#and the barfight with Johnny's old gang is great

[purplerakath]

Cobra Kai S2 - Agitators and Instigators

I think I have a name for how S2 somewhat shoots itself in the foot over the course of the season on... basically every plotline.

Except Johnny's arc.

For the record I think this season drops the ball with every character that isn't Tory, Miguel, Johnny, and Hawk. Special shout out to Moon for meaning well though.

So Season 1 had a lot of antagonists starting fights with words, and the protagonist solves a fight with sweet karate violence (except one instance). Kyler and Yasmine do their things, all the time, and are properly labeled 'the bad guy' and the resolution is physical. This is sort of the nature of this show, violence for the right cause = good.

So why is so much of S2 good guys talking shit and then being surprised violence happens?

This is about framing.

So a good example of framing is how Miguel and Robby trade places in Season 1. Miguel is our underdog protagonist all the way up through his break-up with Sam, and he takes a hard pivot to antagonist for the last two episodes. So that his victory at the end of the All-Valley feels wrong.

In turn, and in equal timing we start with Robby clearly as a conniving 'cool motive still murder' antagonist with all he's doing early in the show, but with Daniel showing him compassion he turns a corner toward good guy. Making him the babyface underdog at the All Valley.

Season 2 continues this sort of framing of the Cobra Kais (not Miguel) growing more antagonistic and aggressive. More violent, more destructive, more cruel. Cool. So naturally it should be framing the Miyagi Do students as, lemme check my notes.

"Untrustworthy snakes with no self-awareness who believe they are the victims of everything all the time forever. But they do their things for the right reason so it's cool."

...huh, weird, not where I expected this to go.

Sam accuses Tory of theft (she didn't do) and just- believes Tory is the worst every time they meet. Sam spends almost every time she's confronted with Tory pining for Miguel and certain Tory is the worst person.

Robby, actively being given his second chance by the LaRussos, actively believes all Cobra Kais and Johnny in particular are beyond second chances. Is given proof one of them (Miguel) is not as bad as he initially thought... and lies about that proof immediately because he wants the girl.

Demetri... just- everything. This drum I come back to often because it just bothers me. I don't believe anyone who says Demetri would never hurt Hawk watched 2x09 recently because... literally all of that is hurting Hawk (and more Demetri cowardice and facing no consequences for his actions).

Which brings us to Daniel.

So with the teenagers everyone is meant to be read as a little bit gray, that's how this works. It's a thesis of the show said by Johnny to show how the series moves forward. It sure would be great if the fan favorite other adult in the series had a position other than 'All Cobras are evil until they repent their sinful ways.'

Some of it, admittedly, is Kreese's doing, but Daniel was already on this soap box last season. And the season frames Daniel as 'overtaxed but overall right.' Rather than really painting him as 'obsessed zealot in need of a reality check.'

In general the season's structure (music cues and scene cuts) are meant to show Miyagi Do as the protagonists... but it doesn't write them that way. I feel there's a way to edit the sound design and shot comp to make it clear both sides are wrong.

To set-up for the real endgame being the Johnny and Daniel on the same team message that never happens because every time Johnny tries Daniel does Daniel shit.