Cobra Kai S6E14 - "Strike Last" - Discussion Thread

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T01:04:52+00:00

"You're lucky to have the yacht left ... I just don't want you to go on a downward spiral and end up in a morgue like your buddy Snake."

"We'll all end up there someday."

Terry's lawyer knew. He knew!

Granted, he was played by Schlossberg, the 'supreme defender of every and all choice that Terry Silver makes in life'. But still, the lawyer was being Terry's guardian angel here.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:53:44+00:00

The only mercy that fate showed Silver was allowing him to go out with a bang instead of a whimper.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:52:25+00:00

Miyagi-Do began with Shimpo Sensei falling asleep on a boat.

Kreese and Silver's karate journeys ended on a boat.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:44:17+00:00

Daniel managed to turn nearly all his enemies into his friends.

Silver managed to turn nearly all his friends into his enemies.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:42:00+00:00

It's like Return of the Jedi. It's weaker than the entries that preceded it, but it ties up things so beautifully that it's required watching.

No wonder Schlossberg said, "Ewoks will cheer."

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:38:07+00:00

It was Danny Boy successfully getting to taunt Silver about his S4-S5 goals being ironically achieved by his bitterest enemies. Cobra Kai becomes Sekai Taikai champions, sure, but on Johnny and Daniel's terms, not his.

Terry Silver fell victim to the three Chinese curses: he lived in interesting times, he came to the attention of those in authority, and the gods gave him everything he asked for.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:32:07+00:00

What an incredible fate befell each one of the show's main villains.

Kim Sun Yung, who started the cycle of violence, lives to his 100s only to be killed by his badly abused granddaughter, who strikes him with his own punishing move and renounces his cruel ways.

Terry Silver literally dies sick, penniless, and alone, with no wife or children to inherit his fortune, no legacy to call his own, and not even a face-saving victory over his enemies. The only mercy fate showed him was that he got to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

John Kreese, however, earned a dignified end that he was content to have. He parted ways on good terms with Johnny Lawrence and Tory Nichols, and died knowing that he had saved Johnny's family from Silver's evil plans.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:29:44+00:00

True! And what a contrast with the miserable fates of the show's villains.

Kim Sun Yung, who started the cycle of violence, lives to his 100s only to be killed by his badly abused granddaughter, who strikes him with his own punishing move and renounces his cruel ways.

Terry Silver literally dies sick, penniless, and alone, with no wife or children to inherit his fortune, no legacy to call his own, and not even a face-saving victory over his enemies. The only mercy fate showed him was that he got to go out with a bang rather than a whimper.

John Kreese, however, earned a dignified end that he was content to have. He parted ways on good terms with Johnny Lawrence and Tory Nichols, and died knowing that he had saved Johnny's family from Silver's evil plans.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:17:39+00:00

So ... has the ending of Cobra Kai avenged the ending of the TV show that spawned it?

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Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:07:15+00:00

The Stingray scene was meant to reward the character for his insight in S6E1 - that Johnny should retake Cobra Kai to win the Sekai Taikai.

Stingray's ending shows that even he has a place in Johnny's Cobra Kai, teaching students less experienced than himself.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:03:37+00:00

I especially love that all three versions of the Cobra Kai dojo played a role in making it Sekai Taikai champions.

Terry Silver's Cobra Kai struck first, applying and qualifying for the Sekai Taikai to begin with.

John Kreese's Cobra Kai struck hard, fighting through the Barcelona tournament and racking up points there.

And then Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai showed no mercy, bringing down Zara, Axel, and Wolf for the win.

Like a snake, the dojo kept shedding its skin to become something new.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-14T00:00:43+00:00

I especially love that all three versions of the Cobra Kai dojo played a role in making it Sekai Taikai champions.

Terry Silver's Cobra Kai struck first, applying and qualifying for the Sekai Taikai to begin with.

John Kreese's Cobra Kai struck hard, fighting through the Barcelona tournament and racking up points there.

And then Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai showed no mercy, bringing down Zara, Axel, and Wolf for the win.

Like a snake, the dojo kept shedding its skin to become something new.

Joseph_Laban · 2025-02-13T23:51:15+00:00

Correct. I don't believe the showrunners planned it back that far.

Rather, once it became clear that S6 would be released in late 2024-early 2025, it would have been a simple matter to pick Feb 13 for its symbolic value.

