Survivors
Directed by Steven Tsuchida
Hoping to explain himself, Miguel searches the party for Sam, only to find her in the midst of a heated confrontation with Tory. She accuses Tory of willingly concealing the truth about the All Valley tournament and furiously attacks her old rival until Miguel and Robby intervene. Despite Tory's honest intentions, Sam calls her out for working with Kreese behind everyone's back and labels her a coward. Unable to reason with Sam, Tory leaves on the verge of tears. In the aftermath, both Miguel and Robby are stunned by the new revelations.
At the hospital, Carmen and Johnny get the first glimpse of their new baby via ultrasound. Although Johnny asserts that his new son is a "kicker", the nurse clarifies it is too early for the baby to kick yet, or to determine its sex, but assures the new parents that it is quite healthy and gives them a photo of the ultrasound. Both Carmen and Johnny agree that their baby looks perfect before sharing a kiss.
As the two discuss names for the baby in the elevator, they are unexpectedly interrupted by Terry Silver who boards the elevator with them. When he offers his congratulations, Johnny mistakenly assumes he is referring to their new child, although Silver clarifies he was talking about the Sekai Taikai. Goaded by Silver, Johnny fumes and nearly attacks him, but manages to restrain himself at Carmen's urging. Silver goes on to say that he understands how important the next generation is, and that everything he does is for the future. He then ominously warns Johnny to savor every moment of his child's life before it's gone.
After relaying the encounter to Daniel at the dealership, Louie suspects that Silver might have them under surveillance, but Daniel is skeptical about Silver's intentions, particularly because he knows Silver doesn't want to jeopardize his spot in the tournament. Theorizing that they are relatively safe, Amanda suggests they all take the night off to relax and suggest Carmen join them for drinks, but Johnny declines on her behalf, inadvertantly revealing her pregnancy to everyone. To celebrate Johnny's good fortune, and to make amends for setting fire to his car, Louie arranges for his friends and family to go out and party in style.
Sam explains Silver's corruption at the All-Valley and the framing of Kreese to her teammates; Miguel wants to inform their senseis, but Sam is reluctant to put her father in harm's way again. While Demetri is confident that Stingray would never admit to anything on Silver's payroll, Bert is willing to speak with his old friend and see what he can learn. As the others leave to find Stingray's address, Miguel tries to explain his actions the previous night, but Sam is in no mood to hear it and walks away.
At the flagship dojo, Kim Da-Eun spitefully orders Tory to double-time her warmups, telling Silver that she lied about why she abandoned her teammates. Silvers swears revenge upon Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen for interfering in his plan, while Kim compares them to mosquitos that must be swatted. At that moment, Robby Keene walks into the dojo unannounced. He apologizes to his old teammates for walking out on them, but states that he should have taken them with him instead and names Silver as their enemy. Speaking to Kenny directly, he tells him it is not too late, and that there is a better way.
Unmoved, Silver undermines Robby's speech by emphasizing that while the students may have heard Robby, they actually listen to him. He then instructs his students to show no mercy if Robby or any of his friends set foot in the dojo again. Noting that Tory does not share their enmity, Robby gives her a nod before taking his leave — a gesture that Kim Da-Eun pointedly does not miss.
Daniel, Amanda, and the others arrive at the nightclub in a Hummer Limousine provided by Louie. They order drinks at the bar, but Chozen is reluctant to partake, wanting to keep his mind sharp in case Silver attacks them. While admiring his commitment to their safety, Daniel convinces him to relax for one night, at which point Chozen orders a drink himself. When Louie arrives with a round of shots, they make a toast to Carmen and Johnny's new baby.
Stingray is running a game of "Dungeons & Dojos" with his friends when he receives a knock at the door. Although delighted to see his old friend Bert, he is taken aback when Hawk, Sam, Miguel, and Demetri appear behind him. Hawk calls him out for lying, but Stingray dismisses his accusations. Refusing to take no for an answer, Sam asserts that he may have lied to the court and to her father, but he will not lie to them. She then marches her group into the apartment.
