Cobra Kai season four is a slam dunk for nostalgic enjoyers of the original Karate Kid movies and new viewers alike. Season four puts out the dumpster fire of cringey writing and bad acting that had been Cobra Kai’s previous two seasons.

The main reason that season four shines is because of the chemistry between Daniel Larusso (played by Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawerence (played by William Zabka). In previous seasons, it was very frustrating that these two iconic characters, who really were the backbone of the original Karate Kid movies and the Cobra Kai show, refused to work together for three straight seasons. It made sense for them to be enemies in the first season because they were enemies in their childhoods. But for the next two seasons, they refused to work together based on some very minor disagreements that got dragged on for an annoyingly long time through seasons two and three. Now that they are working together, the show has more of a real vibe, not just two grown men trying to settle a petty high school rivalry by teaching kids karate.

This ties into another big thing that this season did right, which was adding a real villain. The outstanding performance from Thomas Ian Griffith as Silver, a karate coach from the third Karate Kid movie, really takes the show to the next level, building the character of a dangerous, psychotic karate coach who will go to any lengths to win. Griffith’s performance especially shined in the last few episodes, where he really sells his villainy through cold facial expressions and intimidating danger.

In season four, Cobra Kai pivoted itself into a unique, action-packed show that is a must-watch whether you have seen the original Karate Kid movies, or not.