Cobra Kai S4 (2021) Review

Cobra Kai S4 (2021)

Cobra Kai Season 4 follows Johnny and Daniel, as they team up to put an end to Cobra Kai once and for all. When Kreese talks Terry Silver out of retirement however, the stakes become higher than ever for karate in The Valley. 

Season 4, more than maybe any other season so far, is all about how one responds when faced with power and choices, as we see much of the power dynamics from previous seasons really shift as new themes are introduced. 

One of the biggest reoccurring themes, that is especially important with this season, is fatherhood, specifically fathers pushing their kids to be a certain way, repeating the same cycles of violence as their fathers before them. It’s a cycle evident in most every main father figure in the show, and so the focus towards breaking those cycles is likely what will shape the show and its’ bonds moving forwards. With the kids, we really witness the breaking of those cycles first hand, with Miguel becoming disillusioned with Johnny, Kreese with Terry, Eli with his violent past, Robby with Cobra Kai, Samantha with her father, and even Daniel to some extent with the ways of his past. Having Johnny and Daniel finally come to terms with their past and accept that neither one way is right, particularly Daniel, was a long time coming, and while it was rocky this season, we’re well on our way to seeing a very offensive approach out of them and Chozen, as they look to take on Terry again in Season 5. 

Obviously, this season took a less action heavy approach in favor of genuinely fleshing these characters out, but after the madness of previous seasons, I think that is exactly what we needed. We get to see Terry go mad with power once again (in enthralling fashion of course), alliances evolve and change, and probably my favorite of all, seeing Hawk get the redemption and victory he so deserved (literally had me hopping around my apartment like a mad man). 

My only issue, and I hope this gets rectified to some extent moving forward, is watching these characters grow into somewhat better people in most every scene, but then the moment the story needs them to, they turn into bullies, only to flip right back around into good people. It’s a conflict I don’t much care for, particularly out of the Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do dojo’s because after all this time, it’s completely out of character for them. 

This season boasts a great cast too, starring Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Peyton List, Jacob Bertrand, Martin Kove, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Thomas Ian Griffith, Ralph Macchio, and William Zabka. I particularly liked Bertrand and Mouser’s arcs towards the All Valley this season, as they showed they can be just as cool, if not redeemable from previous seasons. Zabka, as usual, is also just wonderful, and I loved what all we got out of Griffith as well, showing he can be just as cunning and vicious as before.

Cobra Kai Season 4, directed by Josh Heald, is another rockstar season out of the Karate Kid camp, with some important lessons about fatherhood and breaking cycles of the past, so as not to repeat your own mistakes in your ‘kids’. 

8.5/10