Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
The fourth season of Cobra Kai provided a slew of memorable moments. Some were musical — like Carrie Underwood’s surprising “Moment of Truth” cameo or Johnny’s Rocky-inspired “Burning Heart” training montage — while others (the final ten minutes of the Season 4 finale) have fans counting down the days until they can press play on Season 5. Yet one of the most surprising scenes from the fourth season was one we completely missed the first time around.
The Season 4 episode “Party Time” centered on the karate kids (pun intended) attending junior prom, a Johnny/Silver showdown, the return of Stingray, an after prom battle, a dramatic conversation between Johnny and Miguel, and, of course, a moment that’ll make Tory/Robby shippers very happy. But for a show that so vividly explores surrogate father relationships, an unexpected daddy/daughter scene between Ralph Macchio and his real-life daughter Julia Macchio delivered yet another in a long line of fun, unforgettable Cobra Kai Season 4 moments.
Julia Macchio made her Cobra Kai debut during the eighth episode of the new season, portraying grad student Cousin Vanessa with the aplomb of a seasoned professional. Also referred to as “Marisa Tomei Jr.” by the always delightful Amanda LaRusso, Vanessa, who’s currently studying child psychology, attempts to help Daniel and Amanda with Anthony LaRusso’s recent behavioral issues. Vanessa’s assessment of the situation almost immediately rankles Amanda, who asks the young grad student if she’s “ever taken care of anything bigger than a goldfish.”
A general rule of thumb for anyone in the Cobra Kai universe: Don’t ever, ever piss off Amanda LaRusso.
Vanessa performs a simple test to prove that Anthony’s problems stem from Daniel and Amanda acting out. How do the parents fare? Um, well, I wouldn’t exactly say they passed with flying colors.
Okay, sure, that’s another way to put it. Julia Macchio has also appeared in the Kristin Wiig-led 2012 dramedy Girl Most Likely and Polly Daper’s 2018 indie Stella’s Last Weekend, but hopefully we haven’t seen the last of her on Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai Season 4 is now streaming on Netflix.
