[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Cobra Kai Season 4.]The end of Cobra Kai Season 4 features a very big moment for Peyton List’s Tory. After three seasons of intense training while also fighting for her own reputation and doing everything she can to support her family, Tory finally gets to step into the spotlight as the first female champion of the All Valley Karate Tournament, besting her rival to claim the grand prize for Cobra Kai.
Yes, ultimately it’s revealed the odds were in Tory’s favor courtesy of Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) manipulation, but there’s still no denying that Tory is an extremely skilled fighter who put in some serious work to get herself on a better path in Season 4. While there is some heartbreak for Sam (Mary Mouser), Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang, there’s an undeniable thrill and satisfaction that comes from seeing Tory get the thing she so desperately wanted to achieve. As she explained to Robby (Tanner Buchanan) in Episode 8, “All these Encino kids have their whole lives cut out for them. I’ll never have that. But if I could just win this one time then I could look at that trophy and know I was best at something.”
When Tory does wind up scoring that trophy in the season finale, rather than celebrate her big win, the first thing she does is rush over to Sam to ask if she’s okay. It’s an especially curious moment because one might expect Tory to immediately enjoy the personal victory, but instead, after being declared the winner, she checks on her archenemy.
During a recent episode of Collider Ladies Night, I asked List what it was like figuring out the right way to approach that particular beat. Here’s what she said:
“I’ve definitely juggled that option in my mind of how to react because I just did not think, personally, that Tory would go up and ask if Sam was okay. That was just really out of pocket to me. But, I really liked it. It wasn’t intentional and I also knew that I wouldn’t be concerned about her. I just wanted her to know it wasn’t intentional and I didn’t really want to hurt you. Maybe we’re not friends, but I didn’t want to hurt you and that did make sense to me just to clear that up before accepting whatever was happening, and it’s a very surreal moment for Tory and what she’s worked up to for so long and what she’s wanted.”
That right there is why the beat makes such a big impression. Yes, much of what we’ve come to learn about Tory and much of what we’ve seen her do would suggest that in this very moment, her first thought would be to celebrate her own success — and possibly even go as far to rub it in Sam’s face. But Season 4 marked a major turning point for the character. No, she doesn’t have to become friends with Sam, but she does need to push their rivalry aside in order to achieve her goals. Her reaction to her All Valley win reflects the complexity of an individual in the midst of such change and also that new mix of priorities at work.
If you're looking for more from List on her experience working on Cobra Kai, we've got you covered! You can listen to the uncut 45-minute interview in podcast form below: