Welcome to Just Curious Media. This is Let's Talk - Cobra Kai. I'm Jason Connell, documentary filmmaker turned podcaster.
And I'm Sal Rodriguez, comedian and toy collector. Big time excited to talk Cobra Kai today.
So am I this is incredibly exciting.
I'm kite out your kite out. How can I start saying that? I
think it's a new thing. So when I heard about this show coming out, I was very reluctant.
So when you first saw the trailer, you're like, What? What are they doing?
Yeah, I was really disappointed.
So wait, so what finally coerced you into watching
the good reviews on IMDb and rotten tomatoes. Okay, which led me to say the series has an 8.8 IMDb Rating and a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's pretty good. So that is held up in the last two seasons. So finally, I was like there's enough there for me to give it a shot.
Was it exclusively on YouTube bread? Correct, right. It's never been on Netflix or anything?
Not yet. Okay. It was created by John Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald various writers on Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The last person I mentioned wrote Hot Tub Time Machine. And they had gotten together and wanted to make another Karate Kid movie, play a throwback, and maybe picking up where the original had left off. Yeah. And just
forgetting about all the sequels then. Exactly.
Yeah, just picking up where that left off. And there was a lot of rights issues. If you can imagine Jerry Weintraub had passed away. So it's the estate they have to deal with. Will Smith and his company were involved when we make happened.
And it will smith is one of the producers of Cobra car. Correct. Which I found interesting
and more from making it a movie into a show. And with success of things like Fuller House. Eventually they got it, you know greenlit?
Well, the 80s are hot right now. Would you say that?
I think they've always been hot.
You think so? I mean, the 80s stands out more as a decade than the 90s Oh, for sure. Nobody cares about the 90s. Give it 10 years. You think people will care about the 90s in 10 years? Like they care about the 80s. Now I
think younger generations might care about the 90s. What stands out from the 90s Bill Clinton,
what do we got?
Grunge lad. Oh, criss cross,
totally crossed out.
You may have crossed out. So then they went and got William Zabka. First, I'd read that he had never really let the character Johnny go and nor did he ever really get to play him again. Yeah, he wasn't in those sequels. Always. So what has he been doing all these years? I'll have to ask him when we get him on the podcast.
Yeah. I mean, he wasn't this like Jackie Earle Haley guy was like, you know, hanging out waiting for another break again. Is that Is that what was happening?
I'm not sure. Maybe he was a handyman. Yeah. So then they teamed up and they figured that took me a second. Give it a second. And then they went after Ralph maggio, which was tougher because he had really distanced himself from a lot of the credit card stuff.
But as he been acting, though, in other rajmachi had been doing things obviously now he's been acting recently. Yes, he has been okay. So because after wasn't my cousin Vinnie. Yeah, it was a good film. Okay, after that I kind of lost track of the movie
called bearly pop up and some things, but no, you know, substantial character. And I'm sure he also always probably wanted more from those subsequent films. And again, let's just be honest, credit get to wasn't awful. Yeah, say jaws to still pretty good. But from there, I believe it went downhill. Yeah. So then they got him signed up. And he really wanted to know where the character was going. And, you know, is really not just wanting a good pitch, but he want to we want to note development and story. And these guys, I gotta give them credit. They really created something special. Yeah. And I'm excited to share what we think about it with our audience.
I'm pretty excited. I'm totally cried out. Yeah,
he said that already. So this show, unlike the Karate Kid, is filmed in California, and Georgia. Some locations are in the valley, but there was some other locations that I was trying to think where it was, and I found that it was in Atlanta. So
wait, so in episode one, there are some scenes shot in Georgia,
la Russo, Otto. Things like that.
Well, now I feel cheated. I know. Because Karate Kid was was all shot in the valley. But there's
a last shot in here. So it's a it's a good mashup of both the very beginning
of episode one season one. Johnny's driving.
Yeah, that's here. That's an ELA Yeah, I
recognize winter.
