The Prize – Episode 2 begins with a brief scene showing when and how Young John Kreese (Barrett Carnahan) convinced Master Kim (C.S. Lee) to begin training Young Kim Da-Eun (Sarah Anne).
Elsewhere, Carmen (Vaness Rubio) and Gloria (Luci Scarano) gush over Miguel Diaz’s (Xoxo Mriduena) acceptance letter to Stanford University. It isn’t until threats of the waterworks that Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) steps in to rescue the laptop. He does so right in the nick of time because the eruption of the overhead sewage pipe would have surely destroyed the device.
Although a much older John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Kim Da-Eun (Alicia Hannah-Kim) continue to go down memory lane, it’s not much longer before he reveals the reason for his visit: the Sekai Taikai. Kim is more than enthused about entering her students in the tournament but says that it is ultimately up to her grandfather, Master Kim.
Demetri Alexopoulos (Gianni DeCenzo), Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz (Jacob Bertrand), Miguel, and Samantha LaRusso (Mary Mouser) are debating prospects at the college fair when their attention is averted to Gary (Chase Steven Anderson) with College of the Valley. It’s clear that Hawk and Demetri have their sights set on MIT but Miguel takes a brochure.
When Johnny visits Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler) to ask to borrow their blowup mattress, he learns that Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) has a particular interest in real estate. After learning about the busted sewage pipe, Amanda practically volunteers Chozen’s expertise to Johnny and hints at him maybe finding his own short-term rental.
Master Kim not only turns down Kreese’s requests to spread his teaching through the Sekai Taikai, but he does so insultingly, to both him and Kim. It isn’t until Kreese teases him about one of his students besting five of his that Master Kim agrees to give him an opportunity to prove his worth.
Hawk, Miguel, and Demetri unexpectedly run into two former classmates, Kyler Park (Joe Seo) and Brucks (Bo Mitchell) while touring the College of the Valley Campus. At the same time, Chozen and Johnny met an agent named Baz (Nick Jandl) at their first open house. Although Johnny is introduced as a budding Valley entrepreneur, it doesn’t take Baz long to see through the identity after spotting Johnny’s van. Johnny only sticks his foot further in his mouth as he explains his situation. Their brief meeting doesn’t end on the best of terms.
Elsewhere, Master Kim briefly tells Kreese how his lands were once under Japanese colonial rule. While Master Kim was just a boy at the time, he valiantly fought off the invaders but was eventually forced to seek shelter in a nearby cave to avoid being conscripted into the military. He was eventually discovered but maintained the fight inside him. It was during this struggle that Master Kim lost his father’s eunjangdo blade somewhere in the cave. Kreese’s test is to find and retrieve that blade. It doesn’t take Kreese long to locate the ancient blade or the fact that it is guarded by a Cobra. He suffers a bite on his very first attempt.
As shocked as Demetri was to run into Kyler and Brucks, he’s even more shocked when he learns that Brucks is only on campus visiting. According to Kyler, he goes to MIT where he is doing exceptionally well. After the campus tour, Kyler convinces them to attend a frat party with the house that he pledging with. It is during the party that Miguel not only witnesses Kyler get hazed by a particularly menacing brother, Zenker (Christian Carlson), but he later overhears Zenker telling another brother that there is no way Kyler will get admitted.
Before visiting their second open house, Chozen takes a few minutes to further encourage Johnny to embrace the Miyagi-Do way of life. Johnny claims he’s been doing calming exercises and admits that he shouldn’t have been so hard on Baz. Chozen appears pleased as he and Jonny discover that the second viewing is even better than the first. The only problem is that it is also being shown by Baz. Although it is Baz who does the insulting and tells them that he would never rent or sell to Johnny, he manages to maintain his cool. This pays off when just minutes Johnny meets the owner, Stevie (Adam Herschman), who remembers him from school and just happens to be a fan. Despite not being able to rent the property to him, he apparently has several other than might in Johnny’s range.
Kreese is still alive but doesn’t appear to be doing so well. With the venom coursing through his veins, he has several vivid hallucinations. This ultimately leads to him learning that Johnny is his one true weakness. After learning this, he vows to never compromise himself again and dispatches the faux Johnny.
Demetri and Hawk attempt to question Brucks about his SAT scores while Miguel tries to tell Kyler about Zenker vowing that he would never get into frat. Miguel never gets the chance to tell him thanks to Zenker’s interruption but this ultimately leads to Miguel making Zenker reveal the truth. Kyler pours a beer on Zenker’s head a huge brawl breaks out, with several of the frat guys jumping in as well as Hawk and Demetri.
Now that he needs to show viable proof of a steady income, Johnny visits Daniel at LaRusso Motors to demand to be equally paid as Chozen. Daniel immediately agrees but reveals that Chozen doesn’t get paid. This eventually segues into Johnny questioning karma and the Miyagi-D way of life. Daniel tries to tell him that good things will come in time, but he somehow gives Johnny the impression that he’s offering him a job at the dealership. It isn’t the following day that Daniel realizes what has happened but before he can tell Johnny the truth, Johnny proves himself a natural salesman.
While Kreese overcomes the cobra and retrieves the blade, Hawk and Demetri not only learn that Bruck lied about his SAT scores, but the MIT that he attends is Midwestern Industrial Training. Kyler is in the process of telling Miguel how he ended up at the College of the Valley when they are interrupted by Jarryd (Cody Kahaku), who offers Kyler a position with his frat.
Much to the surprise of Master Kim and Kim, Kreese returns with the knife and the philosophy that it isn’t about the prize, but about eliminating what stands in your way. Master Kim gives his approval to enter the tournament.
Cobra Kai Review
A decent episode and I have to admit that at times, I find myself cheering for Kreese. There is no denying that his is a more hedonistic approach, which totally makes sense in the grand scheme of things. That said, I also appreciate Johnny’s new approach to the Miyagi-Do way of life. I was glad to see the episode expand more on Kreese’s past and his relationship with Kim.
The whole campus/fart scene was a bit much at times but I understand the need to include it. I just wish so much time wasn’t contributed to it. All in all, not a horrible episode. I’d have to give it a 5.5 out of 10.
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