Cobra Kai -

[Lunatic Fringe]

I had a friend recommend this series to me even after I told them I had never seen the original film (still haven't). I probably missed a ton of references but I did get a few from general pop culture.

I really, really enjoyed the first series and after seeing the trailer for series 2 I'm really looking forward to see where they go. From the looks of things they're creating a great story arc that's original and while I gives nods to the film again, they're not just playing on nostalgia or being smug and self referential.

I'd like to see more nostalgia media get this sort of stuff right. If they feel they REALLY the need to come back/reboot could they at least think carefully about why and what they think they can add?

 

[Zaryiu]

I read aboutit, my opinion of Johnny and Daniel Karate Kid 1 (i watched it actually for the first time 1 or two months ago so i still remember it well) is both are troubled kids that both had moment where they had moments they acted badly (I still think Johnny was worseof the two because while Daniel did antagonize Johnny he did not go as far as make it physical like the scene with driving Daniel off a hill or beat him up in a way that might have killed Daniel if Mr Miyagy didn't save him) but like i said in KK1 Daniel did bad things too. I'll give it a try

 

[UnKillShredDur]

I watched the (free) first episode of the second season... And damn it, I'm half-tempted to pay for more. I really don't even understand why I like this show so much, I don't think I've even seen one of the movies all the way through. I really want to root for Johnny, and Daniel really seems like a tool.

 

[Kyria the Great]

I watched the (free) first episode of the second season... And damn it, I'm half-tempted to pay for more. I really don't even understand why I like this show so much, I don't think I've even seen one of the movies all the way through. I really want to root for Johnny, and Daniel really seems like a tool.

Well I guess it helps to have two of the original actors to have an actual invested interest in how they want the series to go, especially with there characters. It is also great that even though we have new children to learn the ways of karate, the core conflict is still with Johnny and Daniel as it should be.

 

[RumblyTumbly]

I watched Season 1 and I was really impressed with it.

Glad to hear that Season 2 is good too. I have to check it out.

 

[frozenrunner]

I haven't seen the second season yet, but I absolutely adored the first season. One of the best things I've seen in a long time, actually. It's creative, less than predictable, endearing, very funny, and just as cheesy as it should be.

It was the perfect way to bring back an old franchise I didn't know I wanted back. The entire cast and crew should be proud of themselves, especially the writers.

 

[samuraicrack]

Anyone know a good place I can watch all the episodes? No fucking way I’m getting a YouTube Red account.

 

[UnKillShredDur]

Season 2 was alright, but I'd call it a downgrade compared to the first...

Spoiler

And not even because of the major downer ending with Miguel and all, I'm actually kind of digging how the season ended, and can't wait to see what happens next.. And the last scene with Johnny on the beach was perfect... Anyway, some random thoughts:

-Multiple times throughout this season (and I guess it happened throughout the first as well, but it bugged me more this time.) people just did random AF shit, usually turning on Johnny, only because the script said they did. The worst offender of this for me this season was when half of Cobra Kai just up and switched to Miyagi-Do (Literally because Daniel came into the Cobra Kai dojo bitching about something that wasn't Johnny's fault, also disrespecting it, and Johnny *didn't* kick his ass. Even worse, this broke up at least 3 pairs of supposedly close friends [Hawk and Dimitri {this one was deserved.}, "Bebop" and "Rocksteady", and the two scrawny nerds whose names I don't remember.])

-Johnny is on my short list for being one of the best fictional characters of all time. I loved him, in 2019, having no clue how to use a smart phone or even an old AF basic computer (And the scenes of him learning about the internet this season were the best.) Also him giving no fucks about political correctness has always been my one of my favorite things about this show.

-Dimitri is a piece of shit. I don't even like Hawk, especially after this season, and I still supported him in trying to kick Dimitri's ass.

-I wanted to like Tory a lot more, especially because I thought Sam was terrible in the first season (and she didn't really get much better here). But yeah, stupid rich bitch > freaking psychotic bitch. It didn't help that Tory's nose was fucking wonky. They were both awful.

