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| Yuji Okumoto as CHOZEN, William Zabka as JOHNNY, Ralph Macchio as DANIEL |
Episode 5: Best of the Best
Tory sits in a consultation room with a doctor who is giving her an update about her mom. The pill bottle on the table reads a prescription for Grace Nichols, taking 10 mg of tamoxifen twice a day. Her mom's breast cancer has stopped spreading and may be in regression. Tory feels her mom's condition has improved noticeably. Grace has been out of bed and seems to be feeling better. The doctor thinks it's best to taper her off of meds, rather than stop immediately. Tory looks relieved.
She walks towards her car in the hospital parking garage and notices she's being followed. But it's no night stalker – just Sensei Kreese, trying to reconnect with his favorite female student. Tory's surprised to see him, but then remembers how he turned his back on her before when she needed support. Kreese claims he created space between them to protect her. Now that he's out, he wants her to rejoin his team. It's impressive that Kreese came back to the US just to get Tory on the way form Korea to Barcelona. For a guy on unemployment, he sure seems to have plenty of wealth to throw away on plane tickets. She tells him to get lost, and Kreese notices the Miyagi-Do gi in her gym bag. Kreese warns Tory that she'll never fit in at Miyagi-Do. She'll always be second fiddle to Sam. Kreese knows just what buttons to push to get her hackles up. Tory refuses to show any doubt though. She's a free agent and is no longer "his champion."
Over at Miyagi-Do, Sam, Miguel, Hawk, and Demetri warm up for the day's activities. Sam asks Miguel if he's heard from Stanford yet. Miguel says no, and Hawk tries to encourage him by saying that Demetri hasn't heard from MIT yet either. Turns out he couldn't be more wrong -- a big indication that communication between Demetri and Hawk is at an all-time low. Indeed, Demetri got accepted and didn't share it with Hawk. Sam shares her congrats, but Demetri uses the opportunity to poke the bear and tell everyone that Hawk didn't apply. The bitterness is spread thick like peanut butter in this scene.
Tory and Robby warm up. She's told him about Kreese but asks him to keep that info private. People may suspect that she's still in kahoots with him. Robby promises that her secrets are safe with him. The two of them commit to being for each other, no matter what. Everyone else has college, but for the two of them, the Sekai Taikai could be their best shot at a future. When she phrases it that way, it does sort of make you want the wins for her and Robby. The stakes do seem higher for these two youths with a record. They both have something to prove. Tory's win at the All Valley is tainted by knowing Silver paid off the ref, while Robby knows he always comes in second place.
Daniel and Johnny come out, ready to start the day. Devon asks Anthony if he's seen Kenny. Her guilt must be overwhelming at this point, but that doesn't excuse the terrible thing she did. I will not be able to forgive Devon for a while. The last thing Kenny and Anthony need is continued conflict between them. Her actions seem completely out of character. We've always known Devon was competitive, but she's never done anything unethical.
Leaving that for now, Daniel and Johnny need to name the male and female captains. The captains will serve as leaders, but they will also be in the finals if the dojo reaches that level. The captains will be chosen by 1-on-1 matches between Sam and Tory and Miguel and Robby. Johnny announces he will train the four possible captains, but Daniel thought he was going to be in the driver's seat. Thus, Daniel and Johnny continue their streak of not working together. Johnny proceeds to lead a mixed bag of exercises that includes mixing kata with aggressive power moves and chucking beer bottles at the group while they are trying to balance on the koi pond raft. Johnny seems to be trying his best to spread the gospel of Miyagi-Do served with a side of Eagle Fang.
Back at home, Daniel complains about Johnny's renegade activities. He's doing things without consulting Daniel, something Daniel does often to Amanda. Amanda counters that Daniel promised he would be retiring from teaching after the Sekai Taikai – so what's the problem? Daniel feels that ever since the announcement came about limited spots on the team, Johnny's worst impulses are returning full throttle. He claims Mr. Miyagi would not be happy, but Amanda asks how he knows? Especially with the new information, there may be many things Daniel doesn't know about Mr. Miyagi. This riles Daniel up. Amanda can tell that this secret Miyagi box has really left Daniel at a loss.
