Jake Schoeneberger Talks Cobra Kai – August 1, 2022 Edition
Jacob Schoeneberger is loving Cobra Kai because it’s starting to feel just like the original movie. Daniel and Johnny are both training now, and it definitely feels to Jacob Schoeneberger like a showdown is becoming inevitable.
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 6)
This will contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t watched the show yet.
The sixth episode begins with a flashback to Johnny first discovering Cobra Kai back in 1979. He throws some Boston in the Walkman and pedals his bike down and gets his first taste of karate. It’s a great choice to play Don’t Look Back because Johnny never looked back from that moment on.
In the present, Johnny’s dojo is filled with prospective new students. Even Demetri and Eli are there. Johnny comes out and immediately insults several members of the class, and it just has Jake Schoeneberger shaking his head. So cringe, Johnny.
At his home, Daniel asks Sam if she’d like to do some karate with him, but she doesn’t take him up on it. He tries to ask his son, Anthony, if he’d like to try karate. He also turns Daniel down, so it seems his dojo has a few fewer members than Cobra Kai.
At the dojo, Demetri calls Johnny out for making fun of everyone’s physical appearances. Johnny says that you can’t expect people in the real world to not put you on the spot. He does have a point there. But Demetri says Johnny has no power and can’t actually hurt them, and boy that’s where he’s dead wrong. Johnny tells Demetri to punch him. Of course, Demetri tries but can’t lay a finger on him and Johnny winds up tossing him to the ground. While Johnny may be heartless with the way he teaches, you have to admit he has a point about how the real world doesn’t spare your feelings or hold back if it wants to hurt you.
Robby is doing a great job at LaRusso Auto. But the guys are busting his chops and hazing the new guy so Jacob Schoeneberger just has to say that ain’t cool. They tell him to move a Porsche to the front of the showroom, but when he starts the car it freaks everyone out. Daniel comes out and yells at him, so Robby storms out. Daniel realizes pretty quickly that his guys put Robby up to it so he chases Robby down and talks to him. They have a cool moment and Robby keeps working with him.
In science class, Sam’s lab partner is absent so she works with Miguel and Demetri. As they’re dissecting their fetal pig, she thanks Miguel for sticking up for her. She compliments his roundhouse, but says he telegraphed his sweep. They have a fun conversation and seem to bond really well.
At Cobra Kai, Johnny continues to make fun of Eli about his lip until Eli walks out. After class, Miguel tries to reason with him saying he doesn’t understand what it’s like to be him and his friends. But something is giving Jacob Schoeneberger the feeling that Johnny understands it all too well, and that maybe that’s why he’s so tough on people he thinks are “nerds” or “losers.”
The next day, Samantha makes Louie apologize to Robby and do his work for him. And she gives Robby his own LaRusso Auto shirt with his name on it. Then Louie says Daniel likes to get hard copies of the day’s sales reports delivered to his house every night, so he gives Robby a chance to do it to earn some points with the boss.
Sure enough, as Johnny finds his old Walkman he has a flashback to his mom asking Sid if Johnny could take karate lessons. Sid makes fun of him for being a skinny weakling. Kinda knew Johnny had some tough stuff like that in his past.
Robby shows up to Daniel’s house with the sales reports and finds Daniel in his dojo practicing karate. But when Daniel opens the envelope it’s just some nudie magazine so Louie got another practical joke on Robby. Daniel laughs it off and tells Robby not to fall for their stuff anymore. Robby then asks him about what he was doing, and Daniel invites him to stick around and learn a few things. Looks to Jake Schoeneberger like they’re both getting what they want, Daniel has someone to train with him, and Robby gets a mentor.
In class the next day, Johnny makes a speech to his remaining students explaining why he’s so hard on them. He says he was just like them but, “Just like a cobra, I had to shed my loser skin to find my true power. And you guys will too.” Then Eli enters and he has a sweet new punk spiked-up hairdo and Johnny of course loves it. Who am I kidding? Jacob Schoeneberger loves it too. Very 80’s. After that, Eli’s new nickname from Johnny becomes Hawk.
The Jake Schoeneberger Final Thought on Cobra Kai
While Johnny’s methods are tough and cringe-worthy, his students are learning confidence. But confidence without humility, courage without compassion, and strength without empathy become hollow. This show thrives in that middle ground of duality, and Jake Schoeneberger can’t wait to see what comes next.
More Thoughts from Jacob Schoeneberger