Back at the nightclub, the others take to the dance floor while Johnny and Chozen stay behind to converse. Chozen congratulates him on his new baby and asks how Johnny is doing; Johnny replies that his whole life was haunted by "one stupid kick" at the All Valley. He once thought that if he could go back in time and change it, his life would have worked out better, before realizing that the kick wasn't the problem. He then decided to stop dwelling on the past and focus more on the present. Chozen remarks that they are much the same, both of them having made mistakes in their past, but while Johnny's life has prospered, his own life has not. He admits he is still a bachelor, but hints there is someone very special to him back in Okinawa.
Silver dismisses class for the evening, but requires that Tory stay behind to work on a new practice dummy, one comprised of solid stone that Kim orders her to destroy. Tory protests, stating that she will break her hand if she tries, but Kim dismisses her concerns. Tory attempts to leave the dojo, but finds her exit barred by the other senseis; Kim declares that she will go home only when the lesson is over.
With no choice but to participate, Tory reluctantly begins the exercise, striking the dummy harder and harder at Kim's urging, quickly drawing blood on her knuckles. After several attempts to break the stone, she crumples to the mat clutching her injured hand. Kim notes that something is holding her back and suspects it might be Robby, rebuking her as soft and weak for prioritizing her personal life over the dojo. Enraged, Tory rises up and refutes her claim before shattering the stone with one final strike.
Wracked with pain, Tory sinks back down to her knees, her hand now severely damaged. Silver remarks that she made a tough decision in choosing the dojo over Robby, but the correct one, and advises her to keep doing so in the future. Finished with Tory, Kim callously declares the lesson over.
Unable to convince Stingray to cooperate directly, Sam tries to reason with him; she tells him her father got hurt because of him, and so will many other people if he sits back and does nothing. Stingray is afraid that Silver will retaliate against him for telling the truth. However, drawing upon his experience as a dungeon master, he is able to tell the entire story in an analogy disguised as a new D&D campaign, depicting himself as a dwarven monk trying to gain favor with a "Silver King". Although his tale brings the group more clarity, his fear of Silver prevents him from recanting his testimony.
As Sam walks out in frustration, Miguel follows her, still intent on apologizing for his actions at the party. Sam tells him there is no reason to apologize; they broke up, so he is allowed to date whoever he wants. When Miguel expresses confusion about her mindset, Sam traces all of her problems back to Tory. Miguel defends Tory, telling Sam she doesn't know what it's like to be in Cobra Kai, and praising Tory's courage in coming forward with the truth about the All-Valley. He leaves it up to Sam to decide what to do about it.
At the nightclub, Johnny hints to Daniel that Chozen is interested in Kumiko. When he confronts his old friend with this news, Chozen admits to the attraction but states he did not want to make Daniel uncomfortable, knowing that Kumiko is a dear friend to him. He reminisces about their childhood together playing hide-and-seek, and explains that after his disgrace in Okinawa, he tried to hide away from everything, only for Kumiko to find him again and restore his spirits. Despite this, Chozen cannot bring himself to approach her romantically, having still not forgiven himself for how he treated her in the past. Daniel tells him he can't keep dwelling on the past and that Kumiko knows he is a better man now, and suggests it is now his turn to go find Kumiko. Chozen thanks Daniel for his advice before the two men happily join the others on the dance floor.
Upon seeing Anoush, who declined to join them for the party earlier, Louie is furious to discover him dating his sister Vanessa behind his back and they get into a fight, much to the amusement of Daniel and Johnny. In the aftermath, Chozen phones Kumiko and leaves her a voicemail asking to see her when he returns, before piling into the limo along with Daniel and Johnny en route to another bar.
Tory is at home icing her swollen knuckles when Sam pays her a visit; she brushes off Sam's concern over her injury, but permits her to come inside to talk. As she enters the apartment, Sam is immediately struck by Tory's humble living space and even glimpses her ailing mother in the bedroom. Tory confesses that she wanted to win the All Valley more than anything, and doing so was the best moment of her life. When Silver ruined that moment by bribing the referee, she allied with Kreese in the hopes of getting revenge, but only served to make her own life a living hell. Sam admits she didn't know what Tory was going through, but believes that they can help each other. She reveals her knowledge about Silver assaulting Stingray, but says they have no way to prove it. Tory responds that if it happened at the old dojo, there might still be a way to do so.