Meanwhile, Johnny is at his place regaling Carmen with tales of how great the training was that day. Carmen hopes the fight for captain doesn't create a new rift between Miguel and Robby. As Johnny encourages her not to worry, Carmen notices a sharp feeling in her belly. The baby is kicking. Miguel comes home, dejected that his application was deferred at Stanford. Carmen and Johnny give him hugs and support. Miguel looks like he's not sure.
Tory arrives home, making arrangements for someone to watch her brother. She's ready to give her mom the new medication dosage. She notices the beginnings of a dinner boiling on the stove. But mom is nowhere to be found. That's when she notices her mom lying unconscious on the floor, Tory leans her over, desperately calling her mother's name and checking her pulse. The camera lands on an image of Grace Nichols' hand clenched into a fist, as if ready to execute the perfect punch.
The next day, Sam and Miguel commiserate in the high school cafeteria. Miguel shares his fears that he won't get accepted at Stanford. They only accept 15% of deferrals. Sam believes that winning the Sekai Taikai will help a lot. Miguel feels dejected that this means he needs to beat Robby again. Just then, Robby comes up looking for Tory. They were supposed to train together, and she hasn't shown up. Robby and Tory have decided to train separately from Sam and Miguel since they are fighting each other. Makes sense.
At LaRusso Auto, Daniel prepares to leave. Johnny approaches, complaining that he's on the test drive schedule when it's the final day to train the kids. Daniel says he'll train the kids today, just like Johnny trained the kids without him. Honestly, fair. Johnny wants him to get a sub so he can join the training. This argument does seem silly. Since the kids want to train separately, what a perfect opportunity for each of them to take half of the competitors. But instead, they bicker over who's in charge. This dispute between Daniel and Johnny feels old. With them now working together, they need to create strategies to work through conflict.
Robby waits for Tory in the park and checks his messages. Tory sits in the waiting room of the hospital with her head in her hands. The doctor approaches. Her apologies mean that Tory's mom didn't make it. Tory looks so sad and rebukes the doctor for saying she was getting better. It turns out a pulmonary embolism appeared that the doctor couldn't predict. Tory responds by punching a metal box on the wall. The doctor asks who they can call, and Tory replies that there's no one.
This reply feels in character for Tory, but one might hope that after all this time, she would know she could call Robby or even Amanda. After all that's happened, why would Tory continue to think she's alone? She's been fighting all her life, but it feels as if this separation needed to happen just to drive a wedge before the captain's fight.
She walks towards her car in the hospital parking garage and notices she's being followed. But it's no night stalker – just Sensei Kreese, trying to reconnect with his favorite female student. Tory's surprised to see him, but then remembers how he turned his back on her before when she needed support. Kreese claims he created space between them to protect her. Now that he's out, he wants her to rejoin his team. It's impressive that Kreese came back to the US just to get Tory on the way form Korea to Barcelona. For a guy on unemployment, he sure seems to have plenty of wealth to throw away on plane tickets. She tells him to get lost, and Kreese notices the Miyagi-Do gi in her gym bag. Kreese warns Tory that she'll never fit in at Miyagi-Do. She'll always be second fiddle to Sam. Kreese knows just what buttons to push to get her hackles up. Tory refuses to show any doubt though. She's a free agent and is no longer "his champion."
Over at Miyagi-Do, Sam, Miguel, Hawk, and Demetri warm up for the day's activities. Sam asks Miguel if he's heard from Stanford yet. Miguel says no, and Hawk tries to encourage him by saying that Demetri hasn't heard from MIT yet either. Turns out he couldn't be more wrong -- a big indication that communication between Demetri and Hawk is at an all-time low. Indeed, Demetri got accepted and didn't share it with Hawk. Sam shares her congrats, but Demetri uses the opportunity to poke the bear and tell everyone that Hawk didn't apply. The bitterness is spread thick like peanut butter in this scene.
