Jake Schoeneberger Talks Cobra Kai – July 29, 2022 Edition
What’s not to love about Cobra Kai? Johnny is getting a new lease on life and the rivalry with Daniel is kicking in again. If you had told Jacob Schoeneberger that one day he’d be watching a show about Karate Kid and loving it I’d have said no way. But here we are!
With that in mind, here are some random observations Jacob Schoeneberger has on the show.
All the Jake Schoeneberger Random Opinions about Cobra Kai (Season 1, Episode 5)
This will contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet.
The fifth episode begins with a supersweet montage of Miguel training. From pushups every morning, to sparring with Johnny, he’s getting stronger and more skilled every day. And there’s nothing Jake Schoeneberger likes more than a rousing montage.
After a training session, a group of yoga students enters the Cobra Kai dojo. Johnny explains that he had to sublet the space to the yoga class until he gets more students. Pretty hilarious watching the juxtaposition between the yoga vibes and the Cobra Kai rhetoric Johnny was just teaching Miguel.
At the country club, Daniel is having dinner with a real estate mogul, Armand. He says he might be able to get Armando back into the country club if he gives Daniel first crack at any real estate properties he might have around Reseda. Armand says the only property he has in Reseda is a strip mall with a karate dojo in it. Daniel asks if he’d consider selling it and this feels like bad mojo to Jacob Schoeneberger. If Daniel tries to put Johnny out of business it can only lead to more animosity.
Robby buys some frozen pizzas and asks if his mom wants to hang out and watch a movie with him, but she says she’s going out. You have to feel bad for Robby. Johnny hasn’t been around for him, and it seems like his mom is prioritizing her own social life over spending time with him.
During a training session with Miguel, Aisha shows up at the dojo and says she wants to take karate lessons. Johnny turns her away for the dumb reason of saying he doesn’t train girls, but Miguel talks some sense into him and reminds him he needs paying customers. So Johnny says she can train there but then he says all sorts of sexist things. It’s total cringe, but Johnny redeems it when he asks about the harassment Aisha takes at school. He empowers her and tells her she doesn’t have to take that kind of garbage anymore. It’s actually really cool hearing how Johnny wants to rebuild his students’ confidence. While it may be slightly misguided to use violence as a way to do it, there’s something to be said about making them feel strong and in control of their own lives.
Armand calls Daniel and turns down Daniel’s offer to buy his strip mall. Gotta say, Jake Schoeneberger sees this as a blessing in disguise. Daniel would just be starting a war if he closed down Cobra Kai because he bought the place. But Daniel uses a bit of shrewdness when he tells Armand he’s not even charging his tenants enough. That’s one way to stick it to Johnny.
Sam gets in Moon’s car to see why she and Yasmine have been avoiding her. Turns out that punk Kyler told lies about Sam, saying she talked smack about Moon and Yasmine behind their backs. He was just trying to get back at Sam for dumping him, but again this is a blessing in disguise. Maybe Sam is better off without these kinds of friends in her life.
At the dojo, Johnny practices his “no mercy” technique by making Miguel and Aisha spar even though it’s her first day. Miguel gets a hard kick in, but Aisha then rushes him and throws him down. Seems like she’s got enough toughness to succeed at this!
Johnny hears some commotion next door. He finds that Armand is trying to now charge double the rent, so it looks like Daniel’s little scheme worked perfectly. How can anyone expect to suddenly be charged double what they were being charged previously?
Later that evening, Johnny heads to the mini mart to grab a 6-pack and Daniel comes in behind him. Daniel makes it a point to say he was thinking of opening a dealership in the area, but he’s heard how much rent is going up. Ok, this kind of makes Jacob Schoeneberger angry. If you won this battle, there’s no need to rub it in, Daniel. Just move on.
Then later on his wife provides the voice of reason. When Daniel tells her his plan worked, she lights into him about not even considering how this petty rivalry would affect the other tenants in the strip mall. She says, rightly, that he’s been off since this whole Cobra Kai thing started and he needs to get over it. She might just become my new favorite character because she’s the only one making sense around here!
Sam confronts Kyler about his lies in the cafeteria. He makes some vile comments about her and she’s ready to haul off and wallop him. But Miguel comes in and tells Kyler to stop being a jerk. Kyler throws a punch, but Miguel blocks it and punches him. They fight some more, but this time Miguel kicks Kyler and his friends’ butts. The Cobra Kai training has turned him into a lean, mean, karate machine.
When Miguel tells Johnny the story, Johnny is so proud he gives Miguel his gi from back when he was training for his first tournament in ’81. This definitely makes Jacob Schoeneberger shed a tear to see. But unfortunately, as Johnny and Miguel are sharing a nice moment, Robby comes around and sees it. He has to feel slighted that Johnny is showing such dedication to Miguel but not him. That’s a tough thing and you have to feel bad for Robby.
Then Daniel goes to the cemetery to visit Mr. Miyagi’s grave and this time Jake Schoeneberger is crying for real. Daniel says, “When I was a kid, you seemed to always have all the answers and I guess I thought when I got older, I’d have it all figured out too. But now I just feel like I’m clueless.” This moment really hits home. I know it’s a feeling a lot of us have, that we want to have all the answers like those we looked up to seemed to have, but we often feel like we just don’t. I guess I forgot how much the movie, and these characters, really meant to me growing up. When Daniel bows to Miyagi’s grave, then sees the flashback of the advice he gave Daniel about balance in his life I just lost it. Miyagi’s lessons remain as true today as they did then, and I applaud this show for bringing them back so poignantly.
A few things happen in rapid succession near the end of the episode. Johnny heads to the dojo to find it packed with new students due to Miguel’s heroic stand. Daniel sets up his own training area at his house to bring karate back into his life. Robby applies for a job at LuRusso Auto saying it’s exactly where he wants to be, and Daniel’s wife welcomes him to the LaRusso family. He’s obviously hurt about Johnny’s attention to Miguel, and this is a bit of payback.
To close the episode, Daniel dons his iconic gi and headband and practices his karate. The moment is truly emotional, and it has Jacob Schoeneberger smiling and looking forward to so much more of this series.
The Jake Schoeneberger Final Thought on Cobra Kai
The series is hitting all the right notes and Jacob Schoeneberger is just blown away by the nostalgia and love he feels for it.
More Thoughts from Jacob Schoeneberger