Cobra Kai - (The Karate Kid Spin-Off)

[Aximili86]

Ah, sweet, that's good to hear. I don't mind waiting then, if they eventually make it to disc, Netflix is enough streaming stuff for this nerd.

 

[Siby]

Man, this show was great. Yes it is rough in parts but it only made me feel like I was back in the 80s watching a show from that time.

I liked how they contrasted Johnny and Daniel's lives. I actually felt empathetic to Johnny more than Daniel, which was their intention I'm sure. Daniel's son brought on so much rage in me. He served as a perfect vehicle to portray how kids are nowadays.

I can't wait to see more of this gem.

 

[Verbal21]

The reviews and fan feedback for this series has been excellent

I'm doing the YouTube Red free trial and plan on watching all the episodes this weekend

That’s exactly what I did and I’m glad I didn’t hesitate. I haven’t loved a series as much as I did this.

Spoiler

I didn’t see that Anakin-like turn for Miguel. Very well done and it actually felt natural

 

[godisawesome]

Pretty good show overall. They were smart to construct multiple character plotlines for the entire series; it allowed them to tackle some of their themes and story arcs with a deft hand and just the right amount of pacing.

Johnny and Daniel have the largest character arcs, and the film figures out just the right amount of flaws and virtues to get you invested in both. Johnny's got the more classic tragic hero story, trying to rise above his past demons and to learn and grow, but blindsided by the flaws he was unaware of... Until it's too late and he's left to view the ugly side of his triumphs in his students. Daniel, meanwhile, is still overall a virtuous and forthright man, but he starts the show unbalanced enough to make some serious mistakes and eventually realizes he must reconnect with Miyagi's teachings before he goes off course.

The kids are a tangle of stories. Miguel starts off as pretty much a classic "Karate Kid" antagonist, and the first half of the show follows that outline pretty faithfully... And then the last half forces the audience and Johnny to see the flaws in Cobra Kai philosophy that make this kid repeat history that Johnny realizes should not be repeated. Sam LaRusso is a good character, with her biggest advantage is that they do manage to push her past the "love interest" archetype via her friendship with the frankly awesome Aisha, though they probably can do more interesting stuff next season. Aisha and Eli are both fairly well developed characters, and a very accurate presentation of the benefits of martial arts in assertiveness and defense... And for how bullying cycles around more often then not, with Cobra Kai eventually molding them into classic physical bullies to contrast with the modern cyberbullying and point out how both styles are ultimately messed up petty misanthropy if you don't control yourself.

And the humor of the series is great! From Daniel as the embarrassing dad to Johny as the man so old school that his response to a former All-Valley Tournament champion hogging the mic to talk about peace and harmony is "Kick this sissy ***** in the face," they know how to play with their themes in a humorous style.

Probably the least interesting aspect of the show is Robby, though only because he's written as less of a character and more of an irony-leaden plot device. The actor does a good job, but you can tell they rushed through his "Karate kid" arc because they knew we'd already seen it with Miguel. He's also got more potential for next season.

And I really like how slowly they reintroduced Kreese almost as a theme before actually having him return. Johnny's clearly complicated feelings towards the man are a fairly dark undercurrent when they periodically re-emerge, and the way Johnny Reacts to realizing he's becoming the same kind of teacher in spite of himself is actually kind of heartbreaking. And it says something about the nature of the show and Johnny's arc that, while Daniel is moving towards rebuilding and continuing Miyagi's legacy for the better, Johnny has almost accidentally conjured Kreese up in the flesh from the nether when you know he'd rather excorcise that particular demon.

 

[HKpowerup]

I just binged the entire show, and it was great. The trailers had me hooked from the beginning and it didn't disappoint.

However, I wasn't thrilled with the surprise in the last 2 minutes of the finale. I am also weary of this show dragging on far too long and eventually losing believability & steam. They obviously set-up for a second season, and it’ll be interesting to see if it makes enough money for a return.

Some of the highlights:
- Just about all the scenes with Macchio & Zabka.
- The focus and development on Johnny Lawrence was also very good.
- The supporting cast was mostly great.
- The callbacks to the original movies were also well-timed and not over-used.

It did get gimmicky & cliched at times, but Macchio & Zabka have great chemistry with one another.

 

[HKpowerup]

I liked how they contrasted Johnny and Daniel's lives. I actually felt empathetic to Johnny more than Daniel, which was their intention I'm sure.

Yes, the Johnny Lawrence character was fleshed out so well that I can't wait to go back & watch the original now.

 

[Siby]

I just binged the entire show, and it was great. The trailers had me hooked from the beginning and it didn't disappoint.

However, I wasn't thrilled with the surprise in the last 2 minutes of the finale. I am also weary of this show dragging on far too long and eventually losing believability & steam. They obviously set-up for a second season, and it’ll be interesting to see if it makes enough money for a return.

Some of the highlights:
- Just about all the scenes with Macchio & Zabka.
- The focus and development on Johnny Lawrence was also very good.
- The supporting cast was mostly great.
- The callbacks to the original movies were also well-timed and not over-used.

It did get gimmicky & cliched at times, but Macchio & Zabka have great chemistry with one another.

