Oh, we’re in the thick of it now. The midseason premiere was a bit low on karate, but now we’ve got nothing but karate. The Sekai Taikai really starts to take shape in this second episode of the batch, and though the finals aren’t yet here, the possibility of elimination looms at all times.
Miyagi-Do is just barely scraping by. “Dog in the Fight” features three different rounds, which form a handy three-act structure for the episode. In act one, Miyagi-Do starts off poorly, outclassed by the Iron Dragons and their team of international fighters, including a three-time champ for a sensei.
Sensei Wolf has a lot to say about arrogant, coddled Americans who have never known sacrifice or hunger, which feels a little presumptuous. But the biggest red flag of all is the abuse that Sam witnesses while walking by during one of Wolf’s training sessions with Iron Dragon captain Axel. When Demetri later likens Axel to “a mix between the Winter Soldier and Frankenstein’s monster,” Sam is quick to defend him.
But there are a couple other obvious reasons Miyagi-Do is flopping, one of which Sam and Devon can immediately diagnose: Johnny and Daniel are not gelling. For them, it’s nice to think co-teaching is possible without friendship, but the results don’t bear that out. The two can’t even agree on how to treat the kids after a round of losses: with aggressive berating or gentle encouragement? Johnny has a point when he blames Daniel’s obsession with “honoring a .
