We had the opportunity to chat with some of the cast from Cobra Kai in anticipation of Season 5.
We don’t have much to share because the round table situation was a little different than others, but hopefully, you’ll find something to tide you over for another two days until the season drops!
We think you’re really going to enjoy the new season (as if you had doubts!).
We know you’ve seen the trailer. There have already been numerous articles breaking it down across the internet.
Still, we wanted to know what that wicked fight scene we see between Miguel and Robby will be the rematch we’re hoping for and how it will change their relationship.
Xolo Maridueña says viewers will definitely be rewarded for their long wait.
“I think the Robby-Miguel rivalry was one we were introduced to very early on in Cobra Kai, and I think while the two have had their differences, what they don’t realize is that they’re actually more alike than they realize and when they fight, the outcome will decide how they feel about each other, and I think it’s nice that they’ll have this moment to themselves.
“They’re not fighting over anyone else, they’re fighting for themselves, and that’s where the true magic is made.”
As Anthony LaRusso, Griffin Santopietro has been bullied and been the bully. What he hasn’t done is fully embrace the sport that runs through his family’s blood.
That’s about to change.
Griffin said, “The stakes in Season 5 are so much higher, I think, because the whole karate battle is becoming so much bigger that everyone is going to have to get involved at some point.
“I think Anthony finds a really great way to get involved [with karate] through his family and not through something with more of a revenge type of way. [chuckles] It’s something he needs now that Kenny is trying to kill him.
“But we get to see that in a really nice way, which we don’t always get to see on this show.”
Thomas Ian Griffith plays Terry Silver, who reluctantly returned to the Cobra Kai world. What we wondered was whether he’d like to see a redemption arc for Terry or if he enjoys leaning into Silver’s dark side.
“Whenever you take on a character, you have to find some commonality. You have to be able to lock into something without judgment. So, what is it that’s positive about him?
“We saw in Season 4 that he didn’t want to go back into this world. He was pulled back into this world. And he went back because he’s so loyal; he was so committed to say, ‘I’m gonna take care of my friend.’
“And so that’s a really good thing about it, and then he goes to Daniel and says, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I was so over the top; I’m asking for forgiveness.’ And then he doesn’t give it to him.
“And then he’s betrayed by Kreese. Kreese tries to manipulate him. So all those things sent him back to release those inner demons. So, I think that was an earned journey.
“Now, can you redeem that character? I don’t know. But for me, it’s like, ‘Yes, he’s so full of love, and he’s just trying to put good into the world of what he believes in.
“I think that comes across in the glee of this character. It’s like, “Give me a challenge. Give me an adversary” because he’s true to his art. He’s true to his philosophy. Are there redeemable qualities? Yes. Has he gone too far? I don’t know. We’ll have to ask the creators about that.”
As Johnny, William Zabka gets to play with Johnny’s naivete, but he’s also got such a warm heart, and it’s a combination fans adore. We wondered how that would be on display during Cobra Kai Season 5.
“Well, I think he has a good heart. He was taught wrong as a kid, so all of his rough edges were kind of downloaded into his system, and he is still stuck in the past. He’s a work in progress. He’s waking up.
“He’s been in a shell for a few decades, and he’s dethawing like a caveman and slowly coming to life and connecting with the world and the internet and phones, and he’s learning new big words like goggle and interneting and gig jobs and all that stuff.
“He’s learning, and it’s fun to play all that stuff because I was there when all that started. I was there before it existed, so I get to kind of relive that and fast-forward motion. You’ll see it the way you see it. I don’t play it for that; I don’t think it’s even written for that.
“But I play it a certain way, and he’s searching. He’s always searching, so it will come out in places you can point out to me.”
And finally, Ralph Macchio is THE Karate Kid, and he’s helped to usher in an entirely new audience to the film franchise by encapsulating the Daniel-San many of us grew up with.
Since the beginning of the series, exciting characters from the past have been lured to the present, and Cobra Kai Season 5 finds Daniel reuniting with former rivals, which opens up even more memories and avenues to revisit.
Ralph said, “Season 5 is big with Chozen, and Chozen and Daniel, which is a big part of the season. Daniel needed to call in reinforcements, and it helps ground all the Miyagi wisdom and it’s two fighting for the cause. I really enjoy that, and Yuji [Okumoto]’s character has taken a complete 180 from who he was in Karate Kid 2.
And you have Mike Barnes now in the series and what that has been and the last time Daniel and Mike saw each other. I mean, this is the bad boy of karate, one of Terry Silver’s puppets. So, it just adds more height to the fence of the hurdles, if you will.
“That’s been beyond expectations, playing those scenes and where they go and how the writers take them and flip them on their ear, so it’s not necessarily what you’d expect, but at the end of the day, it gets you to a place that’s really satisfying. That’s been Cobra Kai since it started.”
Cobra Kai returns to Netflix on Friday, September 9, and you can also grab Cobra Kai Season 4 on DVD next Tuesday if you want to own it for yourself.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She’s a member of the Critic’s Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on Twitter and email her here at TV Fanatic.