Season One a Cobra Kai came out May 2 2018. Episode One is called ACE degenerate. And it gets an 8.8 rating on IMDb. So we opened with all Valley under 18 karate tournament and we are going back in time right now. It even gives the date I think December 19 1984. Yeah, before we go further, I looked this up. That's a Wednesday. Oh, very strange day for a tournament I mean, even if it's Christmas break, people have to go to work. Yeah. And I looked in the stands of that tournament, and it's full of adults extras. And so why did they not sow just say, December 22? Saturday? Is it named close to Christmas? I
think it's too close to Christmas, people are gonna say, Who the hell is having a karate tournament
a few days before Christmas. So they just say they'd knock three off and call it a day. Well, you
know what I think sometimes certain dates and movies, it might have been one of the producers daughter's birthday or something. So I
was thinking that yeah, maybe the director Rest in peace, John Adelson. Guess what His birthday is?
Not December 19.
December 21. What to maybe there was a thought like, let's do it on that. And then he said, that's gonna have a 20s. Let's knock it down to the teens. Put it on a Wednesday who's gonna research that? But anyway, it's small detail, but still pretty funny. No, I
am always interested in the tiny decisions. And that was one thing I really loved when I was doing q&a Moderator at film festivals was I always asked the director, why did you do that? Even little things? Why did you have them drink with his right hand and and not his left hand? You know, why did the car make a right turn? Not a left turn is little things that your average viewer may think is it just may go over their head or their mundane. But there's always reasons why directors and writers do things
totally agree. And this isn't a little big detail. And we ever get the writer on he might be the person to ask. Yeah, because they easily could have called it something else. But I think it was too close to the holidays. And you know, what? Do it the Saturday prior? Get away from it completely? That would have been, what,
seven days prior to December 19? The 12?
No, seven days prior to the 22nd at 1115. So December 15. All right, we are in and we are back in time and the Daniel and Johnny match. Yeah. And it's astounding. I thought initially, maybe there's different ankles or things we hadn't seen. But I did a side by side comparison. And it's just taken out of the movie. Yeah. But I felt like it really gave the show gravitons to see like, Oh, they're really going back and you know, they have the Bible. They got the playbook. That's the first shot is the movie. Yeah, they're not alluding to it. The first thing that was different was when the crane kick comes and Johnny goes down. He lays on the ground a lot longer. Yeah. Rather than getting up and giving Danny the movie. Yeah. And what do you say when he gives him the trophy?
I forgot what he said always. This is for you. You earn this or something like that. You will write Rousseau. Is that what he said in karate kid? Yeah. Okay, but they didn't have that and this things of that
far. So they do the face plant. Yeah. Dissolve are cut into face plant on the bed in present day with tours, cans all over the van.
Yes. And he takes a swig of that one
takes a swig of coolers bottle. And you just know from those opening shots that Johnny's life has not gone the way it should have gone. Well,
I'm definitely wondering when I see that I'm wondering, what is he been doing all these years? When did his life start going downhill? Was it right after that tournament? Right after he has that face off with his sensei? Yeah, it's with crease in the parking. Yeah. Is that when his leg started going downhill? Or did he at least have some decent 20s and then start going downhill in his 30s
Maybe it's when the heroin started. Does he
do heroin? I have not seen any other episodes yet.
I think they're putting it all on this tournament. Wow.
So that was a life changing moment. I had a rap battle in high school. They went terribly. And look where I'm at today. So
yeah, yeah. The only one that if I wouldn't, we wouldn't be sitting here with. So Johnny's apartment as we see the exteriors he's dressing to go to work. And by the way, he's cooking like bologna, cheese fried bologna prime alone,
you can't get much lower than that. And there's this quote covers everywhere a man a sandwich maybe I'm really just curious about the movie. He's watching as he's eating his fried bologna. He's watching some film where somebody's mowing people down with an assault rifle or
something what that is was a killing Zoey, that's one thing I did not research.
Yeah. Cuz then later on, he's watching the movie. We'll get into that.
We'll get into that. Yes, I'm
wandering that door. Okay. So I started thinking, Is that the same movie?
No. Okay. So we leave the apartment. And it really reminded me of where Daniel lived in Karate Kid. The seven C's they did a good job of. It's not a seven signal, but it's an receita. Yeah. And they did a good job of putting him in that environment.
