Review of Cobra Kai's Season 1: The Brothers' Name
Review of Cobra Kai's Season 1:
The Brothers' Name
May I begin by lamenting that this week's 15-episode final season of Cobra Kai only consists of the first five installments? Netflix, what's up with that? Dear Chief Sarandos, why? When the next five drop, people will have their Christmas lights on. We'll have to make the most of these, I suppose.
It's difficult to predict where the majority of the dispute will originate at this early stage. Indeed, Kreese remains active, and these fifteen episodes are unmistakably geared toward the Sekai Taikai international karate tournament, which will demand an intense training regimen. However, a significant portion of Cobra Kai has revolved around people switching allegiances; most of the young characters indulge their worst impulses at Cobra Kai for at least a season before discovering harmony and balance at Miyagi-Do. Especially with the introduction of new characters like Kenny, seasons four and five did a pretty good job of balancing the odds; now, almost every child and adult we know at Miyagi-Do is on the same side.
The primary dispute in this episode centers on what to call the united dojo—which has been going by "Miyagi-Fang" as a stand-in. Daniel is considering his legacy now that he has made the decision to step down from his full-time sensei role following the major competition, which helped spread the word about Miyagi-Do throughout the globe. With his bad recollections of Kreese snatching Cobra Kai, Johnny is similarly protective of maintaining his power, still smarting from the destruction of the Eagle Fang dojo. And Chozen believes that all he has left is to preserve the Miyagi-Do name because he is still running away from his issues following Kumiko's seeming rejection. Daniel finds it difficult to persuade either Johnny or him to give up their fight for name rights.
At this point, I became concerned because Stingray tries to persuade Johnny to give back Cobra Kai by tricking him into a meeting. Though that seems like something Johnny might do in a bad mood—after all, he truly dislikes being called a pussy—it would have been the most uninteresting path this tale could have gone in season six. With the threat of international fame hanging over his head, that insult along with Stingray's more sincere plea to help Johnny love and respect himself could cause Johnny to seriously reconsider his association with Daniel.
However, Johnny is truly prepared to let go of Cobra Kai, which implies he's also prepared to let go of Eagle Fang, a moniker associated with Kreese as it served as a stand-in for Cobra Kai at all times. As it occurs, Johnny is adamant on preserving Miyagi-Do as the name even though Daniel and Chozen were already considering giving up to maintain peace. He informs his two coworkers in a heartfelt moment that they have improved both him and his pupils.
Aside from Johnny and Kreese, of course, "Peacetime in the Valley" also shows a lot of development for the two couples with what may be the most unresolved baggage on the program. After using the power of karate to finally put an end to their animosity in the last finale, Sam and Tory are now just uneasy around each other. When Miguel and Robby talk about the tension and draw comparisons between their relationships and that of their respective women, it's kind of humorous and nice to watch. It took them a while to figure things out on their own; Sam and Tory just require more time and possibly some encouragement.
However, the girls don't really need an excuse to go on a double date to the arcade because they don't really have much in common outside of karate. Sam remarks, perhaps naively, that she is having trouble choosing a college, and Tory points out that her year on probation will likely make it difficult for her to get into any college at all. Bravo to all those who contributed.
But Robby's side project offers a unique environment in which Sam and Tory can at last start their bonding process. For some time now, Robby has been feeling bad about splitting up with Kenny and leaving him to receive a harsh education at Cobra Kai. In addition to wanting to help Kenny, he wants to welcome him to Miyagi-Do and make apologies. However, now that he is out of prison, Shawn, Kenny's brother, doesn't want his sibling to be around the mentor who let him down. He chastises Robby at the arcade. then becomes violent when Robby approaches him at the batting cages once more. The big fight in this first episode is set up by Miguel, Sam, and Tory stepping in as backup, which culminates in a brawl that finishes with the females telling Kenny he has a place at Miyagi-Do.
Sam and Tory's problems were ultimately resolved by fighting, and Kenny may need to do the same to escape his downward spiral. Even though Shawn and Robby were on different sides of the argument, they both had Kenny's best interests in mind, and Shawn is now aware of Silver's harmful impact. It seems to him that Miyagi-Do might be able to help. Kenny can develop his sense of balance and reflect more on the kind of man he wants to become there.
Perhaps "Peacetime in the Valley" jumps a bit too quickly toward these joyful conclusions, bringing together two couples who have felt cut off from one another for a very long time (indeed, since they first met, in Sam and Tory's case). However, I always like seeing how much these characters have developed, and each of these storylines shows how much they have evolved. Everyone is getting along better than ever, though I'm not sure I believe Mitch when he says there won't be "any more heel turns." Is Cobra Kai truly Cobra Kai when he doesn't make any heel turns? I hope the show gets a chance. There is a competition to win, after all.
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