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 May of this year before we get to see where Cobra Kai will take its characters, I want 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.
Junkyard Training
-There is something so funny, yet simultaneously off-putting, about Sensei Johnny giving the “troops” a rousing speech right after crushing another cheap beer. Really, just think if that was your instructor for real…
-I’m not sure how much destroying junkyard cars has to do with training for the All Valley, but it is good fun to watch. And all to “We’re Not Gonna Take It”!
Grandma’s Home!
-So great to see Randee Heller reprise her role as Daniel’s mother, Lucille! Unexpected, but very appreciated.
-She’s still a “mom” as she talks about Daniel like he’s still 16 years old. And a little bit of “Mom” tension there with Amanda and Lucille.
-Obviously, Sam is stuck in the middle, liking Miguel while trying not to go against her dad. Daniel’s response to Sam does lead me to wonder how many of us hold on to our viewpoints of old grudges and never allow ourselves to develop a more nuanced perspective as we grow older and (hopefully) wiser.
Not a LaRusso!
-Johnny’s trip down memory lane is interesting, to say the least. While he does have some valid points about Daniel being a bit of a hothead (then and now), his “remembrance” of the past is a bit off. It is an interesting example of the philosophy that every villain is the hero of their own story.
-Johnny also seems to have the same flawed view that Daniel and Lucille have. As far as Johnny is concerned, all LaRussos are bad and not to be trusted. No one seems to be taking a look in the mirror so far.
-Nice to see that Johnny’s headband has a history and sentimental value.
LaRusso Luxury…Drama?
-Oh, and everybody was being so nice…until Louie relays the business plan he developed with some bikers he got hammered with in Vegas. LOL!
-I love the family drama here with Amanda and Lucille going after each other, and Daniel trying to shut Louie up and be the mediator between his wife and mother.
-But THE BEST MOMENT of the whole scene is when Sam verbalizes exactly what I have been thinking the whole season so far to Anthony: “Oh my God, Anthony, you make everything worse.” THANK YOU!!!!!!
-On a related note: Sam is the best.
Family Dinner
-That was a fun scene with Johnny being put in his place by Miguel’s mother, Carmen, nicely and firmly telling him he will have dinner with them tonight.
-So funny seeing Johnny be such a fish out of water with the language and cultural differences.
-Obviously, we have a bit of a Romeo-and-Juliet thing here with Miguel and Samantha. Kind of irritating that she doesn’t just spell it out to Miguel that her father wouldn’t approve of them together, instead of casually suggesting he find another dojo and calling him her “lab partner”, leaving him to wonder why she is hiding him. If she just told Miguel straight up, then this wouldn’t be a problem. Communication matters, kids!
-A really strong scene here with Carmen telling Johnny why she fled Ecuador, in addition to how and why she has moved forward with her life. It visibly hits home for Johnny, apparently causing him to decide to clean up his apartment, and maybe his life?
Miyagi-Do Training: Daniel-San Style
-It was funny to see Robby so dumbfounded meeting Samantha for the first time. Are we going to have a love triangle here?
-Daniel is doing Miyagi-Do differently than his sensei did, but he still gets the fundamental point of what he was taught. Finding a different place to train Robby (and Sam previously) than the lake and teaching Robby about balance in his own way are good examples of this. Nothing truly stays exactly the same, but the fundamentals should always be there.
-OK, so I absolutely love the scenes of Daniel and Robby doing kata and training in gorgeous locations. Love it. However, let’s be honest about something for a minute. We all know that’s not how that actually ends up working out. At any park, there are usually other people roaming around, asking you how much longer you will be there, or just plain setting up right next to you. Hmm, maybe I just need to find THAT park.
-Tree: 1, Robby: 0
Movie Time
-Funny that Miguel, Aisha, and Hawk are all at the movies, similar to when Johnny told his story about meeting Ali for the first time. Hawk is even throwing food at a girl.
-Miguel should listen to Aisha. She’s using common sense. But that would make for boring television, right?
Balancing
-Robby has started to find his balance. Of course, his hook kick is the focus, but he’s also starting to understand the deeper lesson Daniel is trying to teach.
-Robby then sees Daniel trying to do a handstand to pull off the most powerful kick in Miyagi-Do karate, the last thing that Miyagi taught Daniel. Foreshadowing much?
Payback
-Wow, they have done a great job making Sid absolutely despicable in the limited screen time he has.
-Great moment for Johnny, not only repaying the money Sid used to “buy out” of his life but also finally being strong against Sid.
Things Get Better; Things Get Worse
-Funny how a little wine and cooking seems to have smoothed things over with Lucille and Amanda
-Robby still looks a little out of his element in a solid family environment.
-Oh boy…Miguel picked a bad time to show up. Of course, Sam had to be sitting right next to Robby.
Some Self-Reflection, and Then…
-Dinner with Miguel’s family seems to have really gotten to Johnny, showing him a better way. Him writing a letter to his son could’ve been a really good scene, but…
-Oh, Louie, what are you doing!? Why are you going after Johnny when Daniel told you to leave it alone?
-Johnny is going to want a bit of revenge now, huh?
Wrap-Up
-Overall, there was a bunch to like in this episode. Daniel teaching the fundamentals in his own way, Johnny cleaning his life up, and Lucille making an appearance.
-I really hated seeing Louie make things worse and knowing that Sam could’ve avoided what’s going to come with Miguel if she was just straight with him about her dad.
What did you think about this episode? Let me know in the comments section below!
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