Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 Review – Unity and Division

And so…the end begins. I was definitely not someone who thought that a sequel series to The Karate Kid was something I would soon become obsessed with. I think I had only watched the original movies once, and some of them were not all the way through. Yet, I was curious about it, and once I started it, I couldn’t wait for the next season to emerge. Once it got to Netflix, it became the phenomenon it was truly meant to be. As my Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 Review will show, the quality is still there as the end winds down…minus a few things that stick out.

If you didn’t know by now, Season 6 is divided into three parts, each with five episodes. The first set is about the fallout from Season 5 (with the downfall of Cobra Kai and Terry Silver, not to mention Kreese being on the run) and the buildup to the Sekai Taikai. From the get-go, one thing I appreciated was the way many characters and arcs over the past five seasons came together to build on the new dynamic that had built up. This didn’t just apply to the senseis at times but with the students.

For example, in the very first episode, we see the rivalries that had been built up for multiple seasons get broken down, and serious fences getting mended. Miguel and Robbie are basically bros; Sam and Tory finally bury the hatchet and admit how wrong they were about things they did to one another, and even Kenny gets to have a small bit of redemption via both Robbie and his brother Shawn.

In a show about karate and its effects on a whole community, it’s easy to forget that this is really all about the characters, both adults and “teens” that partake in it. All of these characters have a web of connections that have been woven, and I’m glad they’re not being ignored simply because of a new paradigm shift. Plus, we got to see the effects of just life happening and everyone wanting to advance beyond the “final goal.” Miguel, Sam, Dmitri, and Hawk are worrying about colleges. Tory sees her mom’s health getting better, and both Daniel and Johnny see their lives grow and improve for a time thanks to Cobra Kai being gone. It’s nice to see that things aren’t all about karate.

Another important element here was the buildup to the Sekai Taikai. This is the world’s best tournament and the fact that only six of the combined Miyagi-Do students could go put new pressure on things. They could’ve easily gone the “simple route” full of bias or “obvious picks,” and they technically did do that in certain ways. However, both Johnny and Daniel knew that things had to be fair and without bias, even if they didn’t like it. By the time we got to the final six, obvious or not, you knew it felt earned.

On the “dark side,” we saw the return of Kreese, and found out more about his connection with Kim Da-eun and her father…who was still alive!!!! Dang, martial arts really can extend your life! Anyway, Kreese has had an interesting arc throughout the series, but with Season 6, he’s done with the mercy in all aspects. He even goes on a vision quest that ends with him killing Johnny! It’s really hardcore. Then, when you meet his new students and what they can do, not to mention the lessons he teaches them, you have to wonder just how Miyagi-Do can handle the threat that’s coming.

Perhaps they don’t; that wouldn’t be as bad an ending as one might think.

And while there aren’t too many “big set pieces” due to the five-episode run, there are still plenty of great karate moments. A “Frat Party Brawl” was the highlight of the arc, along with some fun training moments and sparring fights that were beautifully shot. And remember these “teens” (they’re totally not teens anymore) are doing all of this themselves! They’re pretty good fighters after six seasons of training.

So, we now enter the part of my Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 review where I must talk about the…imbalance of the season. Sadly, it’s very easy to pick out where those moments are. First, obviously, because it’s five episodes, you can literally be done in three hours if you just binge it like I did. Sure, we’re getting two more parts (with Part 2 moved up to November 15th), but it’s going to suck waiting a couple of months for that next part…and then waiting even LONGER for the finale.

Second, while we did see a lot of threads getting pulled to note past history, some threads were a bit too familiar. Thankfully, no relationship drama happened with the karate kids (thank goodness), but the bickering between Johnny and Daniel was, at times, way too much. Remember, Johnny called out Daniel for his crap last season when he was on edge because of Silver, and Lawrence is trying to “be better” for his upcoming baby girl, and yet…he still acts like the biggest idiot ever!

Seriously, they ham up Johnny being an idiot and impulsive personality to almost an insane degree. Despite all the growth he’s had, he’s still saying very improper things, not playing it cool when it counts, and seeking a fight/argument with Daniel, Chozen, and more whenever he gets a chance. Then, when he DOES make peace…he immediately goes off the rails right after! Come on, Johnny! Be better!

Oh, but don’t think LaRusso is getting off easy! Last season did great with Daniel’s “descent into madness” due to the effects of Terry Silver. This time, he spirals because he learns that Mr. Miyagi isn’t the “perfect man” he thought he was. On one hand, I like that story concept because it puts a little bit of dirt on a seemingly “perfect” character. The problem is that hearing that Miyagi may or may not have done bad things in the past threw Daniel into a funk that he should’ve gotten out of quickly. After all, no one knows ANYONE fully, not even family members, married couples, etc. Plus, given how this show is, it’s probably going to turn out that Miyagi didn’t do anything wrong and that LaRusso was stressing and pushing people away (again) for no reason.

Another problem was the ever-recurring “teen drama” that pops up in weird ways. The “beef” between Hawk and Dmitri felt very forced and was very annoying, and I definitely don’t think that Dmitri deserves to be in the tournament based solely on skill and what is important to the character. And while I’m glad that Miguel and Robbie didn’t fall into old habits, their standoff before their big battle reeked of being forced.

That led to another problem: characters being used for a storyline and then dumped. For example, Kenny was brought back into the fold to “gain redemption” and then was gone after a humiliating incident. Then, there was Anthony, who felt like a “loser” for not getting to be one of the final six picks for the tournament, and then, he “felt fine” after seeing Kenny humiliated. Even Chozen got the short end of the straw by acting impulsive for a while and then just jumping on a plane to Okinawa because of some VERY simple words.

Oh, and the Mike Barnes cameo still didn’t resonate with me. I liked him being the “unbiased judge,” until he started acting like a biased judge…just so he could get into a fight with Johnny! Plus, he still holds a grudge against everyone, but was willing to help them here? Not to mention, he stole a painting for Terry Silver to get his business back, but they made it seem like he’s still “down in the dumps” financially. So, did that not work out? It was very odd.

Finally, I’m still not a fan of how much swearing there is in the series, and some of the dialogue was really cringe (looking at you, Stingray!) at times.

Even with those flaws, my Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 1 Review will end on a positive note, because while it was short, it was fun! Plus, the final scene of everyone at the Sekai Taikai and seeing Tory turn (once again) to the dark side after the death of her mother was great, and it made you WISH for the next episodes to come out sooner.

So, while I’m not a fan of these 15 episodes being separated, I am excited for what comes in the next set and how everything wraps up. There’s enough drama left to keep me interested, and I can’t wait for the “games to begin” next time.