Breaking Down Cobra Kai, Season 1-With Spoilers!
Authors note: I apologize for my delay in getting this one up, but I will be finishing them all before season 2 premieres!
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 May of this year 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.
Previous Episode Reviews
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.
Up To No Good
-Opening the episode thinking that Robby actually has a responsible job and all. NOPE! Just another con to steal unsuspecting peoples tech.
-“Password” lol!
-Was that a small moment of conscience Robby had there when he realized that they were going to take money from three buyers but only give the laptop to one?
-Yeah, Robby definitely has some “dad” issues huh?
The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams…With Lots Of Beer
-This is probably the lowest we’ve seen Johnny so far, flashing back to when he brought a beaten Miguel home.
-9 out of 10 studies state that being drunk can lead to really bad ideas… especially when you are looking at a larger-than-life portrait of your enemy.
-Beer for spray paint? Depends on the quality of both I’d say.
Icy Conditions At The Larusso Household
-Sam is juuuuuuust a little bit salty about Daniel humiliating her with Kyler last night.
-Anthony is cued up again for a pointless single line that doesn’t add anything… at all.
The Looong Drive To Work
-Remember when Johnny was drunk and trading beer for spray paint? Yeah, so about that…
-Look! Up there in the sky! It’s a banana! it’s a smoked sausage! It’s… it’s… Daniel’s “slightly” altered billboard!
-I continue to think that Amanda might just be one of the best parts of the show! She is so quick with those new taglines for the marketing department LOL!
Wounded
-I get why Miguel’s mom is not happy and wants him to stop training with Johnny. His grandma is the best though!
-Aaaaand cue the “Great Man”, Sensei Lawrence… on the floor… passed out.
-Bonding on the Colorado River? That’s a new one. +1 point for originality to Robby.
-Touching moment between teacher and student. Both are wounded, but for Johnny, the wounds are emotional.
Fallout From The Dance
-The show doesn’t pull any punches about just how brutal teenagers can be. Aisha is in her own hell after the “piggy” video that Yasmine made and shared on social media.
-Seeing Sam try to be a good friend to Aisha is nice, but she is also friends with her bullies. That usually doesn’t work out.
-Ugh, more fakeness from Kyler. Kyler is so full of it, I think I’ll need to get my knee-high boots on.
Sausage Fest!
-Apparently, Daniel’s competition did, in fact, see the billboard. So nice of him to order lunch for Daniel’s dealership!
-Love the feeling that Daniel just can get a break today with all the things going wrong…and his top two people are doing a terrible job of covering Johnny’s “artwork”.
-Unlike Anthony, Louie and Annoush do provide good comic relief for the show.
Father/Son Time
-While there was some funny back-and-forth between Johnny and Robby’s “jackhole” friends, it quickly got serious.
-Watching Johnny try to talk to Robby is like trying to get oil to mix with water. Rough stuff here and Robby is brutal with his comments to his dad.
-Interesting how both Daniel and Johnny are having different, but equally bad days.
More Bullying
-I really like Demetri for the comic relief he provides in his scenes. Eli’s comment speaks to someone who sees the positives in the confidence Miguel was building with training.
-More bullying from Kyler and his goons. All too common in the real world.
-Uh oh! Sam finally gets to see who Kyler really is. YES! YES! YES! About damn time!
-The interaction between Miguel and his mom is so accurate. When a kid is getting bullied, those feelings of powerlessness, despair, and worthlessness seep into every other facet of their life. Even when she offers to let him do something that always used to make him happy(M&M’s in the popcorn), he would rather just go home and be miserable. That is exactly how a bullied kid would act.
Business Strategizing
-“Karate Gimmick”. Ugh, I get that one. Many non-martial artists think what we do is like “dress-up” or “play-acting”. Daniel is really hurt that people think the karate and bonsai trees are a gimmick.
-Lol, the Tom Cole ad is so typically local-car-dealer-cheesy. And stealing/copying Daniel’s “gimmick”.
Happy Hour With The Ex
-Wow, the bar scene with Johnny and his ex, Shannon, is both hilarious and revealing. Once they get past talking about how bad of a parent the other is, they both reveal their exhaustion with Robby.
-Love the “no do-overs” line though. Cut right to the bone on Johnny.
-Johnny’s “helpful tips” for the accountant Shannon is with are truly laugh-out-loud stuff, and he takes them!
Cole’s on Van Nuys
-Ugh. How many of us have heard the disparaging and demeaning comments about our martial arts training? Unfortunately, there is something there though. Between the “gimmick” comment earlier, and now Tom Cole, Daniel is looking pretty wounded with these remarks. Are they hitting home because he hasn’t kept up his training?
-Well, well, well! Daniel might not have too much rust to knock off as that reverse crescent kick looked pretty decent. Yeah, I’d be smiling too.
Getting Too Fresh At The Movies
-I’ve only got one thing to say here: It’s about damn time!
-Ok, two things: Samantha looked pretty sharp there breaking his grip and shoving him back in his seat.
Fathers and Sons
-Good scene here with Johnny watching a father and son have a sweet moment together. It visibly unsettles Johnny.
-Whoa, I originally thought Johnny was making an appeal to Robby’s mom, but it was Miguel’s. That was strong though.
Breakfast, Take Number Two?
-Again, Anthony blesses the viewers with his presence. Wow, he annoys the crap out of me. Still wondering when, or if, he is going to “pay off” in the show.
-Yeah, parents do tend to look relieved when troublesome friends or significant others are no longer in the picture.
Things Are Looking Up…Until
-Miguel is back training, and Johnny is going to step it up this time. And Daniel is feeling good with his take-down of Cole and his re-painted billboard.
-But then…Daniel finds out that Johnny was the person responsible.
Wrap Up
-Again, another great episode. These feel so much longer than 25-35 minutes, but in the best possible way.
-This episode was jam-packed with honest emotional responses from the characters, and good character building. Also left a really good set-up for the next episode.
“QUIET!!!” Counter-0
(Please, bring it back!)
Let me know what you thought about this episode. Did it hit you hard with the emotional stuff, or did it hit your funny bone? Let it all out in the comments section below.
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I was looking to see if he really did the kick to knock the cup out of the guys hand…looks like he did!
I love the show so far but it’s made me almost cry quite a few times.