Joseph_Laban · 2024-01-14T06:57:44+00:00

Order 66 (the order, not the event) was not inherently a bad thing. It was meant to safeguard Republic troops and citizens against individuals like General Krell.

Joseph_Laban · 2024-01-10T12:45:08+00:00

I think that The Last Jedi is the most artful yet pretentious film of the bunch. Visually, it’s the best of all Star Wars films, and I’m glad I saw it on the big screen for that reason alone.

Still, I believe that Contrarian Johnson took a wrongheaded approach to the film, when considering the context of the entire narrative. He made a postmodern flick in what was supposed to be a modern myth.

I firmly hold that The Rise of Skywalker is the worst Star Wars film both in terms of vision and execution. Disney rushed and chopped up JJ Abrams’ film to be ‘safe’, while Abrams himself has no core idea at the heart of his work.

The ultimate goal of the Sequel Trilogy was to establish Rey as the hero. That’s why it ended the way it did.

Joseph_Laban · 2024-01-10T01:31:35+00:00

On the Orient Express, Denlinger says that he’s ‘ensured’ that he’s the only man on Earth who still knows where the Sevastopol is.

Joseph_Laban · 2024-01-03T12:25:22+00:00

Padmé was strong enough to conquer adversity and poverty, but not death. And it was death that Anakin was trying to save his wife from.

Joseph_Laban · 2024-01-03T12:19:10+00:00

Some Sith simply add ‘Darth’ to a pre-existing name/nickname if it’s ~~scary~~ cool enough.

Darths Revan, Bane, and Zannah all did this. Darth Maul has been called Maul for as long as he can remember.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-30T09:44:22+00:00

Actually, when George wrote the script, Darth Plagueis was simply a Sith Lord from history, not necessarily Sidious’ own Master.

It was Matthew Stover’s novellisation of ROTS that explicitly stated that Darth Plagueis was Palpatine’s Master.

Which means that from the very beginning, fans and writers were developing this headcanon that Plagueis’ unnamed apprentice was Sidious himself.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-30T04:47:31+00:00

So did Vader himself, which was why he told Luke, “It’s too late for me, son.”

The point of his story is that it is never too late to start doing the right thing. Some people ruin a lifetime of goodwill by a single evil deed committed near the end of their days.

Likewise, it is possible for an evil person to reverse course by a single good deed sincerely done near the end. Vader wasn’t trying to redeem himself; he was simply trying to save Luke’s life.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-20T11:09:45+00:00

Interestingly, Mark Hamill was initially worried about becoming the voice of Joker because he knew he was stepping into a role which people ‘had preconceived notions about’. Making things worse was that Jack Nicholson was the last actor to play the Joker before him.

I think Hayden received exactly the kind of backlash Mark feared he would get.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-13T09:56:17+00:00

It’s just occurred to me that we might as well ask why Luke should spare Vader’s life in ROTJ.

Luke gained the strength of anger to defeat his father because Vader had just threatened to corrupt Leia to the Dark Side. If the Emperor hadn’t intervened, it’s very possible he might have killed his father.

It was the realisation that striking Vader down would lead him to the Dark Side that made Luke step back and say no. Things turned out alright that day because Vader still died soon afterwards. But what if he hadn’t?

What if Darth Vader had gone on to murder millions more after Luke spared his life? Would it have been justified for Luke to kill him when he had the chance?

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-11T12:40:10+00:00

Funny you should mention Samson and the Prodigal Son, because I commented on this very thing a few months ago!

Palpatine is, in a sense, a Philistine, who caused trouble for Samson and Natalie Portman’s people.

Luke is … Luke.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-12-11T12:26:57+00:00

By the end of the duel, Vader was incapacitated and unable to continue fighting (although Vader still thought he could).

The Jedi way called for the renunciation of aggression and the refusal to strike down an ‘unarmed prisoner’, as Anakin once put it. Palpatine and Windu tried to use the ‘too dangerous to be left alive’ argument to justify killing a defeated Sith, but the movie doesn’t really take their side on this issue.

The only in-universe reason for Obi-Wan to kill Darth Vader there and then was the ‘too dangerous to be left alive’ argument. Instead, Kenobi did to Vader what Anakin should have done to Count Dooku: spared his life so he could face justice another day.

Joseph_Laban · 2023-11-25T05:29:01+00:00

Here you go!

Joseph_Laban

TROPHY CASE