Monitoring the dojo via security cameras, Silver and Kim Da-Eun enjoy a drink together at Silver's home. He states that Kim and her team exceeded his expectations and are welcome to stay with him as long as they like. Although he comments about her breaking down Tory, Kim replies that his younger students, like Devon Lee, show more promise. Silver is skeptical, but Kim believes that youth is not a liability, but instead the greatest source of power. While Silver admits that money cannot buy youth, by winning the Sekai Taikai, he asserts that Cobra Kai will live forever. When asked what will happen if his enemies crush his dream, Silver confidently replies that it won't happen.
Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen rock out in the limo to "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. Back at the club, Louie and Anoush make up after their fight, declaring their brotherly love for one another. However, the duo then discover that, despite the limo's departure, the driver Louie had designated for the limo is still at the club. At the same time, Daniel and the others begin to panic as they realize they are way off course, and are trapped in the limo as an unknown driver — who has now become their abductor — speeds recklessly down the road.
Tropes:
- Accidental Misnaming: Johnny refers to Kumiko as "Kokomo". Daniel immediately understands who he is talking about.
- Bad Liar: Stingray denies that it was Silver rather than Kreese who assaulted him, but none of the Miyagi-Dos or Eagle Fangs buy it.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: Robby visits the Cobra Kais to apologize to them for letting them down, leaving them behind and that he was in the wrong... for not taking them all with him as he calls bullshit on Cobra Kai's teachings.
- Big Brother Instinct: Initially, Louie does not take the reveal that Vanessa and Anoush are dating well, as he knows all about Anoush's history of sleazy womanizing. He gets over it after they talk it out.
- Break Them by Talking: Kim berates Tory for being emotionally fixated on Robby rather than committing to Cobra Kai."You act strong, but inside you're soft. Your feelings have made you weak. You care more about this boy than your own dojo!"
- Brick Joke: Anoush declines the invitation to join Johnny and Carmen's celebration, telling the group he has a date. Later, Louie notices that Anoush and his date actually showed up to the same bar... and it turns out Anoush's date is Vanessa.
- Broken Tears: Tory sheds these after completely wrecking her hand from punching the stone dummy.
- Call-Back:
- Kim forces Tory to assault a dummy until her hand is injured, similarly to how Silver tortured Daniel in Karate Kid III.
- When Chozen offers to get some more drinks, Daniel aggressively says “I will get” like Chozen did in Okinawa in season 3, before laughing it off. Chozen understands the reference.
- Casting Gag: Vanessa, Louie's sister, is played by Ralph Macchio's real life first born daughter, Julia Macchio.
- Character Development:
- Stingray for the first time expresses his regret about hurting others to benefit himself and he's trying to make friends his own age; not succeeding, but trying. It's also worth noting he didn't attend the teens' party even though given how much time he has spent with them, he likely knew it was going on.
- Sam shows sympathy for Tory's situation for the first time.
- Cryptically Unhelpful Answer: Stingray tries to admit that Silver (and not Kreese) assaulted him that day by retelling the events in the form of a D&D campaign. It confuses the Miyagi-Dos and Eagle Fangs, but Sam understands what he means by "the Silver King beat the crap out of the outsider warrior".
- Deal with the Devil: Stingray has clearly come to see his agreement with Silver as this, as even a place in Cobra Kai and the material things Silver has lavished upon him are meaningless before the immense shame he now feels. Any hesitation he has about coming forward is out of fear Silver will put him in the morgue, not about losing his livelihood.
- Did Not Think This Through: Chozen admits that the scam he tried to run in Part II wasn't well thought out, seeing as he actually lost money by making the fake weights lighter instead of heavier — a plot hole which has been pointed out by the video series The Crimes of Daniel LaRusso.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Louie slugs Anoush in the face, claiming he's embarrassing the LaRusso family for dating his sister Vanessa. He admits he overreacted and just freaked out because of Anoush's sleazy reputation.
- Et Tu, Brute?: Kenny shouts, "No Mercy, sir!" the loudest out of everyone at the flagship dojo...which clearly breaks Robby's heart. Robby cannot believe he let someone so meek and innocent become worse than the bullies he had to deal with.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Tory was aware that Silver was behind Stingray’s assault, but she didn’t know he did it himself or that he did it in the old dojo (at the strip mall). The moment Sam reveals that, she realises they can use the security camera footage to expose him.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Downplayed example since he is the one who consents to and arranges the exercise (i.e. punishment) in the first place, but Terry Silver (of all people) appears reserved and solemn when Tory is forced to break a stone dummy's "head" by Kim Da-Eun, in contrast to his sadistic glee from The Karate Kid, Part III when goading Daniel into performing the same feat on a wooden dummy (with the same bloody results), even expressing sympathy for her having to sacrifice her relationship with Robby when the demonstration is concluded.