Well, it's a role reversal. Right, exactly.
So who do we meet? Right when it comes out.
Miguel? Miguel, more and more also referred to as Manu though not very PC which by the wave Manou though for the uninitiated, or Puerto Rican, they weren't Mexican even though everybody thinks that maybe those Mexican Good point,
but immediately it's like this show is kind of twisting things. Almost like we meet a young Daniel son.
Yeah, it's almost like a parallel universe. Yeah, it's
a little stranger thing.
Yes, yes,
Johnny is Miyagi. But anyway, so he's really rude. Johnny's not a happy guy. He's a drunk. He's not where he wants to be. He's alone. And he's a handyman.
Yeah. He's a handyman that drives a Pontiac Firebird, which I thought was interesting, because I was thinking, if you're a handyman, maybe you want to drive a truck or something.
Was that not his car in the original movie?
I don't remember him driving a car and Karachi
drove that one scene where they invited Danny to come with them. Was he driving? He was driving but it was a convertible and it wasn't this car. Okay. Some of the guy rolled up in a car like this. That's right.
Okay. But I think we're led to believe or should assume that this Pontiac Firebird he's had for decades.
Yeah, absolutely. Since the 80s. Yeah. And he Blair's 80s Rock. Right out of the gate. Yes. And so next we see Johnny driving on matura Boulevard comes up to a stop sign. And what do we see in front of him but LORUSSO Auto Group Billboard
at that moment, Johnny says another one. I didn't know if he met another billboard or another location, or both. Or both. It says
we kick the competition, Tarzana Woodland Hills, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, so they're like the Carmax of this world. Yeah. And of course, it's LORUSSO. And the next thing we know Johnny is very, it's almost like Billy Madison, when he rolled up and went back to high school, but he was remember that yeah, he was out of like, not cool anymore. That is very much Johnny in this world. Sure. He rolls up and tries to hit on a female runner. And she calls him a creep. Yes. So he's just decades behind, and he's got a bad attitude about it. Yeah. Then we have a classic 80s montage of Johnny doing handyman work.
Yeah, he's hanging up this flat screen on a wall, and then comes and gets bitched out by the woman of the house, and then subsequently then gets fired from his job. Because he says, he says, quit bitching at me. And she says, What did you call him? If he said, What did you call me? Yeah, because she said, do you call me a bit? Yeah. So then he gets fired from his handyman job.
That's right. And I like he has to make that call on a lookout point. Griffith Park. And then what does he hear on the radio,
he's just becoming surrounded by La Russo. He sees the billboard. He hears that radio ad and then in the next scene, he's gonna be seeing the commercial. He's he just cannot escape from the ghost of Daniel Larousse, which
is kind of funny, like you said, 35 years ago, or whenever you had this rap thing that you didn't, you know,
don't date me. It wasn't 32 years ago, when I was in high school. 10 years ago.
I've had many seasons that ended poorly, and we had the converse of that we won some titles, but it's not as if any of those hung with me and brought me down. Like there was a lot on this. Under 18 karate tournament.
You mentioned something I think you mentioned in passing off the air, where you said that Lawrence would beat LORUSSO in a street fight any day. But it's just in a competitive tournament environment point system. Yeah, things are different. I mean, in a few scenes from now on, we see him kick ass in front of receipt of flats, right. I don't know if Danielson could do that.
I think he's also taking his train further than he was in the first tournament and the first Karate Kid.
Well, because later on in the scene where he's with his daughter, he's wearing a black belt and I'm thinking did he legitimately earn this black belt? Or is this a stolen black belt from Karate Kid?
No, I think Daniels Trent well, even his training continued in the third Karate Kid as well as the second karate kid. So I do believe that he is probably at an equal level of Johnny now in the world. Okay, but not at the time. Yeah, so who could win a street fight now? I say it's a toss up who's in better shape? Right? I don't know. Well, John is drinking a lot. But
Johnny looks like he's in better shape.
It just looks like a badass.
