Ep 1. Ace Degenerate

In the first episode of the hit series, Cobra Kai, viewers meet Johnny Lawrence, a disgruntled and down-on-his-luck former karate prodigy. He now works as a handyman, scraping by in a low-rent apartment complex and repeatedly driving off potential clients with his surly attitude.

We then switch to protagonist Daniel LaRusso, who has found tremendous success since his defeat of Johnny in the All-Valley Karate Tournament decades prior. He now runs a successful car dealership and lives a luxurious life with his family in a sprawling mansion.

The episode's title, "Ace Degenerate," is introduced as Johnny confronts a group of high schoolers bullying one of his young neighbors. Drawing on his past karate training, Johnny intervenes and quickly dispatches the bullies, earning the respect and admiration of the neighbor boy, Miguel.

After their chance encounter, Miguel expresses a desire to learn karate from Johnny, who initially rebuffs the idea. However, after some reflection, Johnny begins to reconsider, and decides to re-open the long-closed Cobra Kai dojo in order to teach Miguel and a new generation of students the lessons he learned from his years of karate training.

Meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso's life begins to take a turn for the worse when he discovers that one of his employees is a former Cobra Kai member - a revelation that dredges up old memories and painful emotions. Though Daniel initially resists engaging with his past, events conspire to force him to confront his demons head-on.

With a strong focus on character development and themes of redemption and second chances, "Ace Degenerate" lays the groundwork for the entire series, setting up a complex and engaging story that will keep viewers hooked from start to finish. As Johnny and Daniel's paths begin to converge once again, fans of the original Karate Kid franchise will be delighted to see the return of familiar faces and iconic locations, while newcomers will be drawn in by the show's winning blend of nostalgia, heart, and action.