Cobra Kai

The last thing I expected at the end was for Kreese to apologize. But the sinister smile when his back was turned suggests it was just a tactic. He's still a snake. Duh.

I like Sam making Daniel realize Cobra Kai aren't the bad guys. This is something Mr. Miyagi would have convinced him of early on last year.

Johnny punishing Hawk and Miguel was cool. I especially like the cobra and the lion metaphor he used. And when Miguel asks him about it later Johnny admits he's not done growing either. I like that. And I like that this show is resisting giving us actual clear-cut villains.

When Robby tells Johnny Mr. Larusso is a better man than he'll ever be, he's both right and missing the forest for the trees. It's easy for Daniel to be a great man because of his experiences. Johnny is having to majorly struggle to be a decent one, which is more impressive to me. Johnny's metaphor about a Cobra being stronger for defeating a strong animal instead of an injured animal is as good a metaphor as any for the struggles both Daniel and Johnny go through in their non-Karate lives.

This show is so good.  4 1/2 stars.

The way you know that Johnny isn't very bright is that he believes Kreese did him a favor by berating his students. He may have been talking up Johnny's greatness while doing it, but what he was actually doing was taking some of Johnny's power over them for himself. Which is REALLY bad.

I think Daniel needs to learn how to actually ask the questions instead of believing they've already been answered.

Sam asking when the pond had last been cleaned was the correct question.

Solid. 4 stars.

Daniel made a very poor showing this episode. I don't begrudge him slamming Cobra Kai in the ad. That's fine. What is unacceptable is him offering the lessons for free. That was not done because Daniel is good and kind and believes Karate is for everyone. It's because he can afford it in his profit margins, and use it to drive Cobra Kai out of business at the same time, which is beyond dirty. I love the fact that the first kids who show up for free Karate think it's a scam to get them to do chores. What kills me is the kids are dumb for thinking that. If it's a scam, it's a stupid one, and not one worth spending thousands of dollars on for a commercial. I want to think the show is less badly written for that and more that those dumb kids are simply expressing sour grapes upon their laziness. But in reality, it could be either one.

I also love that his commercial got crap for cultural misappropriation, and he was called Daniel Laracist. Lemme tell ya. That specific slam against the movies themselves it totally legit. Daniel expressing surprise is sort of a Mea Culpa from the franchise over how clueless it has been about that in the past.

And one thing I will say about Johnny Lawrence from the films. He never struck me as comic relief. Him buying a computer from a pawnshop (and the broker insisting he's not the Geek Squad) is the funniest thing on the show so far, as was his discovering the "delights" of both internet porn and conspiracy sites. I also love when Aisha tells him they can't afford the rights to the song he wants for the ad, he stupidly says it's all right, he owns the cassette and it's in his car. When did this doof become so lovable? He's so cute and dumb at the same time.

And if I didn't love him enough for that, his scene setting Miguel straight at the diner was beautiful. I thought his reaction to Hawk and Miguel's accusation that he was favoring his son was interesting. He wanted to hear them say he was letting his son effect how he ran his dojo. Neither are brave enough to say it. And he punishes them for raising the question. I like that he's saying the idea is offensive and doesn't deserve to be commented on. Which makes the fact that he DOES talk to Miguel about it after hours matter even more to me.

That was great stuff. Moving and funny by turns. 5 stars.

Daniel redeemed himself in my mind for refusing to post the footage of him kicking those criminals' butts. And I think it's especially cool Robby just accepts that and doesn't post it behind his back. I'm not sure Daniel would have done the same for Mr. Miyagi if the same thing had happened to them. Which is interesting.

Speaking of which, if Kreese does wind up the villain of the season, I am gratified he is not the badly-written Captain Planet villain he turned into in the first three movies. I question his motives and sincerity big time. But his behavior is ambiguous enough that I understand why Johnny, who is really into second chances, is willing to give it to him.

Amanda insisting to the guy Robby was her guest was beyond cool of her to do. Especially because she didn't actually know what the dude was referring to. She put Daniel's reputation on the line for Robby, not even sure of what he did. That's kind of amazing.

The opening scene was amazing because for the first time I was on Kreese's side of Demetri entering the dojo and making those idiotic demands. I thought if he had broken the kid's neck, he would have had that coming. The show is smart however because it knows we feel that way, so it doesn't show the beating itself, because we might change our mind. And yeah, Demetri might be a better fit for Miyagi-Do. I just hope he treats Daniel with the proper level of respect. His scene with Kreese makes me not TOO hopeful about that.

Good episode. I have yet to see this show deliver a bad one. In fact, the show has been so decent, that if and when it does do that, I won't be mad. It will have earned it. 4 stars.

I don't think the Big Bad of the season is going to be Kreese. It's gonna be Eli. I refuse to call him Hawk anymore. He's lost that privilege from me. People don't really change. What that says to me is that Eli was always a bullying poser and just was desperate to be on the other side of that instead of the victim. His persona change isn't empowering then, it's pathetic.

Ralph Macchio played the heartbreak at the end of the episode perfectly. And Johnny saying he was going to be the bigger man is the show continuing to have the right message.

The kid leaving saying he never liked it there wasn't a damning indictment of Johnny, if you ask me. It was Eli who made his time there miserable.

I don't think Robby will be able to stay chaste with Sam for long. But I believe he wants to right now for the right reasons.

I like that instead of being appalled by Johnny's drunkenness and holding it against him, and telling him to stay away from her son, Mrs. Diaz actually takes him home, and HELPS him. And there isn't even a lame predictable sex scene at the end of the sincere talk. God, this show has value.

In real life someone like Demetri is hopeless. But it's fiction. I hope Daniel can actually help him. But if I were Daniel I wouldn't be bonding over Game of Thrones with him. I'd be calling his mom and warning her he's watching that show behind her back. No way a kid Demetri's age should be watching it.

I like that Demetri knows a muscle memory training exercise when he sees it. He's so lazy he tries to get out of it anyways. But he's the first person we've seen trained that way who actually understands the reasoning behind it. Kid's no dummy.

Big episode. 4 1/2 stars.

That was awesome. There was one thing I didn't like, but if I liked everything in every amazing piece of television ever, amazing television would be a lot less interesting. That doesn't stop this from being amazing.

The original Cobra Kai rides again! The bar fight was so much fun, and Tommy telling Johnny he has a great gift in time was amazing. The music roaring as Kreese narrates that Cobra Kai never dies over the close-up as the body bag is zipped up on Tommy is the best final shot the show has ever done.

