Cobra Kai, a new YouTube Red series, reignites the LaRusso/Lawrence 30 year old rivalry today. Josh Heald, co-writer of Hot Tub Time Machine, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, who co-wrote the Harold and Kumar movies, created this awesome series comprising ten half-hour episodes as a canonical sequel to 1984’s The Karate Kid.
That 1984 film is foundational for Cobra Kai. It’s plot structure, (scenes from the movie are replayed in their original form in extended flashbacks), it’s characters motivations, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is still emotionaly stunted and a major-league asshole. Daniel (Macchio) is still a nice guy a little out of his depth that covers it with false bravado. There is a plethora of visual references and Easter eggs. The titular Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is now a successful Car Dealership owner. Makes perfect sense. Every customer gets a complimentary bonsai tree, a tribute to his late Senei Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) who’s absence is tangeble, if you are of an age to recall the original film, you’ll miss him as much as Daniel at times.
The 1984 All-Valley Karate Championship — where Daniel delivered the now famous crane kick and his victory over Johnny, was a pivotal moment both men share. Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) is that guy that peaked in High School, an angry, rudderless loner who drinks too much, drives his vintage Firebird blasting hair metal.
Johnny and Daniel haven’t spoken in decades. Both live in the same L.A. suburb and Johnny exists in Daniel’s shadow. Daniel’s life as a successful business owner, with commercials and advertisements plastered all over thier town is a raw nerve. It’s a constant reminder for Johnny of his humiliation. One eventful night, that mirrors Miyagi’s intro to Daniel, Johnny saves a kid from being bullied, Miguel (Parenthood’s Xolo Maridueña), and – plot twist, he becomes Miguel’s mentor, decides to change his life and reopen Cobra Kai as a strip mall dojo. There are no participation trophies at Cobra Kai. His Cobra Kai is in the same tradition of his old Sensei the merciless John Kreese (Martin Kove) delightfully evil ex-Special Forces Vietnam Veteran who coined the phrase “Sweep the Leg Johnny!” and his motto “strike first, strike hard, no mercy”, which is taught to his geeky misfit students.
“There is no pain in this dojo! NO SENSEI”
You can leave your asthma and your peanut allergies and all that other made-up bullshit outside, – Sensei Lawrence
You can guess what happens next. They cross paths, the old rivalry reignites and their children and Johnny’s students all get drawn into it.
Macchio and Zabka are a real treat. They both embrace their roles and clearly the creators are having a ball milking our nostalgic love of the original movie. “Any particular way you want me to wash these windows?” Says Miguel, “Nah, I don’t give a shit,” says Johnny true to form. Daniel however, goes out of his way to show Johnny’s son Robby (Tanner Buchanan), who works for him at the dealership, how to “wax on” and “wax off” polishing cars on the lot. The series subtext is that old truism, that deep down we really are who we were in High School. Our memories in our youth good or bad if we aren’t careful, can define us, either to empower us or limit us. Even Daniel who is by all measures a success, a nice guy and family man can’t help reliving his glory days to the detriment of his current comfortable life.
Cobra Kai’s overall message is a bit darker, nuanced and more complex than the “good guy wins underdog story” of it’s “80’s progenitor. It’s not so black and white. Johnny’s harsh, but a good karate teacher and teaches his nerdy underdog students to have pride and how to defend themselves against bullies outside of the dojo and that’s empowering, yet struggles to cultivate that pride in himself. I think he truly cares about his students but doesn’t yet share the bond between his students that Miyagi-San and Daniel did. It’s unclear that Johnny either values or really knows how to at this point.
Conversely, as Daniel is hitting his middle age crisis point, he struggles with conforming to the lessons he learned from his revered sensei. Miyagi’s way was opposite Kreese’s way, Miyagi’s way was to avoid violence and conflict whenever possible and to use karate as a way to empower ones self by finding balance and center, which adult Daniel still has a hard time with. He takes it upon himself to interfere with Johnny’s fledgling business as this self righteous champion of Karate, which I’m sure Miyagi-San wouldn’t approve of. I’d tell his smug, privileged ass to fuck off too, It’s all very “grey Jedi” which I’m digging immensely!
I LOVE Cobra Kai and I’m hoping it gets a second season! (Any chance of an Elizabeth Shue cameo?) You can watch every episode of season one now on You Tube Red! Here’s the first episode! You’re welcome. I love you too Geek nation!
P.S. – I’m curious to know, what other “80’s films deserve this treatment? How about Breakfast Club? I’d be down for that! Leave your requests in the comments!
Cover Art – Wiki – Art Credit – You Tube / Wiki