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 2019 before we get to see where Cobra Kai will take its characters, I want to take the time 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.
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.
Ace Degenerate: Johnny Is Back!
-I really loved the show opening by taking us all back to that fateful All Valley Tournament 34 years ago. I thought it was fantastic showing us some of the unused footage they filmed from different angles. It is a great primer for the Johnny Lawrence you about to be introduced to.
-Johnny has not done well for himself, to say the least. He is a washed-out guy doing handyman odd-jobs to make enough money to buy more beer. He lives in a dumpy apartment and goes to bed in a drunken haze each night. The implication is that this all stems back from his loss to Daniel in the All Valley Tournament in 1984.
-In so many ways, Johnny is still in 1984. He is a walking, talking billboard for the mid-eighties. Johnny is not politically correct at all and literally says what’s on his mind with no filter. He also drives an old red Pontiac Firebird to boot! Not exactly the car the girls go crazy for anymore.
-Of course, his lack of a brain-mouth filter ends up getting himself fired from his handyman job. Ouch.
LaRusso Is Larger Than Life For Johnny
-It’s very obvious Johnny still hates Daniel and is jealous of his success. Johnny is forced to see billboards reminding him constantly not only of his loss to Daniel, but also Daniel’s success in life as a luxury car dealer.
Bullying Is Still A Thing, Duh
-I really liked how the show pulled no punches with how they portrayed Miguel getting bullied. I also liked the fact that there was a prime bully, Kyler, but he is always surrounded by his friends. Because, you know, bullies never want to actually take the chance of getting beat up themselves. The bullies calling Miguel a humiliating nickname and using group intimidation tactics was well done, too.
Johnny’s Still Got It……Sort Of
-As Miguel is getting beat up, Johnny decides he has had enough and gets up to rescue……his car! I really liked the fight scene here as it shows Johnny still knows his stuff, but he is very out of shape. Just like the rest of us who have taken time away from training. So funny when he pulled his groin trying to make a flashy kick! Johnny handled the bullies but took his shots, too.
-Of course, the cops throw Johnny in the slammer despite it being painfully obvious that it was 4 against 1 and Miguel vouching for him. Man, Johnny can’t get a break.
-He gets out and Miguel is waiting, wanting him to teach him. Johnny shuts him down.
Daddy Issues
-Ahhh, the plot thickens for Johnny as we see that he has a real piece of work for a step-father. Sid basically throws money at Johnny to rid himself of him. Johnny won’t accept the money simply because he hates his step-father.
-Johnny proceeds to drink himself to sleep while watching Iron Eagle. He is then violently broken from his trance during the motivational speech Chappy is giving with a commercial for LaRusso Motors!
-I love the cheesiness of Daniel’s car dealership commercial! It made me laugh because it reminds me of how cheesy some of the car dealer commercials I see daily are.
Driving A Firebird Down Memory Boulevard
-Johnny is driving and reminiscing about the old days (via wonderful flashbacks) while being incredibly drunk. The drive down the boulevard of broken dreams ends at the site of the All Valley Tournament. It ends with the flashback of Sensei Kreese choking him out in the parking lot after losing to Daniel.
-Johnny’s car, which was parked half on the road was plowed into by an SUV driven by some girls texting and driving. Johnny scares the crap out of the girls and they speed away.
-The tow truck driver picks up Johnny’s car and gives him the contact info for the body shop, which is (drumroll please!………………….)
LaRusso Motors!
-Yeah, Johnny tries to get in and out of there looking like the Unabomber. Not so fast there! He is confronted by Daniel who seems to have let bygones be bygones. Daniel comes across as a bit pompous initially when his employees were around but really tries to do Johnny a solid by fixing his car for free.
-Any grudging appreciation Johnny may have had for Daniel evaporated like water in the desert when he saw Daniel hug his daughter, the same girl in the backseat of the SUV that plowed into his car.
A Moment Of Clarity
-By mentioning Cobra Kai, Daniel inadvertently reminded Johnny of a time when he felt whole and strong; when he had power and control in life.
-Johnny physically dropped that Bonsai Tree in the same way he is mentally dropping the crappy life he has been living since the All Valley defeat.
-He gets Miguel on board as a student, digs out that torn check from Sid, and opens the Cobra Kai dojo! Goosebumps when Johnny ties on his headband he wore in the first movie!
Minor Mentionables
-It’s small but Youtube put a kicking karate-ka icon in the progress bar for the show
-Youtube also has a little “wax on, wax off” reference that plays in the lower right corner when you pause the show.
-The soundtrack is fantastic, as is the callbacks to other things from the 80’s like Iron Eagle.
Wrap-Up
Wow. Just Wow. What a way to set a tone! In less than thirty minutes they not only re-introduced these characters after 34 years but also gave us a compelling reason to care. I really don’t know if they could have come out of the gate any better!
Episode 1: “Ace Degenerate”- 10/10.
What do you think? Am I drinking the Kool-Aid, or right on the bullseye? Tell me either way in the comments section below!
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