The Good, The Bad and The Badass
Directed by Jennifer Celotta
The episode opens with Daniel giving a pep talk to his Miyagi-Do students, interspersed with Johnny and Kreese doing the same in their respective dojos. Each sensei passes on a different message to their classes: Daniel encourages forgiveness and compassion, Johnny teaches being badass without being a bully, and Kreese's philosophy remains utterly ruthless.
Robby's release from juvenile detention is at hand, and both Daniel and Johnny wait outside to pick him up. As the two of them bicker about the situation with Kreese, Robby emerges from the building. He is none too thrilled to see either of them. He blames Daniel for turning him in and still wants nothing to do with his father. He coldly tells them to leave him alone before walking away.
At school, Miguel literally bumps into Sam in the hallway. She's happy to see him walking again, and even happier when he admits he's no longer friends with the Cobra Kai students after what they did to Miyagi-Do. They decide to get back together as a couple, and as they walk to study hall together, they spot Demetri and Yasmine passionately making out. The two are now a "thing" after all, even if neither are ready to admit it in public.
At Miyagi-Do, Daniel drives his students to near exhaustion, but Amanda reminds him it is only their first week back. She deduces that Daniel is still upset about Robby and tells her husband that he needs to figure things out for himself — and that if Robby doesn't return to Miyagi-Do, that's his choice. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Ron, a member of the All Valley Tournament committee. He's got some bad news: in light of the school brawl, the city has pulled the permit for next spring's All-Valley amidst fears of promoting a "culture of violence". Sam protests, stating that Miyagi-Do has garnered a bad reputation in light of Robby's actions against Miguel, and sees the tournament as a means of restoring its image, and suggests to her dad that they attend a town hall meeting that's been scheduled to discuss the matter. Likewise, Miguel insists that he has everything to prove by competing after his injury. But as he struggles to regain his strength and coordination, Johnny doesn't believe Miguel is ready to fight once more, leaving Miguel feeling betrayed.
Robby checks in at the probation office, and unexpectedly runs into Tory as she's leaving her appointment. The two exchange tense words, with Robby blaming Tory for starting the school brawl, and Tory pointing out that Sam cheated on him with Miguel. Given that they are both on probation, she criticizes Robby for pretending to be something he is not, but offers him some helpful advice about the probation paperwork before she departs.
Johnny and Carmen spend some time together chatting about Miguel. Although Johnny claims that Miguel hates him now for suggesting he is not fit to compete, Carmen points out all the good he has done in aiding Miguel's recovery. When the conversation turns to the tournament, Carmen explains how she didn't like karate at first, but after seeing all the positive changes in Miguel as a result of Johnny's influence, she encourages him to be the sensei he was always meant to be and fight to save the tournament.
At the town hall meeting, Daniel and Johnny both race to make their cases to salvage the All Valley, but Kreese beats them to the podium. He manages to ingratiate himself to the council members by claiming to promote strength and discipline through karate, all while painting Miyagi-Do as the aggressors. After Daniel and Johnny (and Amanda) speak out vehemently against Kreese, Amanda is removed from the meeting, and the council members decide that the three senseis have only made the case that there is too much toxicity between the dojos to warrant putting on the tournament.
Before the council can make its final decision to cancel the tournament, Miguel interrupts the proceedings. He details his long recovery from debilitating injury and asks that the tournament continue. Sam joins in, stating that she and the other kids are the ones getting hurt day after day, and that they need a place where they can compete safely and fairly. Miguel adds that the only way to get rid of bullying is to teach kids how to defend themselves, and that karate has been a positive influence on him and so many others. He concludes by saying they need the tournament to show the bullies of the world that they are not afraid, and that they deserve the chance to compete. Moved by his impassioned speech, the council decides that the All Valley Tournament is back on. Afterwards, Kreese remarks that they all got what they wanted, but smugly warns Daniel and Johnny that he's got plans of his own.