My one complaint about the episode is Daniel's claim that he joined Cobra Kai. That's not true. He had no idea Terry was affiliated with Kreese OR Cobra Kai. If he had, he never would have accepted lessons from him. This "confession" of Daniel's suggests the morality of The Karate Kid, Part III was grayer than it actually was. And one of the reasons The Karate Kid III sucks so much is that the bad guys are basically a Captain Planet villain team-up. Just because Daniel was tricked, doesn't mean there was any nuance there. And the show trying to give it some in hindsight is admirable, exasperating, and totally wrong all at the same time.

Tommy death's took Johnny out of the dojo during the time he could least afford it. If he were smart, he'd take his friends warnings about Kreese seriously.

I will say this. I don't think Kreese made a convert of Miguel. I think Miguel's smile was done to placate him (and fool the audience). I'm certain Kreese still troubles him.

Amazing, yet imperfect. Precisely how I like my amazing television. 5 stars.

Robby absentmindedly pocketing Miyagi's medal to deny Miguel the credit for returning it is going to end badly for Robby. I know how television works. Even good television.

Johnny did NOT want to have to do that at the end. The worst thing is he had to do it even unaware that Kreese was involved in trashing Miyagi-Do.

I'll call him Stingray after that. That was great.

I would sympathize with Daniel and be on his side regarding Amanda's concerns if I believed he was teaching those kids Karate solely from the bottom of his heart and for purely altruistic reasons. But no matter his measured rhetoric, it feels like he's doing it to raise an army against Cobra Kai. The irony? It's Johnny taking the opposite approach. Really, these guys need to talk to each other more. The entire series would be over if they sat down and exchanged information for about 30 minutes. Although the same could be said for every play by William Shakespeare, so I can't really fault the show for milking drama there. It annoys me, but it's certainly not outside of the rest of fiction, not even well-regarded fiction.

Misleading episode title I think. 4 stars.

The teenage soap opera didn't do anything for me but the scenes with the adults were great.

To start off I'll admit when I'm wrong. In JUST the last review I predicted Miyagi's medal might get Robby in trouble. It still might. With Sam if and when she finds out Miguel returned it. But I expected it to drive a wedge between him and Daniel by Daniel finding it on him and believing the worst because he's Johnny's son. That is how television is supposed to work. And I always mention I don't mind predictable television at all, and I actually like watching things go down the way they should. But that specific thing? I would argue that is not the way GOOD television should go down. Tolerable television, yes. But it would feel wrong to me for Daniel to turn on Robbie for a b.s. misunderstanding after everything, even if TV rules say it's okay. It's not. And usually when I am wrong in my predictions about television, I'm disappointed because my ideas of where things SHOULD go are usually better than they wind up being when I'm wrong. This? Is better than it was in my head, so I'm not disappointed for once.

Johnny on a dating app goes about as hilariously as expected. Johnny saying he likes the Patriots to the Woke black woman at least suggests he's a dope regarding social issues, instead of openly malicious. By that line I believe that if Johnny Lawrence ever entered a voting booth in his entire life, I'd be shocked. It makes his buttholishness a bit more defensible for me.

I love that he essentially meets a perfect gorgeous woman at the bar, a hottie the right age who shares his outlook, and he met her the exact way he wanted to meet a babe, and he ditches her because he's concerned about Carmen. The way he asked Carmen for the date at the end struck me as especially gallant too.

My favorite scene in the episode was a real tearjerker with Daniel's amazing mother remembering the best moment of their and his father's lives. And when Daniel's talking about his grand gestures failing, you realize they're failing because gestures, even grand ones, are meaningless. Say how you feel. Better yet, change your actions for the better. That was my favorite scene.

Again, I thought the stuff with the kids was a bit obnoxious. But I also said that I would never penalize the show for a couple of bad episodes. I'm certainly not going to penalize it for one that was "only" decent. 3 stars.

So apparently the grudge match of the season is going to wind up Sam vs. Tory. I don't know if that feels right. Because Tory is a new character who just joined the show this season. I don't really think she should be given that level of prominence. Especially since Miguel, Sam, and Robbie were the main focal points last season. She feels like an added fourth wheel.

That handshake between Daniel and Johnny was to be expected at some point, and it was just as rewarding as I imagined. Good stuff.

I approve of both Amanda and Carmen's behavior in getting them to get along. I think they had slightly different reasons for being nice. Amanda knows her husband's obsession is bad for him. And Carmen know Daniel is bad for Johnny, PERIOD, obsession or not. Amanda was trying to pull Daniel back from himself. And Carmen was trying to help Johnny navigate a bad situation. It was an annoyance for Daniel, and a potential trauma for Johnny. And I like that each woman knew their significant other's hang-ups about it.

I have been nothing but disgusted by Eli's behavior all season, but I still believe what Demetri did is what is known as asymmetrical warfare. No matter WHAT Eli did, that was uncalled for. As horrible as I think Eli is, his betrayal of Demetri was never on that quite personal a level. Demetri may have thought so, but he's wrong, and divulging the dude's a bedwetter is dirty pool.

"Moffat's off the show?" Even Eli seems a bit excited by that. Trust me, I knew how he felt. And Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whitaker's runs on Doctor Who had some problems, but I think Chibnall at least was a better showrunner than both Stephen Moffat and Russell T Davies. Although it's hard to believe Eli didn't know the current Doctor was a woman. That was major news among the angry incel community (of which Eli had ranking membership privileges). Also, this is not a slam at Whitaker, but the last thing I'd describe Thirteen as is "badass". I love her Doctor more than most fans do, but I love her because she's nice. I love her because she doesn't have the butthole edge Ten and ESPECIALLY Twelve did. It was pleasant to be able to enjoy the show instead of being punished for liking it ever week. Davies is coming back, so the beatings will continue until morale... is gone, actually, but I think Chibnall and Whitaker's brief three year run was a bright spot in the increasingly shaky relaunch.

I am amused that Stingray's girlfriend is alarmed that the party of friends Stingray took her to was of teenagers. She's worried for the right reasons by the way. She should lose him. I do think it's funny that he hates the kids from Miyagi-Do but he admits he doesn't exactly understand why. I don't think anybody really does.

