When the earlier episode revealed that solely six Miyagi-Do college students could be allowed to compete on the Sekai Taikai, a small a part of me felt underwhelmed. It’s narratively good to drive allies to struggle each other for a prime spot, but when six of them get in, that basically eliminates solely the extraneous minor characters anyway. I like Mitch, Nate, and Chris, for instance, however no person is dying to see them struggle for glory. What are the stakes right here if we all know Miguel, Sam, Robby, and Tory are all assured spots?

“Underdogs” is finally good to acknowledge that from the very starting. This isn’t an episode of TV in regards to the first-stringers; all 4 of our major child characters play supporting roles, if that. That is an episode in regards to the underdogs, as indicated by the title. It’s in regards to the second-stringers who really must struggle for this uncommon alternative. That additionally means it’s this season’s first actual try to heart a narrative on characters like Eli, Demetri, Devon, and Anthony.

To be honest, Eli isn’t truly an underdog. He beat Robby and have become the boys’ division champion on the All Valley on the finish of season 4. Even Demetri factors on the market’s actually only one place up for grabs, and it’s prone to go to Kenny. However in an effort to stay as neutral as doable, Daniel and Johnny comply with stage a battle royal judged by a visitor sensei: Mike Barnes.

Cobra Kai now has quite a lot of expertise in bringing again outdated villains from the unique Karate Child films and rehabilitating them with out softening their personalities to an unrecognizable diploma. The best Karate Child villain returnee will get each humanized and showcased because the cartoony karate villain who appealed to followers (or didn’t) within the first place. When Thomas Ian Griffith returned as Terry Silver in season 4, for instance, his character took on new psychological dimensions, however he additionally bought to let unfastened and chew the surroundings by leaning into the identical psychotic vibe of his cheesily memorable 1989 efficiency.

So whereas it was good to see Mike Barnes play a really good man final season, it’s additionally gratifying to see his dickish aspect come out throughout spherical one of many battle royal. He circles the yard all through the day, taking notes and judging college students based mostly on challenges associated to hurry (making an attempt to catch a hen), power (breaking picket boards), endurance (holding a heavy rock in entrance of them for so long as doable), and teamwork (working with mates to kick their different mates’ asses). That first spherical narrows the doable Sekai Taikai candidates all the way down to a dozen, which encompasses all the youngsters beforehand named on this recap.

I like Devon fairly a bit, so I actually felt for her as she struggled to earn Mike’s approval, flashing again to Kim Da-Eun’s crushing disappointment. That solely continues throughout spherical two the subsequent day, which revolves round snatching as many flags as doable off the opposite opponents whereas defending their very own. Johnny’s well-intentioned efforts to attract Mike’s consideration to Devon as a substitute distract him from witnessing a few of her most spectacular performs. Mike is unexpectedly lenient on the dirtier strikes, like Kenny drawing blood when he hits Anthony within the face. Daniel even accuses him of slipping again to “Unhealthy Boy Barnes.”

As anticipated, our core 4 (Miguel, Sam, Robby, and Tory) find yourself with the assured spots, whereas Mike takes the evening to decide on two from one other group of 4 (Eli, Demetri, Kenny, and Devon). (This tier system is an apparent however fairly efficient technique to slender the competitors to essentially the most related supporting characters.) Johnny is absolutely pulling for Devon, one in every of his star Eagle Fang pupils, and he goes as far as to go to Mike’s store to advocate for her. However their tense dialog shortly escalates right into a struggle, set off by Johnny calling Mike a “goon for rent” and Mike calling Johnny a “cream puff” whereas insulting Devon’s skills. Johnny wins as a result of The Karate Child is healthier than The Karate Child Half III.

However we all know each of those Karate Child villains are huge softies deep down, and Mike shortly opens up in regards to the current Unhealthy Boy Barnes backslide he skilled since Daniel and Terry Silver reentered his life. If it wasn’t clear already, that perspective is a protection mechanism, a approach of frightening a struggle to reclaim his energy at a time of vulnerability.

The following day, Mike pronounces that the ultimate 4 candidates will battle it out with one final flag problem (two flags are hidden within the woods, and whoever brings one again wins), which suggests Johnny’s go to did change his thoughts about rating Devon final. And a last-minute confession additional raises the stakes: Eli comes clear to Demetri about how he by no means utilized to MIT as each of them had deliberate for years. It’s nothing private — he simply desires to discover his choices — however Demetri doesn’t take the information properly, to place it mildly. He lashes out and turns the dialog right into a struggle by condescending to Eli and calling him a moron. That confrontation continues into the problem itself once they go for a similar flag.

You’d be a idiot to guess on Demetri in any typical Eli vs. Demetri matchup, and their struggle within the woods does initially finish with Eli besting him. (It might be an Eli win if this had been the All Valley.) However this isn’t your traditional struggle as a result of Demetri is a longtime nerd now fueled by the encouragement and validation of a scorching, widespread girlfriend. Extra essential, he’s unhappy that his buddy dared to think about a future apart from the one they’d fantasized about spending in the identical location. That disappointment manifests as fury at Eli’s betrayal, and that fury makes Demetri actually, actually need to beat him. So after Eli provides him a hand to face up, Demetri strikes him, flipping him over a rock and claiming the flag for himself. It’s not one hundred pc honest, however he simply bested a confirmed winner.

In the meantime, Kenny shits himself as he kilos on the door of a porta-potty, which is like one thing out of a fable or Greek tragedy. That leaves Devon to say the opposite flag, a joyful second till you understand the reality: She spiked Kenny’s water with Mitch’s laxatives, then let him consider Anthony had finished it. It seems training karate with Miyagi-Do isn’t an automated assure of persistently virtuous habits. Devon clearly remembers the methods ruthlessness and aggression served her on Eagle Fang and Cobra Kai, to not point out the controversy crew. I don’t assume she’s essentially leaping ship for Cobra Kai anytime quickly, however she’s one to observe. It’s a lot simpler to slide into darkness than it’s to crawl again into the sunshine.

• Anthony hasn’t had a ton to do that season, which doesn’t trouble me an excessive amount of. There’s a kernel of story right here when he will get upset that his dad wasn’t actual with him, however it doesn’t come up once more within the episode. When Daniel checks in, Anthony can’t cease grinning about Kenny shitting himself.

• There’s drama constructing between Daniel and Johnny, with the previous calling out the latter for visiting Mike and swaying him to think about Devon, defeating the aim of an neutral choose.