Bonnie Barstow was the lead design engineer for Knight Industries and subsequently the chief engineer for the Foundation for Law and Government. She was mostly responsible for fixing KITT, enhancing his technology and even giving him upgrades.
Background[]
Time at Knight Industries[]
Bonnie was chosen as the lead design engineer for Knight Industries. She was responsible for rebuilding and upgrading KITT as well as creating KITT's Super Pursuit Mode. She was most often seen traveling with the F.L.A.G. Mobile Unit.
Post F.L.A.G.[]
Sometime in 1983 she left The Foundation to pursue a university career. With her duties being taken over by April Curtis. However, sometime in 1984 April seemed to have left The Foundation. Thus, Devon and Michael suggested that Bonnie return as they missed her. She begrudgingly helped them during a case in Knight of the Drones although said she would never return.
However, she later returned after being betrayed by her university professor. She then worked with F.L.A.G. for the remainder of the original series. Before most likely leaving sometime after 1986. As she is never seen or mentioned again in the series and her original role is taken up in other Knight Rider works by different characters.
Physical Appearance[]
Bonnie is an attractive woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. In Season 1, she was wearing white pants. In Season 3, her hair was slightly shorter and she wore a variety of colorful outfits.
Personality[]
Bonnie enjoyed joking with Michael and putting KITT in the forefront of her attention, she lived alone in an apartment and went back to college for a while (Episode 301: Knight of the Drones).
She is also very assertive - Michael once calling her 'bossy and demanding' (S1E9 Trust Doesn't Rust) - and usually
Skills[]
Bonnie is very acrobatic, as seen in Episode 108: Trust Doesn't Rust. She is also a great mechanic who gave KITT Some of his greatest features in the series, including heavy upgrades in Episode 301: Knight of the Drones and Episode 401: Knight of the Juggernaut
Relationships[]
- KITT and Bonnie trusted each other greatly.
- Bonnie and Michael were friends, although she was initially irritated at the lack of care he showed for KITT.
Appearances[]
Bonnie has appeared in Seasons 1, 3, and 4, first appearing in episode 2: Deadly Maneuvers and lastly in Knight of the Rising Sun.
Trivia[]
- Bonnie didn't appear in Season 2 and April Curtis was the new engineer, but Bonnie then returned in Season 3. Reasons for this has never been revealed.
- Bonnie seems to really like Western movies, as seen in the Season 4 episode Fright Knight.
- She also fears flying, a trait shared with KITT, as we see in season 4 episode Sky Knight.
- Her father wanted her to study medicine; in her own words, she had to "practically slash her wrists to convince him she couldn't stand the sight of blood", as she says in the Season 1 episode Just My Bill.