Cobra Kai

[MinistroRaven]

[soupytwist]

I've just finished the first season.  It's been pretty damn perfect in terms of what they could achieve, really enjoyed it.

[The Walrus]

Never heard of this show before... loaded up Netflix and it was right there. On episode 3 and I am loving every second of this.

Edit: 8 episodes in one sitting. Awesome freaking show. Also I have a crush on Mary Mouser but that's cause she's just a bit younger than me 

[bosk1]

Never heard of this show before... loaded up Netflix and it was right there. On episode 3 and I am loving every second of this.

Edit: 8 episodes in one sitting. Awesome freaking show. Also I have a crush on Mary Mouser but that's cause she's just a bit younger than me 

You probably hadn't heard of it because it was only on YouTube Red for awhile, which I don't think was very successful at getting subscribers. 

But, yeah, I really dug it too.  A few episodes in, I wasn't sure.  Still kind of felt like they were just going for the cheap nostalgia, and throwing in some cute role reversals to keep it interesting.  But it quickly became so much more, and in really rewarding ways.  Just a well-done show, especially for fans of the films. 

The one knock I have on it is just the over-the-top portrayal of kids acting badly that has become such a trend in modern shows, whether it be this one, Stranger Things, or what have you.  I get that they were trying to make an impact, and trying to appeal to certain people, but it is just a lazy thing to do, in my opinion, and completely unnecessary.  It took away from what would otherwise be a nearly perfect show.

[The Walrus]

Yeah I agree with you on that, bosk. That Kyler kid is so stereotypical teenage douchebag it's almost eyeroll worthy. But, at the same time, I like him getting his comeuppance.

I've never seen Karate Kid and didn't make the connection that this was about Karate Kid until like... 5 episodes in.

[bosk1]

I would recommend watching the first one, and then either watching the second one or at least finding the 5 minute opening sequence on YouTube.  There are a TON of payoffs in the series for having that background.  In fact, I would do that before going any further with the series.  Seriously.  Some moments will hit you a LOT harder, having that background, especially a few things you haven't seen yet.  You need to do this NOW.

[The Walrus]

I would recommend watching the first one, and then either watching the second one or at least finding the 5 minute opening sequence on YouTube.  There are a TON of payoffs in the series for having that background.  In fact, I would do that before going any further with the series.  Seriously.  Some moments will hit you a LOT harder, having that background, especially a few things you haven't seen yet.

I kind of like not having any preconceived notions about the characters though. I feel like, especially based on the flashbacks, I wouldn't be as sympathetic to Johnny if I watched the films before. I could wait until the series is totally over which would be even better but I'll definitely watch after season 2.

[bosk1]

I would recommend watching the first one, and then either watching the second one or at least finding the 5 minute opening sequence on YouTube.  There are a TON of payoffs in the series for having that background.  In fact, I would do that before going any further with the series.  Seriously.  Some moments will hit you a LOT harder, having that background, especially a few things you haven't seen yet.

I kind of like not having any preconceived notions about the characters though. I feel like, especially based on the flashbacks, I wouldn't be as sympathetic to Johnny if I watched the films before. I could wait until the series is totally over which would be even better but I'll definitely watch after season 2.

I get it.  And I can see the value in that.  But trying to objectively weigh it out, I honestly think there is a MUCH bigger impact seeing some of the stuff in the series WITH the knowledge from the movie than the payoff of not having preconceived notions.  And I will also add that, while I get the appeal of not having preconceived notions, part of the genius of the series is that it subverts those preconceived notions, and in very clever and emotional ways (which is one of the reasons Billy Zabka said he was fully onboard after reading the script, after initially having some trepidation about doing a series like this).  And, honestly, if you are this far in, those preconceived notions aren't going to change your viewing experience at this point.  Honestly, I don't think it prejudices you against the characters at all, but it DOES add a lot more color and texture to their interactions.

I mean, I get what you are saying, and you can do what you want.  But my honest assessment is that you will gain a LOT more than you lose by going back and viewing that first film and the opening to the second right now before going any farther into the series.  I would argue that there are a couple of reveals in particular that are coming up that will fall completely flat if you don't have that background.

[The Walrus]

Tell you what, I'll watch the films right now if you agree that the new Star Wars trilogy is hot trash. 

