Cobra Kai Season 6: The Final Part

How does one stick the landing after 6 and two-thirds worth of seasons? Especially with what happened after the end of part 2?

"We need to go back to where it all began."

Picking up some time after the tragic events of Barcelona, things have gone somewhat back to normal, but everyone is feeling the aftereffects of the brawl that occurred in the Sekai Taikai, and Daniel LaRusso isn't sure if restarting the tournament is a good idea. Even Samantha and Robby are having their own doubts, but through a series of circumstances both good and bad, even unexpected, Johnny and Daniel decide to restart the Sekai Taikai, this time in the Valley.

But even then, the journey to prepare, even the tournament itself doesn't mean audiences will know what to expect. I know i didn't.

So what is the best way to describe this final part of season 6? Well, in a word...wow! Because just as Cobra Kai started out strong, it finished strong.

In looking through these clips...I mean, no moment is wasted. Everything has weight to it, and any lingering questions are finally answered through these final episodes. And as the audience you not only see it, but you feel it.

This moment shows while Robby had many senseis all throughout the series, Daniel LaRusso was the first teacher who truly showed Robby that he could be more than the delinquent he started out as.

"Whenever you knew something was wrong, you stood up. Even when you had to do it alone."

Since Part 2 I, like most in the audience had been rooting for Robby to go far in this tournament and win. Given how well he did against Kwon it did seem like it was going to go in that direction, but then when I saw the trailer I started to have doubts, especially when it showed a ticked-off Miguel stepping on to the mat and Chozen holding him back. And then as the Robby vs. Axel fight got to the final round and then I heard the bone cracking I was just gob-smacked, because part of me had hoped that maybe it wouldn't happen. But much like in previous seasons before Robby still comes in second place, and this time at the hands of Axel. And to Miguel, seeing his former rival-turned-brother get injured that way was not something he was going to let slide.

During all this, Daniel has his own battles with having to come to terms with Mr. Miyagi's past and what may have gone down back when the latter participated in the Sekai Taikai long ago. And then finally it culminates in what could only be a visual representation of the fight going on in Daniel's mind where he is fighting the skeletons of the past, only to have Mr. Miyagi appear once more and help him clear said skeletons out, and finally bringing home the lesson that no one, not even Mr. Miyagi himself is perfect, and those negative experiences did not define him, but rather helped turn the older man into the peaceful, funny sensei Daniel knew as his father figure. And it is here where Daniel begins to finally heal and find his balance, as well as come to a decision that may seem like the wrong thing to do, but is actually not.

While it was shocking to see Miyagi-Do bow out of the tournament - something even Johnny was shocked by - it becomes a setup for Daniel to do something he never would have done in the earlier seasons - bring back the one dojo that can win the tournament with Johnny heading it - Cobra Kai itself! And interestingly enough Johnny doesn't find himself hesitating and is able to jump back in, along with his first student Miguel to help fill in that gap left by Kwon's death, so now Cobra Kai is once again complete with its two captains: Miguel Diaz and Tory Nichols.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Terry Silver's Iron Dragons are going to be complacent about this.

After that training montage, we get not one but two awesome fights where Tory and Miguel lay it all on the line against their opponents, and each of the two tournament fights are nothing short of incredible!

And of course, Axel vs. El Serpiente, Miguel Diaz! And with the right kind of pep talk from someone who not only became his sensei, but his father figure.

"Every lesson, every win, every loss...leave it all on the mat. Go all in!"

But even with Miguel winning, is it over? Nope! Because now the final tournament comes down to a one-on-one fight between the senseis of both Cobra Kai and Iron Dragons. And fortunately Daniel becomes exactly the sensei Johnny needs to defeat Wolf.

"Whatever happens, you got people around you who care about you man. Present company included."

And so, the grand finale of fights for the final season begins! And with an intro that comes with a surprise that I never expected, but like with everything else in the story, things come full-circle in such a way that it feels natural as it is epic!

But just when it seemed like all hope is lost, the sensei comes through in a pinch to help his student, and Johnny finally wins!

Not only that, but before it got to this point, Johnny is able to have what turns out to be his final conversation with Kreese and credit to William Zabka and Martin Kove's acting talents because you finally get to see Johnny lay it all out on what Kreese did to him, showing that Kreese did much more harm to Johnny than the former realized, and instead of being cold, Kreese finally broke down and admitted his faults, wishing he could make it up to his student/son-figure in some way, and surprisingly enough, Kreese is able to do just that when he later confronts Terry Silver on his yacht.

"[Johnny's] a source of strength, he always has been. A student worthy of my dedication. Who has since surpassed his teacher."

Along with this, we get to see what becomes of some of the students after graduating high school: Chozen ends up meeting with Kim; Demetri and Eli go to CalTech; Tory and Robby get sponsorships where they get to participate in tournaments all over the world; and while Miguel and Samantha end up going to different colleges, they decide to spend a few months in Okinawa where Miguel helps her settle in while they both get a chance to check out the sights - something they weren't able to do back in Barcelona.

As for Johnny? Well, he finally gets the chance to do what he does best: teach karate. Namely his version of Cobra Kai karate, thus finally fulfilling what he said to Daniel in Season 2: "I want Cobra Kai to be better." And best of all, Miyagi-Do will be there as well to help, with Kenny, Devon and Anthony there as the new seasoned students.

And so everything comes full-circle.

In all, this final part of season 6 not only sticks the landing, it does so in a way that almost overdelivers what audiences were expecting. Like I mentioned before, every scene is utilized to the full, and every story arc - big and small - get a payoff at the end, with maybe a few hints of possible spin-offs according to the producers. But if not, then at least audiences have something to muse on and create their own head canons as to what the Miyagi-Do/Neo Cobra Kai crew end up doing next. And just as important, Johnny is able to turn his life around fully and can now move forward with a lighter heart, with a new family to support him, and a true friend in Daniel LaRusso as well.

Even though Johnny Lawrence's story is now complete, does this mean the Karate Kid saga is over? Well, as I'm sure many already know, a new Karate Kid movie is now in theaters as of this post, with Ralph's Daniel LaRusso returning to help Jackie Chan's character mentor a new kid in the ways of karate as well as kung-fu.

While the storytelling possibilities in the Miyagi-verse is endless, I'm glad that this show came along and accomplished something that other franchises have either failed or fumbled at: continuing the story of something near and dear to fans of the material, and I think it works because the show-runners are huge fans of all the Karate Kid films and understand the world so well but yet they still put the focus on story and character first, with Johnny Lawrence being the centerpiece of that story. As such the show not only helped reinvent the character into being more than just the stereotypical bully from the 1980s, but it helped reenergize the Karate Kid saga into something that has become more multigenerational.

And while I didn't jump on the bandwagon until Season 3, I'm glad I did from then on, because this show turned into everything I would want, especially with how the story and characters grew and how it all turned out at the end.

So if you haven't seen the final part of Cobra Kai, go check it out. And the best part is that you can watch it again form the beginning to see how it all started!

So strike first, strike hard, and remember...Cobra Kai never dies!

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