Cobra Kai season 4 recap and season 5 theories

Cobra Kai season 4 premiered on Friday on Netflix, and this year’s story arc and outcomes have us plenty optimistic for a strong season 5. Jon Hurwitz and Josh Heald were the showrunners. The soap opera ended up in All-Valley Karate. It left behind clear good-versus-bad rivalries. This should lead to fun, furious martial art action for the next 10 episode.

Maybe it took an extra season to get there, but fans could rightly view the first four years as a fully resolved arc involving Johnny and Daniel’s wary friendship, spilling into their son and daughter’s own conflict and maturing. Season 4 — a great cliffhanger notwithstanding — did end on notes that felt like the conclusion of a good popcorn-movie trilogy, albeit one that leaves plenty of territory for another big-time sequel to roam.

It has been a mere week. Cobra KaiFans are guessing where the show will go in season 4. Here’s how we see the order of battle for Cobra Kai season 5, which has been greenlit by Netflix, even if we don’t know when it will premiere, or any other details.

[Ed. note: Spoilers for the entirety of the Cobra Kai franchise to date will follow.]

Image courtesy of Netflix

Who are next year’s bad guys?

Terry Silver, thanks to the bravura performances of Thomas Ian Griffith is now officially the bad guy. But you’d be forgiven for wondering who, exactly, will be along for the ride with him, be that willingly or manipulated. Season 4 wrapped up with practically all of Miyagi-do Karate’s enemies either in sympathetic places, or reconciling with their families and friends.

John Kreese is Martin Kove. Silver frames him for his brutal, but oh so satisfying beatdown of Stingray. Paul Walter Hauser again; really? We saw Kreese confront his past and how his Martial Arts philosophy has influenced young minds at the tournament. It’s not entirely a face turn, but Kreese is more likely to need reluctant help from Johnny (William Zabka) and Daniel (Ralph Macchio) than to be battling them.

Tory Nichols of Peyton List quickly finished episode 10, realizing she had won a fixed match to win her All-Valley crown over Samantha (Mary Mouser). There is a lot to be done with classic character conflict. However, it’s Silver who was involved in the fixing. Miyagi-do will have Tory as a weak soldier.

Kenny Payne (Dallas Young) appears to be drunk on his own power and prowess without realizing it, somewhat like Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) after his triumph at the All-Valley in season 1. He’ll be an important figure as Cobra Kai’s writers put in the work to establish a new high school class of rivals, but he’s too new, and also a little short to be one of Terry Silver’s lead stormtroopers. Kyler (Joe Seo) is solidly on Cobra Kai’s first-string of D-bags, but he’s a straight-away meathead follower, not an evil plotter.

Then there’s Daniel-san’s Daniel-son, Anthony LaRusso (Griffin Santopietro), whom Kenny thrashed in the locker room at the All-Valley. Although Anthony was revealed to be a bully, horrifying his parents, Kenny’s enmity would seem to keep him from turning to Cobra Kai or being tempted by Silver. That particular twist is a bit too obvious to be misused, at least by Tanner Buchanan. Regardless, there should be action between Kenny and Anthony in season 5, but right now that wouldn’t seem to have legs beyond being a strong subplot.

Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker

What’s going on with Miguel?

Miguel’s departure from southern California — on a bus, to find his (apparently dangerous) father in Mexico — came so abruptly that one must wonder if Maridueña’s continued participation in the show is in some kind of doubt. It sure seems like a writing hedge to explain a character’s absence if their actor and the producers can’t come to terms (think: Bo and Luke Duke allegedly “racing NASCAR” while Coy and Vance took over in The Dukes at Hazzard’s fifth season).

Miguel looks completely check-out, whatever the reason. (Props again to the writers for subverting viewers expectations with the countdown sequence to return to the mat. However Cobra Kai Okinawa was the location for season 3. Sending another character on an individual journey to the drama is too much for an ensemble. But if Miguel/Maridueña leaving really is a work and not a shoot, there should be adventure galore as Miguel defends himself on the road.

Photo: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix

Robbie and Sam are going to get married?

Pity poor Tory; her romance with Robbie had some real heat, and the two showcased some ass-kicking dance moves — literally — at the after-party. But with the fast-paced finale resolving to Robbie’s reconciliation with his dad (“I’m sick of blaming you, Dad!” was the sledgehammer line in an outstanding scene), that puts him back with Miyagi-do and the forces of good. If Miguel is out of the picture, well, that creates natural tension with Samantha LaRusso, and it’s sure to drive Tory bonkers. Because of the ready-made conflict, we’d put the odds at nearly even Sam makes a move on Robbie, or vice versa.

Elsewhere, as delightful as it was to see Hawk — now just plain Eli (Jacob Bertrand) — pick up a championship, it looks like his Samson-esque mohawk is no longer needed. Moon and he are back in the news, while Yasmine (Annalisa Colchrane), still appears to be serious about Demetri (Gianni Dezenzo). Kenny and Anthony will likely brawl over newcomer Lia, but that triangle’s a little young to be next year’s romantic anchor. Our teenage soap opera might be much more restrained next year with all the flirting.

CURTIS BONDS NETFLIX/BAKER

Hilary Swank, the next throwback guest host star

Cobra Kai has been generous with cameos from The Karate Kid’s theatrical releases, and its pull as a pop culture and social media phenomenon should be a lot stronger after a standout season 4. It is already known that Chozen Toguchi, Yuji Okumoto’s unexpectedly charming character in season 3, will make a return to season 5 in order to aid Daniel in dealing with Silver. But are there any other characters left, from The Karate Kid cinematic universe, who haven’t made an appearance?

“Any movie that has Mr. Miyagi in it is part of our ’80s canon,” Heald told Polygon. That means that Hilary Swank — star of the lesser-known The Next Karate Kid — is, at least theoretically, on the table. Swank was Julie Pierce’s portrayal in 1994’s movie. The film also starred Pat Morita, who played Mr. Miyagi.

“Julie Pierce is very much a character who exists in this world in this universe,” Heald added. “You’ll have to wait and see. And we’ll have to wait and see, you know, when and if Julie enters our Cobra Kai story. But we are big fans of Hillary Swank.”

However, the film of 2010 isn’t canonical. Karate KidActors Jackie Chan and JadenSmith star in “The,” That’s altogether a reboot, so Chan’s Mr. Han and Smith’s Dre Parker exist outside of this San Fernando Valley. Jon Hurwitz, a year ago, noted to Slashfilm that Jackie Chan had been mentioned by name in season 1. “So I think, in our world, Jackie Chan is an actor and a performer,” he said. “If the characters on our show have seen a movie called Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one.”

Fans tried connecting the dots long ago considering that Will Smith’s production company, Overbrook Entertainment, was in the credits for seasons 1 to 3, before handing off to distributor Sony Pictures Television Studios last year. Maybe that was behind the Jackie Chan hat tip in season 1, but it’s nothing more.

Each of the four seasons Cobra KaiThese movies are also available through Netflix