I agree. The scenes I found very touching:

• 
  The two of them in the car singing together.
  The two of them in the bar talking about their life.
  The two of them threatening to fight but end up having breakfast together.
  Johnny's line to his step-father, "Your money isn't what I wanted" roughly paraphrased.

One thought occurred to me about the old Cobra Kai sensei. It would be interesting if he was a figment of Johnny's imagination/guilt over history repeating itself over the tournament. But I'm sure Kreese(?) is real, and I would like him to overthrow Johnny as sensei and take over Cobra Kai. This leads to Johnny and Daniel working together to defeat Kreese who is really the bad guy of the story.

 

[Fallen Angel]

I've watched the two freebie shows so far and I like it.

 

[legendkillin]

I am on ep 4 I am enjoying it, but man I don't like the the Larusso family.

wife seems ignorant to everything.
son is very annoying whenever he is on screen.
Sam is a follower.

 

[legendkillin]

Going on ep 7 now. Still enjoying it, the family is better now but the son is still annoying.

 

[Aximili86]

It's almost a shame Kove's 72 by now, not really like you could build this to an actual physical fight between Johnny & Kreese. Though I guess there's precedent with Miyagi, but still...

Also ****ing crazy how Macchio's 56 years old. Damn, dude's a full-on Keanu.

But yeah, all this Cobra Kai stuff is making me want to go re-watch the movies again, probably even the Swank one. Probably been a decade since I've watched through 'em.

 

[legendkillin]

Just finished it, wasn't fond of the ending.

Spoiler

Spend all this time liking the Cobra Kai kids, then they have the main one in Miguel to a 180 and go full are we suppose to like him or not? Miguel's family is cool so I don't know, made him a crazy clinger. Hawk went 180 too he was already a bit weird. Calling the show Cobra Kai got attention but once they focused on Robbie I started thinking the show needed a different name. Probably give the show 7.5/10

 

[ironman_rick]

Saw the 1st 2 episodes on youtube. Are the other episodes free too (on youtube ?)

 

[Dave McFly]

nope you have to have a red subscription but they have a free 30 day trial

 

[Verbal21]

Just finished it, wasn't fond of the ending.

Spoiler

Spend all this time liking the Cobra Kai kids, then they have the main one in Miguel to a 180 and go full are we suppose to like him or not? Miguel's family is cool so I don't know, made him a crazy clinger. Hawk went 180 too he was already a bit weird. Calling the show Cobra Kai got attention but once they focused on Robbie I started thinking the show needed a different name. Probably give the show 7.5/10

Agreed. Him going for Anakin kinda didn’t sit well with me and I’m not a fan of Robbie, at all.

 

[Mike_D202]

Just finished it, wasn't fond of the ending.

Spoiler

Spend all this time liking the Cobra Kai kids, then they have the main one in Miguel to a 180 and go full are we suppose to like him or not? Miguel's family is cool so I don't know, made him a crazy clinger. Hawk went 180 too he was already a bit weird. Calling the show Cobra Kai got attention but once they focused on Robbie I started thinking the show needed a different name. Probably give the show 7.5/10

It had the formula of "The Godfather" and "Breaking Bad."

Spoiler

We see this relatable character with good morals slowly going down a dark path. It was because of the lessons he learned from the Cobra Kai that made him APPEAR like a bad guy, and you could see it in Johnny's face the regret. I think after Johnny and Daniel team up in season 2 they'll take a few of the cobra kai students with them to Myagi dojo after Kreese regains ownership of the Cobra Kai dojo, and Miguel will be one of them. Just my theory.

 

[Mutant 77]

Just a question:

Do they show flashbacks from the movies? I hate when they do that... and where are they placed anyway? At the beginning of the episodes?
Thanks.

 

[Monsieur Xavier]

They're flashbacks but not in every episodes.

 

[Aximili86]

They're pretty few-and-far-between in the first two episodes, can't speak to the rest.

But they're strategically placed and there for a reason, it doesn't take you out of things. Plus they're short.

 

[Verbal21]

They're pretty few-and-far-between in the first two episodes, can't speak to the rest.

But they're strategically placed and there for a reason, it doesn't take you out of things. Plus they're short.

Yeah, they're not forced or anything. They're put in a way to show you how it reinforces the fact that the characters are how they are from the lessons they've learned. There's actually not that many in the entire series so each time we get one, it's satisfying.

I do hope someone re-edits the final tournament with the "You're the Best" song, just because it'd be pretty cool to see.

 

[Lobo]

I loved this series. Binge watched. Looking forward to season two hopefully. Gonna watch it again this week

 

[Brian Braddock]

Watched episodes 1- 5 last night. My God, I absolutely love this show.

 

[Aximili86]

Yeah. Almost wish I hadn't watched the two free eps though, gonna be a long wait for some other way to catch the rest. It's awesome so far, they really couldn't have approached this any better.

 

[Tanin]

Yeah. Almost wish I hadn't watched the two free eps though, gonna be a long wait for some other way to catch the rest. It's awesome so far, they really couldn't have approached this any better.

Why can't you sign up for the free trial then drop it?

 

[Lobo]

^That's what I did