I mean, he's a little more built in the Russo is a little more scrawny, just like in the Karate Kid. Larissa was a little scrawny. And they're
both hotheads. For sure. Yeah. Anyway, we've just seen how far the mighty have fallen. Yeah, from Karate Kid lore to now Johnny's a beaten man and guess what starts to happen? I don't think you as well feel empathy for Johnny. Sure. And you start to think, wow, I didn't know this out of him. He was such a prick. You know, and not only that movie, like some other movies that were very similar. He was so typecast.
But there was that moment of Redemption at the end of karate kid right when he hands LORUSSO the trophy. And what did he say again?
You all right, Lou. Russo. Yeah,
so at that moment is the that's the olive branch. At the end of karate kid. I think that we don't hate Johnny anymore. That's true. He redeemed himself at the very end. So you don't go into Cobra Kai? I don't think hating Johnny. I think he kind of go in a little more open minded if you remember how Karate Kid ended.
Yeah, you're right. He wasn't as hated. But every time he went back to rewatch the movie, he's a bad guy all over again. Yeah, I think it would have been nice to have him in the sequel beyond the opening sequence with Mr. Miyagi and have him be a part of that story, but it just didn't happen. Yeah, because I was always curious what had happened of the Cobra Kai, maybe they could have changed without crease. You know, and I think that happened in the third Karate Kid, and maybe we'll do a special episode, at some point in time because I really don't know much about the third karate kid. I remember trying to watch it, and just not being into it. Like 19 I just was so
detached was Padma Rita in Karate Kid three.
Yeah, I think it was all of them. Okay. And that was the last one that Ross macho was in.
Well, there wasn't a karate kid for it. Right?
There was The Next Karate Kid. Ah, that was Hilary Swank. Ah, interesting. If you watch the trailer, it's it gets a little hokey. Yeah, but read is it. It's payday. So we're at the mini mart. And Johnny is getting a classic pizza slice dinner. Very unsanitary.
The guy grabs a pizza slice with his hand is so horrible. It's described what Johnny wants to eat that pizza when the guy's holding it with his bare hands. It was hard to watch. And the name of the market is called receipt of flats. Yeah. Which is interesting. If you know a little bit of folklore about the San Fernando Valley. The word flats actually probably all of Los Angeles. The word flats has old gang overtones or undertones. There used to be a gang and Pacoima, which is on the northeast end of the San Fernando Valley called the clima flats. I'm wondering if maybe at one time there was a gang and receded called receipt of flats. I didn't know that. But I've never heard of the word flats used anywhere in the Valley, San Fernando Valley other than Tacoma flats. So I'm wonder if they did a little homage to become a flats and call that place receipt of flats because I've never heard of that expression that name. I thought that was pretty interesting.
To find out. Miguel is also on the mini mart.
And Miguel goes there to get Pepto Bismol. That's right for his grandmother, right. That's what we learn. But then
on the way out, Johnny passes this rowdy bunch of kids, which really remind me of a Cobra Kai scene. Yeah, these guys come spilling out of a jeep. So one of them's vaping. Yeah, and blows the smoke and the Johnny's face with his pizza. And these guys are high schoolers, and Johnny just dismisses it. Yeah, but these guys are trouble and you know it.
Yeah. Johnny just let it roll off his back. Sat down starts eating as pizza gets accosted by that lady.
That's right. homeless lady.
Yeah, vagrant. Hey, this is my corner to work.
Yeah. So because Johnny's looking like you don't even have a home. Yeah, you guys have a car? Yeah. And so next thing we know, the rowdy kids come out there pushing over, Miguel. Yeah. And they're all sitting there beating him up very reminiscent of what happened to Daniel with the Cobra Kai?
Sure. But there's no girl to fight over. No, no room bucks. No
boombox, no soccer balls, and there's no soccer in this episode.
