‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5: A Victory of Vision and Virulence

The third and fourth season of the formerly YouTube Red, currently Netflix exclusive series Cobra Kai dropped on New Year’s of their respective years. I got to start 2021 convincing everyone I knew, and some people I don’t, to watch the 30+ sequel series of a beloved 1980’s karate franchise once it became available for wider public consumption. Then, I got to celebrate 2022 with the new converts with the fourth season. I was fully expecting another end of year drop, but the powers that be decided that New Year’s was in September this year. Honestly, who am I to argue? Every season, I end up devouring it in about a day and then immediately start rewatching the season to revisit what I remember being potentially iconic moments. Only, I find out that were just actually iconic already and the newness of it all was making me second guess things.

Cobra Kai. (L to R) Oona O’Brien as Devon, Peyton List as Tory Nichols in Cobra Kai. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

And while there still plenty of decisions that I do end up second guessing, I can confidently say this is my favorite season of Cobra Kai thus far, and the direction the series has taken has me wanting this franchise to outlive me. The Valley was Just the Beginning Season four ended in what can also be described as a total victory for Cobra Kai, now fully under Terry Silver’s iron fist. After paying off the ref as an insurance to guarantee Tory’s match against Miyagi-do/Eagle Fang Bonsai Badass, Samantha LaRusso, Terry star…