The last scene of Robby coming to Johnny for help was great too. It's clear he doesn't know Sam kissed Miguel and is going to be devastated. That's one of the reasons I didn't like that plot-turn. Maybe Miguel is too good for Tory, and I did not mind seeing her hurt that way deep down. Same is not true for Robby and Sam. Sam actually did wrong by him there.

We'll see how the season turns out in one episode. 4 stars.

I was honestly not crazy about that, although I saw it headed here. I have less problems with the awful school fight leading to one of the kids getting seriously hurt than I do with Daniel kicking down Johnny's door. That's not just Daniel failing the premise of the movies. It's the series doing so.

I take notice both Aisha and Tory are notably absent from Kreese's new Cobra Kai. That is encouraging.

I find it very interesting that Johnny feels responsible, while it appears Daniel is blame-shifting. What's ironic about that is it IS mostly Daniel's fault and Daniel is supposed to be the better man. But it's Johnny who is putting in the actual effort there. If they both were, I'd feel better about that finale. Because Daniel kicked down the door and in the face of everything Mr. Miyagi taught him, I don't.

I think the show thinks Stingray becoming a security guard and beating up the Miyagi-Do kids using Karate is a fun, humorous moment. Since he's both an adult, AND a school security guard, he's an actual authority figure, so I'm appalled instead.

I don't believe for a second Demetri should have won the fight against Eli. He got in a lucky hit. Period.

It wasn't a bad episode at all. It was a dark episode. It was a cliffhanger episode. Me? I don't always respond well to epic season ending cliffhangers. Sometimes they drive me nuts (Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine have each given me long-ass summers more than once) but sometimes I feel like the lack of closure is a failing. I lean more in that direction here.

But hey, them teasing Elisabeth Shue at the end was fun, right? 3 stars.

I was moved by the tribute to Rob Garrison at the end. He must have actually been sick when he filmed his scenes last season. For that reason it must have been tough on both him and the show to zip him up in that bodybag. Those tears the other Cobras were shedding in the moment were probably real.

Johnny is in shell-shock, shuffling through the day like an undead walker. He is the Living Dead. Him beating himself up to be allowed into the ICU is both funny and super depressing at the same time. It's not just that he has no self-respect left by doing that. The real problem is he's stopped caring about bad things happening to him, and him doing them to himself doesn't even register. The guy is truly broken for that.

I love that Daniel has become a pariah. He says this is all his and Johnny's fault. He's half-right. If he had treated Johnny like a human being once they reconnected as adults, none of it would have happened. Yeah, the fight was based on their rivalry. But Daniel was the only one of the two really insisting on continuing the rivalry as adults.

I like Miguel's struggle because it proves none of this violence is actually the slam-bang kids stuff the movies acted like it was. There are real consequences to fighting, especially when someone really gets hurt.

Season three is off to a good start. It seems like the overriding theme of the season will be amends, which is the right one. 4 stars.

I liked a lot of this episode. But I feel like the ending with Kreese was a bit ridiculous and more in line with the cheesy sequel movies than this show.

I will confess I like that Kreese was unexpectedly the dorky waiter in the flashback, and I feel it was good for the show to put us on Kreese's side for helping Tory in the specific way he did (as horrific as it was).

I thought Johnny's scene with Miguel was absolute gutwrenching. Beautifully played by both actors.

Daniel is an ass. Him saying Robby had too much of Johnny in him is what he believes is an off-handed insult to Johnny. It reality it's an ugly look at what he thinks of Robby deep down. That's why I don't believe his promises to help Robby for a second. And even if he does, he'd be doing it for the wrong reasons.

A lot of this episode was unexpected, and definitely well-acted. But I feel like maybe the show is losing the plot a bit with Kreese being put in charge of kids again. 3 1/2 stars.

"I don't own anything valuable!" seems like a bit of a petulant whine on Johnny's end to the pawn shop dude. Sid is such an unrepentant d-wad I love that Johnny just swiped a valuable sculpture from his house when he refused him instead. It was also funny seeing Pastor Bob just lay Johnny out at the beginning in front of his congregation.

Daniel's stuff at the dealership was surprisingly fun. Honestly, things have been stale there for a long time. Daniel being an unpopular pariah has spiced that up.

Grandma Diaz saying Miguel needed him was true. I also believe Miguel not only needed his support more in that moment than Robby did, he deserved it more too.

Solid.  3 1/2 stars.

It was a nice surprise to see Kumiko again. Not because I particularly liked the character from the second movie. But because it's the show remembering its roots. Her reading the last letter Mr. Miyago ever wrote, one where he talks about how much he loves and is proud of Daniel sort of makes The Karate Kid II actually seem like the slapdash affair it truly was in comparison. And it was nice that the show found a way for us to hear his voice for a final time. Chozen popping up at the end was also a surprise, although that was an unpleasant one.

Kreese himself keeps turning up like a bad penny. I think the thing that disturbed me most about him was realizing the lesson he taught at the beginning, that only Eli understood, was sound. If the guy were the same idiotic sociopath from the movies, he'd probably be a lot easier to dislodge from the dojo. Because on some level he IS a good sensei, it's tough.

I think Johnny was sorely tempted by the offer to come back. Until he brings up Miguel and he realizes there's no way he's putting that poor kid under that loony's influence.

It's stupid and yet feels right to me that Johnny only repairs his relationship with Miguel when he stops being apologetic and becomes his demanding sensei again. Frankly, that ain't healthy. But the truth is, unlike the rest of the characters, I don't blame what happened to Miguel on Johnny at all. I sincerely do not mind him taking that short-cut for that reason, emotionally unhealthy or not. Him telling Miguel he fell like a champ was hilarious.

Remember how Daniel promised a couple of episodes ago to visit and see Robby every day? That is what a promise from Daniel Larusso is actually worth. I get why Johnny dislikes him. In his most moving outing ever, he still comes across as a complete phony.

The stuff at the school is pissing me off because they're going for a comical tone with the clueless authority figures. It's just that school violence isn't funny, and I don't think adults trying to figure out ways to get at risk kids to resolve conflicts are the lame jokes this show and 90's Applejacks and Bubbletape commercials say they are. And yeah, when you get to similar adult portrayals as Applejacks, you've got some serious writing problems. And maybe the show always had them. But before they added that aspect to the show they didn't seem as evident to me. And Cinnamon Toast Crunch has the taste you (but not all those dumbass parents who buy it for you despite us telling you they are garbage) can see!

