Here are my thoughts on the 코브라 Kai season 4 episode Party Time, which is about the West Valley High Junior Prom, and also brings back the character of Raymond “Stingray” Porter (portrayed 의해 Paul Walter Hauser), who first appeared in Season 2 and was last seen in the Season 2 finale No Mercy.
As a result of participating in the school brawl 의해 fighting against the Miyagi-Do students (which didn’t appeal to Principal Lopez), 가오리 로스트 his chance to work as a security guard at West Valley High when he was arrested, placed on probation and proverbially hit with a restraining order saying he was not to come within 500 feet of minors.
(In real life, Paul was unable to appear in Season 3 of 코브라 Kai, as he was working on the 2021 디즈니 film Cruella, where he played Horace Baddun; so, the writers of 코브라 Kai explained Stingray’s absence 의해 saying 가오리 was on probation.)
Also, besides being arrested and put on probation, Raymond had to relinquish his 코브라 Kai membership. This was the last straw for his mother, who kicked him out of her house after finally being fed up with his antics.
Now, when 가오리 appears, he’s shown to be staying at his sister’s house while she is out of town (although it’s not revealed how long she’s gone for). He also has to deal with his neighbor Greg Hughes, who is shown to clearly dislike Stingray. At one point, Greg tells him his sister doesn’t want him crashing at her house and says she only took pity on Stingray, while calling him an “unemployed man baby on probation”. 가오리 corrects him, saying he’s actually a free man now, as his restraining order has expired and his probation has been served, evidently not doing anything to violate either.
Irony: Had 가오리 been thinking clearly, he would’ve realized Kreese demeaning him and forcibly kicking him out of 코브라 Kai was actually a much-needed blessing in disguise, and not a secret test of character like he’d thought. Also, 가오리 would likely be welcomed with open arms into Eagle Fang, as it was Johnny who originally let 가오리 into 코브라 Kai because the dojo needed his money.
Today, Johnny’s Eagle Fang remains the dojo most in need of money, while Miyagi-Do has Daniel as a benefactor, and 코브라 Kai has since gained Terry Silver as a financier; also, most of the fighters 가오리 knew in Season 2’s 코브라 Kai have jumped ship to Eagle Fang.
Locked Out of the Loop: Because of his probation and the restraining order, 가오리 showed he was out of the loop on everything following the school brawl, as well as unaware his now former teammates — Aisha Robinson, Miguel Diaz and Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz — had since left 코브라 Kai (but in different ways).
Aisha’s parents moved her to a private school (although Aisha told Sam it was mostly because her father’s receiving a job offer at UCSB he couldn’t turn down), and Miguel transferred to Eagle Fang Karate after waking from his coma, spending some time in a wheelchair and learning to walk again.
Finally, after switching sides during the LaRusso house fight 의해 saving Demetri from getting his arm re-broken (since he still felt guilty over being pressured 의해 the other Cobras into breaking Demetri’s arm the first time), reconciling with him and fighting alongside him in taking down the other Cobras, Hawk initially joined Eagle Fang, but later switched to Miyagi-Do (thanks to inspiration from Demetri helping him realize being done with karate really wasn’t such a good idea after being jumped 의해 Robby, Tory, Kyler and a few other Cobras at the tattoo parlor and having his Mohawk shaved off for mostly ditching 코브라 Kai during the house fight).
As a result of participating in the school brawl 의해 fighting against the Miyagi-Do students (which didn’t appeal to Principal Lopez), 가오리 로스트 his chance to work as a security guard at West Valley High when he was arrested, placed on probation and proverbially hit with a restraining order saying he was not to come within 500 feet of minors.
(In real life, Paul was unable to appear in Season 3 of 코브라 Kai, as he was working on the 2021 디즈니 film Cruella, where he played Horace Baddun; so, the writers of 코브라 Kai explained Stingray’s absence 의해 saying 가오리 was on probation.)
Also, besides being arrested and put on probation, Raymond had to relinquish his 코브라 Kai membership. This was the last straw for his mother, who kicked him out of her house after finally being fed up with his antics.
Now, when 가오리 appears, he’s shown to be staying at his sister’s house while she is out of town (although it’s not revealed how long she’s gone for). He also has to deal with his neighbor Greg Hughes, who is shown to clearly dislike Stingray. At one point, Greg tells him his sister doesn’t want him crashing at her house and says she only took pity on Stingray, while calling him an “unemployed man baby on probation”. 가오리 corrects him, saying he’s actually a free man now, as his restraining order has expired and his probation has been served, evidently not doing anything to violate either.
Irony: Had 가오리 been thinking clearly, he would’ve realized Kreese demeaning him and forcibly kicking him out of 코브라 Kai was actually a much-needed blessing in disguise, and not a secret test of character like he’d thought. Also, 가오리 would likely be welcomed with open arms into Eagle Fang, as it was Johnny who originally let 가오리 into 코브라 Kai because the dojo needed his money.
Today, Johnny’s Eagle Fang remains the dojo most in need of money, while Miyagi-Do has Daniel as a benefactor, and 코브라 Kai has since gained Terry Silver as a financier; also, most of the fighters 가오리 knew in Season 2’s 코브라 Kai have jumped ship to Eagle Fang.
Locked Out of the Loop: Because of his probation and the restraining order, 가오리 showed he was out of the loop on everything following the school brawl, as well as unaware his now former teammates — Aisha Robinson, Miguel Diaz and Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz — had since left 코브라 Kai (but in different ways).
Aisha’s parents moved her to a private school (although Aisha told Sam it was mostly because her father’s receiving a job offer at UCSB he couldn’t turn down), and Miguel transferred to Eagle Fang Karate after waking from his coma, spending some time in a wheelchair and learning to walk again.
Finally, after switching sides during the LaRusso house fight 의해 saving Demetri from getting his arm re-broken (since he still felt guilty over being pressured 의해 the other Cobras into breaking Demetri’s arm the first time), reconciling with him and fighting alongside him in taking down the other Cobras, Hawk initially joined Eagle Fang, but later switched to Miyagi-Do (thanks to inspiration from Demetri helping him realize being done with karate really wasn’t such a good idea after being jumped 의해 Robby, Tory, Kyler and a few other Cobras at the tattoo parlor and having his Mohawk shaved off for mostly ditching 코브라 Kai during the house fight).