Cobra Kai
Netflix
Season 3, Episodes 1-10
Cobra Kai season 3 made its debut on Netflix on January 1st and it landed like a crane kick to win the all valley championship!
Season 3 picks up right where season 2 ended. Miguel is hospitalized, Robbie is on the run, students have been punished and put on strict restrictions, Aisha has transferred, and Tory has been expelled for the fight at the school. Since the arrival of Kreese, the once-simple karate rivalry has turned the whole valley upside down and now Johnny and Daniel are left in the wake of the chaos.
Season 3 has a load of nostalgia and some amazing references and call backs to the original trilogy. Elizabeth Shue, Yuji Okumoto, and Tamlyn Tomita reprise their roles in a way that actually helps the plot of the show move along in a very impressive way, all while bringing closure to their characters.
Season 3 is lot of fun; however, I feel as though the adult story lines left some of the opportunities to develop the kids’ characters. For example, Miguel learning how to walk, Robbie getting released from juvenile detention (rather quickly, too), and the recovery of a certain character’s broken arm — was it healed within a week?
The student teacher interactions between Johnny and Miguel, and Daniel and Samantha are where the show really shines this season. The traditional teacher/student dichotomy has always been the driving force behind the Karate Kid franchise; the impact Mr. Miyagi continues to have on these characters long after his passing is heartwarming and motivating.
On the other side of the coin are the antagonists. We got a lot of Kreese back story as well and I feel it was needed, but ultimately seemed like it was all set up just to leave another cliffhanger. There is also another set of characters that receive a redemption arc and seeing them being torn between right and wrong was really well written and handled perfectly.
All in all, I really liked this season but I feel it could have benefited from another couple episodes to allow for further character development.
Like an Eagle in the valley, I can’t wait to sink my fangs into season 4.