Cobra Kai is Silly (and That’s Okay)

In this age of modern media, many action shows and movies are required to be “hyperrealistic” to appeal to worldwide audiences. But once again, Netflix’s “Cobra Kai” proves that camp, or theatrics, can coexist with a thrilling, gut-wrenching story.

“Cobra Kai” is a dramedy television series that serves as a sequel to the renowned “Karate Kid” trilogy (1984-1989), a franchise following Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) as he evolves from a bullied high school student to the All-Valley Karate Champion with the help of his karate teacher, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). The show follows Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as a washed-up, alcoholic loner at the start, differing from his antagonistic role in the first movie of the franchise. Persuaded by bullied high school student Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), Johnny decides to reopen the Cobra Kai karate dojo. This reestablishes a feud with bitter enemy Daniel LaRusso, who opens the Miyagi-Do dojo in retaliation. Much has changed since the inaugural season; notable is the return of “Karate Kid” franchise antagonists John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) and their gained control over the Cobra Kai dojo. This forces Johnny to start anew with another dojo, Eagle Fang. Season five commences with Miyagi-Do Karate and Eagle Fang shutting down after losing the All-Valley Dojo Championship to Cobra Kai, now run by Silver, who plans on expanding Cobra Kai globally to teach teenagers his harsh fighting methods.

While the show was consistently enjoyable throughout the previous four seasons, the later seasons were often repetitive and tedious. However, season five revives the early energy of the show by escalating Silver’s schemes, raising the stakes and allowing the return of many beloved characters in the “Karate Kid” mythos, such as Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto), Daniel’s foe-turned-friend. Season five’s intensity also brings unique character progression opportunities for those whose development stagnated in previous seasons.

“Cobra Kai”s martial arts scenes are a high point of every season, and it’s no different in season five. From one-man-army takedowns by Chozen, opposing dojo qualifying matches, and an emotional brawl between Johnny’s biological son Robby (Tanner Buchanan) and Miguel, the season was packed with jaw-dropping moments. Similarly, the finale is stuffed with glass-shattering action, including a brutal brawl between Chozen and Silver and an endgame-sized war within the Cobra Kai dojo. The fight inside the dojo was perfectly captured by the show’s camera techniques, which filmed bodies jumping in and out of shots to create a sense of mayhem and chaos. The finale’s climax is especially satisfying, consisting of a cathartic final battle between Daniel and Silver, in which Daniel confronts the mental torment he suffered through as a teenager and adult.

Arguably, the show’s greatest asset is its writing. The series concept is very camp, and the writers do not shy away from that fact. Evidently, the idea of two rival karate gangs terrorizing an entire school and fighting each other at every given chance is unrealistic. However, the writers embrace the show’s absurdity instead of attempting to rationalize it, unlike many other current media projects. For example, though Silver’s character occasionally comes off as cartoonish and ridiculous, the threat he poses to the Eagle Fang and Miyagi Do dojos adds to the drama and intrigue. The final stretch of the season has myriads of gut-wrenching and heartfelt moments that are lightened by hints of humor. Astonishingly, the writers have been able to combine two radically different styles to create a tone many can only dream of.

Another high point during this season is Johnny’s storyline. After he closes Miyagi-Do and Eagle Fang, he finally starts over and moves on from his past. In the third episode, Carmen (Vanessa Rubio), Miguel’s mother, reveals to Johnny that she is pregnant with his baby. Though hesitant at first, Johnny comes to terms with becoming a father and decides not to relive the same mistakes he made with Robby. Thanks to his new outlook on life, Johnny successfully ends Robby and Miguel’s petty rivalry. And in a very underappreciated scene, the tables turn when Daniel, usually much more mellow and rational, storms into Johnny’s home, asking for a fight. Johnny turns him down, which is a stark contrast to his aggressive and confrontational personality in previous seasons. He exhibits his evolution from the lonely alcoholic he once was.

Johnny’s storyline feeds into the themes of this season: change and redemption. This can especially be seen in regards to Kenny (Dallas Dupree Young), who frees himself from Silver’s brainwashing after falling victim to his ideology of brutality and violence, and Kreese, who starts to acknowledge the father-like affection he felt for Johnny during prison therapy. Robby also finally reconciles with his father and makes peace with Miguel, after despising both him and Johnny for so long.

Additionally, season five sees the emergence of new and old relationships. Notably, the dynamic between Daniel and Chozen was a highlight this season due to Chozen’s deathly serious lines and Daniel’s constant state of distress bringing light-hearted humor to the show. The most impactful relationship of the show, however, was the friendship between Devon (Oona O’ Brien) and defending All-Valley Women’s Champion Tory Nichols (Peyton List). With Devon acting as an ambitious mentee and Tory taking on the role of relentless mentor, they bring out the best and most humane parts of one another.

The show makes impactful and emotional stories out of characters like Kenny, Johnny, Kreese, and many more. However, the same cannot be said for many of the Miyagi-Do members. Characters like Hawk and Demetri lacked a substantial story arc this season and instead were delegated to minor background characters. The same is true for Sam (Mary Mouser). Outside of the non-stop ‘will-they won’t-they’ relationship with Miguel, there isn’t any overarching development of her character, which is disappointing for a character with so much potential. The show’s weakness in developing its characters exhibits itself again with the poor execution of Miguel’s story arc. At the end of season four, Miguel leaves Los Angeles to go to Mexico to meet his biological father. This storyline was a highly anticipated part of season five. However, the arc finishes two episodes in. Though Maridueña gives an award-winning performance during his scenes, his acting was not enough to mitigate the rushed, negligible plot. The storyline’s pacing also does a disservice to Miguel’s character development, which would have benefitted from a plotline outside of karate.

But aside from a few mishaps, “Cobra Kai” went above and beyond all expectations set by prior seasons with its impeccable direction. A wholesome watch with injected doses of drama, “Cobra Kai” season five manages to establish a unique combination of flamboyant and profound writing to establish its place in the action-dramedy genre. Whether a martial arts show, a coming-of-age show, or a cash-grab reboot of a beloved franchise, audiences will continue to appreciate “Cobra Kai” and its unique take on the modern-day action genre.