Cobra Kai Seasons 1 & 2 Review

Cobra Kai (2018-)
Season 1 - 10 episodes (2018)
Season 2 - 10 episodes (2019)

Buy Cobra Kai on Amazon
Created by: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg
Starring: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand
Rated: TV-14
Watch the trailer

Plot
Decades after their 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament bout, middle-aged Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence find themselves martial-arts rivals again.

Verdict
It's steeped in fan service and nostalgia but there's a lot of character development. Daniel and Johnny are the main rivalry but there isn't a clear distinction between hero and villain. You root for both of them to do well, and they are more alike than they would ever admit. The series often falls into tropes, sometimes needlessly so, but tropes are often subverted too. The violence has zero repercussions. There should be a hospital ward full of kids. There's a lot to like and the characters get a fair amount of depth. You don't need to have seen the original movies to like this, but it would help as would a love for '80s culture.
Watch it.

Review
This started as a Youtube original in 2018 before Youtube began shuttering their original series. While Youtube was initially going to retain Cobra Kai, Netflix picked up the first two seasons and is producing a third.

William Zabka plays Johnny Lawrence.

The original cast returns to their roles thirty years later. This picks up with teen villain Johnny Lawrence from The Karate Kid (1984) as an adult fallen on hard times. I felt bad for him despite what he's done. The series goes back to the idea that losing the penultimate match in the movie ruined Johnny's life and catapulted Daniel to success. Johnny was still one of the best in karate, and it's just too easy to touch on that moment time and again. I get the show is fulfilling a lot of fan wish fulfillment, but Johnny is the most interesting  character.

Johnny holds a grudge against Daniel and he's stuck in his glory days of the '80s, from the car he drives to the music and his favorite movie Iron Eagles (1986). He's also a technophobe and misogynistic. I was really hoping Johnny could be a Miyagi type. I want Johnny to do well, to learn from his misguided viewpoints, and turn his life around. That's a big part of what makes this show intriguing. The fan service and nostalgia is what makes it fun. With this type of show fan service is always welcome. We even get to see the original movie from Johnny's point of view. You could argue that's not how the movie played out, but the original movie is just as much from Daniel's point of view.

Johnny starts a dojo.

There is a lot going on with the Daniel, Johnny, and their families. With half hour episodes the pace is quick. The series frequently resorts to simple tropes like Johnny being a loser. It doesn't always feel authentic. Johnny can be selfish, petty, and have positive motivations other than drinking beer and demeaning people.

Ralph Macchio plays Daniel.

I appreciate that Daniel isn't just the successful hero. He's spiteful to Johnny for restarting Cobra Kai and his wife frequently tells him off. Daniel often is the jerk. Some of my favorite moments in the series are when Daniel and Johnny call a truce and behave like friends. They're a lot a like.

We get more than a few clips from the original movie.

Johnny's students are Miguel who is a lot like Daniel and the voice of the present for Johnny, teaching him about technology and inclusive culture. Another student Hawk has a great story about owning who he is and developing self confidence.

The finale of season one is reminiscent of the original movie, but it's not a copy thankfully.

Season two has a lot of cast members from the original movie returning. It gives those story lines a lot more meaning than using random actors as fill ins.

Daniel implementing that Miyagi training.

What I don't like is that season two seems to reverse whatever lessons Johnny has learned while Daniel becomes the Miyagi type. I really wanted Johnny to become a good mentor.

Season two has a lot more drama between the students. With two dojos the schools basically have gang violence, and that's my biggest complaint with the show. There should be a hospital wing, if not a morgue, full of kids. Kicks directly to the face, kids flying across rooms; kids get rocked yet there's no blood or broken bones. Kids just get right back up. At least have the kids train in some kind of padding.
The series finally has a scene towards the end of the season that addresses the violence or preceding lack of it but that's played up for drama.

Season one ended with a nice cliffhanger and season two does as well. I'm excited for season three. Despite the prevalent teenage drama in season two and unrealistic violence, Johnny and Daniel are intriguing characters.