Cobra Kai - Season 5

The battle between the dojos erupts again in the fifth season of Cobra Kai. Ki-ai!!! At the end of season four, we saw John Kreese and Terry Silver's dojo win the All Valley Karate Tournament, forcing Daniel and Johnny's dojos to close their doors. Season five of Cobra Kai focuses on the aftermath and the consequences it has for the various protagonists. For example, Terry (who has kicked John Kreese out) wants to expand further with Cobra Kai, Johnny focuses on his relationship with his son Robby and his girlfriend and her son Miguel, while Daniel finds it difficult to process the loss and refuses to give in to the dominance. of Cobra Kai.

It's nice to see that Cobra Kai doesn't shy away from letting go of the different characters and their role in the big picture. Where we often saw children change dojos in previous seasons, we now see the biggest changes with Daniel and Johnny. Where Daniel was traditionally the one who was balanced and Johnny the hothead, we see that change this season. Johnny is getting his affairs in order, while Daniel is mainly guided by his emotions in his quest for justice. They almost seem to change character.



I myself grew up with the Karate Kid movies in the 80s and I think one of the nicest aspects of Cobra Kai is that they effortlessly intertwine those movies in the series. Also in season five, images from the films are used several times and, in addition to a larger role for Chozen, we also see Sean Kanan (The Bold and the Beautiful) from The Karate Kid III return in his role of Mike Barnes. Especially the larger role for Chozen is a golden opportunity in my opinion. Whereas in previous seasons the humorous slant mainly came from Johnny, this season Chozen in particular made sure that I had a good laugh. Where Johnny can be deliciously blunt, it is Chozen who brings a nice dose of dry humor.

You also see that something is really done with the bad guys from the film series. There are those who have mended their lives and even help Daniel, but there are also those who are still as bad as ever. But even with those who don't grow out of the role of villain, more depth is given to the characters. For example, during the sessions between John Kreese and his psychologist in prison, we find out even more about why he is the way he is. It's not enough for me to feel sympathy for the character, but as we often see in Cobra Kai, this thins the line between good and evil. Almost every character has both good and evil in them, which makes the characters more alive.

Almost every character has both good and evil in them, which makes the characters more realistic.

And speaking of the bad guys, I certainly can't ignore Terry Silver this season. This character is portrayed perfectly by Thomas Ian Griffith as a man with two faces. On the one hand, we see the charming Terry who comes across as sympathetic and involved, but just as quickly he changes into a treacherous and tough sensei who knows how to rule with an iron hand. Where Kreese sought more direct confrontation with Daniel in previous seasons, Silver is much more the manipulator who tries to let Daniel destroy himself and wonderfully succeeds.



The fifth season of Cobra Kai shows to me that a series does not have to be constantly innovative to remain fun. Building on the earlier seasons, it's Cobra Kai versus the rest and when members of the different dojos run into each other, it often ends in brawls. And of course, this season also ends with a massive brawl. But even now I watched the episodes again in no time without getting bored for a moment. And maybe that's just the strength of Cobra Kai, relatively simple storylines, with many references to the film series and the 80s in general, and a portion of action and humor. Even though the series is a bit predictable at times, that is easily forgiven.