I loved the stuff Daniel was in. And Johnny's stuff was good too. It's both the stuff Daniel is notably absent from and the stuff at the school I had problems with. But the episode is getting a higher grade than it should just due to the Miyagi letter. I think it deserved to be in a better episode. It was amazing. 4 stars.

I loved the stuff with Daniel and Chozen. So much so that I predict this might be a longer review than normal. But before I deconstruct that stuff I have to admit the stuff with the kids is bumming me out. And frankly, that's on this show and the fact that I believe that last year's finale was ill-conceived. I'm sorry. It was. You start attaching life or death consequences for the Karate hijinks for the kids, you can never, EVER pull back from that. Yeah, that finale was great drama. But the same can said for many dramas that made the exact same choice to completely blow up their show and essentially destroy the premise and selling point for shock value. Those shows were never the same after doing that either. You blow up a show to shock the audience, more likely than not all you've really done is permanently damage the show. And involving trauma and PTSD for the kids and the Karate stuff means the show isn't fun anymore. And that's a problem.

I found Daniel's reactions to Chozen outright offensive. I loved Chozen playing the honking nose joke he did (although I could have told Daniel five minutes before it happened that that's what that fight was leading towards) but the thing that really turned me off Daniel completely is that when Kumiko (rather matter-of-factly, actually) informs him that Chozen has changed, he dismisses the idea and says that guys like him don't change. Despite him not having contact with him for over 30 years, and Kumiko actually having a routine enough relationship with him to be able to call him up and have him come when she wants him to at the spur of the moment, even after he almost killed her decades ago, Daniel knows guys like this don't change. And he only knew the guy as a troubled youth for a few weeks in those earlier decades and suddenly he's an expert on his entire life. In the end, even when Daniel is given proof positive that his idea about that is flat-out wrong, he says the situation back home is "different". And Daniel is a weak man because it never once occurs to him that it actually isn't.

I appreciate that Chozen's second chance was given to him by his also reformed Uncle Sato. The idea is believable for that reason. It might not have been otherwise.

I do not agree with the premise that Daniel bullied Johnny in the 1980's. He did his share of crappy stuff, but Johnny was mostly the aggressor. But as far as being adults go, Johnny is ALWAYS forced to be the bigger man, and despite his power and influence, and yes, privilege, Daniel does not have the ability to try and put himself in Johnny's shoes and ask himself how HIS behavior negatively effected him. He never lets Johnny forgot how much he messed him up. That's actually fair. What isn't is acting like how much he messed Johnny up is irrelevant. It's not. It never was.

I thought Johnny's stuff with Miguel was kind of cute and hilarious. Pretty much the only kid related plot that didn't make me want to stick my head in the oven.

Amanda confronting Kreese is important because it means she's starting to take the threat this poses seriously for the first time. It's not just a dumb passing fad her family will all get over, it's not just all in Daniel's head either. This is a real problem and her family isn't safe as long as Kreese is teaching those kids what he is. A little more intervention from non-Karate-slinging adults is freaking called for here. It's about time too.

I found the episode by turns amazing and infuriating. And Daniel somehow AGAIN manages to make me love him while being pissed beyond all measure with him at the exact same time. And Chozen's funny? Who knew? 3 1/2 stars.

I like that the show doesn't insult our intelligence by pretending Kreese isn't actually totally crazy. But they actually came up with good reasons for why he is.

Johnny's stuff with Miguel is terrific and it makes me realize how much worse the beginning part of the season was when they weren't farting around together and realizing how much they need each other at the same time. Him deleting his heartfelt message to Ali and writing "Not much, U?" was absolutely perfect.

I like Amanda trying legal remedies to shut down Kreese, but they probably would have been much more effective a few weeks ago. Too little, too late.

I love Miguel pointing out that Tory's idea that when one of them is hurt they all are is b.s... Miguel is the one in the wheelchair. Nobody else is. She can shut it with that. I love that.

Johnny and Miguel made the episode for me. 4 stars.

I have concerns. I'm not happy.

Daniel is being a big dumb man in that he refuses to listen to what his daughter is telling him. He wants to "fix" things instead which you simply cannot do for trauma. It appalls me the episode makes his perspective there right. Equally troublesome is suggesting his problem in the second tournament is remotely equal to the nonstop PTSD his daughter is currently suffering from. In the show's lame attempts to bring everything full circle with the movies, it's actually diminishing what Sam is going through by doing so.

I'll tell you the main reason Eli sucks. Johnny justifiably takes credit for "Hawk's" turnaround, and points out Kreese had nothing to do with that. And Eli still stands against him at the end. What a poser and loser.

Are Yasmine and Demetri a potential future ship? Based on that cast signing, maybe?

I mentioned the show is good and has earned the right to make a few bad episodes. But this is the first episode I'm giving an outright negative grade to. It takes things too seriously, but the things it take seriously it also weirdly doesn't take seriously enough. And that fact is really strange to me. 1 1/2 stars.

Robby is making some bad choices. Forget Kreese. If you're looking to take a swing at the guy you crippled, you're living your life wrong.

Honestly. It wasn't necessarily a BAD episode. But it felt like a failure to me because I personally didn't believe the tournament should have been continued after all that, and nothing anybody said at that meeting made me believe it was still anything but a mistake. Miguel and Sam's takes were sort of a cross between doubletalk and nonsense gobbledygook. The idea that those dumb, badly written speeches actually changed hearts and minds on such a serious issue is ridiculous.

It's last season's finale, man. It's essentially destroyed the show. That's all this episode's failings really boil down to. Sure made a neat set-piece though, am I right? 2 1/2 stars.

Elizabeth Shue still looks like a million bucks. Which is how it should be. I don't agree with Johnny's bad choices regarding her and Carmen, but lord, do I understand them.

I want to wait until the next episode to talk about the potential team-up of Daniel and Johnny's dojos. Could be good or bad and I'll have better context for it in the next episode.

For the record, Daniel, you explained yourself pretty well to Miguel. As far as the hose thing goes however? Sorry, pal. Not an excuse on Earth justifies it. Fact.

I liked it, but I will get a more solid opinion only after seeing the finale. 3 1/2 stars.

Well. Parts of that were amazing. Specifically the parts dealing with Daniel, Johnny, and Ali making a measure of peace with each other and finding closure for their relationships. That crap matters to me as does Johnny and Daniel combining dojos and bowing to each other at the end.

