Netflix account, you’ve probably heard of their Top 10 hit, “Cobra Kai,” — a spinoff of the 1984 classic “The Karate Kid” — which has recently concluded its seven year run.
“Cobra Kai,” originally a series on YouTube Red/YouTube Premium, had its first few seasons primarily focusing on Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the antagonist from the original film. Johnny attempts to get his mediocre life back on track by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, in all of its “strike first, strike hard, no mercy” glory.
Of course, the show wouldn’t be complete if it wasn’t for Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the protagonist of the trilogy. Daniel’s life has turned out considerably better than his high school arch nemesis — despite what Johnny thinks, and after he sees the grand opening of Johnny’s new dojo, he struggles adhering to the peaceful way of life that his mentor, Mr. Miyagi has taught him.
The first couple of seasons framed Johnny’s experiences in a new light, making him a sort of antihero — a choice that would have greatly pleased Barney Stinson, for all you “How I Met Your Mother” fans. Netflix’s acquisition of the series took away all ambiguity, once again framing the Cobra Kai dojo as the enemy.
Along with one dimensional characters, short lived plots and a lack of focus on characters, “Cobra Kai” managed to lose the heart and message of the original film in favor of more suspense and drama.
But that doesn’t stop people from watching.
The show’s fight scenes — specifically the choreography involved with them — are hard to look away from, and it’s hard not to root for the characters, especially when the person they’re fighting is evil just for the sake of being evil.
These fights are not meant to be grounded in reality, however, as the Cobra Kai dojo, and its rival, Miyagi-Do, often break out into full blown wars, which result in home invasions and a brawl at the school. The latter of which, results in a major character, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña), becoming paralyzed.
Despite this major injury, Miguel learns to walk again and becomes a better fighter than ever after only a few weeks. Miguel also goes on to live with Robby (Tanner Buchanan), the guy who paralyzed him in the first place, with little to no resentment.
The writers often have a hard time fleshing out their characters, mostly because we hardly get to see what their lives are like outside karate. It’s not uncommon for villains in the show to suddenly choose to be good during the middle of a fight, and others constantly switch back and forth between what’s right and wrong.
Multiple plot lines are also abandoned despite there being loads of opportunity within. Johnny and Robby’s tumultuous father-son relationship is hardly touched upon, and Johnny’s obvious favoritism towards his student Miguel, is sure to throw a wrench in their bond. But the two hardly share any moments together, and despite their absence in each other’s lives playing a huge influence on the other, their relationship is less than resolved by the time the series concludes.
Other potential plotlines include, but are not limited to: Robby’s sexual assault, Tory’s (Peyton List) emotional and physical abuse from her senseis and Tory grieving from her mother’s death and struggling to become the primary caregiver of her little brother, all while barely being comforted by her boyfriend Robby.
That being said, the show, regardless of if the characters know it or not, knows where it stands, and many jokes are made about their ludicrous circumstances. A few characters serving as the “straight man” of the group are eager to point out how the rest of the group needs to come back down to Earth and touch grass, as opposed to slamming someone down on it.
The Miyagi-Do way is all about balance, and while “Cobra Kai” struggled to apply that to its character and plot development, the show managed to come through with a heart of its own, albeit one that is more light-hearted. Its use of nostalgia-based references helped it appeal to older fans, and its flashy battles helped engross younger audiences.
While many fans were let down by the series finale, the writers managed to bring everything to a close in a full circle moment, sending off the majority of major characters with a happy ending, while still leaving room for another saga.
A comeback is promised, after the announcement of the upcoming 2025 film “Karate Kid: Legends” starring both Ralph Macchio (LaRusso) and Jackie Chan, who played a Mr. Miyagi type character in the 2010 reboot.
Now it’s just time for Hollywood to find a good balance between what’s a good story, and what is just blatant nostalgia bait.
