The final episode of part one of Cobra Kai season six is underway after the ominous ending of the last episode. We start with Tory talking to her mother’s doctor. The doctor tells Tory that her mother is doing better and she will be lowering her prescriptions. Tory is happy that her life is finally looking up and that her mother is improving.
Tory is in the parking garage when she finds she’s being followed. She goes to attack and it’s revealed to be Kreese. He tells her that he wants to check on his champion. Tory rebuffs saying he left her to deal with Terry Silver and Kim Da-Eun alone. He apologizes but sees her Miyagi-Do uniform, telling her she will always be second fiddle to Sam. Tory tells him that while she won’t call the cops, Daniel and Johnny will if they see him. Kreese tells Tory that he is her sensei, and she is his champion. Tory replies that while she is a champion, she is not his.
At Miyagi-Do, Tory and Robby are training. Robby is proud of Tory for telling Kreese off. Tory tells him not to tell anyone she saw him as she doesn’t want anyone to think she is still talking to him. Robby promises not to. Tory tells Robby this is all they have as they aren’t going to college. Robby points out that Tory won the All-Valley, but Tory argues that it doesn’t count because Terry Silver paid off the referee. Robby and Tory make a deal to stick together no matter what, smile at each other, and kiss.
Daniel and Johnny come out and tell everyone to gather. They tell the students now that they have the six fighters, they need to decide the male and female captains. Daniel tells the students that the decision will be completely unbiased. Johnny reveals that in two days, Sam will face Tory for the female captain, and Miguel will face Robby for the male captain. Johnny then proceeds to take over training much to Daniel’s chagrin. After a training montage, Daniel tells Amanda that he is at the end of his rope with Johnny and that his training is not what Mr. Miyagi would’ve wanted. Amanda rebuffs that Daniel doesn’t know as Mr. Miyagi had a side to him that no one knew about.
We then cut to Johnny and Carmen. Johnny expresses pride in how well the students are doing. Carmen fears that the fight between Miguel and Robby will cause a rift between them as they have come so far. Johnny reassures her that he is watching them and they will be fine. Miguel comes home and tells Johnny and Carmen that Stanford deferred him.
We then see Tory talking on the phone. After hanging up, she tells her mother that her doctor lowered her prescriptions. Tory trips, and while getting up, she sees her mother on the floor, unresponsive. An increasingly panicked Tory shakes her mother to wake up to no avail.
The next day, at school, Sam and Miguel discuss Miguel getting deferred from Stanford. Sam tells him that being a captain in the Sekai Taikai will help his chances. Miguel says that he has to beat Robby again. Robby comes up to them and asks if they have seen Tory. Robby tells them he and Tory are training together for their respective fights.
Next, we see Johnny confront Daniel at work over placing him on the test drive schedule while Daniel trains students. Upset that Daniel trained students without him, Johnny accuses Daniel of nepotism when Tory excels but Sam struggles. Daniel reassures Johnny that he will only run through the usual exercises.
In the next scene, Tory is at the hospital. Her phone is filled with missed messages from Robby, who is waiting for her at the park. The doctor comes up to Tory and apologizes. Tory asks what happened sin e the doctor told her she was getting better. We learn that Tory’s mother died of a pulmonary embolism. Tory lashes out and punches the wall and yells at the doctor. The doctor tries to comfort her but Tory leaves the hospital.
We cut to Miguel and Sam training with Daniel in the woods. Daniel walks to Sam and notices that Miguel wants the male captain spot. Sam tells Daniel it’s Miguel’s best chance of getting into Stanford. Daniel asks Sam what she is fighting for. Sam tells him that she is fighting for closure. She needs to know who is the better fighter as the last time she and Tory fought, it was tainted. Next, we see Johnny on a test drive when he notices Daniel’s car in the woods. Johnny angrily confronts Daniel about training the students. Daniel tells Johnny to go back to work as he is his boss. Johnny leaves.
In the next scene, Johnny returns to work angry. Amanda stops him to talk in her office. Amanda and Johnny discuss the problems with Daniel. Amanda tells Johnny to go easy on Daniel as he is still reeling from discovering Mr. Miyagi’s secret box.