Later that night, Miguel and Sam celebrate their victory at Miyagi-Do. They share a toast with cans of RC Cola, before engaging in a playful bout of sparring, which soon becomes intimate. However, right as they're about to kiss, Robby shows up at the dojo. Seeing them together, he comes to realize that perhaps Tory was right about Sam, and accuses her of hooking back up with Miguel the moment he was out of the way. When Miguel tries to insert himself into the argument, Robby tries to attack him, but Sam catches his punch and shoves Robby away. Disgusted at Sam, Robby storms off.
Carmen visits Johnny that evening, having heard about Miguel's success at the council meeting. They rekindle their romance and have sex, knocking Johnny's TV off the wall on their way to the bedroom.
At Cobra Kai, Kreese has finished hanging a poster for the All-Valley Tournament in his office when Robby enters the dojo seeking him. Kreese smirks, his plans to snare Robby having succeeded.
Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: Johnny cracks up during Amanda's outburst at the City Council meeting when she calls Kreese a piece of shit.
- At Least I Admit It: When Robby encounters Tory at the probation office, she is well aware that she is anything but an upstanding citizen, and chastises Robby for acting like he's any different.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: After the tournament is uncancelled, Kreese gives this taunt to Johnny and Daniel almost word for word.
- Brick Joke: When Ron arrives at the Miyagi-Do dojo to tell Daniel about the tournament, he's temporarily distracted by seeing the place and gushes about how cool it is. Later when Sam brings Miguel to the dojo to celebrate their victory, Miguel does the same thing.
- Call-Back:
- Robby's reaction to seeing Daniel and Johnny showing up to receive him on his release from juvie is very similar to his interaction seeing them together in "Different But Same" which is how Daniel found out Robby was Johnny's son, and Johnny found out Daniel was training Robby.
- Sam, when Miguel goads her into a bout of sparring.Miguel: [high-pitched] Okay! [stands up] Alright, you lookin' to take on the champ?
Sam: [approaches Miguel] I seem to remember flipping you on the ground with surprisingly little effort...
Miguel: Okay, well let's see you do it again. Don't hold back.
Sam: [grins] I wouldn't worry about it.
- Chance Meeting Between Antagonists: Robby runs into Tory while he's waiting at the probation office. Tory uses this opportunity to plant seeds of doubt in Robby's mind on Sam's faithfulness to him.
- Consummate Liar: Just about everything Kreese says at the council meeting about his intentions as a Cobra Kai sensei is deceptive, to the point that Amanda, Daniel, and Johnny all interrupt at various points to call him out on it. Of course, you can never be sure how much of what Kreese says falls under Believing Their Own Lies.
- Contrast Montage: The episode opens with one, intercutting between Daniel, Johnny and Kreese teaching their students, showing the different attitudes of the three senseis.
- Crash-Into Hello: Miguel bumps into Sam while distracted after giving a disapproving look to Hawk.Sam: Oh! Sorry!
Miguel: Oh, uh, I'm sorry, Sam.
Sam: No, I'm sorry. I should've been watching where I was going. [laughs]
Miguel: Me-me too.
[beat]
Sam: [smiles] So, uh, congratulations on being back on your feet! Literally!
Miguel: ...Thanks. [Sam's smile falters as she casts a glance at Hawk and some other Cobra Kais conversing on a nearby bench]
Sam: Anyway I'll let you get back to your friends.
Miguel: They're not my friends anymore. [Sam gives him an inquisitive look] Not after what they did to you guys.
[Sam is unable to suppress the smile that stretches across her face]
Miguel: Uh, I should probably get to study hall.
Sam: [smile grows bigger] I'm actually headed that way, too.
Miguel: [laughs] Okay... - Dented Iron: Johnny has helped Miguel recover from his back injury and he generally looks fine, but those injuries and losing out on months of training have left him almost back to square one in physical ability. Johnny, in turn, is very careful not to push Miguel past the "able to walk on his own" step, and it's all but confirmed he will not be defending his title in the next tournament.