Tory and Robby warm up. She's told him about Kreese but asks him to keep that info private. People may suspect that she's still in kahoots with him. Robby promises that her secrets are safe with him. The two of them commit to being for each other, no matter what. Everyone else has college, but for the two of them, the Sekai Taikai could be their best shot at a future. When she phrases it that way, it does sort of make you want the wins for her and Robby. The stakes do seem higher for these two youths with a record. They both have something to prove. Tory's win at the All Valley is tainted by knowing Silver paid off the ref, while Robby knows he always comes in second place.
Daniel and Johnny come out, ready to start the day. Devon asks Anthony if he's seen Kenny. Her guilt must be overwhelming at this point, but that doesn't excuse the terrible thing she did. I will not be able to forgive Devon for a while. The last thing Kenny and Anthony need is continued conflict between them. Her actions seem completely out of character. We've always known Devon was competitive, but she's never done anything unethical.
Leaving that for now, Daniel and Johnny need to name the male and female captains. The captains will serve as leaders, but they will also be in the finals if the dojo reaches that level. The captains will be chosen by 1-on-1 matches between Sam and Tory and Miguel and Robby. Johnny announces he will train the four possible captains, but Daniel thought he was going to be in the driver's seat. Thus, Daniel and Johnny continue their streak of not working together. Johnny proceeds to lead a mixed bag of exercises that includes mixing kata with aggressive power moves and chucking beer bottles at the group while they are trying to balance on the koi pond raft. Johnny seems to be trying his best to spread the gospel of Miyagi-Do served with a side of Eagle Fang.
Back at home, Daniel complains about Johnny's renegade activities. He's doing things without consulting Daniel, something Daniel does often to Amanda. Amanda counters that Daniel promised he would be retiring from teaching after the Sekai Taikai – so what's the problem? Daniel feels that ever since the announcement came about limited spots on the team, Johnny's worst impulses are returning full throttle. He claims Mr. Miyagi would not be happy, but Amanda asks how he knows? Especially with the new information, there may be many things Daniel doesn't know about Mr. Miyagi. This riles Daniel up. Amanda can tell that this secret Miyagi box has really left Daniel at a loss.
Meanwhile, Johnny is at his place regaling Carmen with tales of how great the training was that day. Carmen hopes the fight for captain doesn't create a new rift between Miguel and Robby. As Johnny encourages her not to worry, Carmen notices a sharp feeling in her belly. The baby is kicking. Miguel comes home, dejected that his application was deferred at Stanford. Carmen and Johnny give him hugs and support. Miguel looks like he's not sure.
Tory arrives home, making arrangements for someone to watch her brother. She's ready to give her mom the new medication dosage. She notices the beginnings of a dinner boiling on the stove. But mom is nowhere to be found. That's when she notices her mom lying unconscious on the floor, Tory leans her over, desperately calling her mother's name and checking her pulse. The camera lands on an image of Grace Nichols' hand clenched into a fist, as if ready to execute the perfect punch.
The next day, Sam and Miguel commiserate in the high school cafeteria. Miguel shares his fears that he won't get accepted at Stanford. They only accept 15% of deferrals. Sam believes that winning the Sekai Taikai will help a lot. Miguel feels dejected that this means he needs to beat Robby again. Just then, Robby comes up looking for Tory. They were supposed to train together, and she hasn't shown up. Robby and Tory have decided to train separately from Sam and Miguel since they are fighting each other. Makes sense.
At LaRusso Auto, Daniel prepares to leave. Johnny approaches, complaining that he's on the test drive schedule when it's the final day to train the kids. Daniel says he'll train the kids today, just like Johnny trained the kids without him. Honestly, fair. Johnny wants him to get a sub so he can join the training. This argument does seem silly. Since the kids want to train separately, what a perfect opportunity for each of them to take half of the competitors. But instead, they bicker over who's in charge. This dispute between Daniel and Johnny feels old. With them now working together, they need to create strategies to work through conflict.
