Cobra Kai has an incredibly fascinating history. It's a reboot sequel of the Karate Kid that focuses on the "antagonist", originally airing on YouTube Red before being moved to Netflix for its third season. This could have been an absolute disaster, but I'm not gonna lie, Cobra Kai's pretty damn solid.
The Karate Kid is a great movie, but probably one of the things it's most known for is the massive debate over who's really the good guy. On one hand, Daniel was beaten up by the Cobra Kai gang half to death. On the other hand, Johnny had an abusive coach and was left completely humiliated by Daniel's victory. By having a sequel series to the original movie focus on Johnny's point of view, Cobra Kai runs the risk of going into retcon territory. Thankfully, despite the change of perspective, the show makes it clear that it's far more nuanced than that. As adults, Johnny and Daniel are both jerks. Daniel not only let his victory get to his head, but he's also an overbearing parent likely due to his experience with bullying. Meanwhile, Johnny may have had his life ruined by the loss, but he's still an asshole to everyone he meets and he's so stuck in the 80s to the point where he can be kind of offensive. It's fascinating to see the events of not just the original film but the trilogy in its entirety and how it came to affect both Johnny and Daniel. It helps that Ralph Macchio and William Zabka absolutely kill it when returning to their iconic roles, and every scene they share together manages to be immensely compelling. The show is packed with clever parallels to the Karate Kid without making it feel like it's relying on nostalgia, striking that ever elusive balance of building on and respecting the original. Given the general state of reboots nowadays, that's really hard to nail down.
However, in terms of the other characters, Cobra Kai is a bit more hit and miss. Obviously, Daniel and Johnny's rivalry is the most compelling part of the show, so I like all of their protégées particularly Miguel. I love the way his dynamic with Johnny grows like a distorted version of Daniel and Mr Miyagi. I also think Hawk is hilarious. However, we're forced to get to know the entire high school class and all of their own drama. These parts of the show aren't bad, per se, but they rely so heavily on misunderstandings and cliche. In particular, the bullies are so cartoonishly jerkish that it's kinda unrealistic, which is odd considering how the entire show focuses on fleshing out a "bully'. I'd complain that some aspects of Cobra Kai feel like tired cliches, like they're stuck in the 80s, but I also know that this is probably on purpose because that's how Daniel and Johnny feel. Similarly, there were a few jokes about PC culture that didn't sit the best with me, but the show balanced it out by making it crystal clear that Johnny's old-fashioned attitude isn't good either so I can't complain too much about that either. I was a bit worried about Cobra Kai being a show on YouTube Red given their somewhat low production values. Thankfully, this wasn't an issue. The acting and writing was pretty solid throughout this first season, and it never feels like shortcuts were taken during the production process. Sure, the karate fights may not be the most accurate, but they're exciting, dynamic, and a ton of fun regardless. My only other gripe are a few jokes about PC culture that didn't sit the best with me, but the show balanced it out by making it crystal clear that Johnny's old-fashioned attitude isn't good either so I can't complain too much either.
Despite the season's short length, there are a bunch of high points throughout:
Counterbalance: The second half of this episode packed some of the best scenes in the whole season. The big fight in the lunchroom where Miguel finally showed up the bullies was incredibly fun and satisfying, and the scenes where Daniel goes to Mr Miyagi's grave and takes up karate again is an emotional tribute to both the film and the iconic character.
Different But Same: Wow, this episode hurts. It was great to see Daniel and Johnny spend an entire episode reflecting on their past and just starting to find some common ground, only for Robby to completely ruin. And not to mention Miguel pretty much destroying any semblance of a relationship with Sam. It's a great penultimate episode that sets up the finale perfectly.
Mercy: This is how you pull off a satisfying season finale, with the big competition being a great way to bring all of the characters and conflicts together. I love how it drew parallels to The Karate Kid's ending while still feeling like its own thing, progressing the show's themes on the cyclical nature of revenge and the bittersweet nature of the original All Valley competition. Johnny won, but it doesn't feel like a victory. And I love that cliffhanger about Kreese winning, and he's mentioned often enough throughout the season that it would still be impactful even if you haven't seen the original film.
Overall, even if some of its story elements are a bit on the cliche side, Cobra Kai absolutely nails its core conflict and tells a satisfying story about two morally flawed characters in a lose-lose situation, solidifying itself as one of the most unexpectedly successful reboots of all time.
4/5 Stars
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