Where I believe the show loses the plot is the ridiculous suggestion that this all can be settled with a Karate tournament. The Cobra Kai are criminals. They should be dealt with by the police. The show acting like that's a far-fetched idea and a Karate tournament is a sane alternative is ridiculous. It's so dumb it makes me mad.

I'm having a hard time with what they are they doing with Robby. It's like he being written stupid solely because that is in the best interest for the angst for both Johnny and Daniel. But I don't think the writers ever once asked if this turn of events was ever in the best interest of ROBBY'S character. That's a failing.

Kreese's entire origin story turned out to be about the actual formation of Cobra Kai. The guy who promised to do anything for him after Kreese freed him in 'Nam? Obviously going to be Terry. I could never stand that character, so I don't look forward to him returning.

My final major problem was Eli's unconvincing change of heart. I can actually believe Eli would change sides when he did. The entire season had him more and more disturbed by the unethical things Kreese was doing. That's not the actual problem. The set-up there was fine. My problem is that Demetri, Sam, and Miguel instantly act like all is forgiven upon him doing that and embrace him coming into the new dojo with open arms. But considering the amount of suspicion Daniel threw Johnny under for three YEARS for MUCH lesser and less deliberate offenses DECADES ago, that is majorly unfair. Johnny was basically a dumb kid following order from a a scary adult. Eli, by God, took INITIATIVE there, folks. He not only led that group of sociopaths gleefully, he was head sociopath, and turned every bit of destruction outward he could muster because he enjoyed it. Hey, it's okay! We're all friends now! I'm calling b.s. there. Immediately. Nobody is mad he trashed the Miyagi dojo and stole Mr. Miyagi's medal of valor? I would be furious if I were Daniel or Sam.

I think the bottom line is the show has gotten too dire for its own good, and any time I praise it for amazing drama between the adults, I have to hold back a full rave because the show is failing those kids so badly. I think the producers of this show made it BECAUSE they felt the movies failed both Johnny AND Daniel. They aren't aware they pulling the exact same mistakes on the younger generation, just on far grander and worse a scale. It's actually worrisome at this point. There came a point in time this season where the show stopped being fun to watch. For an erstwhile comedy? That's a HUGE problem. 3 1/2 stars.

What Robby is doing is absolutely vulgar and unforgivable. If he actually goes through with this, and this isn't some sort of secret Long Con, I will never forgive him. And Daniel shouldn't ever forgive him either. This is a hundred times a bigger violation than Eli stealing Mr. Miyagi's medals of valor. It's absolutely sick. I'm a little disgusted at the show for coming up with it.

I am having a hard time getting a bead on Terrence Silver. He's unhappy to see Kreese (which is is encouraging). He correctly points out that him terrorizing a teenager over a damn Karate tournament is outright insane (it is and is why the third movie sucks so much). But despite those two things, he's leading a double life. Nobody in his life actually knows him or anything about him. I instantly distrust him for that reason. He may even mean that wants to keep his life sane right now. His compartmentalizing his past that way suggests he's not mentally stable enough to make that stick even if he truly wants it. It's a fascinating, complex first episode back for arguably the least fascinating, least complex character in the first three movies.

The Kids Are All Right. At least at the Miyagi-Do. All Daniel and Johnny have to do is follow their lead and they'll be fine. They're making it harder in their heads than it is.

I like the amount of deserved scorn Eli is getting. Even Daniel loses his temper at him. And for the first time in his life instead of lashing out at the people standing against him, Eli instead decides to try and repair the situation in a civil manner. It doesn't actually make me forgive him yet. But it suggests he's taking the right steps to have the audience someday believably forgive him. That was not evident in last year's finale, so it was appreciated by me here.

Solid premiere despite the Robby stuff. Last season's finale was a bit shaky, so this is a bit of a relief. 4 1/2 stars.

You knew the horrible ending for Kenny was coming because the entire episode was building towards it. It doesn't make it any easier to watch.

I've always hated Daniel's son and before we may have just misunderstood that he was a jerk who liked terrorizing his family. In reality, he's a jerk who terrorizes the other kids at school. Daniel Larusso really needs to get his damn house in order.

Speaking which, I guess I won't ever be forgiving Robby after all. A pity.

I could have told Amanda ahead of time what a d-word move sending a bag of groceries to Tory's doorstep was, but then I'm not totally stupid. Honestly, I do not object to her getting Tory fired, even under those circumstances. I more object to her feeling liberal guilt over it as if that's something she should have reasonably known or guessed. Kreese himself has said everybody has their own sob story. He's only playing this angle with Amanda because he knows it will hurt her. He doesn't even believe the angle himself.

I thought Johnny did an amazing job learning Miyagi-Do. But I have to say of the both of them, Johnny is the better teacher. We realize that Daniel's teaching style is (by necessity) very aloof and guarded, whereas Johnny gets into the trenches with Daniel during his turn, and shouting words of encouragement and empowerment the entire time. The fact that Johnny finished his lesson unhappy and Daniel ended the day looking like, "Hey, that was kinda cool," says Johnny is the better sensei. Also should point out that I love that the show resists the urge to play a dark minor chord upon Daniel enjoying kicking ass as if it's some dark unforgivable turning point. The show allows him to feel the joy of the asses kicked without feeling bad about it. That's not just fine. That's cool.

Also not to put another too fine a point on it, but Johnny's exercises are FUN. Whether they teach a right moral lesson or not, they make the art of Karate FUN to practice, even when not fighting another guy. I think that's great. I think that has value. And I like that Daniel sort of got that for the first time too.

I feel bad for Kenny, and Amanda is such a twit she should change her to Karen, but the stuff between Daniel and Johnny was pure gold. 4 1/2 stars.

I think the last shot will be beyond misleading. I think the beginning of the episode has it right. Daniel and Johnny are actually starting to become friends.

The reason Johnny's class was always willing to take those crazy risks for him was because they trusted him. The specific exercise he was asking of Daniel's class wasn't merely a test of their mettle. It was a test in their faith in his ability to not give them more than they can handle. They failed the test (until Sam seemingly did it to spite her father).

Another interesting difference between how Johnny's dojo operates is that when Johnny's test IS too extreme, sometimes the class gives him the proper feedback on how to slightly alter the dangerous stunt so it's doable. If Eaglefang had been present for that test, they would have suggested more mattresses before making an attempt. Miyagi-Do simply rejecting the test outright speaks badly of them, especially since the Eaglefangs put in the work to pass Daniel's test together.

The Eaglefangs did better in their challenge, probably because Daniel gave them the proper tools to work it out on their own.

Uh oh. The ponytail's back. That isn't good. It's very interesting in hindsight that this episode suggest Kreese and Terry WERE great friends who cared about each other deeply. Not only was that not evident in the third film, but it being the case might explain a bit of the madness they were suffering from there. I mean, cocaine is a HELL of drug.

Interesting episode. Last season made me unhappy but this season is fine so far. 4 stars.

I feel like the series is in a holding pattern and has been for awhile. It basically the kids on both sides bullying each other for no reason.

For the record, Johnny is right to be mad about the sprinkler trick. It's on-brand Daniel thinks it's clever, but Johnny believing it's not just escalating things, but that it's sort of cowardly and dishonorable is right.

Terry is saying a bunch of interesting unexpected things. I don't trust him because I believe he is dangerously mentally unstable. He smiles too much. However I do believe Daniel's first conversation of his in the next episode will not go how he plans it to go.

Eh. 2 1/2 stars.

A rematch fight is okay by me if it was in the ring. That's fine.

I was actually rooting for Johnny, which was kind of neat. A tie is unsatisfying but perhaps understandable.

Why was I rooting for Johnny? Mostly because Daniel handled the thing with Terry so badly. He apologized hat in hand and Daniel basically calls him crazy. Daniel knows nothing about de-escalation.

Whatever else Terry is, he's good for Cobra Kai (presently, at least; things go downhill later). He's teaching them discipline while Daniel's lessons are turning erratic. And while Johnny's lessons are still solid, he's spiraling in his personal life. It's not just the dojos splitting that's a bad thing. Cobra Kai is learning discipline, the exact reasons Daniel and even Miguel won, while both of the other senseis are losing their grasps on theirs.

It was interesting. My go-to high compliment. 4 stars.

Sam is not doing so great in my opinion.

What kills me about Terry's speech to Daniel is it's true. Daniel DID like it. If I were Terry I would have also pointed out Daniel saying Terry's training permanently changes somebody for the worse means DANIEL must be a bad guy. If he can come back from Terry's training, how can he tell Robby differently? Make no mistake: Silver was absolutely toxic in the 1980's. But thus far 2020's Terry hasn't said anything to Daniel that wasn't true. Let me reiterate that I don't trust him, and Daniel shouldn't either. What SHOULD Daniel do? Be civil. Be an adult. Set a good example for the kids. Be the bigger man. And look to Johnny to see how to go about this. He's simply not remembering Mr. Miyagi's most important lessons. Either that, or he sadly never learned them. Either way, he's trying to teach the kids to avoid fights while ratcheting up the tension and bad-will himself. He himself is second only to Kreese in making the fights inevitable. For real. Johnny and Terry are actually acting saner than he is.

I don't forgive Eli yet, but him choosing to return to Miyagi-Do, simply because Demetri is there, is another step on that path for me. I thought Demetri's words of encouragement to him were great.

Johnny learning just now that some badasses exist on the debate stage is another hint he is apolitical. Although like asexual, he wouldn't recognize the term.

Good to get an update on Aisha. The fact that she wasn't given a proper farewell when her actress suddenly left the show between seasons two and three made her arc feel like a loose end.

Pretty good. 3 1/2 stars.

Johnny makes things weird because Johnny IS weird. Period.

All Anthony has done is be a total jerk throughout the first three seasons to his family, so Daniel giving him the level of the benefit of the doubt he did in believing he was the one getting bullied is infuriating. The show is really not afraid to make Daniel look bad. What matters to me at least, as a viewer, is that as flawed as he is, and as exasperated as his dumbness and stubbornness make me, I still like him. Partly because of how Ralph Macchio plays him, but probably mostly because the series never tries to sugarcoat or excuse his failings. Daniel has not learned the proper lessons from what has occurred on the show so far. I like Daniel because I believe he eventually will. I believe that's part of HIS journey on the series. The show hasn't actually wrecked Daniel's character. It's just his emotional journey is entirely different. And I root for him to wise up as much as I used to root for him against the bullies. And that's the beauty of the show.

I'm annoyed at Kreese. First off Terry's lesson about everyone having a weakness is true for Robby. Kenny was his weakness. And the fact that Kreese didn't see it ahead of time is annoying because it's actually obvious. But you know, Kreese IS stupid. And I DO understand why he's mad at Terry for suggesting to the class HE had a weakness. The reason Kreese is stupid and is going to lose, is he basically bullies Terry into walking that idea back. It doesn't occur to him to ask what the weakness is, and develop counters for it. My guess is his weakness is something Terry has already pointed out. Probably the fact that he can't let anything go, and keeps making the exact same mistakes again and again, and refusing to learn from him. If he wanted, he could have still scared the crap out of Terry for not staying in his lane afterwards. But the fact that he makes Terry deny the weakness instead of telling him what it was is why Kreese is dumb. That specific knowledge would have been useful. I think the only reason Kreese is mad is because Terry is right. But if he is, wouldn't it make more sense to take that fact seriously? I really don't like Kreese.

Solid episode though. 3 1/2 stars.

Terry goes insane right on schedule. You knew it was coming, but you hoped it wouldn't happen. But yeah. The dude's nuts.

As for Stingray, I like that his neighbor walked into his home uninvited during the party. That makes his busting him up nice and legal. He'd be in trouble with the law again if he hadn't done that.

I've seen Daniel angry before. Normally at bad guys, and sometimes at Johnny. I have never seen him lose his cool as badly as he did with Anthony. Maybe the reason Anthony came around at the end is his father scared him. Frankly, I don't object to that.

Shannon is very good at her job. And Daniel and Amanda are VERY bad at therapy. It would be almost impossible to help Anthony themselves if their first instinct is to lash out at confrontation. For the record, as good at her job as she is, the trick Shannon pulled with the notepad is not something a real therapist would EVER have license to do. I tell myself that she can get away with something that outrageous and unethical because these are her family, and they are treating her like crap, and questioning her competence. The rest of her session was great, but I sincerely hope she doesn't pull that "test" on any of her other clients. The gimmicky nature of it tells me she probably doesn't.

I think Johnny calling Miguel "Robby" after the very first time he told him he loved him is heartbreaking on every level. For me, it's the most heartbreaking thing the entire franchise has ever done. I feel SO bad for Miguel but Johnny is hurting so badly it is not in my heart to fault him for it. What a terrible situation made worse because I can't permit myself to be angry at either of them.