Robby waits for Tory in the park and checks his messages. Tory sits in the waiting room of the hospital with her head in her hands. The doctor approaches. Her apologies mean that Tory's mom didn't make it. Tory looks so sad and rebukes the doctor for saying she was getting better. It turns out a pulmonary embolism appeared that the doctor couldn't predict. Tory responds by punching a metal box on the wall. The doctor asks who they can call, and Tory replies that there's no one.
This reply feels in character for Tory, but one might hope that after all this time, she would know she could call Robby or even Amanda. After all that's happened, why would Tory continue to think she's alone? She's been fighting all her life, but it feels as if this separation needed to happen just to drive a wedge before the captain's fight.
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| Mary Mouser as SAM |
As the sun sets, Daniel leads Miguel and Sam through some kata exercises. This is exactly how he and Mr. Miyagi trained before big fights. Miguel asks for tips, and Daniel says he's doing great. He asks Sam what she's fighting for, and Sam decides it's closure. Tory beat her at the All-Valley, but it was tainted because of the referee.
Meanwhile Johnny takes an unsuspecting customer on a test drive. It's going as might be expected, with Johnny encouraging the guy to really test the speed. But as it happens, they pass a familiar looking banana yellow Ford Super Deluxe Convertible. What's this? Daniel isn't training the kids in the dojo. He has them out in the woods. Of course it's not like Johnny hasn't done training in some unorthodox locations either.
Johnny walks through the woods and finds Daniel with the kids. He complains that he's being left out. Daniel can't believe that Johnny dragged a customer into their quarrel. He orders him to go back to finish the test drive.
Johnny obliges but decides to reenact Jerry Maguire by announcing to all the staff of LaRusso Auto that he's starting his own auto dealership. Who's coming with him? He tries to recruit both Anoush and Louie but both decline. Our voice of reason, Amanda, comes to talk sense into Johnny. She asks Johnny to give Daniel some slack since Daniel's going through something right now. It's then that Amanda shares about the secret box in Miyagi's house. Since Daniel hasn't come to terms with this yet, it's kind of a huge invasion of Daniel's privacy. I'm guessing Amanda thinks Johnny may understand Daniel better if she shares this. After all, Johnny came to Daniel's rescue last season. In any case, this ends up being a fatal error in judgment.
Robby trains alone in front of his apartment. I feel bad for Robby here. With Tory unavailable to distract him, he gets lost in thoughts of always being second place. He gets flashbacks of his tournament fights with Miguel and Hawk. Remembering the pain of never quite making it. Miguel walks up and they make chit chat. Miguel stops to tell him that no matter what happens, they have no beef. At first this seems like the right thing to say, and I wish he'd left it at that.
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| Xolo Mariduena as MIGUEL |
But Miguel says he really needs to win because of Stanford. He needs to make an impression. Robby feels just as strongly about needing to win, though. Without college prospects of his own, Robby sees the tournament as a possible key to his future. He feels offended that Miguel would think his concerns are any more valid than his. Carmen comes out to say that dinner is ready, but Robby is no longer hungry. Miguel goes into the house alone. You have to wonder how long Robby stood out there, shadow boxing with his demons. It really makes you miss the good old days of season 5, when everyone was happy just to be offered a chance to go to the Sekai Taikai. Now it's back to these boys feeling like winner takes all.
Robby tries to call Tory again. She chooses not to pick up. She opens a bag of her mom's belongings from the hospital and finds a soda bottle cap covered in purple marker. Tory then remembers a flashback from her past. Her mom (played by Bethany DeZelle) asks what she's drawing. Little Tory, played by Charlotte Ann Tucker, shows her a drawing she's made on a clamshell takeout container. This subtle detail reminds us that Tory grew up in a household with few financial resources. There's no drawing paper – just a plastic container for leftovers that is meant to be thrown away after one use.
The drawing she shows Grace includes a mermaid princess, a brilliant callback to Tory's costume she chose when she worked as a character for a Princess birthday party. The drawing has a queen, mermaid princess, and a prince. Just like many girls, Tory dreams of a prince who will fight for her. Grace, Tory's mom, tells her that the princess can rescue herself. Maybe the Queen and princess can learn how to fight for themselves together. The little girl notices three scars raked across her mother's forearm – perhaps leftover from some past physical trauma or abuse? Tory then presents her mother with a magic jewel to protect her -- a soda bottle covered in purple magic marker. Purple – the color of enlightenment. They embrace. The scene fades out to our Tory in present day, her fist tightening around the bottle cap. It's sort of a wicked reveal also that Tory's mom has a scar that looks similar to the one Tory gave Sam at the high school fight.
