By MIGUEL SANTOS | September 09, 2022

After vanquishing friend and foe, Terry Silver sets his sights on expanding the Cobra Kai brand. Danial and Johnny regroup while Miguel searches for his father in Mexico.

*SPOILER ALERT*

The Only Game In Town:

At the end of season 4, the maniacal Terry Silver(Thomas Ian Griffeth) firmly established himself as the undisputed ruler of the Cobra Kai universe. Using skillful deceit and violence, Silver removed all perceived obstacles to his grand vision of the new Cobra Kai.

He had his best friend, John Kreese(Martin Kove), framed and arrested for aggravated assault and the attempted murder of a former student. He got Danial (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny(William Zabka) to disband their Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang Dojos under fraudulent pretenses.

In this episode, Silver unveils his ambitious plans to make Cobra Kai the unquestioned leader of martial arts schools within the valley and beyond. He launches a new marketing campaign with commercials and other promotions. He opens up new, state-of-the-art facilities. He buys out and hires the best Senseis from the remaining dojos in the valley to deal with the influx of new students.

Daniel-San Regroups:

Unaware that Silver cheated, Daniel, announces to his students that he will be closing down Miyagi-Do for their safety. The students, especially his daughter Sam(Mary Mouser), are disappointed by this news. Sam hasn't gotten over her loss at the 51st All Valley Tournament. She has been training for a rematch with her arch-rival Tory(Peyton List).

Daniel believes that Terry Silver's ultimate plan is to poison the minds of young people. He recruits his old nemesis turned friend Chozen Toguchi(Yuji Don Okumoto) from Okinawa. Together they plan to put an end to Silver's nefarious plans. They scout one of his new locations. While watching Silver spar, Toguchi makes a shocking discovery. He recognizes the deadly style that Silver uses. Later in a sparring session of their own, they agree that the only way to take down Silver is to think like him.

Miguel's Quest::

Miguel(Xolo Maridueña) travels to Mexico, where he hopes to find his father. Once he gets off the bus, things go wrong immediately. He gets accosted by a group of men on the beach who take nearly all his money. Undaunted, Miguel continues to search for his father. His quest takes him to a bar, where he gets into a short scuffle and asks questions. The answers he gets are of no help, so he continues searching.

Miguel's luck seems to change by accident when he calls Sam. After talking with Sam, he overhears a man calling his father's name, Hector. He follows Hector and discovers that he has a family. Miguel meets the little boy and saves him from getting hit by a car. Grateful for his heroism Hector and his wife invite Miguel to dinner. Hector speaks fluent English. He tells Miguel that he seems familiar.

Father And Son Road Trip:

Dealing with the loss at the tournament and feeling guilty about Miguel running away, Johnny sets out to find Miguel. He takes his son Robby(Tanner Buchanan) with him. While Robby wishes this trip was for a different reason, he's still happy to spend time with his dad. Their adventure leads to a minor car accident and payback for Miguel. They wind up kicking the asses of the men who essentially robbed him. Later they have a bonding moment with a beer and a Coke.

Observations:

I thought this episode acted as a smooth transition from season 4. It showed some of the fallout from last season while leaving other parts for later episodes. I look forward to seeing how Kreese deals with Silver's betrayal. How long can Tory keep the secret? She knows that Silver bribed that referee.

We already know the depths that Terry Silver will go to to get what he wants. Best friends are expendable, and money is no object. Is it possible for this rich, charming, and cunning sociopath to be even worse than he's already shown? Yes! Daniel will need all the help he can get to win this one. He is far worse than anything Kreese ever was.

I'm happy that Johnny and his son are both healing. I believe they need each other. I hope Miguel finds his father. What the hell is Chozen Toguchi doing at Cobra Kai? Get your popcorn ready. Season 5 is going to be a wild ride.

miguel@dominicansoul.com