The highly anticipated third season of Cobra Kai kicked its way onto Netflix this January and it has resulted in a karate filled explosion for the show that’s caused the comedy drama to skyrocket in popularity. It’s now rightfully earned a place as one of the streaming giant’s best titles, standing strong alongside the likes of Stranger Things, Sex Education, and The Umbrella Academy, which begs the question: what exactly is it that makes this material arts mammoth so enticing? Well, without diving into spoiler territory, we’re going to break it down, and explain why Cobra Kai deserves to be your next Netflix binge.
A direct sequel to classic eighties movie, The Karate Kid, Cobra Kai is set approximately 34 years in the future and reintroduces us to everyone’s favourite underdog turned champion, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), as well as former high school bully and Cobra Kai’s star student, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). For original fans, revisiting the franchise was always an exciting prospect but what really makes the premise here interesting is the way it flips the script. See, the story of Cobra Kai is told not from the perspective of a beloved hero but seemingly the very opposite. Johnny is the central focus of the narrative, and not only does the show deliver a fantastic tale of redemption but it also challenges the notions and story beats presented in the original film, and that’s exactly why it works so well as a spiritual successor.
Pleasing older fans is all well and good, but everybody knows nowadays you’re going to need to impress the kids to really get your foot in the door and Cobra Kai has done an amazing job of introducing its crane-kicking world to the next generation. Something that is, in no doubt, largely thanks to the incredible young cast of future fighters, including Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, the first member of the newly reopened Cobra Kai Dojo; Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, Johnny’s estranged son; Mary Mouser as Daniel’s daughter, Samantha LaRusso; and Jacob Bertrand as Eli Moskowitz, a shy, bullied kid who has possibly the most badass attitude turn-around in television. The effective dose of nostalgia paired with the enthusiastic, infectious group of teens that propel the story forward give Cobra Kai overwhelming universal appeal and make it a perfect viewing experience for teens, adults, and families alike.
While it is billed as a partial drama (and don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of drama here, you’ll definitely be gripped to your seat more than once per season), it can also be extremely cheesy. This show is corny. Seriously, the episodes are like watching a mini testosterone fuelled, action-packed, Lifetime movie. The twists are usually predictable enough to see coming, and you might even be guessing the occasional line of dialogue before a character opens their mouth, but none of that takes away from the amount of depth and emotional intelligence that’s also present. The time we spend with the main cast is developed and paced so well that, ultimately, you really grow to care about these people, which leaves you still feeling the impact of those big moments, even if you might have seen them coming. That’s the other main hook here as you’ll get so invested in this world that every minute spent binging will feel like a minute of your time well spent.
I could easily take a deep dive into the strongest fight scenes, biggest dramatics, best one-liners, and all the tight nuances in-between that make this show what it is, but I couldn’t do so without giving plot details away and trust me, this is a saga you’ll want to experience for yourself.
At the end of the day, Cobra Kai is just really enjoyable and entertaining. It’s a quick, fun, satisfying series that will put countless smiles on your face and bring the occasional tear to your eye. It’ll shine a light in darker times, and, in these harsh months of winter, a little light is just what we all need.