In less than two minutes, this flashback tells us everything we ever needed to know about Tory. Why she fights. Why she's so independent. This moment is her superhero origin story.
Across town, Daniel and Amanda talk over a glass of wine. He continues to complain about Johnny. Amanda tells him he needs to find balance in this situation. That ever since Daniel found the box with the secrets of Miyagi's past, he has been upset. Daniel feels sad that Mr. Miyagi kept part of his past from Daniel. Amanda feels maybe it's best he doesn't know. Now he can focus on the present and find a way to work with Johnny.
The next day, the students gather at Miyagi-Do for the captain's matches. Johnny gives both Robby and Miguel the same message of encouragement and unconditional love. Daniel asks to speak to Johnny. He apologizes for treating Johnny like a second-class citizen. He renews his desire to work as partners. He suggests that he referee the Miguel/Robby match, and Johnny can referee the Sam/Tory match. Johnny agrees.
Amanda enters stage left and asks Robby where she can find Tory. Robby has no clue and shares that Tory has not been answering his calls. The first match will be Robby and Miguel. Just like at a tournament, this will be a three-point match. As the match begins, the two step towards each other tentatively. Robby is offensive but guarded, while Miguel ends up blocking Robby's initial attacks. Miguel then switches to a more aggressive tactic and sweeps Robby's leg, putting him on his back and getting the first point.
The same pattern repeats again, with Robby not really making a sincere effort to be aggressive. He's a trained Miyagi-Do through and through after all. This time Miguel lands a powerful kick that flips Robby into the air. Miguel now has two points. Robby with none.
Robby looks pretty exhausted, but Tory finally enters the Miyagi-Do backyard. Her presence seems to revitalize him. He no longer feels alone. He smoothes back his hair and seems resolved. Meanwhile, Tory joins the group with no facial expression. Devon gives her the update about the match. She notices Tory seems off, but Tory just says she's ready to fight.
This time Robby takes his time. He doesn't waste time on useless half-attacks. He stands ready and strong. Now it's Miguel who seems a little unsure. Robby blocks every query with precision and no wasted movement. He has solid eye contact with Miguel. He uses the drum technique against Miguel's attacks. Miguel then goes full-on attack, using his signature kicks. Robby blocks everything. Finally Robby lands a solid punch to Miguel's chest. Miguel falls. Johnny's facial expressions reflect his turmoil. It's his son versus his student. It's now 2-1, with Miguel in the lead.
Tory steps closer to the deck, and Amanda notices her arrival and strange facial expressions. After Robby's calm, you might think Miguel might change tactics, but Robby's point only seems to make him more aggressive. Robby continues to show the patience to wait for his moment, even though it was Miguel who was training with Daniel all day. Robby needs a headband to keep his hair out of his face. The music does some lifting in this scene, really ramping up the tension.
Now that he's calm and find his moment. Robby switches to offensive mode, really taking Miguel by surprise. He launches into the air and lands a solid kick to Miguel's face. Although honestly, if you watch the moment in slow motion, you never see the kick find the target. You just hear it. In fact, when I first watched this match, I assumed Robby had missed. But not, Daniel awards him a point. Sam comes to tell him that everything will be okay. Miguel doesn't seem convinced. Johnny stays unusually quiet. It's now tied 2-2. Next point wins.
Robby's confidence has risen. He either senses he can win or feels good about the two points he's earned. Miguel, on the other hand, has come unfurled. The two match each other with attempts and blocks, eventually landing on their backs, almost a perfect copy of what happened to Johnny and Daniel in their season 4 fight. Miguel lunges through the air, going full on Eagle Fang with a leap that a dancer would be proud of. Robby sees him coming though. The two exchange more blows, eventually Robby catches Miguel's leg, flips him over, and lands a punch. Robby wins.
