Something hindered my full immersion in the first two installments of this five-episode segment; Barcelona, a locale teeming with potential for exhilarating story twists, did indeed provide a refreshing backdrop. Yet, there was an undercurrent of mechanical routine to these initial events of the Sekai Taikai, as well as a resurgence of stale character archetypes. The series seemed somewhat diminished in its vibrancy, falling short of its peak moments.
However, my perspective underwent a delightful transformation with "Snakes on a Plane," the precise halfway mark of this 15-episode sixth season. Ironically, this episode, which is the least steeped in Barcelona's ambiance and prominently features a subplot centered on Anthony LaRusso, filled me with genuine elation. Both the climactic revelation at the episode's conclusion and the build-up to it captivated me thoroughly. This was a commendable feat, considering the sparse use of karate and the fleeting somber mood concerning Carmen's health. When Johnny phones Amanda from the aircraft, she informs him that Carmen remains unconscious, with her bleeding under constant observation. We remain largely unaware of her prognosis and whether she will recover, but I presumed she would survive this ordeal, as her demise at this juncture would cast a dark shadow over the remaining episodes. Despite knowing her probable recovery and feeling secure in laughing at the episode's comedic potential, Johnny and Miguel lack such reassurance.
Whenever Miguel feels hurt or overlooked by Johnny, and the duo eventually reconciles, it invariably resonates deeply with me. They embody the show's core, original sensei-student bond, akin to a modern Mr. Miyagi and Daniel. In some respects, their pairing is even more pivotal than Johnny and Daniel. Often, the distance between them grows due to their individual commitments – as Johnny later elucidates to Miguel, Robby requires more attention than he can currently provide, feeling lost without clear college prospects. Movingly, Johnny asserts, "You're my son, too." He admits his worry about losing Carmen, acknowledging that pretending everything will be alright offers false comfort.
The wealthy, arrogant passenger in first class serves as a somewhat cartoonish antagonist for the episode, but it's amusing to witness Miguel punching him out instead of Johnny. This marks the first of several victories for the duo, the greatest being the joyous news that Carmen and the baby are perfectly fine! (The bloody bedspread briefly horrified me, but I suspected it was a red herring.) She underwent an emergency cerclage and is now confined to bed rest for a few weeks, leaving her with little else to do. Even so, she urges them to return to Spain and win the Sekai Taikai.
If Carmen assured me of victory in a world karate tournament, I'd believe it with all my heart, though her encouragement might clash with the aspirations of the newly recruited Miyagi-Do fighter: Kenny. Unbeknownst to Johnny, he had asked Amanda to bring Kenny to Spain to replace Miguel on the same day they were returning. It's a clever move to reintroduce Kenny at this juncture, and I'm relieved it doesn't signify Miguel's absence. An intriguing conflict looms in the next few episodes: With limited spots available, who will ultimately compete?Persuading Kenny to see eye to eye isn't a walk in the park. He remains steadfast in his belief that Anthony was the culprit behind the laxative prank, which birthed the ungainly moniker "Shit Butt" that trips off the tongue with all the elegance of a stumble. (Incidentally, Kenny once famously dubbed Anthony "LaPusso," adding fuel to their fiery rivalry.) Amanda steps in, compelling Anthony to offer Kenny an apology for his bullying, but Anthony's defensive stance concerning the laxative accusations quickly escalates into a brawl between the two. (Amanda's exasperated remark: "Karate? Seriously?") Ever the mediator, Amanda silences them by sharing the news about Carmen, a stark reminder that their squabbles pale in comparison to the gravity of their collective responsibilities. It's imperative for them to bury the hatchet so Kenny can feel secure at Miyagi-Do and stand tall alongside his friends in Barcelona.
Yet, this doesn't bring an immediate cessation of hostilities. Anthony's heartfelt apology, coupled with his extraordinary gesture of seeking retribution in his own peculiar way for the pants-soiling incident, along with Devon's confessional call taking full blame, finally mends fences. Though Kenny and Anthony may not be instant best buds, their animosity has vanished.
