Seven years ago, Cobra Kai premiered on YouTube. It was a risky move as the streaming service wasn’t known as well for original content as much as Netflix or Hulu. But its popularity and creativity managed to survive more than just pop culture memories from Gen Xers.
As a matter of fact, it has been one of the few legacy mediums to satisfy long-time fans while drawing in a new batch of fans. Very few movies and TV shows have been successful in this realm. And considering it was developed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who had given us the Harold and Kumar trilogy so it was a big gamble to make.
Six seasons later, the series has officially ended after switching over to Netflix after the first two seasons. But what the series has done well is to show how Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) have officially buried the hatchet becoming friends and even family.
What the series has done is to give some type of justice to Johnny who was last seen being hassled by his former sensi John Kreese (Martin Kove) for coming in second at the All-Valley Karate Tournament. Daniel may have grown up but Johnny hasn’t. Given more of a past than Karate Kid writer Robert Mark Kamen and director John G. Avildsen allowed, Johnny’s bullish behavior is more explained even though not excused.
The final five episodes of season six dropped last month and it picks up about a month after the Sekai Taikai was ended following the death of Kwon Jae-Sung (Brandon H. Lee) who was fatally stabbed in an accident. The trauma has shaken Daniel as he doesn’t want to continue with the martial arts. Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) manages to intimidate the organizers to resume the tournament. Johnny is for it but Daniel isn’t but relents.
At the same time, Johnny’s son, Robby Keene (Tanner Buchanan) is having a hard time trying to get into college. And Johnny himself realizes he wants to marry his girlfriend, Carmen Diaz (Vanessa Rubio), as she’s pregnant with their child and almost about to give birth.
There’s a lot to explain as we watch several subplots as Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumuto) has to come to grips with his long-time love of Kumiko (Tamryn Tomita) and Tory Nichols (Peyton List) is still grieving the death of her mother as she tries to rekindle the relationship with Robby. What’s fascinating about the series is how the introduction of the younger characters along with Daniel’s daughter, Samantha (Mary Mouser), and Carmen’s son, Miguel (Xolo Mariduena), were so well written along with the performances of the actors.
I had some issues with how quickly Miguel recovered from his back injury which probably would’ve left him at least with a permanent disability. And Daniel’s wife, Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) and their son, Anthony (Griffin Santopietro), seem to disappear as background extras for some time. Also, the reintroduction of Chozen and Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) seemed to whitewash how more vicious they were in the second and third movie respectively.
Granted, Johnny and the other Cobra Kai students were volatile toward Daniel, but their actions were just behavior of high school bullies. It did turn violent but I don’t think they would’ve went too far. Chozen wanted to kill Daniel and even threaten Kumiko’s life so it’s only logical she wouldn’t return his affection the same way. And Mike practically was willing to let Daniel fall to his death off a cliff. This isn’t the behavior of stupid young men with raging hormones. Chozen and Mike were borderline psychopaths.
I can understand they may have grown up some over the decades but you have to wonder how Daniel would be apprehensive about being around them. But it seems the series’ points the blame mostly (and rightfully) on Kreese and Silver who used the young fragile minds of the youth to do their dirty work. As for the former Vietnam vet buddies turned enemies, I won’t divulge what happens to them, but they both get their just desserts after all these years.
For the most part, the series did a good balancing act between the older characters and the newer one. I know there was rumors that Hillary Swank would play Tory’s mother, but I’m glad it didn’t happen. The use of Robyn Lively as Jessica Andrews and Elisabeth Shue as Ali Mills was perfectly used sparingly as well as Tomita. If people buy tickets to the rock group’s latest tour, they don’t want to hear just the new stuff, but you can’t just give them the old stuff. I mean, even Billy Joel can’t just perform “Piano Man” over and over for an hour.
One thing I noticed as the series when from YouTube to Netflix, it seemed to fit the Netflix Aesthetic where a lot of scenes took place indoors while exterior doors were in mostly open areas where they wouldn’t have to buy too many permits or traffic control. Also, since the series was mostly filmed in Georgia, it resorted to some issues I have with the Georgia Film Commission where scenes look more like they’re being filmed for the Georgia Wildlife and Tourism Council. It’s obvious in many scenes that the series may be set in San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, it was filmed in the metro Atlanta area and surrounding communities.
I mean, there were several episodes where it was obviously the Fall season in northern Georgia. I don’t think it gets that green nor does it have those Fall seasons even in the Valley. Remember Chinatown? L.A. was basically a desert. But despite that, movies that are set in outer space aren’t really filmed in outer space.
Macchio will appear as Daniel in the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends, which somehow combines the 2010 Karate Kid remake with Jackie Chan as Mr. Han. However, the LaRusso/Lawrence saga has officially ended as the people behind Cobra Kai admit six seasons is enough. And they’re not falling into the same problems with Stranger Things as the teenagers are played by actors well into their 20s and look it. The six season, which was broken up into three 5-episode parts, could’ve very easily been just 10 episodes like the previous seasons.
But I think those extra episodes were needed to wrap things up a little better. And while most TV series, even the best and most popular, never fully satisfy the viewers, this is a very fitting end altogether.
What do you think? Please comment.
Zane Says 