Ending with both emotional and physical victories

Cobra Kai Season 6, Part 3 arrives on Thursday, February 13 on Netflix. This is a spoiler-free review for all five last episodes.

Cobra Kai closes the store with one last race on five episodes that made me cheer, cry and howl with (sometimes unintentional) laughter. I found myself powerless against both its exciting tournament action and its heart -stretching decisions.

This farewell race focuses a little more on Senseis than it does on the youthful next gene, which is related to what Daniel and Johnny both need apart and what they want to represent as karate mentors. The most important children Do Have some great, hitting moments that span both defeat and victory, but it really is the adults who shine here at the finish line. Especially William Zabka is phenomenal in a handful of heartbreaking scenes working to key us on how miserable and lonely his life followed his epic loss of all-valley in 1984.

And Ralph Macchios Daniel, in turn, is able to really honor and follow Miyagi-Do’s teachings and prove why it is an important, critical gear in the valley’s karate scene. Karate Kid and Mr. Miyagi’s belief that karate was to Defense onlyWas kind of revolutionary in height of the 1980s America’s appetite for martial arts film. This is what Daniel finds himself, ruminating in the wake of Barcelona along with the overall need or lack of this for the glory of the tournament.

Some of Daniel’s soul search comes once again with a strange CGI Mr. Miyagi who threw Cobra Kai into the creepy valley? Absolutely. But it is easy to forgive the strange strange when you consider where this particular vision takes Daniel emotionally. Remember, Miyagi was humble. Almost to an error. He didn’t care about titles, belts, levels, rumors, lies or even honorary medals. All his validation came from within. And this is also a big part of Cobra Kaii’s overall influence.

After the unintended death of Kwon in Part 2’s final, the characters and the show have to re -group and find out how deadly the effort will be on its way into the goal. In terms of franchis, this is not unprecedented. The movies themselves, between Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Del II, went from High School Bully Antics and tournament gains to matches to death in Okinawa. And Cobra Kai has to fight this in playoffs. Right at the time when it seems that the villainous machining of Terry Silver will take things into (also) dark territory, the show makes a tough solution in a rather magnificent way.

For the most part, every character’s story is wrapped in fun and appropriate way, although there are some straggers in this last act whose best moments you find are behind them. In the end, Cobra Kai moves all his focus back to what brought it to the dance. It almost feels like in this last stretch, the series remembers what its title is. Post-Barcelona returns everything to its point of origin: San Fernando Valley. The region that between Cobra Kai and the films of Paul Thomas Anderson feels like something out of the myth. An elsewhere. Like Doctor Doom’s Battleworld, but with karate teens who control the landscape.

It could feel cheap or uninspired, like when Sitcoms throw a wedding on their head set. (“We could just get married in Cheers! “) But the valley is the weird, beating heart of Cobra Kai: Where Johnny needs to improve himself, Daniel has to balance himself, Tory and Robby have to find their way and much more. Now is The world of the international karate comes to them – with all villains, like silver and iron dragons, still in play.

I’ve written before about how Cobra Kai is a great blend of tones that blend sitcom-style comedy with sharp, effective drama. Sometimes characters are comics stubborn and blunt, but it always usually leads to a brilliant bit of catharsis. Of course, these last episodes take from the same playbook. Some elements play out with all bells, whistles and sitcom antics intact (botchede suggestions, baby delivery zaniness) almost evokes eye rolls. But others – hoo, boy – they zig instead of Zag and I were thrown after a loop. In a great way. It all works.

Very few of the “evil guys” at Cobra Kai avoid redemption. And if they do not come in full circle, we at least gain insight into their tragic motivation or witness a central moment that feels like a seed planted for future resolution. Now that Cobra Kai actually has an excess of opponents, there is room for a finally ACT of Apology and Clarity. I don’t want to give away who it is, but it’s a gossip and it burns the last two episodes in a magnificent way.

Here at the end of All-Things Cobra Kai, it is phenomenal how the show’s collected characters: It scooped up and made them lovable. It started with the protagonists, but over the course of seven years it has gathered a small army of beginning misfits and lost souls in search of the purpose. Some of them may not have had the last moments I fully would have for them But the world’s tapestry is so detailed that you can easily imagine their lives and fates that move on. And yes, the show still knows how to create exciting tournament exhibitions, filled with nail -biting excitement. There is even one last match with high effort that pretty much tips its headband on the whole karate kid franchise. Cobra Kai goes out on a very satisfying note, filled with hope and rejuvenation.