Cobra Kai Review: Barnes & Brawls, Baby!
Jasmine Blu
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The return of Mike Barnes was satisfying in the most unexpected way.
But another of Daniel's nemeses appearing wasn't even the most surprising aspect of Cobra Kai Season 5 Episode 3 when the half-hour also delivered the news that Johny and Carmen are expecting.
And by the end of Cobra Kai Season 4 Episode 4, it's evident that he'll have work cut out for him trying to get unknowing "brothers" of sorts to make amends before they even learn about the child on the way.
But first, Chozen continues to be the gift that keeps on giving. He's a man who casually talks about the weapons one uses to cut through bone without batting an eye. He also understands the trashy appeal of 90 Day Fiance.
How can you not love Chozen?!
So far, he's been like Daniel's attack dog this season. He takes the job of protecting Daniel and the LaRussos so seriously that he can't even entertain two grown men pretend fighting without turning it into a beatdown in the middle of a furniture store.
Frankly, find you a Chozen. He's the very definition of a ride-or-die, and the level of restraint that Daniel is exhibiting when it comes to Silver is driving Chozen a bit nuts.
But there has to be some larger plan in play right now. The problem is that whatever takes place won't be with the full support of Amanda. She has understandably reached her limit with Daniel, his karate vendettas, and bullcrap.
Does Daniel even do anything else outside of obsessing over Cobra Kai? When is the last time we've actually seen this man sell a car?
Cobra Kai consumes Daniel, and he's incapable of letting any of it go. It makes him weak against Silver, who plays Daniel like a finely tuned violin during the Philharmonic.
Chozen may have told Daniel that they have to be like the snake to take it down, but at this point, Silver is playing 3-D chess while Daniel is playing checkers, which is hard to witness.
Daniel's attempt to think ahead brought him to Mike Barnes, which was a worthwhile sequence of events. It was refreshing that not only had Mike outgrown everything from the past with Daniel, and he was genuinely contrite and got his life together. Daniel accepted that Mike had changed at face value.
It's a small mark of growth that Daniel didn't second-guess Mike's sincerity when he realized they had a misunderstanding. Otherwise, we'd watch Daniel spend another few seasons harping on the past man and not seeing the present one in front of him.
Mike has a good life, and he's grown, matured, and got his life together. He was so proud of that furniture store, and you could hear his voice's pride, attachment, and meaning when he shared everything about how his father-in-law saw the best in him and gave him this opportunity.
It's safe to say that his father-in-law has passed away, and Mike is humbled that the man left him this legacy. And that's why it was upsetting when Silver burned the store to the ground.
Daniel, believe me. If there is one guy in this world that doesn't owe me an apology, believe me, it's you. I'm so sorry for the things I said back in the day. The things that I did. Look, I wanted to apologize to you so many times.
Mike
Mike's face crumbled. His thanks for giving Daniel the name of Silver's lawyer was his legacy in ashes. It makes you hate that Daniel even got someone who never would've thought twice about any of this involved in this mess that ruined his life mere hours after getting reacquainted.
Silver is a special kind of evil, making Kreese appear like a cuddly bear in comparison.
He knew exactly what he was doing by hosting that charity event at home. Silver is used to high society and how he functions. He wanted to get as much support and collaboration for his Cobra Kai franchises as possible, and this whole thing about him helping underprivileged students is strategic.
He's succeeding in getting the community on his side, which is why Daniel was foolish for not treading lightly at the event. He made himself and Amanda, by proxy, look foolish.
Amanda had every right to be pissed off and at her limit. Daniel is easy to goad and can't play it cool in normal situations.
It was evident that Silver probably said flattering things about Amanda but pretended to do otherwise to elicit the exact reaction out of Daniel.
Amanda choosing to take off with the kids is understandable. Sadly, it's doubtful that it'll change anything for Daniel as he and Chozen continue to focus on Silver.
The kids can undoubtedly use the break. Sam, especially, is feeling lost right now, and after seeing what Miguel did to "find himself," she gets him and knows that she needs to do the same.
I really respect you for taking the time you needed to find yourself, but I need that time too. Ever since my dad opened up that dojo, my whole life has been about karate. It's affected all the relationships in my life, with my family, with my friends, with you. It's just I need a little break to figure out who I am outside of that.
Sam
Her dream sequence while in the chamber was interesting as each of her connections wanted her to be something different. And it's unsurprising that her biggest enemy and hurdle right now is herself.
Everything Sam said about karate consuming her life since Daniel opened that dojo was right. It's been her entire life these days, and it's unfair. She's reached her limit and deserves to explore what else there is for her now.
It makes sense that she didn't want to engage in another karate turf war at the water park. Nothing good ever comes from them. It's always a bunch of misunderstandings, tension, and fights.
Despite Miguel's heart breaking over Sam's decision, he understands where she's coming from, which is good.
But the dojo turf war stuff among the kids is exhausting. The Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang kids aren't even technically practicing karate anymore, but it hasn't prevented issues among them.
Hawk has made an impressive turnaround. He takes himself seriously as a role model and tries to uphold some decency and respectability.
But it's hard when Cobra Kai is underhanded all the time. Kenny turning into a full-blown bully against his bully is tough to watch. Hurt people hurt people and all of that.
And Kenny is who Robby is most concerned about as he feels he's to blame for Kenny going over to the dark side. His attempts and bringing Kenny to the light and get him to quit Cobra Kai were futile.
Before Cobra Kai, I used to get picked on. Now, I'm' stronger than I've ever been. I'm never quitting because I'm not a quitter.
Kenny
Kenny is loyal to the place that taught him how to stick up for himself, and it'll be hard to break him away from that.
By now, Tory knows better, but she's not ready to leave. I'm not sure even Robby breaking up with her will be enough to change her mind yet.
But as hard as Robby is trying to be a good person, Miguel still has his doubts, which is unfortunate.
Miguel couldn't see Robby trying to break up the fight rather than be part of it. And all the tension between them was starting to come to a head.
They're butting heads so much that it will be a nightmare when they learn about the baby. It'll bind them in a way neither would've ever anticipated.
Johnny will always prove he's the heart of the series, and while he's such a hot mess, it's always entertaining to see how much he tries.
He was reasonably nervous when Carmen told him she might be pregnant. They didn't plan for this, and they're not in the position where they were ready for family planning.
It triggered him and how terrible he was the first time around with Robby. He's only just getting a grasp on fatherhood, whether it's with Robby or with Miguel.
And now he's learning that he'll be a father again. It's a lot for anyone to process. Of course, she wanted him to get his shit together if things were real, giving him space to do that.
The montage of things Johnny did to prepare for the baby, whether it was wrapping up a beer case or the countless one-star gigs, was pure entertainment.
I loved how well he got his apartment together and that it no longer looked like a sad bachelor pad stuck in the '80s. Baby or no, Johnny needed to do these things to his apartment so that his home reflected the level of growth he's achieved over the seasons.
A pregnant Carmen has seemingly come out of the left field. However, it's an intriguing development that can lead to so many cool, layered storylines extending beyond Johnny and Carmen, which is exciting.
Silver: If you continue down this path, nothing in your life will ever be the same again. Your playing with fire, Danny Boy. Chozen: And I am gasoline. Boom.
Typically, I'm wary of baby plots, but this one has such potential that I'm willing to go along for this ride.
Over to you, Cobra Kai Fanatics! Did you love the Mike Barnes appearance? How can Daniel defeat Silver? Are you shocked by the baby news? Sound off below.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
