Cobra Kai - The Karate Kid Saga Continues

Still watching the season and enjoying it for the most part. The kid angst stuff gets a little grating, but I laughed out loud with the "My Cousin Vinny" callback in episode 8.

 

If there's one problem with Cobra Kai, its that adding Silver to the show permanently locks the awful Karate Kid III in as canon. Even this series cannot clean up the mess that was IIII.

 

I personally think the Hilary Swank KK4 was much worse. I suspect they'll bring her back for next season. She's about the only one left of note I can think of they haven't resurrected yet.

Then queue Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith for the show's final season with a cross-over.

 

I would enjoy that a lot. The series has become a bit rote and predictable.

 

I think the worst part of the 3rd one is that there's no real effort for backstory. Terry Silver, and by extension Mike Barnes end up feeling little more than bullies. And at least the series tries to rectify this.

Miyagi does get a great extension to his story in the 4th movie though. I love seeing Miyagi reuniting with his fellow veterans and the monks all taking their bus to visit them in Boston. That IMHO makes it better than the 3rd by a mile. The last time I watched it a few years ago, it was much better than I'd originally gave it credit for, and I think most of the flack it gets is because of the disappointment of Daniel not being in it.

 

That, and they probably could have done a lot better than using Swank. But yeah, I agree, the expanded Myagi backstory was a highlight of that movie.

 

Well, it was Swank's first big role. Might not have been perfect, but it's the role that catapulted her to stardom. Watching it years later made me appreciate what they were trying to do with her. And at least that movie does feel like it fits into the canon compared to the 3rd movie.

 

I recall reading somewhere that Pat Morita actually had some new ideas for another movie, and possibly a series. He was quite invested in the future of the franchise, but sadly died before he got a chance to try to get them off the ground.

 

I wonder then if some of the things seen in the series were some of his ideas then.

 

Might be. I’ve never actually seen any of the notes, only that they existed. If anyone had access to them, it would be Macchio, vis a vis the Morita estate.

 

Cool. I think that would be a great question to ask if there's ever an opportunity for a live chat/Youtube broadcast with him.

 

Well, but that already happened. Silver was specifically referenced as being part of the reason for the lifetime tournament ban against Cobra Kai back in season one. And in season two Daniel told his students about his short tenure in that dojo. That's enough to cement KK III in canon.

 

Silver said his weakness was Creese, but isn’t it cocaine?

 

He swapped one addiction for another.

 

Yeah, I think so. I think the Kreese line is also a misdirection. If Kreese were really his weakness, he wouldn't have been able to play him like he did.

 

It was, until he realized it was.

 

Love the show. It's better than it looks.

My two favorite moments of season 4...

1. Johnny telling Daniel, after he beat up the hockey team, "No be there."

2. When Daniel corrects the fight announcer by telling him Johnny was also a two time champ.

 

But how would Julie be brought into the series? Her only connection was Mr. Miyagi whereas everyone in the show that’s from the movies has had a connection to Daniel.

 

The producers have explained that their world relates to anyone who had a relation with Miyagi, so they'll find a way. Afterall, it was Miyagi who told Julie about Daniel, his former student.

 

Here's a deep cut. Could Walton Goggins reprise his character?