Next week not only do we have the anticipated Avengers: Endgame movie but also the return of Cobra Kai.
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka return to their roles as Daniel La Russo and Johnny Lawrence as the rivalry continues.
I will be looking back at season one in a moment, but I have loved all the sneak peaks and the promos coming our way for the past month in anticipation of its return. Including the 30 for 30 Daniel La Russo vs Johnny Lawrence. You can see it from either side.
This new season it seems Daniel is opening his own Dojo in response to the rise of the Cobra’s and Johnny has his own problems when his old sensei and mentor John Kreese making a comeback as we saw at the end of last season.
With a trailer promising more conflict between Daniel and Johnny, this is one rivalry that doesn’t seem to want to die.
If like me, you were of a certain age in the ’80s the chances are you watched the Karate Kid more times than you care to remember and believed waxing a car can help you learn karate. It did do wonders for the karate studios/ classes just as Bruce Lee did for Kung Fu.
The story was of a kid Daniel La Russo from out of town arriving in California and being bullied due to getting on the wrong side of Johnny Lawrence by getting close to his ex-girlfriend. After the building janitor Mr Miyagi saves Daniel, they become friends and he teaches Daniel Karate to fight in the local Karate tournament.
The final showdown against some Cobra Kai students and ultimately Johnny Lawrence in the finale is the Hill Valley tournament. As in all movies portrayed at the time the underdog won and Johnny in the next movie gets rescued from his own bullying sensei by Mr Miyagi. That’s the last we see of him in the franchise and pretty much despite a few sequels Karate Kid movies never lived up to the original in my opinion.
Present day and it is over 30 years later where the series Cobra Kai picks up. we start off by revisiting Johnny Lawerence once the golden boy of Hill Valley, it's clear he is down on his luck. Full of attitude and still driving a car from the ’80s playing its music too. We also know Daniel is faring better as we keep hearing and seeing his adverts for La Russo’s Auto group, you buy a car and get a bonsai. Their slogan 'we kick the competition'.. yes, it is cheesy, in fact this series is full of good old cheesy moments. More about Daniel in episode 2.
Johnny meets the new kid who has moved into his apartment block, rings cords of familiar and he even looks a bit like Daniel!
Johnny manages to lose his job, get arrested for stopping some kids beating up Miguel (the kid from his apartment block) and his car gets totaled.
Of course, the kid Miguel wants him to teach him karate to deal with the bullies. Yes, it screams parallels all around. Though Johnny refuses at first and is his usual charming self, telling the kid to stop being annoying maybe he wouldn’t get his ass kicked.
We meet Johnny’s step-father and learn he bailed Johnny out, he offers him a final cheque to buy him out of his life.
Johnny seems to take his inspiration from Iron eagle movie (ironically one of the kids form the movie had a small part in Karate Kid). Old Memories resurface not helped by Johnny’s drinking and driving. Anyone say movie montage.
It seems everything started going wrong for Johnny when Daniel arrived and the tournament which he lost to Daniel. Of course, the drive takes Johnny to the Hill Valley sports center but sadly his car gets wrecked while parked (we later learn Daniel’s daughter is one of the girls in the car for the hit and run). Johnny’s car ends up at La Russo’s Auto’s … after a chat, Daniel is a bit of a jerk here and its clear they haven't seen each other since high school, Daniel offers to fix Johnny’s car for old times’ sake for free.
Johnny decides its time to bring back Cobra Kai and has his first student in Miguel.
Strike Hard
Strike Fast
No Mercy
In the second episode Daniel’s life looks pretty good, nice house, married with a family, successful business but it brings him up short when he sees Cobra Kai dojo at a mini-mall causing him to flash back some old memories.
Daniels daughter Samantha has some new friends and Daniel doesn’t approve; his daughter’s boyfriend tells Daniel, Johnny, beat them up. Obviously leaving out the part where he was, in fact, the bully. Don’t worry it’s not long before Samantha wakes up to the jerk, he is.
Johnny learns that opening a Dojo isn’t as easy as he thought and getting it ready for the public requires a few things. He also learns his son Robby isn’t doing so well, getting into trouble and hanging with the wrong crowd and Johnny and his relationship is none existent.
Daniel, of course, believed Kyler, it gets under his skin and by the end of the episode, he goes to the dojo to confront Johnny.
After the first two episodes, all the stories bleed together.
Samantha realizes her new friends aren’t what they seem and becomes close to Miguel after he defends her fighting Kyler and his buddy’s in the school cafeteria. Of course, all kids have cell phones and it goes viral so soon Johnny has no money worries and plenty of students. He also goes to the Hill Valley championship council to get his students into the tournament. Seems Cobra Kai has a lifetime ban which he gets lifted.
Johnny’s son after seeing how close Miguel and Johnny become gets jealous and manages to land a job at La Russo’s thanks to his hustling ways. He eventually turns a new leaf and Daniel teaches him karate not knowing he is the son of his old rival.
The Cobra Kai’s might have the old philosophy but the group of students who are mainly bullied kids get confidence at the Dojo, enabling them to stand up to their bullies.
We also learn Johnny was bullied by his step-father and believes Daniel muscled in on his girlfriend Ali (I really hope she makes an appearance this season).
Daniel lets his anger get the better of him and returns to Karate to find his own balance. In teaching Robby, we even get the old wax on wax off.
When its revealed Robby is Johnny’s son it all comes to a head in the tournament.
Miguel gets jealous of Samantha getting close to Robby so the ultimate battle with them at the final is about a lot more. Johnny even flinches when his Cobra’s use underhand tactics to win. Ultimately Miguel wins but you know a new rivalry has started between Robby and him.
Johnny looks on not knowing whose side to be on and it is Daniel that takes Robby once again under his wing.
However, an old sensei makes an appearance at the end of the season and perhaps even more old cobra ways will rise.
Cobra Kai returns April 24th On YouTube Red
Team Miyagi-do or Team Cobrakai
What do you hope to see in the new season?
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