However, just as one conflict wanes, the teenage soap opera in Barcelona reaches a climax. egged on by Chozen (and against Daniel's better judgment), the kids embark on a night out on the town to unwind, which leads them to a tapas bar where Robby, Tory, Kwon, and Zara engage in a complex, four-way psychological tug-of-war. Normally abstemious, Robby finds himself in a dark abyss post-breakup and after his recent karate exhibitions, guzzling double rum-and-Cokes while observing Kwon's overt flirtations with a twinge of jealousy and pondering how Tory seems utterly unaffected by their split—both personally and in her karate prowess, which often mirrors one's emotional state.
Robby ends up spending the night with Zara, who seems intent on personally rattling Tory, possibly driven by a Kreese-like desire to unsettle her rival or a compulsive need to be the room's most alluring and dominant figure. The following morning, Tory catches the fleeting sight of Robby and Zara sharing a kiss outside Zara's door, a scene guaranteed to ramp up the tensions heading into the next tournament.
That night, indulgences with inappropriate partners abound, including Demetri, who accepts a dance with a girl other than his girlfriend Yasmine. Eli's FaceTime conversation with his girlfriend Moon, seemingly meant to tattle on Demetri inadvertently (unaware that Yasmine was in the room with Moon at the time), further strains their friendship, pushing them to an even rockier terrain.
Sam spends quality time with Axel, revealing that she witnessed Sensei Wolf inflict pain upon him. Axel remains steadfastly fixated on combat, displaying timidity in all other aspects of life, yet he attempts to plant a kiss on her after an aborted brawl with Kwon and his usual henchmen. The direction of this narrative remains somewhat ambiguous; could it be that Sam is beginning to fathom that she yearns for something beyond the life she envisioned for herself and Miguel?
These elements are robust, introducing intriguing twists and turns for the unfolding season. Nevertheless, the aspect of this episode that captivates me the most is undoubtedly the subplot featuring Chozen and Kim Da-Eun. As they search for their respective students, their paths keep crossing, ultimately leading them to the tapas bar where the children were last spotted in the beach district. Both anticipated finding the kids indulging in a spree of destruction, leaving the bar in ruins – a scenario rooted in historical precedent. Much to their relief, however, their fears proved unfounded.
Kim Da-Eun has consistently served as a dependable secondary antagonist, yet I never perceived her as having the same depth of complexity as Kreese or Silver. It is refreshing to witness her beginning to distance herself from Kreese, disapproving of his underhanded tactics. The episode cleverly primes us to believe that Kreese abducted Daniel without her knowledge, but trailing Dennis to a hotel unveils a stunning revelation: Terry Silver has been orchestrating the kidnapping all along, presumably collaborating with Sensei Wolf to decimate Miyagi-Do and propel the Iron Dragons to victory.
This moment is truly extraordinary, particularly because it occurs early enough to be genuinely surprising (as opposed to a cliffhanger in episode ten, which I had anticipated). However, the steamy lip-lock (and subsequent off-screen tryst on the beach) between Chozen and Kim Da-Eun steals the show. Their sparring throughout the episode exudes a palpable energy; in a series like this, one would expect a handful of fighting-turned-romantic moments, but this might just be the first genuine instance, perhaps due to the rarity of male-female combatants (and the near absence of queer characters).
Apart from the satisfaction of witnessing Chozen reclaim his groove after Towel Man shattered his confidence, I relish seeing Kim Da-Eun embrace this new facet of her character. Alicia Hannah-Kim has seldom had the opportunity to showcase her comedic prowess on this show, so it's delightful to witness her flex those muscles here. (Her morning ritual of shaking sand out of her sleeves and hair stands out as a particular highlight.) Redeeming herself at this juncture may be challenging given her past actions that harmed her students, but her widening rift with the other villains presents another variable to keep our eyes peeled on. I didn't foresee a full-fledged enemies-to-lovers arc in Cobra Kai, but if that's where this season is headed, I'm all in for the ride.