-Most(?, I didn't see Aisha, Stingray, and probably others who didn't matter much, training with Kreese in the finale) of Cobra Kai turning on Johnny at the end could have actually been a neat idea... But the show did fuck all to set that up. The only excuse given was that Johnny failed them by teaching mercy- Only, the way that crazy AF school fight in the finale was shot made me seriously question how the rest of Cobra Kai even *knew* that Miguel tried to show Robby mercy. -They just would have seen Miguel being kicked over a ledge. (Incidentally, fuck Robby. I didn't like him in the first season, and I hate him now.) This season would have benefited greatly from actual instances where Johnny steered his class wrong. As it is, most of his class decided to turn on the dude who led them to a championship for a loser hobo.
(Semi-Related, I was also questioning how an unemployed geriatric hobo like Kreese was even able to find the money to take over the rent for the dojo from the landlord, even if Johnny only had a "handshake deal" with him, and said landlord hated him. Kreese would still n eed money, which he clearly didn't have.)

-Miguel's mom is a bitch, and I hope she gets called out for it, because her reaction in the finale was fucking dumb. She already had the whole, "Fighting is bad and I don't want my son doing it" arc in the first season. The fact that she went back to that thought, over something entirely different from what even Cobra Kai was even teaching, really just ties into the "people randomly turn on Johnny for the dumbest shit" theory.

-Daniel's son was one of the best characters in the first season (I said it before, and I'll say it again, if he was real and a little bit older, he would totally have an account here on the farms.) and he was barely a cameo this season. Bad form.

-SO many people should have gone to jail this season. So many...

-Hawk became a fucking asshole (he had obviously already started to become one last season...) This was a totally organic evolution of his character, I actually bought *him* turning on Johnny.

-Daniel is still a tool, but like the first season, I liked the episodes where Johnny and Daniel were getting along the best.

-I'll probably think of more things later, what do you all think?

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

just finished season two. not as good as season one but it had some really good moments. a bit too much romance drama for my taste but the final fight(s) where amazing. minus the ending.

 

[UnKillShredDur]

I'm re-watching this from the beginning.

Second episode of Season 1, and I'm laughing at the dumbass Asian boyfriend of Daniel's daughter, (who deservedly got the shit kicked out of him by Johnny in the first episode).
"I don't like Sushi," he says. Well, you're clearly an idiot then.

Later, Miguel says, "Is there any particular way you want me to wash these windows?" And then Johnny says, "No, I don't give a shit."
Forget what I previously said abut not seeing the Karate Kid movies, I have since seen the first 2 Karate Kid movies, and I get the reference, That's fucking hilarious.

I love this show so much... Please don't fuck things up in Season 3 Youtube...

 

[UnKillShredDur]

Maybe nobody else likes this... But pretty much every other show that I have ever loved before has turned to utter shit in "the current year".

Cobra Kai is now the *only* "new" version of something old that actually got me to like 'The original'... before I had even seen it... Every other "new" iteration even of shows I used to like love... i.e. Star Trek, Star Wars, nu Doctor Who, etc, are all fucking terrible now. But I really hope this show continues to stay good.

 

[Gravityqueen4life]

i know how it feels. watching something you love getting turned, twisted and finally shit out. worse, is people either defending it or calling you a "hater" or a "poser" for not consuming the next product. i still have high hopes for season 3 even with its shit ending.

 

[Overly Serious]

Holy Fucking Shit!

I really enjoyed Season One but for work and life reasons I only got four episodes into Season Two until this thread prompted me to make the time to watch the rest of it and Holy Fucking Shit that was amazing! I love the depth of it, the uncertainty, the way thematically there's something just on the edge of perception that you can't easily analyze but symbolically just works between them and the second generation. It's like some sort of much more nuanced version of Jedi vs. Sith.

