What a ride! When you thought Cobra Kai couldn’t get any better from its first and second season, the show went and made a great thing greater. Fans of the first two seasons will enjoy the third season even more. While it’s still a Sony series, the purchase of the distribution rights by Netflix and their oversight has been a boon for the series.
If you missed the first two reviews of seasons one and two, get caught up and check them out below!
Cobra Kai Season 1 Review
Originally I was writing reviews for each episode of my new favorite show, Cobra Kai. That became too daunting and I would not have finished it before the new season came out. I opted to binge a season and write about it instead. So, here’s season one’s review of Cobra Kai! Cobra Kai Redeeming the…
Cobra Kai Season 2 Review
Season 2 of Cobra Kai is here. Let’s take a moment and review the awesome follow up season.
Bear in mind, there will be spoilers for seasons one and two of Cobra Kai. Season three will have some minor spoilers, but won’t ruin the show or any twists. Reader beware.
Season 3 of Cobra Kai takes off from the end of season 2. Miguel is paralyzed from his fall at the end of season 2 and is part of the driving force of his character development in the third season. Johnny Lawrence, too, grows from this, at first feeling responsible for his injury. The two have to embark on the journey to make a mends with their demons and work together to make this situation better.
Daniel LaRusso has his own struggles as well. With a struggling business, LaRusso is forced to go back to Okinawa, Japan and relive some of the old times he spent there with Mr. Miyagi. The series does a good job not resting on the laurels of the original Karate Kid movie and brings in some unexpected characters back into the mix that we’ve not heard from for years.
Then there’s Krease, who is the bad guy of the film. Krease has taken back the Cobra Kai dojo name and commandeered some of Johnny’s students, leading them down the wrong path. Krease constantly puts Lawrence and LaRusso at odds, using the classic divide and conquer method from The Art of War. But, not all is evil with Krease. We see how he became what he is. An ex-military that was abused and tortured during his time in Vietnam. The legend of Mr. Miyagi is a big part of the series and season 3 of Cobra Kai makes that even more so.
Cobra Kai Season 3: The Good and The Bad
Season three of Cobra Kai takes what the first two seasons did well and amplified it. There is tons of fan services which works well in a franchise like The Karate Kid. If you watched the original movies (plural, with an “s”), you’ll love all the call backs and similarities between Cobra Kai and the original movies. I half expected Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker to show up from the 2010 film. I’m sure with the popularity of the show on the rise, it will happen at some point.
The fighting was top notch as well. The choreography was fantastic and was stepped up a notch in season three, more of Netflix’s oversight I’m assuming. The moving from YouTube to Netflix really has stepped up the show in a good way. The story writing has improved as well. All of this is good for the show.
There isn’t really much to complain about in the show. Some of the moments were a bit over the top, especially in the dojo rivalry between Lawrence, LaRusso, and Krease. There also is a scene where some of the antagonists have a snake, calling it a cobra, and it’s very obviously not a cobra. But, suspension of disbelief is already necessary for the show regardless.
One other complaint for Cobra Kai to this point: season four is so far away. The show does a good job setting up the next season with a new storyline that will be familiar but fresh at the same time. Seriously though, season four, where are you?
Season three of Cobra Kai is out now and available for streaming on Netflix.
Double Hammerfist 