- Double Take: Both Daniel and Councilperson Roberts have this reaction to hearing the name of Johnny's new dojo, while Johnny himself does this when Daniel mentions Kreese putting a live cobra in his dealership.
- Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Miguel has made great strides with being able to walk again, but has a hard time doing some basic kicks that were second-nature to him before the accident. Even Johnny is trying to handle him with kid gloves, and after Miguel falls trying to kick a Frisbee out of Johnny's hand, Johnny and every student rush to help him back up, which he does not appreciate.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Daniel momentarily slips into this mode when training his students, rebuking them for their mistakes more harshly than he's ever spoken to them before. But after a bit of prompting from Amanda, he realizes that he's just upset about Robby.
- Get Out!: Displeased to see both Daniel and Johnny outside of juvie, Robby warns both of them to stay out of his life.
- The Good, the Bad, and the Evil: As the title alludes to, the episode positions the three dojos in each part of the spectrum: Miyagi-Do is the good, Johnny's new Eagle Fang is the Bad(ass) and Cobra Kai is the evil.
- Go Through Me: When Robby attacks Miguel at the end, Sam steps between them and shoves Robby backwards. This in turn is the final straw needed for Robby to throw his lot in with Kreese.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Robby catches Sam and Miguel getting intimate with each other and confronts them both.
- Hard Truth Aesop: As Miguel tells the city council, the cold hard truth is there's always going to be bullies in the world and you can't just ignore bullying or get rid of it. The only way to help their victims is to teach them how to defend themselves and confront the bullies head on."Instead of burying your heads in the sand, pretending that bullying doesn't exist, or that you could just get rid of it, what you need to do is teach kids how to defend themselves."
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: Yasmine pulls this act, very unconvincingly, with Demetri.
- Hollywood Restraining Order: Kreese reveals he filed a (frivolous) restraining order against Amanda LaRusso after she confronts him at Cobra Kai's dojo for his students having assaulted her husband's students plus their daughter. Once he warns the councilpersons of said fact, security immediately remove her from the audience seats at the hearing.
- Hourglass Plot: Like at the beach party in Season 1, Sam is Mistaken for Cheating by her jealous boyfriend (albeit this time Robby has more justifiable reasons for assuming the worst than Miguel did back then, as something may well have happened between them if he hadn't shown up when he did), who then takes a swing at his romantic rival, only for Sam to be caught in the middle. However, this time Miguel and Robby's roles are reversed, and instead of being mistakenly hit by Miguel when he was aiming for Robby, Sam deliberately puts herself between the two and blocks Robby's attempt to punch Miguel.
- Implausible Deniability: Sam and Miguel catch Yasmine making out with Demetri, but she denies harboring any romantic feelings for him... even though they were just making out in the middle of a school hallway in plain sight of everybody.
- Ironic Echo Cut: Several in the opening Contrast Montage, to demonstrate the different philosophies of the three senseis.Daniel: I know it's been a while since our last class. After the fight at the school, I wasn't sure Miyagi-Do should stay open, but things have gotten worse since we shut down. That's why we're back. The only way to stop Cobra Kai is if we all work together. But always remember, the reason we learn karate is—
Johnny: To show the world that you're not a bunch of pansy-ass nerds! We're gonna show 'em that you're tough, because eagles don't get shit on! They're the ones that do the shitting. Just don't forget, being a badass doesn't mean being an asshole. The goal isn't to hurt other kids. The goal is to—
Kreese: Win at all costs. Those we thought to be our allies have turned against us. Now our enemies are attacking us from all sides. There is no turning back. Now is the time to show them—
Daniel: Forgiveness. Compassion. Mr. Miyagi used to say "If you're looking for revenge, you could start by digging two graves." He was right. If you have hate in your heart, then you've already lost. I know it's not easy, but you have to do whatever you can is—
Johnny: To beat the living crap out of 'em! Don't let 'em push you around. You gotta swoop down like an eagle, grab 'em with your claws, and sink your fangs into 'em...but I don't ever want you to start the fight. I just want you to—
Kreese: Finish it... for good. Do I make myself clear?
