‘Cobra Kai’ Recap, Season 6, Episode 4: ‘Underdogs’

When the earlier episode revealed that solely six Miyagi-Do college students could be allowed to compete on the Sekai Taikai, a small a part of me felt underwhelmed. It’s narratively good to power allies to struggle each other for a high spot, but when six of them get in, that basically eliminates solely the extraneous minor characters anyway. I like Mitch, Nate, and Chris, for instance, however no person is dying to see them struggle for glory. What are the stakes right here if we all know Miguel, Sam, Robby, and Tory are all assured spots?

“Underdogs” is in the end good to acknowledge that from the very starting. This isn’t an episode of TV in regards to the first-stringers; all 4 of our most important child characters play supporting roles, if that. That is an episode in regards to the underdogs, as indicated by the title. It’s in regards to the second-stringers who actually need to struggle for this uncommon alternative. That additionally means it’s this season’s first actual try to middle a narrative on characters like Eli, Demetri, Devon, and Anthony.

To be honest, Eli isn’t really an underdog. He beat Robby and have become the boys’ division champion on the All Valley on the finish of season 4. Even Demetri factors on the market’s actually only one place up for grabs, and it’s prone to go to Kenny. However in an effort to stay as neutral as attainable, Daniel and Johnny conform to stage a battle royal judged by a visitor sensei: Mike Barnes.

Cobra Kai now has a whole lot of expertise in bringing again previous villains from the unique Karate Child motion pictures and rehabilitating them with out softening their personalities to an unrecognizable diploma. The perfect Karate Child villain returnee will get each humanized and showcased because the cartoony karate villain who appealed to followers (or didn’t) within the first place. When Thomas Ian Griffith returned as Terry Silver in season 4, for instance, his character took on new psychological dimensions, however he additionally acquired to let free and chew the surroundings by leaning into the identical psychotic vibe of his cheesily memorable 1989 efficiency.

So whereas it was good to see Mike Barnes play a really good man final season, it’s additionally gratifying to see his dickish facet come out throughout spherical one of many battle royal. He circles the yard all through the day, taking notes and judging college students based mostly on challenges associated to hurry (attempting to catch a rooster), power (breaking wood boards), endurance (holding a heavy rock in entrance of them for so long as attainable), and teamwork (working with buddies to kick their different buddies’ asses). That first spherical narrows the attainable Sekai Taikai candidates all the way down to a dozen, which encompasses all the youngsters beforehand named on this recap.

I like Devon fairly a bit, so I actually felt for her as she struggled to earn Mike’s approval, flashing again to Kim Da-Eun’s crushing disappointment. That solely continues throughout spherical two the subsequent day, which revolves round snatching as many flags as attainable off the opposite opponents whereas defending their very own. Johnny’s well-intentioned efforts to attract Mike’s consideration to Devon as an alternative distract him from witnessing a few of her most spectacular performs. Mike is unexpectedly lenient on the dirtier strikes, like Kenny drawing blood when he hits Anthony within the face. Daniel even accuses him of slipping again to “Dangerous Boy Barnes.”

As anticipated, our core 4 (Miguel, Sam, Robby, and Tory) find yourself with the assured spots, whereas Mike takes the night time to decide on two from one other group of 4 (Eli, Demetri, Kenny, and Devon). (This tier system is an apparent however fairly efficient strategy to slender the competitors to probably the most related supporting characters.) Johnny is absolutely pulling for Devon, considered one of his star Eagle Fang pupils, and he goes as far as to go to Mike’s store to advocate for her. However their tense dialog rapidly escalates right into a struggle, set off by Johnny calling Mike a “goon for rent” and Mike calling Johnny a “cream puff” whereas insulting Devon’s talents. Johnny wins as a result of The Karate Child is healthier than The Karate Child Half III.

However we all know each of those Karate Child villains are huge softies deep down, and Mike rapidly opens up in regards to the current Dangerous Boy Barnes backslide he skilled since Daniel and Terry Silver reentered his life. If it wasn’t clear already, that angle is a protection mechanism, a approach of upsetting a struggle to reclaim his energy at a time of vulnerability.

The subsequent day, Mike proclaims that the ultimate 4 candidates will battle it out with one final flag problem (two flags are hidden within the woods, and whoever brings one again wins), which suggests Johnny’s go to did change his thoughts about rating Devon final. And a last-minute confession additional raises the stakes: Eli comes clear to Demetri about how he by no means utilized to MIT as each of them had deliberate for years. It’s nothing private — he simply desires to discover his choices — however Demetri doesn’t take the information properly, to place it mildly. He lashes out and turns the dialog right into a struggle by condescending to Eli and calling him a moron. That confrontation continues into the problem itself after they go for a similar flag.

You’d be a idiot to wager on Demetri in any typical Eli vs. Demetri matchup, and their struggle within the woods does initially finish with Eli besting him. (It might be an Eli win if this have been the All Valley.) However this isn’t your typical struggle as a result of Demetri is a longtime nerd now fueled by the encouragement and validation of a scorching, in style girlfriend. Extra essential, he’s unhappy that his good friend dared to contemplate a future aside from the one they’d fantasized about spending in the identical location. That unhappiness manifests as fury at Eli’s betrayal, and that fury makes Demetri actually, actually wish to beat him. So after Eli provides him a hand to face up, Demetri strikes him, flipping him over a rock and claiming the flag for himself. It’s not one hundred pc honest, however he simply bested a confirmed winner.

In the meantime, Kenny shits himself as he kilos on the door of a porta-potty, which is like one thing out of a fable or Greek tragedy. That leaves Devon to assert the opposite flag, a joyful second till you understand the reality: She spiked Kenny’s water with Mitch’s laxatives, then let him consider Anthony had performed it. It seems working towards karate with Miyagi-Do isn’t an computerized assure of persistently virtuous habits. Devon clearly remembers the methods ruthlessness and aggression served her on Eagle Fang and Cobra Kai, to not point out the controversy staff. I don’t suppose she’s essentially leaping ship for Cobra Kai anytime quickly, however she’s one to observe. It’s a lot simpler to slide into darkness than it’s to crawl again into the sunshine.

• Anthony hasn’t had a ton to do that season, which doesn’t hassle me an excessive amount of. There’s a kernel of story right here when he will get upset that his dad wasn’t actual with him, nevertheless it doesn’t come up once more within the episode. When Daniel checks in, Anthony can’t cease grinning about Kenny shitting himself.

• There’s drama constructing between Daniel and Johnny, with the previous calling out the latter for visiting Mike and swaying him to contemplate Devon, defeating the aim of an neutral choose.