"Finish him!" Kreese (Martin Cove) screams at his pupil, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), as 1984's The Karate Kid draws to a close. Only, Johnny can't finish his rival, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), as the kid from New Jersey delivers a perfectly-timed crane kick to the face, winning the All Valley Karate Tournament. It's a defining moment in both the men's lives, only, we haven't seen the full ramifications of the victory until now.
Cobra Kai, the YouTube Red original series, has concluded its 10-episode run, and the clamor for a second season was so loud, the network had to respond. Season two has been greenlit, and now that we've finished the entire debut season, we can see that a subsequent order of episodes was never in doubt. Cobra Kai has plenty more story to tell in the ongoing saga of Daniel vs. Johnny. And the season finale of Cobra Kai left several tantalizing plot threads that need to be explored in upcoming episodes. Get here now, 2019! Let's talk about where the story should go in the next season.
There will be spoilers for Cobra Kai from here on out!
Cobra Kai wins, but at the cost of Johnny alienating his son. In the final showdown at the All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny (William Zabka) coaches his Cobra Kai team through the competition, and his son, Robby (Tanner Buchanan), fights as a solo entrant. In the championship round, Robby fights Johnny's prized pupil, Miguel (Xolo Mariduena), and though Johnny tells him to follow the rules, Miguel fights dirty. Cobra Kai technically wins the tournament, but Johnny loses the respect of Robby and Daniel... and of himself, in the process.
Miguel wins, but Sam doesn't stay to watch him be victorious. Miguel has been dating Daniel's daughter, Samantha (Mary Mouser), though there was an unintentional love triangle formed as Sam spent time with Robby. Sam legitimately seemed torn between both boys, until Miguel got drunk at a party and hurt her. Miguel thought that beating Robby in the tournament would impress Samantha -- but she didn't stick around long enough to watch him win. This unresolved relationship could carry us deep into season two, for sure.
Daniel's a coach again, with at least one new student... Sam vs Miguel in Season 2? Sam leaves the All Valley and heads back home. The last time we see her, she's in the makeshift dojo her father has re-established in honor of his famous instructor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). We had been told throughout the season that Samantha trained with her dad until she outgrew karate. However, as the finale ends, we see Sam whip out some of her skills... and she's a total badass! If Daniel wants a rematch against Johnny and Miguel in Season Two, I'm guessing his best bet will be with Sam, and not Robby, in the tournament.
"Welcome to Miyagi-do Karate!" Daniel (Ralph Macchio) also knows that it's time for his brand of karate to rise up and answer the poisonous karate methods being coached by Johnny Lawrence over at Cobra Kai. Following the tournament, he brings Robby to a special place to continue their training. It's Mr. Miyagi's home. The cars still line the driveway (beneath a tarp, we see the yellow car Daniel chose in the initial movie). We go through the fence Daniel painted, 34 years ago. And Daniel announces to Robby that they will need more students. The Miyagi dojo is back in business.
"The real story's only just begun." Cobra Kai saves its biggest surprise for last. Johnny is back at the Cobra Kai dojo. His team won, but Johnny realizes all that he had to sacrifice to achieve victory. Like Thanos, only with bleach-blonde hair. But Johnny doesn't have time to stew in his bad choices. He has a visitor. It's Kreese (Martin Cove), his old trainer! He's thrilled that Cobra Kai is back in the limelight. He tells Johnny that the story has "just begun."
