Cobra Kai
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Even more than the prom episode, it pulls together all the shows disparate strands into a cohesive whole.
Every friendship, every relationship, and every rivalry in the show gets its due here.
Johnny and Daniels relationship finally took center stage in season four, to thrilling and often hilarious effect.
And that certainly pays off here, when the two sensei eventually, inevitably come back together.
But that couldnt happen without a perspective shift for both men.
And thats where the kids come in.
Miguel, Robby, and Sam have often felt like pawns in the older generations stubborn feuds.
But those students arent just faceless soldiers in their teachers battles.
Theyre kids, flawed and insecure in their own ways.
All series long, kids have been the catalyst for Johnnys change.
He made him realize he could move on from his past if he tried really, really hard.
Victory is still the only acceptable ending he can imagine, especially with Kreese taunting him about Robby.
He doesnt realize, in the moment, that hes asking Miguel to fight forhim, not for himself.
When the countdown clock runs out, Johnny immediately knows he fucked up.
Im the one that let him down, he tells Carmen.
His dreams of Eagle Fang winning Grand Champion are up in smoke.
But for the second tournament in a row, hes still forced to root against his own son.
First up is Robby vs. Eli.
Its not as traditional a rivalry as Robby and Miguel, but these two have their own history.
Silver and Kreese give Robby the typical ruthless advice: use his anger and stop showing Eli respect.
Seconds away from winning, he gets distracted by Kenny cheering viciously from the sidelines.
Thats one win for Miyagi-Do.
Before the match, Tory thanked Amanda for making her get help.
Maybe by combining two senseis lessons, Sam can create her own way.
So Tory becomes the first female champion by playing fair, winning Cobra Kai the Grand Champion trophy.
So soon after the win Torys been dreaming of, its a crushing realization.
The last chunk of The Rise is the emotional aftermath.
They finally embrace as Robby cries, one of the most cathartic moments of the series.
Johnny assures Carmen hell find Miguel, but theres a twist: Miguels dad doesnt actually know he exists.
The season ends with a couple of other big reveals to tease season five.
While deserved, even Kreeses arrest doesnt feel quite as satisfying knowing hes been framed.
Now that hes gone all Sith, I feel like a helpless Jedi youngling about to get slaughtered.
Its also too simple to conclusively say Sam wouldve beaten Tory without the refs interference.
Were running out of old characters to bring back.
Its true, Kreese, its kind of getting old.