[bosk1]

I agree that you are entitled to your opinion.   

Again, I get what you are saying about the show.  I'm just making the pitch for the films now as a friend who honestly thinks you will get MORE enjoyment out of the show by seeing the films now.  But it's entirely up to you.

[The Walrus]

  I am very weird and irrational in that I don't like stopping things to go watch other things in the middle of a story. So I'll watch, but yeah, I'm gonna wait til after season 2.

[The Walrus]

Okay, so, finished season 2 last night.

I think I like season 1 more, overall. In 2 there are a lot of moments where the show feels like some prime time family show. The first season felt more engaging to me with Johnny struggling with his inner demons. The second season is like high school drama except with like no police officers or figures of authority anywhere. I kept watching that big school fight and almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all was and how quickly it escalated. Also, Hawk is a 100% douche, and I don't like Kreese at all. And Daniel's really risking his marriage and gigantic auto dealership over a backyard dojo?  oh brother

Curious to see where it goes from here but season 1 was better. In season 2 I could almost see the structure of every episode and predict how everything would play out. That happened in 1, too, but not nearly as much. I guess just the premise of this militant karate fanaticism isn't entirely clicking with me in season 2. And Demetri is the absolute worst character ever.

[soupytwist]

Okay, so, finished season 2 last night.

I think I like season 1 more, overall. In 2 there are a lot of moments where the show feels like some prime time family show. The first season felt more engaging to me with Johnny struggling with his inner demons. The second season is like high school drama except with like no police officers or figures of authority anywhere. I kept watching that big school fight and almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it all was and how quickly it escalated. Also, Hawk is a 100% douche, and I don't like Kreese at all. And Daniel's really risking his marriage and gigantic auto dealership over a backyard dojo?  oh brother

Curious to see where it goes from here but season 1 was better. In season 2 I could almost see the structure of every episode and predict how everything would play out. That happened in 1, too, but not nearly as much. I guess just the premise of this militant karate fanaticism isn't entirely clicking with me in season 2. And  is the absolute worst character ever.

I really, really enjoyed the first season.   I'm halfway though season 2 and I'm not liking it anywhere near as much - It's still prefectly watchable, but the shine has been tainted.   Things feel more outlandish, the comedy isn't as good somehow.

But I think the biggest problem is the kids.  Most of them had arcs in the first season and while not always the most nuanced, it gave them purpose and they felt like real people.  In season 2 (at least 5 episodes in) none of the main kids have much of a story and their characters are more one dimentional.  Hawk is now just a cliche badass, Robbie & Sam are just boring now, Migual is just moody & Demetri has gone full cliche nerd.

[The Walrus]

I completely agree with all of that, soupy. It's been especially bad with Hawk. Very douchebag character now.

[hefdaddy42]

My wife and I just started watching this.  We are 5 episodes in, and really enjoying it thus far.

[tofee35]

 The Cobra Kai Season 3 Trailer is out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcDQqGJG8pA
It looks phenomenal. I can't wait for this.

-Tof

[gmillerdrake]

I’m wondering if this will be the final season?

[bosk1]

I may be misremembering, but I seem to recall them saying they had enough for another 2 seasons. 

[KevShmev]

I finished up S2 a few months ago.  Good stuff, and I am in it till the end, but I have to say that the school fight in the last episode of S2 was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen. And not in a good way.  I still like the show a lot, but that left a huge brown stain.

[KevShmev]

Anyone else watching S3 yet?  I am about halfway through and it is still entertaining.  Getting a bit more hokey, even by their already over the top hokey standards, and the constant brawls every time someone gives someone not on their side a funny look are getting pretty tiresome, but it's still a fun watch.  However, it is reaching the point where almost no one is likable anymore. 

[hefdaddy42]

Finished season 3 over the weekend.  Interesting. 

It's been fun, but I hope that season 4 is it.  Not sure where they could go after that.

[MinistroRaven]

Finished season 3 over the weekend.  Interesting. 

It's been fun, but I hope that season 4 is it.  Not sure where they could go after that.

I loved season 3, hopefully they can do a couple more and then put it to rest

[Phoenix87x]

I want some Terry Silver next

[bosk1]

In the middle of it now.  I loved the stuff in Okinawa. 

[Grappler]

I'll finish it tonight, and I've been so happy watching this season.  The episode with Chozen and the Dee Snider concert has been my favorite so far. 

