Breaking Down Cobra Kai, Season 1-With Spoilers!
It is no secret that I really enjoyed the first season of Cobra Kai. I was thrilled to see that they not only brought the original characters back but also made a flat-out fantastic show! You can listen to a spoiler-free discussion I had with Sensei Jeremy Lesniak and Master Brendan Goodall over at whistlekick Martial Arts Radio to hear more.
Since we have until 2019 before we get to see where Cobra Kai will take its characters, I want to take the time to put down my thoughts on the first season as I watched the episodes. This will be a bit more of a stream-of-consciousness approach. While this will just be my thoughts as I watched the episodes, make sure you let me know what your thoughts are down in the comments section. I would love to have a conversation with you about the show and its characters. I will be posting the links to the previous reviews as new episode reviews are posted.
Previous Episode Reviews
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!!!!!
If you have not seen the episode being reviewed here, please do so and then come back to this review to get involved in the discussion.
Living The “Good Life”
-Love the set-up here, giving us a window into a day in Daniel’s seemingly perfect life. Built it all up with him being a good dad, husband, and boss, before…
-Cobra Kai, never dies! The look on Daniel’s face as his stomach sinks and the life he thought he had left behind comes crashing back in.
-Also, great, quick use of flashbacks as a way to show the audience what Daniel is thinking about when he sees the Cobra Kai sign.
Let The Training Begin
-I don’t know if it is on purpose, but I really like how both Miguel and Johnny look uncomfortable in their new roles. It’s like Miguel is a white-belt student, and Johnny is a white-belt instructor.
-I love Johnny being hilariously out of touch with today’s social and political background. Laughed out loud when he told Miguel to leave his medical problems at the door.
Running A Dojo Ain’t Easy
-So far, I really love how this show doesn’t gloss over the unattractive realities associated with things. The health inspector throwing ice-cold water on Johnny’s new dojo was wonderful. It is something I would have just accepted that Johnny did all of that to open the dojo. However, it was made so much better by this.
-I also laughed at Johnny’s reaction to the health inspector getting the snake wrong and mispronouncing the name of the school.
Country Club Livin’
-Wow. Only two minutes on screen and I really don’t like Daniel’s son, Anthony. If not Anthony, I wanted to at least chuck that tablet in the pool! Totally understand Daniel’s frustration with his son.
-Love Daniel’s wife here, seeing right through his BS.
Questionable Methods
-Hilarious that Miguel questions the karate-ness of doing all of Johnny’s electrical and cleaning work in the dojo. Reminds me of when Daniel finally had enough in the original Karate Kid.
-The “Dad” moment is really well done here. You can see how it affects Johnny.
-Also, it grinds me that Miguel’s mom doesn’t support him wanting to be able to defend himself.
UH OH! Sam’s In Trouble!
-Boy, the unapproved party at the LaRusso house takes me back to my high school years….except my house wasn’t that nice….and the party wasn’t that cool.
-Ugh, being the “responsible parent.” Been there, done that. Always sucks.
-If I was Daniel, I don’t know how many times I would need to wash all of my bathing suits before I could wear them again.
A Simpler Time
-Really hits hard in the feels here, showing how the Dojo has become the storage area and his memories of training Sam when she was younger.
-This answers my question of whether or not Daniel still trains actively.
Mending The Fence
-Wow, if I didn’t like Sam’s new friends before, I really don’t like them now! She seems to be the only one that has a conscience.
-I laughed at Daniel awkwardly trying to have a little bit of “The Talk” with Sam. I stopped laughing because I will also have to do this…damn.
New Kid In The Cafeteria
-I’ve been the new kid on the first day of school. Yeah, it’s awkward!
-I liked the tongue-in-cheek way they introduce all the important characters and poke fun at the over-used tropes many “high school movies” employ. We’ve got the “dork” table, the “rich/cool girls table”, and the “cool guy/jock” group that are the only ones that can approach the girls.
-I really like Dimitri and Eli. I am guessing Dimitri is going to be the comic relief and Eli will make things awkward with his silence?
-The director and writers are doing an excellent job of making me hate Sam’s new friends. So petty. And yet, Sam sits right there, trying to not be like them but wanting to be with them. You can’t do both sweetheart!
-OUCH! It’s A Trap! Nice try Miguel, making a move on Sam, but you can’t repel firepower of that magnitude!
Future Potential And A Past Failure?
-I loved a small detail here. Miguel’s fists are terrible when he first starts hitting the B.O.B. Good job Cobra Kai!
-Wow, can’t say I’m surprised that Johnny has a son, and is a terrible father with the way they have set his character up so far. But wow, Robby is not doing much better and that comment to Johnny cut deep!
-As an instructor, I can say that I may not say exactly what Johnny says to Miguel, but I totally dig the “visualization” tactic he used. Funny how Miguel can punch like a champ now that he has been properly focused!
Dinner With The LaRusso’s
-Ugh. Fish sticks were “dope” when I was 8 dude! Does Daniel look like the Gorton’s fisherman? Can we get Johnny to “spar” with Kyler again, please? Giggled at the subtle burn Daniel put down there with the “No, I only have the FRESH fish (read: Not crappy fish sticks!) I picked up at the market.”
-I’ll give ole’ Kyler credit though, he says pretty much all the right things to Daniel throughout….which only makes me dislike him more. I just know he is a full-blown tool!
-I like how Daniel knows what the aftermath of a fight looks like, and doesn’t buy the BS cover Kyler is selling.
-Daniel makes a bit of a leap of logic here with the “homeless guy jumped me” thing, even though that was before Johnny opened the dojo. It’s Reseda. Based on the way the show and the original movies portray it, only the poorest of the poor lives there. Totally possible that a lot of different people that could have fit Kyler’s description. I get it though, as he has a pre-loaded hate of Johnny and just saw the Cobra Kai sign in that same mini-mall recently.
Back Where We Started, 34 Years Later
-The subtle jab at Miyagi’s way of teaching Daniel was funny here with Johnny not caring how Miguel cleaned the window.
-Very interesting to see that Daniel, despite being a full-grown and successful adult, still approaches the Cobra Kai dojo with trepidation, almost scared. A small but important touch.
-I loved the interaction here. Johnny was fully accurate and truthful, but Daniel’s dislike towards Johnny and Cobra Kai, won’t allow him to consider what Johnny is saying.
-That grin on Johnny’s face as Daniel leaves is interesting. There, he looks like someone who is finally beating his opponent. With the success he had over Johnny at the tournament and the last three decades, it begs the question: Is Daniel Johnny’s bully? The way the show presents it, Johnny’s loss at the All Valley tournament was the last time he tasted success.
Wrap-Up
-This episode did a good job of catching us up to Daniel’s side of things, while also moving some plot points forward. I also liked how it pulled no punches on the less-than-glamorous side of opening and running a dojo.
-This episode did a good job of deepening some conflicts, while also setting up a couple others.
“QUIET!!!” COUNTER=3
-I laugh every time he yells it!
C’mon, talk to me Goose! Let me know what you thought of this episode. I want to hear from all of you, especially the ones who didn’t like this episode, in the comments section below.
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