIGHT WAREHOUSE – SAME TIME
…but
it’s definitely nighttime, the windows dark. Maddock and Shawn appear on the
upper ramp, staring down at us.
ADJUST
TO FIND MICHAEL, sliding out from under the front end of the Knight 4000. His
Volvo, or what’s left of it, is scattered all over the place.
Maddock
and Shawn walk down the ramp, taking it all in.
MADDOCK
What
are you doing?
With no
warning, the front grille of the Knight 4000 illuminates with a familiar chaser
light pattern.
MADDOCK
God.
You didn’t.
K.I.T.T.
I’m
afraid he did, Mr. Maddock. And I must say this body fits me like a glove.
K.I.T.T.
starts his new throaty turbine engine, Michael climbing into the driver’s seat.
A smiling Shawn steps past a numb Maddock, climbing into the passenger seat…and
the new-and-improved KNIGHT 4000 speeds off into the night.
COMPUTER
FREEZE/BLACK OUT.
END OF
ACT FIVE