[gmillerdrake]

I guess I’ll be the first dissenting voice about S3. I LOVED S1 and S2.....but fir me S3 was extremely underwhelming. It was well short of the timely smart ass quips from Johnny that brought that humor to the show and the story was pretty bland and has been played out. If not for the over reliance on nostalgic fan service by bringing back several characters from the past the season would have been an outright dud. Daniels trip to Okinawa was the best episode of the season, had some legit ‘feels’ going on when the letter was being read.....but this season just wasn’t as captivating as the first two. It was a fun watch but for me it fell far short of the credit the first two seasons created.

With what they’ve set up for a S4 they’re clearly out of gas as far as a story and I’d lay even money I or anyone who has watched a lot of content of movies and shows can lay out the basic story they’ll tell in S4.  I hate to not be on board with the love for S3....I dug the heck out of the first two seasons but this was pretty sub par IMO.

[bosk1]

So far, I don't love season 3.  But it is a logical step from the plot of the first two seasons and dealing with the aftermath of all of that.  The reality is just that it isn't as compelling a story as what they had going earlier, and that's okay.  But the downside is that, since it is a TV series, they are trying to compensate for that in other ways that don't always work as well.  But still, I am enjoying it, even if it isn't as good as its predecessors.

[gmillerdrake]

So far, I don't love season 3.  But it is a logical step from the plot of the first two seasons and dealing with the aftermath of all of that.  The reality is just that it isn't as compelling a story as what they had going earlier, and that's okay.  But the downside is that, since it is a TV series, they are trying to compensate for that in other ways that don't always work as well.  But still, I am enjoying it, even if it isn't as good as its predecessors.

Yeah. I'm not trying to blast it as horrible. I've watched far worse.....I did 'enjoy' watching it and it wasn't all bad. But for me the flavor grew bland and it was just 'ok'. I read today that the creators say S4 will NOT be the last season and that they have enough story for a couple more with an end game in mind. I can't fully buy that because the story struggled in S3. They tried to spice it up with Creese's backstory which was ok but even that was pretty cliche' and unoriginal.

[bosk1]

They tried to spice it up with Creese's backstory which was ok but even that was pretty cliche' and unoriginal.

Yeah, that actually fell flat for me as well (at least, so far).  It did its job in terms of making him a bit more human and making me slightly sympathize with why he thinks the way he does.  But I also found myself not caring about the "why" of his mindset and his actions.  I found myself saying, "OK, given all that, it makes sense why he thinks the way he thinks and does what he does.  But I also don't care and don't excuse him even a little bit."  And that coming from a military veteran, for what it's worth.  Contrast that with Johnny's backstory, which I did find to be compelling, and which made me empathize with who he became and why. 

On a different note, I like how the show constantly compares social values of the '80s with those of today.  And sometimes, those comparisons make you feel like we have come so far in the way we think about certain things as a society, but other times, make you feel like we have gone the wrong direction in a lot of areas as well.  I like that tension, and I think the show does it well.  I also like that, in doing so, the show usually feels like it is very self aware, but toes the line where it makes the viewer a bit uncomfortable, like "I'm pretty sure what they are doing is intentional...but...I'm not entirely sure."

[KevShmev]

Gary, even though I enjoyed S3, I mostly agree with you. The overreliance on fighting and too many fan service moments have diluted it.  Still enjoying the heck out of it, but it's like watching a bad action movie that you still enjoy a lot.  "It's so bad, it's good!"

SPOILER BELOW


And sorry, but the revisionist history with Ali and Johnny is just way too far-fetched. They made it out like they were this teenage couple that was madly in love, but that wasn't the way it was presented in the original Karate Kid film.  Ali being that happy to see Johnny again 30+ years later just wasn't believable...at all. Not after their falling out and the disgust she had back in the day after seeing how Johnny and his friends were treating Daniel.

[cramx3]

Not reading through the thread, just chiming in to say I started season 1 this week, half way through and I really enjoy it and can see why this show has got a lot of people talking positively about it.  Looking forward to catching up completely in the next couple weeks (I'm trying not to just watch it so quickly even though I totally see how others have binged it so quickly).