Solid, solid episode. 4 1/2 stars.

Most of it was passable (if cliched). But I groaned at "Special Guest Star Carrie Underwood". And she sang a whole damn song. Ugh. Yeah, it was a song from one of the movies and it kicked off a montage, but seriously... Just ugh.

Eh. 3 stars.

Well, I liked it. It was a bit cheesy and cliched in places, but the stuff after the Tournament was interesting.

It's interesting Daniel is going to break his promise about stepping down as sensei, but I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be necessary. Learning Terry paid the ref to fix the entire tournament means all bets are actually off. But I get the logic of Daniel's new vow: Makes a great reveal for Chozen, doesn't it?

I know Daniel and Johnny's apologies won't stick, but it was still nice to hear them.

I mentioned Terry went crazy two episodes ago. Crazy like a fox. Oh, man. He screwed Kreese good. Kreese REALLY should have looked into that whole weaknesses thing more carefully when he had the chance. Could have spared him some grief.

For the record, as far as evil plans go, it's ill-thought out. He's handing Stingray an AWFUL lot of power by having him lie for him. Although if Terry is smart, he can keep Ray on the hook awhile longer by pointing out the fact he lied to the police to frame an innocent man means he is now as neck-deep in this as he is.

I'm ready for Robby to get his head together. I could have told him every way that dumbass was failing Kenny all throughout the season, but he wouldn't have listened. At least Johnny was a bad father due to neglect. Robby's entire mentoring of Kenny was just plain bad. Letting Kreese get his hooks into him could be arguably called actual abuse.

His shocking empowerment of Tory shows (WHAT?!) CHARACTER GROWTH on his end. The show might be cheesy and cliched. But it can still surprise me.

I'm excited to check out the latest season. That was a pretty great finale. 5 1/2 stars.

WAAAYYY too profane for my tastes. Wrong franchise for that.

I like Johnny's stuff with Robby, and Daniel's stuff with Chozen. However I think the way Amanda talks about him is appalling. He's there to protect her family, and she sounds like a Karen asking to talk to the manager about him. Which you know, is what she actually is.

Chozen going undercover is a neat plot turn.

I have mixed feelings. We'll see how the season goes. 3 stars.

Well, that undercover assignment didn't last long. But it could have gone worse. Chozen kicked all those guys' asses, and made sure they knew they were in the "and find out" stage of the "around" session.

I am impressed Miguel doesn't raise objections to seeing Robby with Johnny. I like that he accepts the new status quo when he sees it, even if he clearly doesn't like it.

Hector IS a turd, BTDubs. For the record.

That was pretty great. No real complaints. 4 1/2 stars.

I was annoyed by most of it. There were good elements like Mike Barnes being a good guy. But they are attached to bad elements like Daniel confronting him and then Chozen attacking him. This is all very basic, badly-written drivel, as was the dream sequence of Sam in the pod. I'm not going to say the show is better than this, but it's also not this weak ALL THE TIME. It CAN do better if it chooses to.

I was pleasantly surprised Carmen was pregnant after all, but man, what was up with those freaking roaches in Johnny's pad? They were freaking huge, and there were a ton of them! Are we really supposed to believe neither he nor Miguel ever noticed them there before?

The end for Mike is why everybody on this show is worse for having known Daniel. Why did he have to get Mike mixed up in this in the first place? And he's not being remotely careful as the ending with Terry proved. It's all so stupid. Why didn't Daniel take Terry's offer to back down to begin with?

Barnes jacking up the furniture price on Chozen was pretty damn funny. I did not know Chozen's actor was so great at comedy (that would never have been evident in The Karate Kid, Part II). Pleasant surprise.

Daniel saying somebody trying to kill you is something you can never forgive in front of Chozen shows that Daniel is the least self-aware character on the entire series. Even the villains tend to have a better sense of themselves that Daniel appears to with that statement.

And again, I'm having a REALLY hard time with how profane this season is. I don't think it's okay for Daniel to be dropping f-bombs. Something about that is off this season. Totally.

Again, some good elements exist. Tied to utterly crappy elements that pretty much ruined them. 2 1/2 stars.

The waterpark stuff is why I dislike the show a lot of the time. It's normalizes bullies and fighting. In the 2022 climate, I believe that is dangerous. And it never ends.

I am even more infuriated with Daniel than Amanda is. Because I have even more context for what happened with Terry than she does. Yes, Terry was winding up Daniel with what he was saying to HIM. But he was saying the right things to everyone else. Basically, Daniel's going to war with somebody for the crime of poor intentions. Daniel can't know that, much less prove it. Yeah, Terry was talking some trash to Daniel tonight. I simply don't blame him at this point. I think Terry has ill-intentions and can't be trusted. But Daniel is striking first without realizing that is the antithesis of Miyagi-Do. And that fact doesn't even occur to him.

Johnny remains the one guy on the show putting in an effort. He's been that since Day One and that is pretty much the reason he's become the franchise's moral center. And the show is interesting because it's him in that role. But really, I'm sick of people losing their cool not because they are angry for a good reason, but because they are stupid. It's tiring. It's annoying. And it's holding back the show. Big time. **.

I have very mixed feelings about Terry Silver. First off, I appreciated seeing Jessica again (and learning she and Amanda are cousins and she is how he and Amanda actually met) and appreciate her giving her the context to how dangerous and crazy Terry Silver was and now is again. But thing is, as dangerous, crazy, and loathsome as he is, him telling Daniel it's not okay to wave the white flag at the last second is sort of true. What did Daniel think Cobra Kai was about when they said they had no mercy? And Terry has shown it to Daniel on at least three separate occasions in my memory, and probably more. And Daniel slapped the hand of truce back each time. Terry has gone crazy and round the bend, and he needs to be stopped. But he wouldn't have if Daniel had just shaken his damn hand. He used to actually be reasonable on not only this subject, but on how to teach the students too.

The only reason Kreese is a surprise at the end of the episode is because he literally hadn't appeared yet this season. Good moment to bring him back.

I was worried about Johnny's idea to get Miguel and Robby to fight it out once they headed onto that balcony, but I'm glad it worked instead, and they're cool now. But truly the biggest win of the episode is when Daniel calls him a p-word, and Johnny looks at him with honest concern in his face and says, "What are you doing, man?" I love that. It was my favorite part of the episode.

It was a strong episode in general. 4 stars.