- Gilded Cage: It becomes clear that while Stingray does like the apartment, car and nice things that Silver bought him, he also accepted the gifts largely out of fear; after Silver's first brutal attack, who knows what he might do further.
- Good Cannot Comprehend Evil: Miguel accurately points out that Sam really doesn't understand what Cobra Kai's indoctrination does to a person's psyche and decision-making, because unlike him, Hawk and Robby, she's one of the only teens (aside from Demetri) who was never a member of the dojo. He and the others do, which is why they're all more eager to forgive Tory and accept her help while Sam immediately flies into a rage to make her bleed. She eventually takes his words to heart and goes to talk to Tory, finally sees her bad home life and the torture she suffered under Cobra Kai, and works with her to stop Silver and Cobra Kai once and for all.
- Insecure Love Interest: Chozen admits to Daniel that he's been in love with Kumiko since they were young, but he feels he can't confess his feelings to her after everything he did to her in Part II. Daniel tells him that he needs to stop beating himself up over it and she knows that he regrets his behavior and has atoned for it. Chozen then plans to confess his feelings once he returns to Okinawa.
- Jerkass Realization: Sam finally realizes how insensitive she was to Tory when she realized her life was every bit as bad as Tory made it out to be.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Demetri recaps the Internal Reveal about Silver bribing the All-Valley referee and framing Kreese for Stringray's assault because he was not present at Stingray's house party the night before.
- Must Make Amends: Louie regrets having attacked Johnny in season 1 and decides to throw a party to celebrate him and Carmen having a baby to make things right between them.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Zig-zagged. When Louie discovers Anoush is dating Vanessa, he immediately attacks him. But then when they talk it out, Louie decides he's okay with their relationship, as long as Anoush treats Vanessa with respect.
- Oh, Crap!: Louie's reaction when Reggie shows up asking where the limo is after he supposedly gave Daniel, Johnny, and Chozen a ride to the next bar. This is immediately followed by the trio in the limo realizing they should have gotten to the bar by now, the driver isn't responding, and all the doors are locked...
- One Dialogue, Two Conversations: Terry Silver congratulates Johnny on him and his partner achieving something special. Johnny thinks he is talking about him and Carmen having a baby. He is actually talking about him and Daniel successfully entering the tournament.
- Platonic Declaration of Love: Louie and Anoush say they love each other in the end of the episode.
- Rage Breaking Point:
- Tory finally reaches her limit with Kim's cruel goading, giving her the force to shatter the stone dummy's head (and wreck her hand).
- Sam was already pissed off with Tory, but she gets absolutely livid when told that their match had been fixed in Tory's favor. Sam angrily tries to assault Tory for being a cheater (though Tory wasn't actually in on it) and that she waited until now to tell the truth about it, which allowed Silver to commit all of his atrocities towards her family in the interim.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Robby confronts the Cobra Kais and calls bullshit on their teachings, while also attempting to expose Silver for the fake he truly is.
- Take That!: Johnny tries a White Claw Hard Seltzer at the club and complains that it tastes like "watermelon took a piss".
- What the Hell, Hero?: Miguel calls out Sam for being so hostile to Tory even after she revealed the truth about the tournament and gave them a way to take down Cobra Kai.Miguel: Look, Sam, I know that you hate Tory. You have plenty of reasons to. But you have no idea what it's like to be in Cobra Kai. I do. And it must have been so hard for her to admit what she knew. Should she have said it sooner? Yeah, probably. But the fact of the matter is that she did admit it. And now, now it's up to you to decide what to do about it.
- Wrong Insult Offense: One of Stingray's "friends" calls him the worst Dungeon master. Stingray is okay with being called the worst, but he is a dojo master.
- You Have Failed Me: Kim's brutal stone dummy exercise is implied to be Tory's punishment for going AWOL during the Sekai Taikai tryout.
