You know, if we accept that this series is the continuation of the films, the absolute impotence of the police seems absolutely plausible. A classic trope of 1980s action movies was the loner who took justice into his own hands, because the authorities were absolutely useless, or worse, accomplices of the bad guys. Now, obviously I didn't live in the United States of the 80s, but I doubt they were a Mad Max-style dystopia. But everyone accepted that they were depicted in this way in the movies, just for entertainment's sake. So, if we say that the tv show is set in this "alternate" America, everything makes sense. ETA.
The problem I have with that though is that while it's a fine scenario for a movie or two, moving it to a series means that it just keeps trying to outdo the biggest and the baddest. So for instance, you have the fight at the school in season 2, then the house fight in season 3, and then whatever else they have planned for season 4, and it keeps building on. Meanwhile the Cobra Kai students are getting more and more vicious and getting away with more and more. The issue becomes more magnified as the series goes on. Theoretically, going back to your point about 80's movies, if a sequel series is made, that would give them a chance to fix flaws, no? And it's not as if there aren't any police in the series. We've seen them, they've been visited, so I feel the issue is somewhat worse in that regard, because it makes it feel like they're looking the other way while all of this happens. No investigation into the rise in violence in the town, nothing. They could fix it simply by showing patrol cars driving around and hearing a struggle and coming to investigate. It would take nothing away from the show itself. As someone who's been a victim of constant bullying in the past, seeing them get away with so much is like a punch to the gut itself. Yeah, I get it, it's named for the Cobra Kai, but at the same time, I feel there needs to be a better balance between what they're getting away with and what they'd be confronted on. Currently it feels like they've been getting too many free passes. My hope is that with Daniel and Johnny joining forces for the 4th season, the tone will change to one where Cobra Kai doesn't get away with so much. I think it's heading in the direction of Johnny realizing his mistake in re-opening Cobra Kai and accepting friendship with Daniel.
S2E9: I like the subtext of the whole thing between Dmitri and Hawk is that all Dmitri wants is his friend back. One of the things I like about the show is it criticizes both the 1980s and 2010s attitudes on the subject. Hawk got cruelly picked on for his facial deformity. Every time adults try to intercede on his behalf it just singles him out more. But that’s the 2020 philosophy, if your feelings get hurt, complain until somebody punishes them. That approach is well meaning but gets the species wrong. It won’t ever make things any better, just make the cruelty more sneaky. Johnny sounds like he’s being cruel picking on him, but he gives him the best piece of advice he ever got. Find a way to distract people’s eyes from it. Act confident, not ashamed. Hawk’s only problem (As far as I’ve gotten) is taking it too far. He got so afraid of the pain of how people used to treat him he started thinking it was full aggro or nothing. Thinking if he lets up for even a second or shows the slightest vulnerability he’ll be right back where he started. The show seems to be looking for a way to marry 2020s conscientiousness with 1980s social assertiveness. I don’t see the message “Bullying is okay”, I see “Take back your power and strength, but have the wisdom to use it the right way”.
I just watched the season 2 finale. Yeah, this is not a show that glorifies hitting people. It shows all the consequences.
I never said it glorified it. I said they seem to get away with more and more as time goes on, which becomes more of a problem when there's no interference. Seems so one-sided at times.
It didn’t seem like anyone got away with anything in the S2 finale. One element of suspension of disbelief here is that it hasn’t occurred to Daniel or anyone to go to the parents of the Cobra Kai kids and said “Hey are you aware your kids have been recruited by a psychopath looking to raise a personal teen army he is training to mercilessly assault people?
S3e3: This episode probably has the worst thing Johnny has intentionally done in the space of this show. Standing up his son in prison because he likes another kid better. The rest of his mistakes were well intended. The two groups are basically street gangs at this point.
S3e4: That teacher is dumb as a f***ing brick. But it goes to the cluelessness of the infantilization of teenagers especially in modern day. Thinking they can stop bullying by treating children like innocent little sheep gone astray, not listening or paying attention to what's actually going on, and ending up just getting manipulated by the bullies. S3e5: Johnny's attempt to make Miguel will himself into moving feels like it's specifically dunking on the episode of King of the Kill where Cotton did it to Peggy after her parachuting accident. Ms Larusso seems like the only sane person left in the universe the way she confronted Boomer Palpatine.
One thing I think S3 is doing well is it de-mythologizes the 1980s version of kids learning martial arts. It also criticizes modern approaches to bullying well, with the school’s toothless response. When you’re an adult, if somebody attacks you on the street you can go to the police and charge them with assault. When you’re a kid, you can either go to parents or teachers. The teachers will see it as your word against theirs and subconsciously defer to the kid higher on the social pecking order. The parents will always believe their own kid. And everyone will see it as boys being boys and just part of growing up. The school’s response after a real violent incident, zero tolerance policies that still boil down to your word against theirs. And if you defend yourself, all they see is two kids equally participating in the fight. And all Daniel and Johnny accomplished was to create tribes in that setting. Until Mrs Larusso, no adult ever really listened or paid attention to what was really going on, and actually talked to any teenager and believed them.
Which is both a blessing and a curse. She's been the voice of reason when things have gotten steadily worse. I'm sure we'll see her stand up more in Season 4. In fact, she maybe should strike an alliance with all the mothers on both sides. I wouldn't be surprised if she were to write an article for the paper.
The rest of the adults solution is “More hugs!” They treat teenagers like misbehaving pets. Nobody is telling Hawk “You can be badass enough to stand up for yourself without just being an asshole”.
Hilary Swank will show up to train her, and then Amanda will beat up Daniel, Johnny, Kreese, Silver, Barnes and Michael Ironside, and everyone else and take over all the karate in the valley.
After S3e7: It's stretching believability that Creese could get away with the things he gets away with in the age of camera phones. Keeping his lease by beating up the enforcers. They're trying to make him sympathetic by showing that he hesitated in Vietnam and someone died. Doesn't work, he's had 50 years to adjust.
Exactly, I think you're starting to see the point I've been trying to make. Besides, the whole Vietnam thing is a-little-too-late by then, and only reinforces the idea that he's been led astray and has let it simmer for many decades. Someone needs to wipe that smirk off his face. I feel he's been overplayed.
Well, I realized that this show is set in an alternate universe when Spoiler Hawk broke his friend's arm with no consequence whatever It was really too much.
It didn’t get quite so over the top until the end of season 2. It’s one thing that Dmitri didn’t think of going to the police when Creese hit him. But the landlord?! And when he put the snake in the car, did he not need to appear on security cameras breaking and entering to do that?