But enough vague crap - I have to talk about those final two episodes:

Spoiler

The restaurant scene where Danny and Johnny double date is great. I like seeing how they can actually get on despite being so different. And in the final episode first we get a few moments of Johnny and Danny fighting which is so good and so brief. But turns out to only be the starter. At the party before we thought we were going to get a fight between the rival dojos then the cops showing up whipped it away from under our noses. They heightened the audience's appetite but even so, I was not prepared for how fucking amazing that running school battle was. Seriously, it was just incredible. The kids must have been rehearsing their fight scenes for weeks preparing for that. Was chaotic and fund and nerve-wracking. Also fuck Robbie. He lost. And then pulled an "illegal move". A weird and perfect mirror of Danny being beaten by Johnny and then sucker-kicking him without honour in the original tournament years ago.

Just, fucking Hell - that was some of the best TV out there. It doesn't have the budget or the special effects or the marketing or the expensive camera tracking and you know what? It's better for it - it feels real, the characters feel real and you know what? I really care about them.

Fucking Hell - I love this show. And man, that last scene!

 

[UnKillShredDur]

I'm not sure who in this show I actually hate the second most... Dimitri or Tori (I'm leaning towards Dimitri halfway through re-watching season 2, but I remember I hated the crazy bitch a lot more by the end of the season...). Either way though, Robbie is still clearly the fucking worst.

 

[Billy "the Bot" Bobson]

Show's now on netflix, along with the first three Karate Kid movies. Very enjoyable to watch so far. It's incredibly frustrating the way they write the characters that matter. I find my eyes glaze over anytime any of the girls barring Aisha is on screen. A part of me wants it to end at three seasons, with Daniel and Johnny (and possibly Johnny's buddies) setting aside differences and training together to create a new, better Karate to take down Kreese and, inevitably, Silver. Probably Louie too, but the show's been well-written enough that I hope they do something else with him. They need to work in some more of Karate Kid 2 though, like Chozen, Yukie, Sato, and Kumiko, but I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a fourth season, like qualifying for an international Karate Tournament against Chozens Dojo.

 

[horrorfan89]

Show's now on netflix, along with the first three Karate Kid movies. Very enjoyable to watch so far. It's incredibly frustrating the way they write the characters that matter. I find my eyes glaze over anytime any of the girls barring Aisha is on screen. A part of me wants it to end at three seasons, with Daniel and Johnny (and possibly Johnny's buddies) setting aside differences and training together to create a new, better Karate to take down Kreese and, inevitably, Silver. Probably Louie too, but the show's been well-written enough that I hope they do something else with him. They need to work in some more of Karate Kid 2 though, like Chozen, Yukie, Sato, and Kumiko, but I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a fourth season, like qualifying for an international Karate Tournament against Chozens Dojo.

I just hope being on Netflix won't kill the writing, the show had a lot of creative freedom on YouTube despite still being a licensed spinoff to an 80s film series. I know Netflix says they don't interfere with people's content and very indoe friendly but ..yeah the same company gave us big mouth, the magic school bus rides again, and soon to bring us cuties this month

 

[Billy "the Bot" Bobson]

I just hope being on Netflix won't kill the writing, the show had a lot of creative freedom on YouTube despite still being a licensed spinoff to an 80s film series. I know Netflix says they don't interfere with people's content and very indoe friendly but ..yeah the same company gave us big mouth, the magic school bus rides again, and soon to bring us cuties this month

I actually read a little into it. It seems that Season 3 had already been filmed by Spring 2020, well before the Netflix acquisition. It's going to be centered partially in Okinawa and will actually reintroduce Chozen. If there is a season 4, I don't think Netflix will have a lot of sway over what will be filmed, only because it's a Sony production.

 

[Invisible Crane]

I actually read a little into it. It seems that Season 3 had already been filmed by Spring 2020, well before the Netflix acquisition. It's going to be centered partially in Okinawa and will actually reintroduce Chozen. If there is a season 4, I don't think Netflix will have a lot of sway over what will be filmed, only because it's a Sony production.

Hey, Big Mouth is actually good if you watch past the trailers

 

[RumblyTumbly]

I can't wait to see how they get out of that ending to Season 2.

I mean shit...all those kids are going to be expelled, right?

 

[horrorfan89]

Hey, Big Mouth is actually good if you watch past the trailers

Yes because the show that thought putting eyes on vaginas and have them talk and a 13 year old dumping his accumulated jizz socks in a dumpster would be comedy gold is just dripping with quality.