How Cobra Kai's Courtney Henggeler Really Feels About Amanda's Season 4 Arc
The following article contains mild spoilers for "Cobra Kai" Season 4.
The bulk of "Cobra Kai" centers on karate and knowing how to use the immense power one's gifted. A new generation of fighters emerge to carry on the teachings of the old masters, namely Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and as tends to be the case with any passing of the torch, it isn't exactly an easy transition. New rivalries form between the students of Miyagi-Do, Eagle Fang, and Cobra Kai, and it's up to the adults to pick up the pieces and guide the youngsters in better directions.
It's high drama infused with incredible fight scenes, but one person who manages to stay out of the karate fights (at least so far) is Amanda LaRusso (Courtney Henggeler). Karate's naturally part of her life from being married to Daniel, but she hasn't picked up the art form herself. As such, she tends to find the feuds a bit silly, but she still manages to have intriguing arcs, especially in Season 4, when she takes an interest in ensuring her daughter's rival Tory (Peyton List) pursues a better path through life. Henggeler recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about her character journey throughout the most recent season of "Cobra Kai" and how she felt about taking on a maternal role to Tory.
Courtney Henggeler liked how Amanda started an 'evolution' in Tory
Amanda's arc with Tory starts in Season 4, Episode 1 when she goes to Tory's job and confronts her about how she's treated her daughter, Samantha (Mary Mouser). In the process, she inadvertently gets Tory fired from her job, and she spends a good portion of the season trying to make things right, even going so far as to vouch for Tory when she tries to go back to school.
According to actor Courtney Henggeler, she loved that she could fill that role for Tory and how it both informs her own character and progresses Tory into a more positive direction. As she put it, "It is so cool that they give her that new way of looking at it because Amanda sees that if you're troubled or ignored or kids get brushed aside, that starts the evolution." It's also a worthwhile arc because it really encapsulates what the show is all about. Johnny Lawrence isn't just a bully; there's a good light inside of him, too, that sometimes gets muddled by his choices. The same holds true for Daniel; he has flaws like anyone else.
Tory initially comes across as a simple bully, but she's far more complex than that descriptor allows. And Henggeler talked about how her character had a chance to show a different side of Tory: "She sees so much of herself in Tory, so it is a great conflict to have because her No. 1 priority is her family, Samantha. However, nobody on this show is pure good or pure evil — except maybe Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith)." After Tory beat the snot out of Samantha at All-Valley, it remains to be seen how Amanda will view her going forward, but at least she did more than most people would for a girl she's not even related to.