I’m a product of the 1970s and a child of the 1980s. Needless to say, Cobra Kai on Netflix is the series that I didn’t know I needed, until I needed it. Season 3 recently became available to stream on Netflix and I quickly binged it in one night. Keep reading to find out why I love the series so much.
COBRA KAI (L to R) RALPH MACCHIO as DANIEL LARUSSO and WILLIAM ZABKA as JOHNNY LAWRENCE of COBRA KAI Cr. CURTIS BONDS BAKER/NETFLIX © 2020
Cobra Kai Season 3 is the Series That I Didn’t Know I Needed
I grew up in the 1980s where Aqua Net reigned supreme and leg warmers were IT when it came to fashion. I also grew up watching movies like The Karate Kid, which was initially released in 1984. I mean, what 80s kid doesn’t remember Daniel-san and phrases like “Wax on, wax off?” The Karate Kid is about a teenager named Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio) who moves to California with his mom where he is bullied and learns karate from his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. His nemesis? Johnny Lawrence (played by William Zabka).
Fast forward approximately 30 years later and Daniel and Johnny are now adults with children of their own. But even though they are older, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are wiser. So why do I love the series so much? I love the references to the 80s, the flashbacks and callbacks to to the original movie and its sequels, the cameos, the humor, and the action sequences. I also enjoy the character development, especially with regard to Johnny. The series also reintroduced John Kreese (played by Martin Love), Johnny’s sensei in the original film who taught his students to show no mercy. As the resident bad guy, season 3 develops his character even further as we find out more about him through flashbacks.
COBRA KAI (L to R) MARTIN KOVE as JOHN KREESE of COBRA KAI Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2020
Is Cobra Kai Season 3 Kid Friendly?
Season 3 is rated TV-14, mostly for language, violence, and sexual innuendoes. I love the series, but after I binge watched Season 3, I found that I couldn’t sleep that night due to certain scenes involving snakes and the violence. There aren’t a lot of sexual scenes, but it does contain sexual innuendoes, a lot of violence and excessive use of profanity. I was recently called out by a reader after I published my parent’s guide for Bridgerton. The reader took offense to the fact that I wrote that Bridgerton is not appropriate for kids. There are several programs that I watch without my child present and Cobra Kai is one of them. But I don’t pretend otherwise. My parent guides are simply what they state they are - guides for parents to help them determine if a particular movie or TV series is appropriate for their children. You know your children the best, so as always, use your discretion.
Do you have to be familiar with the The Karate Kid movies in order to understand Cobra Kai?
Not necessarily, especially since several scenes are shown through flashbacks. I think one of the reasons Cobra Kai is so popular is because it appeals to several generations. Not only does it focus on the adults like Daniel and Johnny, but it also focuses on their teenagers. So even though adults like me will enjoy it for nostalgia reasons, young adults will likely enjoy it as well. Nevertheless, if you haven’t seen the movies, I think now is a great time to watch them, especially since that’s part of the fun of watching the series.
About Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.