03x21 - Circus Knights

[bunniefuu]

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 sh*t 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 b*mb, 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 Kn*fe 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 att*ck.

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, g*ng 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, g*ng?

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.

sh**t.

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 sh*t in the arm.

Actually, l was hoping to give it a sh*t in the box office.

A sh*t 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 b*mb, 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 b*mb?

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 k*lling 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 k*lling 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 k*ll 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 m*rder, 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 k*lled 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 sh*t 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?

k*ll 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 t*nk- 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.