In fact, if I was gonna get my ass kicked, I'd rather have my ass kicked off the beach. I agree. I mean, if I'm gonna get my ass kicked, I'd rather look at some some nature's landscape. You know, I want to see beauty if I'm getting my head bashed him and they pour
the Pepto Bismol all over his head. Which is just
despicable. very insulting because he said I got that from my grandmother. So Johnny's
still not doing anything until they throw Miguel out his car. Yes. And the car getting hit. Was that that was it. That's what he said. Hey, Johnny puts his pizza slice down. And he turns into Mr. Miyagi. Yeah. Taking out all the Cobra Kai. Yeah, well,
when remember that first kick, I think he pulled a groin muscle.
He hadn't done that in a while. And I'll give the guys credit. They even fought back like a second third time on like the movie. They kept coming back. But eventually he best them all. And Miguel is in awe. But it goes a little too far because the cops show up.
Yes. And they pepper spray him right away
sprang and next thing you know Johnny's hauled off to jail. By the way,
I did watch that fight scene twice. Actually, I've probably watched it four times at this point. Because I've really liked that fight scene a lot. And I thought it was really choreographed really well. And I say that because I'm a big fan of Mixed Martial Arts. I've been watching UFC since 93. From the beginning. Yep. I've seen every UFC event. And you know what, when I watch a fight scene, I watch it with a critical eye. I'm usually thinking, Oh, this looks so fake. Right. But you know what the scenes are choreograph really well. It was good. I liked it a lot.
Yeah. And the kids did really good. And then I thought, I didn't like them immediately. I'm against them. So you're already pulling for Johnny more.
Well, they did the old like, laughing at you as they beat you. Hey, look at this guy. Like they're laughing as they're beating you as someone who has been jumped on the streets of the San Fernando Valley. You have? Yeah. Recently? Not recently, but I will say that never once were they laughing when they beat me. They only beat me. They did not laugh and beat me which makes it even worse.
Are you ever beaten on the beach? Unfortunately, no,
I was beaten. I'm in front of a gas station one time in front of grocery store another time, unfortunately grown up in the San Fernando Valley in the 80s and 90s. I was jumped no less than three times what were you wearing? Well, one time I had a shaved head and they accuse me of being from a rival gang at the time because unfortunately, right when I decided to shave my head in high school, there was a gang that was known for shaved heads. So stupid me decides to shave my head, which was not the style at the time necessarily in that area, or trendsetter. Yeah, so I'm gonna I'm thinking I look cool with my shaved head and meanwhile, this gang pops out of this car. Hey, you're from brownstone? That was a gang. You're from brownstone? No, I'm not from brownstone the flats. Yeah, exactly. Well, they kick my ass from the gas station up and down. Unfortunately, I did not know karate. What about the other times? It still didn't know karate. Still today, bald still
no karate karate, but he didn't know how to examine a fight.
I have taken Muay Thai. I have taken boxing. And again, having taken some fights, coaching, having watched many fights, I'm telling you I watch fights, choreographed fights with a critical eye. They're either like way out there like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon where they're like completely a farce. Right? You know? But no, I like the way these fights are choreographed. I like that. You also can't tell. Even if you pause it, you can't really tell the stunt man. It was really well done.
It was good. And then it was nice to see Johnny back and forth. And also protecting Miguel initially it was his car, but he knew this is not good. So you know, there's something inside of Johnny that he's not just a bully. He was breaking up bullies. And that was kind of neat to see. But he's in jail. Yeah, the next thing we see Gianni has been released from jail. And Miguel is waiting for him. And the like outside the apartment complex
says I want to tell you, thank you.
And he also plans in his ear. You should open up a dojo. Well, he didn't say dojo, you should teach me karate. Yes. And that's where Johnny really the idea begins to crystallize.
Interesting. I didn't think about that. So Miguel was the one who initially gave him the idea.
Because Miguel was so impressed by what he saw, yes, he just lost his job. So put two and two together. But when he opens his door to go into his own apartment, there is Ed Asner, as Johnny stepped in as
there with his nurse, his nurse. And he's kind of like a valet, almost. Because at the end, remember, he's like, Oh, call up arts Deli. So it's kind of like his nerves, but kind of like his personal assistant as well. Yeah.