[tofee35]

Season 3 is fantastic. I like it much more than Season 2, and as much as 1. They upped the comedy and heart from S2, and dropped the focus on teenage drama a bit. While the drama is still there, it's secondary to Johnny and Daniel. In fact, I like that the teenage conflicts are happening concurrent to the adult conflicts. It seems that the series has gone like this:

Season 1: Primary Plot about Johnny and Daniel conflicts, Secondary Plot about introducing new teenage characters - Comedic Tone
Season 2: Primary Plot about teenage conflicts, secondary plot about the teenagers' impact on Daniel & Johnny - Dramatic tone
Season 3: Primary plot back to Daniel & Johnny, secondary plot about teenagers - Comedic, Dramatic, Heartwarming Tone
Season 4: Judging from the end of Season 3, it looks like all of the plot points will come together and play out with more teen/adult story-lines intermingled. I hope they keep the tone on par with S3.

I love this show for what it is. I'm looking for comedy, nostalgia, heart and over-the-top action in this show. I think they've done an amazing job bringing this franchise back to life. Season 3 brought back the heart that was lacking in S1 & 2. You could argue the Miguel/Johnny relationship is wholesome-ish, but nothing compared to the Daniel/Miyagi relationship. They really hit a homerun with the Okinawa plot line in S3.

-Tof

[KevShmev]

I do like they haven't really changed Johnny or Daniel too much.  It would have been easy to go the easy route and try to turn Johnny into a full-fledged good guy, but they are doing a good job of showing that while is still kind of a prick at heart, he at least seems to know right from wrong and tries to do the right thing...sometimes.   And Daniel was always kind of a whiny brat who really wasn't that likeable, and without Mr. Miyagi around anymore to instantly make you root for him, it is easy to not fall into the default mode of always rooting for him.

[soupytwist]

Holy shit that can't be right fact...

Thomas Ian Griffith who played Terry Silver in KK3 (and is heavely rumoured to return in CK4) is younger than Ralph Macchio!

[PetFish]

I finally got Netflix and binged this and I'm all caught up...

HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING!  I'm in disbelief at how good this is.  Totally unexpected.

- It starts off how you'd think, with Daniel being successful and Johnny being not so much and how their arcs intertwine and flip as they deal with stuff as well as each other.
- The storyline of Robbie and Miguel and their relationships with Daniel and Johnny.
- When Robbie falls to the Dark Side, it makes way more sense than Anakin's turn and doesn't feel forced or rushed at all.  It totally works.
- Kreese's backstory showing why he is the way he is.
- Johnny having things soooooooo close to being great in his life and then something ruining it at the last minute.
- All the returning characters and references to the past actually WORK and don't feel forced at all.
- Ally's return, even though small, had a major impact and wasn't just the standard cheesy fan service.
- The trip to Japan for a legitimate reason and not to just see old characters
- Chozen was awesome "NO WIFE.  NO KID."
- Komiko is still gorgeous.
- There's no black/white characters (maybe one), they all have shades of gray and are dynamic.  So great.


In a show full of awesome, Johnny is even more awesome.  All of his character moments are gold.  I love the way everything is either badass or pussy.  The little montages of stuff like when he's doing an online dating profile or how he replaces the deck in his new car with a tape deck so he can play tapes.  I especially love that he's so bad at technology:

- "Facebook is on my phone.  I chucked it."
- "It's on your laptop, too."

or

- "This laptop battery died, your stuff is garbage."
- "Did you plug it in?"

or

- "Add one of those 'hashbrown' things onto it."  (hashtag)


I was worried at first that they waited too long, Machio is friggin' SIXTY YEARS OLD.  I like how they don't waste screen time actually showing how they're learning to kick and punch and be badass and focus more on story.

I was also worried at how they can do karate brawls and bullying and anti-snowflake dialog and situations in the snowflake world we live in these days, but that also works.


If you haven't heard of The Critical Drinker on Youtube, I highly recommend you check out his stuff.  His movie and TV commentaries are spot-on.  It sounds like rage at first but then you realize the guy really knows what he's talking about.  His early accent is lame, but then he goes over-the-top with the drunk accent and it works so much better.

He did a "Drinker Recommends" on Cobra Kai:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEDwYbnqSiA (only first 2 seasons)


I have a feeling Season 4 might be it.  After Season 3 we can kind of guess how 4 will end, and then I can't really see where they can go after that.