'Cobra Kai': No Mercy After 34 Years

Hello, and welcome back to Second Chances.

Now, normally this column is about giving another shot to a piece of pop culture that was maligned or forgotten the first time around. However, this time, it's the subject itself that is taking a second chance. That is a big trend lately with reboots and unexpected sequels to nostalgic favorites popping up all over the place. A lot of them revolve around new generations of characters as shown with movies like Creed which has Rocky Balboa training a new boxer and TV shows like Fuller House which largely recycles the premise of its parent series. While the nostalgic reboots have mostly ranged from "fun but pointless" to "annoying and pointless," the biggest, most pleasant surprise came not from the theaters or TV but from the mostly ignored YouTube Red subscription service. Cobra Kai kicks the Karate Kid franchise back into the spotlight and was one of the best binge-watching experiences I had in a long time.

This series picks up 34 years after one of the most famous final kicks in movie history. Daniel LaRusso (played once again by Ralph Macchio) had grown up to be a successful car dealer with a loving family, though he misses the wisdom of his mentor, the late Mr. Miyagi. Meanwhile, Johnny Lawrence (played again by William Zabka) had become down on his luck, separated from his wife and son, doing whatever menial work would pay for his next case of Coors. One night, after fending off some kids who were bullying his new next door neighbor Miguel, Johnny decides to get his life back in order by re-establishing the Cobra Kai dojo. However, it doesn't take long for Daniel and Johnny's old rivalry to heat back up.

The problem with too many nostalgic reboots is that they bank too much on the nostalgia. While Cobra Kai does have some call-backs to the original film trilogy (wisely ignoring The Next Karate Kid), it goes in a completely different direction. Johnny is not the same kind of sensei that Kreese (Martin Kove) was in the films. He shows genuine concern for Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) and the other bullied kids that become his students. While his methods can be tough, his goal is always to strengthen the kids so they can stand up for themselves. The biggest surprise is how much of a jerk Daniel is in the first few episodes. He gloats over his teenage victory over Johnny and even resorts to underhanded methods to try to shut down Cobra Kai. He starts the series as a worse bully than Johnny was in the first movie. Thankfully, he does improve as he picks up a new student of his own, Johnny's son Robby (Tanner Buchanan).

The performances all around are excellent. Daniel and Johnny have grown from students to teachers but are still undeniably them. Ralph Macchio and William Zabka have excellent chemistry. It's a shame they don't get that many scenes together. One of the best moments is a scene where they reminisce about their mutual ex-girlfriend Ali over drinks. Johnny being out of touch with technology (not even knowing what Facebook is) provides plenty of great jokes. The students are also excellent all around. You really feel for Miguel and Robby as they visibly grow due to their senseis' teachings. I also liked Mary Mouser who plays Daniel's daughter Sam. She often serves as the buffer between the two dojos, and I predict her role will increase next season. The fights are energized and shot well without seeming super-human like what tended to happen in the Karate Kid movie with Jackie Chan.

Cobra Kai is one of the best new shows I had seen. Unlike other reboots that try too hard to cash in on the warm and fuzzy feelings of nostalgia, this show builds onto the original films to tell new stories. This is a show that can be enjoyed even by those who didn't grow up with the original films as the stories and characters stand wonderfully on their own. YouTube Red provides more than just ad-free music videos now, and this is easily the best argument for subscribing. Just be careful with your crane kicks. :-D

What do you think? Anything else that deserves a second chance? Let me know, and take care!