I was hoping for a hot minute that Kreese was actually going to get better, but he's still nuts.

I liked Johnny and Chozen trading war stories about Daniel Larusso. What's interesting is they are both building him up, Johnny more than he ordinarily would, to sound more badass for facing him.

Very rewarding to see Daniel and Robby make up.

There were elements I didn't much like (mostly involving Kim and Tory's training at Cobra Kai) but the episode was still decent. 3 1/2 stars.

First time in the franchise it's pointed out Kreese and Johnny Lawrence have the same names. I always thought that was an oversight in The Karate Kid, Part III, and that the writer of the movie simply confused the characters' names and Cobra Kai was stuck with it. But it's neat they made it a story point here.

Didn't dig the "No mercy" note. At all.

Kenny's stuff with Terry is actually interesting.

Chozen was funny this episode.

The overall plot arc of the show strikes me as incredibly stupid at this point. So from this point forward I'm gonna have to shut off my brain a little. By necessity. 3 stars.

Again I had to turn off my brain a bit, but it was fun.

I don't really think Sam has a right to be mad at Miguel. That's what breaking up means. Sorry.

My favorite part was the end of Daniel and Johnny each declaring their dojo the other's name. I'm interested what name they come up with. I hope it's a new, third name rather than a combined one. Miyagi-Fang would sound dumb.

I like that the only sensei to truly make a connection with the Tournament head is Johnny because they both dig Rocky. That's kind of awesome.

Pretty good. 3 1/2 stars.

Nearing the end of my binge of the show makes me realize that I have been more generous to it binging it than I would have been seeing all this go down over a period of years. I would find the constant unnecessary fights tedious and annoying. Only because I haven't had to wait to see actual resolutions there is the reason I'm not routinely furious. The bad writing on the show isn't actually as bad as Riverdale or The Arrowverse. But it tends to be bad for the same reasons those are. Neither of those franchises have a selling point like Johnny and Daniel either, which is another reason I'm uncharacteristically lenient. Any other show this badly-written would get my claws sunk into it big time.

I love that Chozen has a crush Kumiko. Because that means a happy ending for him is possible. I might have suspected as much simply because he was willing to show up out of the blue a couple of seasons ago just by her asking, which is kind of weird when you think about it. It makes sense there were larger reasons for not only his loyalty but his availability as well.

I sincerely hope that after seeing Tory's home life, Sam feels like the repulsive piece of crap she is for harassing her at work and getting her fired. Really, that was unacceptable, and Sam has never been called on it before. Another reason I would probably criticize the show under normal circumstances is that like Riverdale, it normalizes crappy behavior. The behavior is not as murderous or criminal as it is on Riverdale. But for a franchise built on showing bullying is wrong no matter who does it, there is a LOT of bullying from the protagonists that is never really answered for.

I liked Stingray's scene with the kids because I genuinely feel bad for him. When he says he'd give the comforts up if it meant he could take it back, it sounds credible. And the real reason being he's afraid of Terry is even more believable to me. Speaking of traumas that Sam should probably be relating more to.

Kim says that if Tory breaks her hands on the stone, they'll heal before the tournament. She can't actually know that. It's actually a crazy thing to risk when so much is on the line for Cobra Kai.

My favorite scene was of course Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen caterwauling in the limo at the end to "Eye Of The Tiger". These guys are clearly now friends and like each other. Good for them, better for both the show and the viewer. I am happy.

I'd probably give that a much lower grade if this was my fifth year into the series and I had been watching weekly instead of all at once. I can acknowledge that and give it a high grade anyways. 4 stars.

That was a perfect teaser and a perfect last scene. The show did it Kreese's Way. Everything in between that was gravy.

Mike stealing the Rembrandt is a reasonably satisfying conclusion to what happened to him. It's not enough, but it definitely makes me feel less bad. I'm just impressed Daniel can instantly recognize a privately-owned Rembrandt from that far away. Good eye. Or plothole. Whatever.

I love Johnny cutting off the dude's finger. Talk about badass.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised Daniel won the fight against Terry, but I still kind of am. I mean, I know Daniel's the protagonist, and those guys always win, but still I think he was always outmatched there. But then I remember that a writer is perfectly entitled to make Dazzler beat Galactus, so I properly shut my brain off.

Still, the reason it makes sense that Daniel beat him when Johnny and Chozen could not is something the show pointed out: Terry TRAINED Daniel, and Daniel knows all his tricks. Sort of dumb Terry forgot that, but it turns a dumb situation slightly plausible at least.

Tory changed sides at a good time, but I don't think the kids should ever forgive Penis-Breath. His treachery was not just dumb, it was the worst time ever because Cobra Kai was on the way out. Kreese is still out there and will obviously build it back up there (I expect him not to be penalized for the escape for the sole reason that he was unjustly convicted; time served DOES exist) and he'll probably have some new recruits for the upcoming tournament. But Penis-Breath should become the pariah his name suggests he should be.

One of the things I appreciated about the episode it is rightly reminded the audience that no matter how ultimately pathetic and cowardly Stingray is, the dude can actually fight. I always thought it was kind of unfair for Kreese to kick him out in the first place. Yes, his place there was kind of ridiculous considering his age and body type. But Kreese would only be right to kick him out if he were a worse fighter.

Still, does Stingray plan to say his previous testimony against Kreese was done under duress in court? If so, he'll be committing perjury all over again. Frankly, he probably should be charged with that NOW.

Glad "Protect the egg" came back into play. Good arc-planning on the show's end there. And I'm glad Anthony was the egg. He's not a good fighter, so everyone protecting HIM holding the computer felt right.

If I have any complaints it's again that the show has gotten too profane in its language. But Netflix has still inexplicably rated it TV-14, so I guess it doesn't actually hurt anything.

For the record, not every single Cobra Kai would have walked out at the end in real life. When it comes to those kinds of politics, a good 30-35% are absolutely immovable. In fact I would expect an even higher percentage here because the dojo IS run exactly like a cult.

It's been five seasons but it's weird none of the events of The Next Karate Kid have ever been mentioned. Is that movie considered non-canon? Because even though it's awful, I don't think it actually needs to be. I don't expect an appearance from Hillary Swank or Michael Ironside or anything, but it seems a bit strange Daniel hasn't made a passing reference to Julie even once, especially considering how close she and Mr. Miyagi wound up becoming.

I think that was the best of the finales. Mostly because it's really the only one so far that satisfied me. 5 stars.