We move over to Robby, who is training outside his apartment. Robby begins to have flashbacks of coming in second place in the All-Valley. He is tired of losing. Miguel arrives and assures Robby that whatever happens in their fight, there are no hard feelings. Miguel claims he needs this because it will change his life. Robby asks just because he is not going to college, his life is not worth changing. Before they can continue, Carmen interrupts them, and they head inside while Robby tries to call Tory again.
We see Tory sitting on the floor of her apartment. She declines Robby’s phone call and goes through her mother’s belongings. She finds an old bottle cap and has a flashback to when she was little. She gave her mother the bottle cap as a magic jewel to protect them. Tory stares into space.
In the next scene, Amanda and Daniel discuss how to work things out with Johnny. Daniel talks about Johnny’s behavior at the dealership, which Amanda agrees was out of line. But she mentions that at the dojo they are partners. Amanda tells him someone else could’ve been on the test drive schedule. She also mentions that while she doesn’t know much about Miyagi-Do, she knows that balance is part of it and ever since Daniel found Mr. Miyagi’s box, he has been off balance. Amanda tells him that the students need him and Johnny.
At Miyagi-Do, it is time for the captain fights. Johnny tells Miguel and Robby that no matter win or lose, he believes in them. Daniel calls Johnny over and apologizes for his behavior. While at the dealership he is Johnny’s boss. But they are partners at the dojo. Johnny accepts his apology. Daniel says that he will referee Miguel and Robby’s fight so Johnny is not caught in the middle of them, while Johnny will officiate Sam and Tory’s fight. They shake hands and it’s time to fight.
Robby and Miguel are up first. The first to three points wins. Robby and Miguel fight with Miguel scoring the first two points. During the fight, Tory arrives and Robby is inspired, coming back to score two points. The two are neck and neck but Robby beats Miguel and scores his third point. Robby is the male captain. It is now time for Sam and Tory’s fight. It is clear that Tory is not in the right mental state to fight, but she continues. The fight starts and Tory is extremely aggressive. Sam scores a point along with Tory. Tory begins to overwhelm Sam when Amanda receives a phone call from the hospital. She urges Daniel to stop the fight which he does right when Tory is about to win. After some arguing, Tory finally reveals that her mother died. She wants to keep fighting and Johnny wants to let her, but Daniel refuses as she is not in the right mindset. Tory accuses Amanda and Daniel of stopping her so she can’t beat Sam. Tory angrily quits the dojo and leaves.
We then cut to Johnny and Daniel inside of Mr. Miyagi’s house. Johnny blames Daniel for losing one of their best fighters. Daniel retorts that her mother died. Johnny yells that when his mother died all he wanted to do was fight. Daniel mentions that fighting with anger is not the Miyagi-Do way. Johnny angrily insults Miyagi-Do and calls Mr. Miyagi a liar and a thief. Daniel punches him but immediately tries to apologize. Johnny stops him and tells him that he will stay for the students but after the Sekai Taikai, he and Daniel are done.
Back at the dojo, Sam and Robby are the captains and with Tory dropping out, Daniel and Johnny choose Hawk to replace her. Johnny and Daniel put the Sekai Taikai captain headbands on Robby and Sam, but Daniel notices that the headband is like the one in Mr. Miyagi’s box. Daniel goes to the box and learns that Mr. Miyagi competed in the Sekai Taikai and the headband is bloodied.
\Later, we see a plane land in Barcelona. It is time for the Sekai Taikai. All the dojos take their place when Johnny and Daniel notice Kreese and Kim Da-Eun. Kwon and two other students are wearing Cobra Kai uniforms. In a gut-wrenching twist, Tory arrives standing next to Kwon, revealing she has rejoined Cobra Kai. A heartbroken Robby looks on, while Kreese smiles and utters, “Let the games begin.” Cut to Black.
Overall, this was a great way to end the first part. Peyton List’s performance was excellent in this episode, bringing something to Tory that no one else can. The ramifications of her betrayal will be very interesting to see. Kreese is again at his most detestable, gaining the psychological edge over Daniel and Johnny. To see Robby and Miguel still on the same page was refreshing. Johnny and Daniel’s partnership seems to be ending, but with Kreese back in the picture they might have to put their issues aside. The second part will be released on November 15, so the wait is not too long. This was a great way to start Cobra Kai’s swan song and it will be great to see what comes next.
Rating: 9/10