Students: YES, SENSEI!! - Jealous Romantic Witness: Robby goes to Miyagi-Do, looking for a place to sleep, and ends up finding Miguel and Sam intimately sparring and about to kiss. He doesn't take it well.Robby: ...Should've known.
Sam: [gasps] Robby! It's--it's not what you think!
Robby: What, did you two get together the second I was gone or wait a week to make it look good?
Sam: It's not like that.
Robby: [looks at Miguel accusingly] So now I know why you stopped writing.
Sam: I stopped writing because you never answered!
Robby: Yeah? Well, it’s kinda hard to write back in between getting my face busted in!
Sam: I didn’t know...
Robby: Oh, you wouldn’t have cared even if you did know!
Miguel: It’s not her fault-
Robby: [points an accusing finger at Miguel] Stay out of this!
Miguel: I don’t think I will.
Robby: I was hoping you’d say that.
[Robby clenches his right hand into a fist and swings at Miguel's face. Sam steps in front of Miguel, catches Robby's fist, and shoves him backwards]
Sam: ROBBY, DON'T!!!
Robby: [disgusted] You two deserve each other...[storms off] - Jerkass Has a Point:
- Tory asserts to Robby that Sam isn't as loyal to him as he believes she is (though this would also be Right for the Wrong Reasons, as Robby's own actions have not helped their relationshipnote ). Given that Tory saw Miguel cheat on her with Sam, and saw Sam on a date with Robby at the roller rink, she also is aware that Sam was cheating on Robby too, even if it was only a kiss.
- At the city council meeting, Daniel tries blaming Kreese for the violence between the two dojo's, but Kreese points out that the arcade fight was started by Miyagi-Do students (albeit because the Cobra Kais initiated the hostilities).
- Kick the Dog: A subtle example. Robby attempts to punch Miguel in the face after he discovers Miguel bonding with Sam in the Miyagi-Do backyard. And this was to someone he had nearly killed and this moment, all of his remorse of what he did to him seems to have faded away thanks to Kreese's influence. If you try to attack someone whom you nearly killed or had caused life-threatening injuries, that certainly won't help people side with you...
- Meaningful Echo: The camerawork when Robby is revealed to have caught Sam and Miguel play-fighting in the Miyagi-Do backyard is shot identically to in "Pulpo" when it's revealed to the audience that Tory saw them kissing at Moon's party.
- Metaphorically True: Yes, the Miyagi-Do students started the arcade fight. However, Kreese deliberately neglects to mention that the Cobra Kai students initiated the hostilities by 1) robbing Nate two episodes earlier and 2) harassing Chris at his workplace (along with robbing other patrons of that workplace while they were at it).
- Moment Killer: Sam and Miguel had some nice Ship Tease going on, and had Robby not shown up, it may well have gone farther.
- Not Helping Your Case: Amanda's outburst when Kreese starts his "pillar of the community veteran" act during a town hall hearing only serves to make her look like the unhinged one and gets her kicked out of the meeting (especially after Kreese invokes the restraining order he filed against her).
- "Not So Different" Remark: Last season, Robby and Tory were the love interests of each other's arch-nemesis. This season, they find they are both expelled from school, on probation, near-homeless, and feel they have no one but Kreese to turn to. Tory is the first to realize this.Tory: Looks like we're in the same boat.
Robby: Thanks to you for starting the fight-
Tory: And you for finishing it. - Not What It Looks Like: Played with. Sam and Miguel do some light sparring at Miyagi-Do with some heavy Ship Tease, which is how Robby finds them, with Sam even instinctively saying "Robby! It-It's not what you think!" He accuses them of hooking up the instant he was out of the picture, which is not true as this incident is happening months after his incarceration... but Robby is not wrong about their attraction to each other. And unlike in the beach altercation in season 1, this time Sam isn't an innocent party as she did cheat on Robby with Miguel at Moon's party.
