| This article is about the first episode of Season 1 of Cobra Kai. You may be looking for the last episode of Season 6. |
- "I'm gonna be your sensei. I'm gonna teach you the style of karate that was taught to me, a method of fighting your pussy generation desperately needs. I'm not just gonna teach you how to conquer your fears. I'm gonna teach you how to awaken the snake within you. And once you do that, you'll be the one who's feared. You'll build strength. You'll learn discipline. And when the time is right, you'll strike back."
- ―Johnny Lawrence to Miguel Diaz[src]
Ace Degenerate is the first episode of the Season 1 of Cobra Kai and it is also the pilot episode of the show. It follows Johnny Lawrence as we see what his life has become 34 years after the events of The Karate Kid.
Synopsis[]
Thirty-four years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Johnny Lawrence's life has taken a rocky turn as he tries to forget a past that constantly haunts him. He seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo. But the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry of yesteryear is reignited when their lives become intertwined with the next generation of “karate kids".
Plot[]
The story opens with a flashback to the 1984 All Valley Karate Championships, showing Johnny Lawrence lying defeated on the mat after Daniel LaRusso lands his iconic Crane Kick. The scene transitions to the present, where Johnny lives a solitary and modest life. A photo on his refrigerator hints at his strained relationship with his son, Robby Keene, who once played soccer and was part of a championship-winning team in 2010. After a solitary breakfast, Johnny takes out the trash, brushes off his teenage neighbor, Miguel Diaz, and drives away in his red Pontiac Firebird to his job as a handyman. On his way, he notices a billboard for Daniel LaRusso’s car dealership, which irritates him. His attempt to charm a jogger is met with rejection and a dismissive "creep."
At work in a gated community, Johnny endures mistreatment and disrespect, a stark contrast to his privileged upbringing. A heated argument with a customer leads to his firing. Later, he stops at a bodega for pizza, where he is mocked by a homeless woman, Lynn. Outside, Miguel is being harassed by bullies who pour Pepto-Bismol on him and slam him into Johnny's car. When Johnny intervenes, the bullies turn on him but are swiftly defeated by his "old school karate." However, the fight ends with Johnny being pepper-sprayed and arrested.
The next morning, Johnny returns home after spending the night in jail and is approached by Miguel, who eagerly asks about his fighting skills. Johnny dismisses him, calling it "old school karate," and refuses to teach him. Inside, Johnny finds his wealthy stepfather, Sid, waiting. Frustrated by Johnny’s failures, Sid offers him money to sever ties. Johnny angrily tears up the check, prompting Sid to leave in disgust. Left alone, Johnny drinks while watching TV, only to be aggravated further by a commercial for LaRusso Auto Group featuring Daniel. In anger, Johnny throws a beer bottle at the screen and storms out.
Later, a drunk and nostalgic Johnny goes for a drive, reminiscing about his Cobra Kai friends and his high school romance with Ali. The memories grow darker as he recalls Daniel "stealing" Ali, his humiliating losses to Daniel and Mr. Miyagi, and the abusive treatment he endured from his sensei, John Kreese. His thoughts are interrupted when a car full of teenagers crashes into his Firebird and drives off. His car is later towed to LaRusso Auto Group.
The following morning, Johnny attempts to retrieve his car discreetly but is spotted by Daniel, who greets him enthusiastically. Encouraged by his cousin Louie, Daniel jokes about Johnny’s tournament loss, prompting Johnny to respond that Daniel's victory was due to an illegal kick but Daniel correct him that anything above waise was legal. Despite the tension, Daniel offers to repair Johnny’s car free of charge. As Johnny prepares to leave, he notices Daniel’s daughter among the group of teens in the car that hit him. Fueled by this realization, Johnny reconsiders Miguel’s request. Using the money from Sid’s check, he decides to teach Miguel karate and reopens the Cobra Kai dojo, determined to bring back the ruthless karate style he once practiced.
Cast[]
Main[]
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
- William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
- Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz
- Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso
Recurring[]
- Ed Asner as Sid Weinberg
- Annalisa Cochrane as Yasmine
- Hannah Kepple as Moon Taylor
- Joe Seo as Kyler Park
- Bo Mitchell as Brucks
- Vas Sanchez as Nestor
- Susan Gallagher as Homeless Lynn
- Carole as Rhonda
- Dawson Towery as Rory
Trivia[]
- The episode's title "ace degenerate" is a reference to the first scene where Johnny appears in The Karate Kid. After one of his friends referred to him as an "ace degenerate", Johnny claimed he was an "ex-degenerate" now that he was a senior. In this episode, it showed that he was an "ace degenerate" after all.
- For promotional reasons, the episode can be watched without a YouTube Premium subscription, and is available worldwide, including in markets where the YouTube Premium service itself is not yet available. Click here to see the full episode.
- The woman who argues with Johnny who got him fired from his job later returns in Season 2 in the episode Glory of Love as one of the women he tries to date.
- The opening flashback to 1984 has been completely re-edited and contains footage not seen in the original movie.
- The tow-truck that tows Johnny's car has the decal of "Pat's Motoring". This is likely a reference to Pat Morita who played Mr. Miyagi.
- The fight between Johnny, Kyler & his friends is similar to how Daniel was saved by Mr. Miyagi from Johnny however unlike that fight Johnny gets arrested for assaulting Kyler & his friends whereas Mr. Miyagi didn’t, & lastly when Daniel later confronts Johnny who tells his side of the story it doesn’t end up like with Kreese.
