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Politics can be a dirty business, but Just My Bill takes things to another level. The episode sees a senator targeted for assassination by a political rival determined to stop her from voting against a controversial bill. For once, the villains genuinely feel like they are operating above the law, casually throwing plenty of hired muscle at the problem. At one point they even resort to firing rockets from a helicopter. We know KITT is bulletproof, but rocket-proof? Apparently we’re about to find out.
The Plot
Devon assigns Michael to protect Senator Maggie Flynn, whose campaign against a controversial energy bill has earned her some powerful enemies. After a series of attempts on her life, Michael convinces Maggie to lie low under Devon’s protection, while he investigates the attacks alongside Maggie’s aide, Jane Adams. Their search for answers soon points toward Maggie’s political rival, Senator Forbes, and a ruthless businessman who may be pulling the strings behind the deadly conspiracy.
My thoughts
Just My Bill continues Knight Rider‘s streak of entertaining episodes by introducing enough fresh ideas while still delivering everything that makes the series so enjoyable. The biggest twist is the identity of the person Michael is assigned to protect. Instead of the usual young woman in distress, he must safeguard an elderly female senator. Since the show clearly isn’t interested in making her Michael’s romantic interest, her young secretary quickly joins him for most of the episode. After all, someone has to provide the obligatory sexual tension.
The senator is played by Carole Cook, a veteran actress with an extensive résumé and a talent for comic timing. Her colorful personality and lively performance lean more toward comedy than the gravitas you’d expect from a politician, making her scenes with Michael a refreshing change of pace. Once Devon convinces her to leave Los Angeles for a supposedly safer location, however, the episode settles into more familiar territory. Michael and the secretary are left to uncover who is behind the assassination attempts.
The investigation itself doesn’t reveal all that much and mainly serves as an excuse for Michael and KITT to cruise around Los Angeles, following leads that naturally lead to plenty of car and foot chases. It’s classic Knight Rider fun. The explosive finale, however, elevates the episode and reminded me of Deadly Maneuvers. Michael and KITT race against the clock to get the senator to a crucial vote, all while being attacked by a helicopter firing rockets. At one point, David Hasselhoff is even shown hanging from the helicopter himself—not a stuntman, but Hasselhoff.
After watching all five seasons of The A-Team, where the use of stunt doubles is often painfully obvious—even in simple establishing shots of the team arriving in their van—it’s genuinely impressive how often Hasselhoff performs his own stunts. Combined with the exciting action-packed climax and the lighthearted humor that precedes it, Just My Bill is yet another thoroughly entertaining episode.
Knight Rider tropes
KITT shenanigans
KITT is on a roll here, and I mean that quite literally. Parked in a garage where the only available spaces are reserved for exclusive vehicles, he ends up playing a cat-and-mouse game with the parking attendant. Every time the attendant reports the illegally parked Trans Am, KITT simply drives himself to another unauthorized spot, leaving the increasingly frustrated attendant chasing him around the garage. It’s a simple but effective running gag that makes great use of KITT’s personality.
The episode even ends on another fun note. A valet attempts to park KITT, only for the car to shut the door on him and drive off to park itself, leaving the bewildered attendant standing there in complete disbelief. These lighthearted moments are easily some of the funniest highlights of the episode.
Damsel in distress
Senator Maggie Flynn is this week’s damsel in distress, although she is initially reluctant to accept Michael and KITT’s protection. That hesitation quickly disappears after they save her from the first assassination attempt. Throughout the middle section of the episode, Michael is paired with Maggie’s younger secretary, but she never really fills the traditional damsel-in-distress role. Instead, she actively assists Michael with the investigation, and, surprisingly for Knight Rider, there’s barely even a hint of romantic chemistry between the two.
Child in peril
Another episode with no kids.
Michael’s undercover identity
Aside from briefly deceiving a secretary by claiming to be an old friend of her boss, Michael never actually adopts an undercover identity in this episode. That’s a first!
The Villains
Once again, the villains are rather bland and forgettable. They’re mostly just men in suits lurking around offices and government buildings, with little to distinguish them from one another. None of them have the larger-than-life presence or scenery-chewing charisma that makes the best villains so memorable, and they’re portrayed by relatively unknown actors who leave little impression.
Notable gadgets
The episode is rather light on gadgets, relying mostly on KITT’s tried-and-true features instead of introducing anything new. He gets to perform a Turbo Boost, enter Surveillance Mode, and even deploy his smoke screen for the first time since Knight of the Phoenix. Aside from those familiar abilities, however, this is a fairly gadget-light episode.
Memorable guest stars
Carole Cook is easily the most recognizable guest star in the episode. With an extensive résumé spanning decades, she’s almost certainly an actress you’ve seen before, even if you don’t immediately recognize her name. Aside from Cook, however, there are no particularly familiar faces in the cast, although performers such as June Christopher and Nancy Lee Grahn have continued acting and remain active to this day.
Random observations
The episode finally explains what KITT’s Surveillance Mode actually does. It’s not the flashiest feature in his arsenal, but it’s nice to see some clarification after it was mentioned without explanation in Deadly Maneuvers.
There are also a couple of fun production goofs. When KITT drives away from an illegally parked space, you can briefly spot a crew member ducking down inside the car. Later, during a Turbo Boost, it’s obvious the jumping vehicle is a stunt car, as the entire front section comes loose the moment it leaves the ground.
The banter between Michael and his colleagues remains as enjoyable as ever. Even the usually by-the-book Devon proves he’s willing to bend the rules when it serves the greater good, adding another fun wrinkle to his otherwise straight-laced personality.
