Tamal Kundu
When ‘The Karate Kid’ came out in 1984, it led to the widespread popularisation of karate in the US and beyond. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is the quintessential underdog, who takes on the richer, stronger, and more popular Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and eventually emerges as the victor. ‘Cobra Kai,’ set 34 years after the events of the first film, challenges this conventional notion of heroes and villains. Episode 7 ensures that all the characters reach their designated places, both physically and emotionally, for the last three episodes of the season. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Episode 7 Recap
Episode 7, titled ‘Obstaculos,’ opens with Sam (Mary Mouser) having a nightmare in which Tory (Peyton List) appears in her father’s dojo and attacks her. Daniel realizes that his daughter is hurting and takes her out for fishing. Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) continues his rigorous training with Johnny and finally is able to walk without crutches. Johnny sets up a new dojo. After failing to secure a decent but affordable plot for training, he decides to use a public park.
Cobra Kai Season 3 Episode 7 Explained: Miguel Returns to School
In a few short weeks, Miguel has made a remarkable recovery. When he goes back to school, he discovers that everything has changed. Demetri (Gianni Decenzo) and Eli (Jacob Bertrand) used to be best friends. But largely due to Kreese’s (Martin Kove) influence, Eli has turned into a violent bully who broke his best friend’s arm. The same group of jocks who used to torment them all has now become students of Cobra Kai. Miguel urges Eli to leave Cobra Kai and join Johnny’s new dojo, without much success.
Eagle Fang Karate
Johnny and Miguel decide that they have to rebrand their school of karate. Under Kreese’s influence, Cobra Kai has become twisted beyond repair. Ever the dreamer, Johnny starts looking for a suitable plot to open the dojo but soon realizes that a decent and cheap location doesn’t exist in Los Angeles. So, he opts for the next best option and starts using a public park for training. Despite his impassioned speech earlier to his former students, the only ones who show up for training aside from Miguel are the rejects of Cobra Kai.
Johnny reveals to his students the name of their new dojo, Eagle Fang Karate, which confuses them, to say the least. When one of the students feebly tries to point out that eagles don’t have fangs, his voice is drowned out by Johnny’s characteristic gruffness. However, when Kreese arrives there with his students and offers Johnny another opportunity to rejoin Cobra Kai, the latter shows an unprecedented and steely resolve. Johnny’s disillusionment with his former sensei is now complete. It takes him over three decades to finally admit that Kreese is a horrible and psychotic teacher.
Overcoming Fears
The brawl at the school has left Sam traumatized. Although she won the fight against Tory, the injuries she suffered were not just physical. This is why she freezes when Tory shows up during the second round of the brawl, and Eli breaks Demetri’s arm. Daniel takes her to the All-Valley Sports Arena and relates to her his own experiences with absolute fear. He recalls the final round in his Second All-Valley Tournament, where he faced an extremely talented and ruthless opponent, Mike Barnes (from ‘The Karate Kid Part III’). Daniel had never encountered a fighter like him and even considered quitting.
It was again the wisdom of Mr. Miyagi that came to his rescue. His sensei told him that it is alright to lose to an opponent, but one must not lose to fear. This helped Daniel find the last bit of strength within him and defeat Barnes. While Sam might have to face her own fears and fight her own battles, Daniel assures her that he will always be there for her. It is her father’s candid admission about his own fears that helps Sam move past her trauma. With blessings from both her parents, she starts training again.
Read More: Where is Cobra Kai Filmed?
