The Chozen One

Cobra Kai (Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Shlossberg, 2018-Present Day)

Spent the beginning of the year full of praise for season four of Cobra Kai, perhaps the second best in the series thanks to the superb return of the machiavellian villain, Terry Silver. This latest chapter in the series isn't really on par as its predecessor, but it's still entertaining and better than any of the increasingly overrated water cooler shows out there. Cobra Kai still pays respect to the past and adds to it rather than ridicule it. The farcical concept of rival karate dojos in a Californian set teen drama is still blessed with better writing than any show Jeff Bezos' deep pockets has ever invested in; take for instance an episode where Chozen tries to snatch an egg from each of his Miyagi Do students, initially feeling like a filler episode, but becoming a valuable lesson in teamwork and a crucial scenario in the season finale.

Season Five highlights include:

• John Kreese's young persona beating the ever living shite out of a gang of prison goons craving his Jell-O cup, and subsequently turning their leader into his prison bitch.
• Johnny Lawrence's one star reviews as an Uber driver.
  
• Terry Silver burning down Mike Barnes' furniture shop.
• Cobra Kai's main dojo looking like the set of the Death Star.
  
• Robby and Miguel finally putting their animosities aside with a fight; poorly moderated by Johnny Lawrence.
  
• Terry Silver shipping in a bunch of no-name senseis, looking like they're from a low budget action movie; including one guy wearing an eye patch.
• John Kreese and Terry Silver's 1980 flashback sequence. Terry wearing a double breasted blazer and an ascot tie.
• The revelation of Amanda LaRusso's cousin being Jessica Andrews from The Karate Kid Part III.
  
• Danny LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence and Chozen Toguchi drunk as hell and rocking out to Eye of the Tiger in the back of limo that's being driven by Mike Barnes.
  
• Chozen Toguchi versus Terry Silver fight scene. The choral music in the background turns a back yard fight it into an epic ‘duel of the fates’ type battle:
  

Cobra Kai: Season Five (Chozen vs. Terry Silver fight scene)

Joel Novoa, 2022