Cobra Kai Creator Hints at Tory & Sam’s Storylines in Season 4

The acclaimed series “Cobra Kai” focuses on quite a few karate rivalries. For instance, Daniel LaRusso’s (Ralph Macchio) daughter, Samantha (Mary Mouser), instantly has an issue with Cobra Kai student Tory Nichols (Peyton List). Their feud only worsens when the kickboxer begins dating Sam’s ex-boyfriend Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). In season 2, Tory secretly watches Sam and Miguel kiss at a party, which causes her to violently confront the Miyagi-Do student at school. Following the brutal fight, Tory is expelled, causing her to resent her rival even more. The teenagers face off once again during the season 3 finale. While Sam manages to defeat Tory, they do not come to a resolution. 

---

One of the Show’s Creators Hinted at Sam & Tory’s Storylines in Season 4

During a recent interview with Deadline, one of the show’s creators and executive producers, Jon Hurwitz, hinted that Tory and Sam will continue to have issues with each other in the show’s fourth season, which will likely be released in late 2021. 

“Sam and Tory are two of our favorite characters in the series and their rivalry is a fresh one that certainly cuts to the core for both of them. We’re eager for people to see how it plays out in Season 4 because there’s certainly no love lost between those two at the end of Season 3 and there’s a lot more between them going forward. We think it’s a very special season for both those characters,” explained the writer. 

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly in January 2021, before season 4 was filmed, Mary Mouser discussed Sam and Tory. She revealed that when season 3 premiered, she became aware viewers were comparing her character and Tory’s relationship to the most famous rivalry in the “Karate Kid” franchise. 

“I guess I didn’t realize until Season 3 came out and people started saying that — they were like, ‘you know, Tory and Sam are Daniel and Johnny [played by William Zabka],’ because the rivalry is just so deep and so fueled by anger and so just like — and I looked at it. And I was like, ‘not only is that first off all epic and so cool, huge fan,’ but second of all I was like, ‘oh that’s like a new way of thinking about it,’” said Mouser. 

The actress then suggested that she did not believe the karate students will ever be able to get along.

“I think that’s the fun of this world is that it just keeps going. It’s like every time you’re like they could be friends now, it’s like or maybe not. Maybe instead it’s like we’ll just trip each other at the skating rink and it all goes downhill from there,” explained Mouser. 

---

Peyton List & Mary Mouser Have Discussed Their Friendship

While Mouser and List convincingly play rivals, they are rather close in real life. In December 2020, the co-stars told Collider that their friendship sometimes makes shooting scenes difficult. List jokingly said that once she “started to like Mary,” she “couldn’t act anymore and it was just a whole thing.”

Mouser agreed with her co-star’s sentiments, but noted that her friendship with List “makes [her] take [their] scenes even more seriously.” 

“It adds a layer of like ‘okay I have to remember to look angry’ but also means I feel like I have more going into it,” explained the actress. 

READ NEXT: Is ‘Cobra Kai’ Nominated for an Emmy?