Miyagi-Do is out of balance. The fan-favorite dojo is not starting the Sekai Taikai on their best footing in a five-episode installment that shows the importance of the emotional attachments the main characters have toward each other and the stakes of the tournament. At the conclusion of Part 1, the group is faced with the harsh reality that after defecting from Miyagi-Do, Tory has re-joined John Kreese and Cobra Kai with the intent to compete as Captain for the rival dojo.
Such a realization is quick to get under the skin of Sam and Robby, as Sam and Tory had finally started becoming good friends while Tory and Robby's romance had been thriving.
The resentments and frustrations introduced in Part 1, including Miguel's disappointment of Robby being chosen as Captain over him, Hawk and Demetri's anger over choosing colleges and Demetri's obsession with referencing MIT, and Daniel and Johnny's continued inability to connect, all reach a boiling point in Part 2, as Miyagi-Do is forced to fight side by side while being out of sync.
The idea of remaining balanced has been a key aspect of Miyagi-Do and how the students learn and interact with each other. It has been a long road since the show's beginning, with many of these current friends starting off as enemies.
But, while Part 1 brilliantly sets up the tension and emotional impact, Part 2's execution is nearly perfect.
Daniel's emotionally driven subplot of trying to unravel the truth of Mr. Miyagi's past, even if it is a polarizing or controversial storyline, plays an integral role in how Daniel handles being a sensei when everything he knows about the man who trained him has been put into question. Daniel had always held Mr. Miyagi in high esteem, going as far as to put him on a pedestal. But, while Mr. Miyagi may have had things figured out by the time he trained Daniel during The Karate Kid, this storyline in Cobra Kai works to justify the idea that Mr. Miyagi had an entire life before that and had to go through his own highs and lows before embracing the concept of balance. While Part 2 has not exactly confirmed the context of the mystery of Mr. Miyagi's past, there is something interesting to be said about Cobra Kai's work to show Mr. Miyagi as a human with his own mistakes and redemption in his past rather than someone who did no wrong.
In previous seasons, the one-again-off-again romance between Sam and Miguel tended to take center stage when it comes to the romances between the teenage characters. However, Cobra Kai finally has them in a good place, so instead, Part 2 focuses on the aftershocks of Tory's decision as an emotional avalanche between Tory and Robby.
Robby's inability to concentrate only makes his performance worse and his teammates and friends frustrated. Meanwhile, Tory's inner turmoil about questioning if she made the right decision and feeling the fallout of how it impacts her relationship with Robby is part of what anchors Part 2.
Heartache, heartbreak, and friction are the name of the game in Part 2, as Miyagi-Do must unravel the tension between them in order to overcome their internal personal struggles to once again come together as friends, family, and a team that can step up as the best versions of themselves.
For as much as Miyagi-Do may not be at their best, Cobra Kai certainly is in these five episodes. Every character has a significant purpose that drives the storyline forward as these episodes head into the finale in the upcoming Part 3. Even the conclusion of Part 2 offers some of the most intense sequences Cobra Kai has ever offered in its history of massive fighting choreography, and the ending cliffhanger is certainly prepared to set things even more into motion when Part 3 finally arrives.