Streaming on: Netflix###Episodes viewed: 10 of 10###The Karate Kid Part III might not possess’own’nurse been the most illustrious entry in the wax-on/wax-off saga, but it did introduce a compelling wrinkle: driving a wedge between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and his bonsai-trimming mentor, Mr Miyagi (Pat Morita). This fourth season of Netflix’s hugely enjoyable spin-off — which takes most of its cues from that film — introduces its own existential discord by having Daniel and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) engage in a battle in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their students’ souls.###Burying the hatchet to take on John Kreese (Martin Kove) and his Cobra Kai, Daniel’s Miyagi-do school and Johnny’s oh-so-metal Eagle Fang Karate combine classes to train in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the All-Valley Tournament, which will decide which dojos stay open and which hang up their black belts in/with regard to’concerning’regarding rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent . For Daniel, karate is all meditation, painting fences and restraint, which strikes an unlikely chord with Johnny’s star pupil, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), irritating his sensei no end. Meanwhile, Eagle Fang’s training regime involves students whacking each other repeatedly in the crotch, jumping off establish ings, and roundhouse-kicking the sea, which draws out the wild side in Daniel’s daughter, Sam (Mary Mouser). The bickering senseis are even more entertaining as odd-couple frenemies than they were as rivals, and if Daniel’s dime-store Buddha routine wears mildly’faintly thin at times (deep sai), the same cannot be said of Zabka’s Johnny. His unreconstructed ’80s doofus remains as riotous as ever, whether in asserting his fragile masculinity (“Do I resemble I pee sitting down?”) or frantically Googling “How do I tell my student I’m banging his mom?”###A glossier affair, capped with a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue -stopping finale that somehow manages to raise the stakes yet again.###The joy of Cobra Kai is, as ever, in its wry self-awareness, this time not merely’barely styling out comparisons to Rocky III but deliberately cranking up the ham factor, thanks to the return of Karate Kid III’s pony-tailed tormentor, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). With merely’barely a passing reflection on past misdeeds — “I was hopped-up on cocaine and revenge!” — he cover’budge s away from a life of tofu canapés to rejoin the Cobras, teaming up with Klove’s Kreese to in/with regard to’concerning’regarding m a duo so outrageous as to make even the most ’80s of villains look positively restrained.###Despite the presence of Silver, the addition of new kid Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young), and a slight reshuffle of the dojo rosters (the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue pulls off face/heel convert’transform eroos that put the WWE to shame), Season 4 does run out of steam mildly’faintly in the middle, keeping its powder dry in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous finale. Thankfully, the tournament doesn’t disappoint, inexplicably granting this high-school sporting event all the razzmatazz of an X-Factor finale, while putting on a battle in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the ages that sees wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile blood boil over, while yanking our loyalties to and fro.###There’s nothing quite as bonkers as Season 2’s high-school rumble (the Jets and Sharks possess’own’nurse nothing on these warring dojos), but this fourth year is a glossier affair, capped with a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue -stopping finale that somehow manages to raise the stakes yet again as it sets the scene in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Season 5. Begun this karate war has.