Johnny looks relieved that it's over. The two boys exchange fist bumps. Daniel raises Robby's arm. The male captain has been chosen. Johnny comes up to congratulate Robby and share condolences with Miguel. Miguel accepts Johnny's words, but doesn't really seem too pleased. Yes it's hard to lose, but Miguel is unusually quiet. I'm happy for Robby. He certainly has earned a captain spot.
So now it's time for the match between Tory and Sam. Johnny will referee this one. Sam gives Tory a fist bump, but that only makes Tory think about her mom's fist. Tory thinks about her mother, encouraging her to be a fighter. She's ready to win this fight. The girl's match begins like the one between Robby and Sam. Sam seems to easily knock Tory on her back and lands a first point quickly.
As the match begins, Tory fights like a wild animal. No Miyagi-Do for this girl. Amanda looks concerned at this display of fury. Sam doesn't back down though. She's not a shrinking violet. Still, Tory lands a kick to Sam's face and earns a point. But instead of stopping, she lands a second kick just for good measure - right into Sam's midriff. Probably at a moment when Sam was not expecting to need to protect herself. Everyone is shocked, especially Robby. Johnny just stands there, speechless. Daniel demands Johnny to make a call for this unnecessary display of aggression after she just scored a point. Johnny gives Tory a warning.
Next, Sam executes a screaming eagle and lands a perfect kick to Tory's stomach, earning a point. The score is now 2-1, with Sam in the lead. Amanda suddenly gets a phone call from the Reseda Medical Center. Perhaps at some point, Amanda was put on Tory's emergency contact list. The call seems to come just in time, for it feels like something dreadful will happen. And no one knows about Tory's sad news. Sam looks at Tory in horror. It seems like the old sadistic Tory is in the house. Tory's not fighting to score points. She's fighting with anger and a fury that feels out of control.
Amanda returns and tells Daniel to stop the fight. So now the cat is out of the bag. Amanda knows and will perhaps bring some aid to this girl's aching heart. As the fight continues, Tory draws back her first and grabs Sam by the lapel, really ready to clock her. But Daniel catches her punch in his hand. The fight is over.
Tory says please don't stop the fight. Sam promises she's okay. Johnny thinks Daniel is just taking over as usual. Daniel says please stop the fight and trust him. Tory finally reveals that her mother is dead. Everyone looks devastated. They can tell how upset Tory is. Daniel apologizes for her loss and suggests now is not the right time to fight. Tory feels differently. She needs to fight now.
Tory knows this is exactly what her mom would have wanted. Johnny sides with Tory. He thinks if Tory wants to fight, she should be allowed to. Tory decides that they don't want her to fight because they don't want her to beat Sam. That they will always choose Sam over her – repeating Kreese's words that he poisoned her with.
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| William Zabka as JOHNNY |
Tory walks out, upset that she can't do things her way. Johnny and Daniel talk privately in the dojo building. Daniel can't believe that Johnny didn't back him up. But Johnny relates to Tory. He thinks she should be able to fight. He remembers when his mom died. He thinks it might have even helped her. All he wanted to do was find something to punch. Daniel can't believe Johnny would suggest such a thing. Miyagi-Do doesn't teach people to fight with anger.
At this statement, Johnny loses his temper even more. He's tired of being held to this Miyagi standard as the ideal, especially with the secrets in the box. It's here that Johnny goes too far. He calls Miyagi a liar and thief, using Daniel's fears against him. And here is where Amanda sharing about the box worked against Daniel. Daniel goes full on Cobra Kai, sucker punching Johnny in the nose. He realizes what he did and tries to apologize. But Johnny gives him the full "Quiet!" He will finish the tournament and coach at Daniel's side, but after that, they are through.
With Tory out of the picture, Sam will be captain, and Hawk will take the empty spot. Demetri looks less than thrilled at this news, but he doesn't complain. So the final roster for Miyagi-Do is Robby, Miguel, Sam, Devon, Demetri, and Hawk. Maybe if Kenny was there, they would have had Kenny and Hawk fight for it, but that's not the case.
