From the beginning, Cobra kai has been a tribute to the 80s. With the mega popular stranger things. That seems like a winning formula. If you haven’t been following it. Cobra kai takes the karate kid stars and places them in a contemporary timeline.
Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence ( William Michael Zabka) reprise their roles. Both are charismatic and playoff of each other very well. The rivalries are alive and well. And they set the tone for the series. It has you thinking “grow up already”. That’s the charm of the series, the kids we saw in the 80s are now parents, but haven’t managed to mature. Top notch writing has been the reason to stay. They first took on the task of making the “bad guy” both likeable and relatable. They succeeded.
plays: Daniel LaRusso
plays: Johnny Lawrence
plays: John Kreese
plays: Terry Silver
Season 4
This season feels like an afternoon special. In a good way. I specially like how it clearly portrays the de-evolution of their lives, brought on by the hate for one another . No one is clearly in the right . If I had to categorize it, I would say it’s a light hearted drama series. The writing has done a phenomenal job at avoiding presenting us with a clear bad guy. It sort of reminds me of the way Naruto was written. Every bad guy has their motivation which once explored. Makes their choices understandable.
This season has both sanseis working together to take down Cobra kai. One sensei (LaRusso) favoring defense, and the other (Lawrence) favoring aggressiveness. They clash every step of the way. Cobra Kai is now being lead by Johnny Lawrence’s former sensei John Kreese who’s accompanied by Terry Silver.
The season not only explores the main protagonists struggles. It also delves in to the struggles the students face with each other, as well as their motivations. This is where this season really hit the high note. With the same 10 episodes as previous seasons. It meticulously explored the different characters to the point where you begin to care for them all.
The show feels like a well oiled machine. With everything clicking just right. The writing, the editing , the acting all seem to compliment each other to create something great. I get the same sense as I did while watching Mad Men. Individually nothing and no one stood out. When everything is brought together, it makes magic.
All four seasons of Cobra Kai are currently available on Netflix. It’s on track to becoming a classic just like Karate Kid. Go watch it now! And tell me if you enjoyed it as much as I did.
