On Friday, Sept. 9, Netflix released season five of their highly anticipated series, “Cobra Kai.” The show is a continuation of the “Karate Kid” franchise and follows Johnny Lawrence as he creates his own dojo. In the first four seasons, he is at odds with his longtime rival, Daniel Larusso. Played by William Zabka and Ralph Macchio, Johnny and Daniel go on to team up their respective dojos, Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do Karate, in order to try to take back Cobra Kai from their nemesis, John Kreese. The series is a treat for any “Karate Kid” fan — new and old.
In season five, we catch up with the cast after the long-awaited All Valley karate tournament. After a devastating loss to Cobra Kai, Daniel is forced to close down Miyagi-Do. Meanwhile, Eagle Fang student Miguel Diaz travels to Mexico to search for the father his family sought to escape upon entering the U.S.. Johnny Lawrence and his son Robby are close behind, racing to get to Miguel. As this is all happening, we watch Terry Silver, another rival take his place as the new owner of Cobra Kai. Fresh off the arrest of John Kreese, Silver seeks to become the most powerful dojo in the California Valley. As the episodes go on, it is clear to see that his mission is coming true. Terry Silver and his Cobra Kai crew are ruthless — they truly show no mercy.
The smash hit television series originally premiered as a Youtube Red show in 2018. After the show went viral, the first season was quickly picked up by streaming giant Netflix. The first four seasons draw out the long standing rivalry between Daniel and Johnny, so seeing their new partnership in the fifth season is a breath of fresh air.
However, the fifth season still begins with many questions to be answered. What will become of the now closed Miyaji-Do? Will John Kreese ever stand trial for his arrest? What will happen with Daniel Larusso’s new housemate and karate master Chozen? Will Johnny and his students take back Cobra Kai?
Many have speculated that season five will be the final installment of the “Cobra Kai” series, and hopefully as we watch further, these questions will be answered. With the closure of the final episode and still no opposing word from Netflix, as a viewer it seems that this may in fact be the last season. Of course, die-hard fans think otherwise. My little brother Mason is among the slew of die-hard “Cobra Kai” fans. He’s been watching the show very intently since its release with six rewatches under his belt. He quickly caused my entire family of seven to get absolutely hooked on the show. When asked about the possibility of the fifth season being the last installment of the “Cobra Kai” series, he emphasized the central tagline of the hit television show: “‘Cobra Kai’ never dies.”
Rating: 5/5