At that, they have a special ceremony to bestow the special captain headbands. The box reads "Best of the Best", the title of this episode. Johnny ties an R2D2 headband around Robby's head, and Daniel prepares to do so to Sam, as well. Miguel looks down at the ground, maybe feeling regret that it's not him. It's not really R2D2. That's just what it reminds me of.
As Daniel ties the headband around Sam's head. He stops short. He looks closely at the headband and seems to remember something. He runs to Mr. Miyagi's box and amongst all the items, pulls out a faded captain's Sekai Taikai headband. So Mr. Miyagi fought in the tournament and was a captain, too. As Daniel examines the band, he finds bloodstains on both ends, hinting at a terrible event from the past. We don't solve this mystery here.
As the show concludes, airplane wheels touch down in Barcelona. Crowds of people wearing karate gis in all colors of the rainbow, from all over the world enter the competition arena. Our Miyagi-Do teammates enter the arena and look around in wonder. They find their place on the mat.
Then a familiar-looking logo flashes into view. Yep, you guessed it folks. The students from Korea come in, dressed in Cobra Kai gis, lead by Kreese and Kim Da-Un. There's Kwon, Yoon, and another fighter. Lastly, out from the shadows, Tory Nichols joins their ranks as female captain.
And that's the finale of part 1!
Conclusions
I have so many feelings. Devon's insistence on going to the tournament gives me no sympathy for her. Although we saw no fallout in this part, I can only fathom that in further parts, Kenny will resume his torture of Anthony, making it inevitable that eventually, Devon will have to admit her crime. Otherwise, things could prove fatal for Anthony. He's gotten better at defending himself, but how will he do against the full wrath of Kenny?
Overall, the series feels like it's repeating the same story beats once again, making me glad it's the final season. The same people keep getting made into bad guys. Tory has to be a villain once again, going through such a devastating loss that her anger will return. Johnny and Daniel still can't get on the same page, even though they have such a good thing going. And Devon driving a wedge between Kenny and Anthony also feels like we are repeating things. I'm ready for true peace in the valley.
I'm intrigued to see how our heroes will fare against well-trained fighters from all over the world. While I'm happy to get more story with these guys, overall I'm disappointed that the central conflicts haven't really changed. We are having conflicts between Daniel/Johnny, Miguel/Robby, Kenny/Anthony. Even though Anthony doesn't yet know he's in a conflict.
I can only hope this final reveal of Mr. Miyagi's past will provide some much-needed humility for Daniel that will allow him to work better with Johnny. And maybe Tory will find her loyalties are stronger for her new found family than she imagined.
Burning questions:
Overall, the series feels like it's repeating the same story beats once again, making me glad it's the final season. The same people keep getting made into bad guys. Tory has to be a villain once again, going through such a devastating loss that her anger will return. Johnny and Daniel still can't get on the same page, even though they have such a good thing going. And Devon driving a wedge between Kenny and Anthony also feels like we are repeating things. I'm ready for true peace in the valley.
I'm intrigued to see how our heroes will fare against well-trained fighters from all over the world. While I'm happy to get more story with these guys, overall I'm disappointed that the central conflicts haven't really changed. We are having conflicts between Daniel/Johnny, Miguel/Robby, Kenny/Anthony. Even though Anthony doesn't yet know he's in a conflict.
I can only hope this final reveal of Mr. Miyagi's past will provide some much-needed humility for Daniel that will allow him to work better with Johnny. And maybe Tory will find her loyalties are stronger for her new found family than she imagined.
Burning questions:
- What will happen to Tory's brother, now that their mother is dead?
- What will the fallout be for Anthony from Kenny thinking it was Anthony who put laxatives in his drink?
- What will it take for Devon to admit her crime?
- Will Hawk and Demetri stay mad at each other?
- Will the group be able to work together in Barcelona?
- What will we find out about Miyagi's past with this crime he committed and his legacy of being a fighter in the Sekai Taikai?
- Can Johnny and Daniel come back from this conflict
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