We come to find out that Johnny's mother has passed. This is his stepfather, who we found out probably didn't care about Johnny that much been promised to his mother that he would take care of him. Yeah. So what does he do?
Well, he's had enough to hear I guess that John has been a problem for many years. He's probably had been bailed out many times exactly by his stepdad. So at this moment in time, his stepdad has had enough wants him out of his life. And he says something like, even your mother would forgive me. And then he hands him a check. When somebody hands somebody a check. I want to know how much is that? Check? One, two, blank check. No, that would be really fantastic. But he hands him a check. And then Johnny just rips it up says I don't want your money.
I initially thought it was 10. But I'd say 25,000 you tend to think it's
I'm probably thinking it's about 50,000 Is what I'm thinking so we're gonna have to ask William when we get how much was that check. I want to see the prop. I want to see the actual prop see if there was actual writing on there.
So gives you the check what you do. Well, he rips it he says I don't want to sit up. Next thing we cut to classic 80s movie Iron Eagle. So he's watching iron Eagle. And you can tell this is a big movie for Johnny. Okay? And it's a scene with Chappie Louis Gossett Jr. pretty inspiring speech.
Sure. What's letting them know reminding you to dig into yourself. Remember who you are. Grab who you used to be and bring them back out again.
That's exactly it. But then it's short lead because the Russos commercial pops on? Yes,
that was I'm saying he cannot escape LORUSSO everywhere he goes and, and during that moment where he he's getting emotional. You can see he's starting to tear up a bit. This is a very life changing pivotal moment and then boom, LORUSSO auto sales come
in and his remotes not working. So of course he throws the remote into the TV, smashing it because he's just had enough of
the Russo is that the Elvis moment? Didn't Elvis do something like that? Or Elvis shot the t shirt. Elvis did a lot of things. Elvis shot the TV. Yeah.
So John, John is mad. And this commercial, though, to speak on that. It's pretty funny because now we actually for the first time in the series so far, we see the Russo come to life, and he's doing like cutting prices and he's doing some karate moves in the commercial. He's getting so much mileage out of this tournament.
It was all well, it was like the Olympics. It was all
about all California. It was all Valley. So
was their commercials are totally hokey and silly. And yeah, he's hacking away at prices and karate chops.
Okay, so it's 35 years later. There's a winner of the all Valley tournament every year or the Yeah, there's 34 Guys just as popular.
Well, the other 34 guys are just as popular but then the guys that lost are now downtrodden rivals drinking.
I guess you win that tournament game changer. So that's it. Johnny's out. He's been drinking a lot. And we are having another montage. Yes, this time. This one is straight out of karate kid.
Well, because we're listening to head games by foreigner, and we're seeing
old John. Yes, yes. Yeah. On The Beat with the motorcycles. Ali juggling a soccer ball.
And at that moment as he's driving, he's kind of putting it all together. Making Sense is kind of a very much a Phoenix out of the ashes moment very much. Yeah, he's starting to come back to life, you know.
And he parks at the location. Yes, all Valley karate tournament.
He goes back in time, to that parking lot where he had the face off a crease, right? Exactly. As he's driving in the car, and we're listening to head games. And we're watching the montage. When he cuts the car. The music stops. So he was playing the music in his car. It wasn't the soundtrack that I found interesting. He was playing head games. So here he is in the parking lot of the all Valley karate tournament. He's having his moment. He's having a breakthrough. And then boom, here come three drunk and chicks. Young girl. I don't know if they're drunk. They're on the phone. No, okay. They're not drunk, because one of them said you shouldn't be watching. On your phone. Okay, so they crash into his car, which is so stupid. That was the only car around and yet they crashed in the bad granite. He
didn't do a very good job parking. But there's plenty of room to go around.
You know, what's interesting is we might find out later. Why were those girls there? That was sort of a vacant area. What were they doing there? I want to know
the plot point. So it's a hit and run. Yeah, he runs up like a madman scares them, but gets a pretty good look at them.