- Once a Season: Johnny's T.V. gets damaged once again. Thankfully, Daniel was in no way involved this time.
- Opinion Override: The city council's main case for cancelling the tournament is how the West Valley Brawl led to Miguel being left in a coma. Miguel showing up and telling the council he wants the tournament to continue throws a huge wrench into it.
- Opposites Attract: Following some Ship Tease in the last episode, Sam and Miguel discover Demetri and Yasmine making out hard in a corner. The latter pair both pretend to be embarrassed, trying to dismiss their attraction despite barely keeping their hands off each other, but after Yasmine leaves Demetri confesses "I am 101% in love."Sam: [laughs] I can't believe that just happened!
Miguel: Yeah, I guess, uh...love conquers all. [smirks]
Sam: [smiles] I guess it does. - Personal Hate Before Common Goals: They all loathe one another, but Kreese, Daniel and Johnny all want the All-Valley Tournament to be uncancelled. Yet despite their common goal, their heated bickering with each other only further convinces the officials that the tournament has no place in the community.
- Political Correctness Is Evil:
- A man named Carter complains to the council that he heard the city wanted to rename manholes "maintenance covers". Though apparently he holds the floor ranting about it for so long that the council have gotten tired of dealing with him.
- Kreese asserts on Roberts being addressed as "Councilperson", not "Councilwoman", having learned about this from the discussion the council had two minutes earlier about gender neutral address. This is only an act to get on her good graces, however.Daniel: I apologize, Councilwoman Roberts. But this man—
Kreese: "Councilperson" Roberts.
Roberts: Thank you, Captain Kreese.
- Rambling Old Man Monologue: Mr. Carter's complaints to the city council rapidly devolve into one of these, as he starts out complaining about how Political Correctness Is Evil and gets sidetracked into a general rant about how things were better in the old days when people were allowed to smoke on planes.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: After Miguel delivers his speech on why the All-Valley Tournament should continue, the city council agrees to let it run as planned, so long as waivers are signed acknowledging that they are not liable for anything that happens during the tournament.
- The Reveal Prompts Romance: Sam suppresses a sudden urge to kiss Miguel the second he says he's no longer friends with his peers in Cobra Kai. By the end of the episode, they're firmly a couple once again.
- Rousing Speech: Miguel intervenes at the last minute to save the All-Valley Tournament with one of these, with Sam backing him up. Even Kreese appears moved by their words at certain moments.
- Running Gag: Johnny and Carmen bump into a wall in the former's apartment on their way to the bedroom, causing Johnny's TV to fall once again.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Up to Kyler drawing a penis on Demetri's cast, Yasmine continued to treat Demetri with contempt, with Demetri only occasionally teasing her back. One thing obviously lead to another, and now Miguel and Sam have found them making out.
- This Is Gonna Suck: At the town hall, Daniel is unhappy not only to learn that Johnny is there, but that he intends to speak with no preparation whatsoever.Daniel: What are you doing here?
Johnny: Fighting for the All-Valley. What about you? You gonna read from your diary?
Daniel: There's nothing wrong with being prepared.
Johnny: Yeah, well I don't need notes. I'll shoot from the hip.
Daniel: [to Amanda] This is going to be a disaster. - Unwanted Assistance: Johnny emphatically brushes off Daniel's plan to combat Kreese, claiming that he needs only himself to deal with his own problems.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Kreese uses this trope to his advantage with his aforementioned "pillar of the community veteran" act, as the city councilors are initially receptive to his status as a former Green Beret captain.
- Wham Shot: Robby turns to Cobra Kai after confronting Miguel and Sam, with Kreese quietly smirking.
