To absolutely no one’s surprise, the All Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament did nothing to put the feud between Johnny and Daniel to bed. Rather, the circumstances around Miguel’s ethically questionable win makes the two adults double down: Johnny reluctantly agrees to let Kreese, his former sensei, work with him at Cobra Kai, while Daniel officially opens up his own dojo, Miyagi-Do.

KEY PLAYERS:

Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka): Johnny struggles with how to lead Cobra Kai after their dubious success at the All Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament.

Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio): Looking to counterbalance Cobra Kai’s resurgence, Daniel opens his own dojo in order to pass on Mr. Miyagi’s teachings. 

Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler): Daniel tests Amanda’s patience when he prioritizes his dojo over their family business.

Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña): The reigning champ tries to move forward at Cobra Kai but worries about Kreese’s toxic influence on his students.

Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan): Robby adjusts to life with the LaRussos, but his bond with Daniel severs after he starts a romantic relationship with Sam.

Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser): Sam resumes her karate training while starting a new relationship with Robby. Unfortunately, she still has feelings for Miguel, much to the frustration of Robby, as well as Miguel’s new girlfriend, Tory.

John Kreese (Martin Kove): Johnny’s sinister former sensei returns, initially okay with playing benchwarmer at Cobra Kai. But that only lasts for so long...

Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand): In the aftermath of his dirty fighting at the tournament, Hawk looks to Kreese as a new mentor.

Tory Nichols (Peyton List): The new girl in Cobra Kai, whose infatuation with Miguel leads to a dangerous feud with Sam.

KEY LOCATIONS:

Cobra Kai dojo: Johnny’s dojo, which is thrown into turmoil over a leadership conflict between Johnny and Kreese.

LaRusso dealership: Daniel’s day job, despite him forgetting it half of the time.

LaRusso home: Where Daniel and Amanda live with their kids Samantha and Anthony, as well as brief houseguest Robby. 

Miyagi-Do dojo: Daniel’s new dojo, where he teaches the lessons of Mr. Miyagi.

KEY PLOT POINTS:

1. Kreese comes to Johnny, wanting in on his Cobra Kai success. Johnny reluctantly lets him be his assistant, but it’s clear the duo have a difference in opinion on how the students should be taught. (Kreese thinks the Cobra Kai mantra, “No Mercy,” should be a way of life; Johnny realizes there also needs to be honor in the fight and being intentionally cruel isn’t right.) They work together for a bit but ultimately part ways.

2. Daniel opens up a new dojo, prioritizing Miyagi’s way of teaching. His initial students are Sam and Robby, but his class grows as more kids become uncomfortable with Cobra Kai’s approach.

3. As Robby and Sam train together, they start to crush on each other. Miguel, still upset about how his relationship with Sam ended, isn’t ready to let her go. But Cobra Kai’s Tory is intrigued by Miguel and repeatedly tries to convince him to move on. He eventually does. Unfortunately for them all, Sam drunkenly kisses Miguel, and Tory is out for blood... literally. 

4. As school starts, Tory declares war on Sam, instigating a schoolwide karate brawl between the Miyagi-Do students and the members of Cobra Kai. (Get ready, it’s messy as hell). Tory slices Sam’s arm with spikes, but things turn tragic during Robby and Miguel’s battle: Miguel tries to show mercy to Robby, and he retaliates by knocking him over a balcony. Miguel hits a railing during his fall and is knocked out.

5. While Miguel fights for his life, his mother, Carmen, puts the breaks on her budding romance with Johnny. His fellow Cobra Kai members also pledge allegiance to Kreese, blaming Johnny for Miguel’s injuries. A distraught, drunk Johnny gets rid of his phone, which included a notification that his ex, Ali, had friended him on Facebook. Meanwhile, Daniel decides to close his dojo.

Key Questions:

1. Seriously — how many of those kids are going to jail after that brawl?

2. Who is more terrifying at this point, Robby or Tory?

3. Will Johnny ever realize Facebook is not confined to a single device, and that he has an important friend notification?

4. How worried should we be about Miguel?