Who's outside? Well, because he's yelling open up the door, you know. And that's the last thing they're going to do. Sure. They're just in the car freaking out. He's yelling at the window. He comes face to face the girl in the backseat. And they just like a bat out of hell say let's get the hell out of here. And they take off. So he's standing there. Oh, no, he runs to his car, and a
car won't start. So the next thing we see there's a tow truck. And they've got their car ready to take into the shop. Now they give him a piece of paper and say you can get your car here. And of course, it is another reference to Russo Otto, who also has the best rates in town, and they can fix anything. But what cracks me up is the tow man just leaves him there. I've had my cars towed before back in the day and you ride with them, or you get in your car. Sure. So Johnny's in the middle of nowhere, as you just alluded to, yeah, with no ride. The next scene is he's taking a taxi or old school of Johnny not Uber or Uber. Okay. And he goes to the Russo auto Yeah, to get his car and go to another mechanic. Sure. And what happens while he's in LORUSSO auto?
He runs into Daniel Russo. Well, Daniel Russo calls him Johnny is that you? And then they have their face off there in the middle of the showroom of the auto dealership. Course you recognize him to second Sure. Oh, but then to make matters worse, Daniel Russo invites some of his underling workers. Oh, Ray, this is the guy you beat and then Daniel, when he says, This is where you realize, oh, I think Daniels to use a WWE term. He's a heel. Oh, I kicked him in the face. When he said that is when I go hmm. This is interesting. Now Daniels kind of bullying a little bit. He's showing off.
He's lived with the legend for so long. But he made a
reference to the by Cobra Kai right. He said something about isn't it so great. They're not around anymore. He says something like that he puts down Cobra,
it wasn't you it was Cobra Kai, because he's remembering how that parking lot scene ended?
Yes. Then he sends his underlings away says get back to work. And then they start getting down to the nuts and bolts of the car, the invoice. It's going to end up costing more than the car's worth.
It's really nice touching moment that he offers to just fix the older Pontiac because it's not worth that much. And Johnny reluctantly accepts Yeah, that's a nice touch. Because you know, he's embarrassed. Sure what else happens is while he's there, we see le Russo's daughter. We don't really meet Samantha, but Johnny recognizes her for a girl in the backseat that hit him. And that is it. He's passed. He's like, I've been LORUSSO it again. Oh, and he walks off but Daniel comes after him and gives him what he gives all of his customers is a classic bonsai tree and Johnny takes it walks outside and drops
it Yeah. And then I think there's somebody looking at a car customer and a salesperson I think they look over like they do the hell's the hell's this guy? Well, you
cue the music and you know right then in there, Cobra Kai is back. Oh, so there's another montage a third 80s Montage Yes. Episode where Johnny is now using the check that he rubbed up. So we cashed the check for $25,000 and opens up the dojo and receipt of flats right next to them anymore. Yes.
And the same strip mall, which I thought was hilarious. He opens up the dojo in the same strip mall where he beat those kids acids. I thought that was very good energy.
Yeah, and yeah, exactly. And he gets a stencil on what's he put on the wall
strike first strike hard. No Mercy.
We see the Cobra Kai logo. Come on screen. Man. I was excited. Cobra Kai is back to see the hint of what Daniel's life looks like. He's obviously a success. Yeah, Johnny has fallen from grace. There's no Ali by the way. There's no mention of her. No. And we know that Daniel has a kid. Yeah. Johnny has his first Cobra Kai pupil. Do we know anything else?
We don't know anything else about Johnny yet? Because something will be revealed in the next episode.
As we wrap up anything you want to add?
Yeah, I just want to mention for the toy lovers out there, there is a very cool line of action figures that have just been released. Right now as we speak by a company called NECA NACA Karate Kid action figures and there's a very cool two pack. That is the tournament scene. Daniel Russo, Johnny Lawrence faced off in a two pack action figures set that I will be reviewing on my YouTube channel, which is Salvador, Los Angeles, all one word Salvadore Los Angeles. So look out for that. I will be having that up very soon.
And that thing looks amazing. By the way. Thanks for listening to Let's Talk Cobra Kai, be sure and subscribe to us on Apple iTunes or anywhere else you might get your podcast. And definitely be sure to check out other episodes. Thank you. Take care.
