Cobra Kai season 6 episode 7 recap: things get messy on and off the mat

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in Cobra Kai
Ralph Macchio in Cobra Kai (Image credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix)

After an eventful mid-season premiere, we're immediately thrust right back into the karate-kicking action with Cobra Kai season 6 episode 7, entitled "Dog in the Fight."

Team Miyagi-Do is getting crushed left and right in the early events of the world-famous Sekai Taikai karate tournament. "We knew this wasn't going to be easy, we're going up against the best dojos in the world," Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) tells the gang. But things become even more complicated when a surprise kidnapping and a medical emergency gets thrown into the mix.

Here’s everything that went down in Cobra Kai season 6 episode 7.

Daniel searches for Master Serrano

In episode 6, Daniel was given intel that a mysterious Master Serrano might have information for him on Mr. Miyagi and his time at the Sekai Taikai competition. In "Dog in the Fight," he receives an envelope from Senor Serrano, asking to set up a meeting with the sensei.

Despite his wife's concerns about him gallivanting around Barcelona with only a Duolingo-level mastery of Spanish and Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) annoyance that Daniel seems more focused on trying to "honor some dead guy's legacy" than helping Miyagi-Do win, Daniel sets off to find Serrano.

After a lost-in-translation moment with a cab driver leaves him stranded in an unfamiliar part of town, Daniel gets knocked unconscious by an unknown assailant. When he comes to he finds himself inside a cage alongside barking dogs. While his captors are distracted, Daniel manages to use a keychain that he bought earlier off a street youth to pick the cage's lock. When his kidnappers realize he's escaped, a physical fight ensues, during which Daniel notes that one of the attackers has the Cobra Kai logo tattooed on his arm. Kreese (Martin Kove) planned this.

He misses the day's matches but eventually makes it back to the tournament, where he nearly gets violent with Kreese before their face-off gets interrupted by a concerned Sam LaRusso (Mary Mouser).

Does Robby really deserve to be captain?

Brandon H. Lee as Kwon, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene in Cobra Kai

Brandon H. Lee and Tanner Buchanan in Cobra Kai (Image credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix)

A major point of drama in part one of Cobra Kai season 6 was the Miyagi-Do students competing for the team's two captain spots ahead of Sekai Taikai, with Sam and Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) ultimately winning the jobs. But so far, the latter's focus has been in question throughout the tournament by BFF Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña) and the rest of the team.

Despite the "pause" on his relationship with Tory Nichols (Peyton List), Robby still can't seem to get his mind off the girl, even during matches. After everybody gets knocked out from Miyagi-Do during the day's matches, Miguel manages to score them some points, but Johnny worries it's too late for the dojo.

Robby confronts Miguel about his recent attitude towards him, which prompts the latter to let it all out: "You have the opportunity of a lifetime to be captain of our team and you're blowing it!" But Robby says Miguel can hold a grudge all he wants about Robby getting the captainship over him: "I won it fair and square back home."

When Robby gets brutally booted from a fighting platform during a match because he's yet again staring at Tory (dude, get it together!), Miguel jumps in and crushes the opponents, winning the heat. The team celebrates but Robby seemingly begins to realize that maybe Miguel is right after all.

Johnny is forced to run the show solo

With Daniel M.I.A. for the day, Johnny is left to sensei the Miyagi-Do crew on his own, which leads to some tension among his students, especially when he gives them a tough-love talk about not giving it their all out on the mat. "You keep blaming us as if this isn't on you, too," Sam speaks out, claiming that if her dad were there they wouldn't have lost. That prompts Devon Lee (Oona O'Brien) to defend Johnny and his methods, which starts a domino effect of arguing among the team.

Upset about Sam saying she doesn't deserve to be on the Miyagi-Do team, Devon goes to have a tearful heart-to-heart with Johnny, revealing she was the culprit behind the laxative incident with Kenny Payne (Dallas Dupree Young) earlier in the season. Johnny supports her, saying that regrets are normal and that he won't spill the beans about her interference — he'll let her decide how and when she comes clean.

Their discussion inspires Johnny to leave an apologetic voicemail on Daniel's phone, telling him that although they've been butting heads about how to lead the dojo through the Sekai Taikai, both he and the students need Daniel's help. However, a distressing phone call puts a pause on that camaraderie. It's Rosa, telling Johnny that Carmen's (Vanessa Rubio) been rushed to the hospital due to a complication with her pregnancy. Johnny doesn't know if she's going to be okay so he and Miguel rush to the airport to head home, leaving an empty spot on the Miyagi-Do team. What will they do?

All episodes of Cobra Kai season 6 part 2 are now available to stream on Netflix.

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Christina Izzo

Christina Izzo is the Deputy Editor of My Imperfect Life. More generally, she is a writer-editor covering food and drink, travel, lifestyle and culture in New York City. She was previously the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York. 

When she’s not doing all that, she can probably be found eating cheese somewhere.