Cobra Kai
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Theres nothing like a big party to stir up some drama.
And it effectively sets the table for the seasons endgame, exploding some relationships in the process.
Junior prom wouldnt seem like a huge deal at this point.
From the moment they arrive, theres no way this night can go well.
Theres just too much history there, too much heartbreak, too much resentment.
Its a powder keg waiting to go off.
Those relationships always felt like placeholders to stall the inevitable Miguel-Sam reunion.
In Party Time, though,Cobra Kaispins gold from the high-school drama.
It starts with their constant gawking at the dance, and it boils over at Stingrays afterparty.
(More on him in a bit.)
Miguel tackles Tory and they share an intense look on the ground together.
Sam grabs Robby and exclaims, You think I broke your heart?
You broke mine, too.
Robby taunts Miguel, saying, You think my dad cares about you?
Hes just trying to make himself feel better for screwing up with me!
And again, in an interesting subversion, Tory and Robby are the ones to move on quickly.
All these rich kids around them dontneedthis.
Theyre set for life.
But if Tory could just win this one trophy, shed know she was best at something.
It neatly establishes her motivations going into the upcoming tournament, making it harder to automatically side with Sam.
Unfortunately, Robby has no real grasp of the man whose car hes enjoying.
While hes out having fun, Silver is setting his latest trap.
He busts into Cobra Kai and gets a call from Silver, whos villainously watching him on the cameras.
Silvers planning to buy back the location and expand Cobra Kai the way he and Kreese always wanted to.
Until that moment, Silvers latest show of loyalty to Kreese was really working.
He orders Silver to just focus on the tournament for now, as theyve always planned.
But their plots dovetail unexpectedly and heartbreakingly late in the episode.
When Miguel comes over to vent about Sam, he finds Johnny deliriously drunk on the floor.
I give a shot to protect you.
I make a run at be there for you.
I just suck at it.
I really suck at it.
But I want to so bad.
Youre doing just fine, Miguel says, tearing up.
Its an unbelievably tender moment, almost shocking in its candidness.
Then Johnny, crying in bed, replies, I love you too, Robby.
Then this came along to wipe me out.
Now hes back, readier than ever to prove himself.
Its all he wants in the world, he says.
In every way, Party Time clarifies the stakes going into the All Valley Karate Tournament.
It conclusively establishes the psychopathic genius of one central villain and the complicated, almost-but-not-quite-conflicted evil of the other.
It reopens all the old wounds of love triangles past.
It makes me dread whats to come; it also makes me more thrilled than ever to find out.
He also rocks a truly amazing Pac-Man suit, so he makes it out of this episode on top.
