After the New Year's Holidays, my Dad and I binged watched the third season of "Cobra Kai". The nostalgic look at men stuck in 1980s the valley setting of the Karate Kid movie franchise had me hooked immediately. I was a side-kick for a radio show in Burlington, Vermont which was primarily 80s music. So the thrill of season three was real to me. I grew up on Karate Kid and this storyline returned me to my youth. I enjoyed every minute of it and the story line of each adult person and how their past shaped their viewpoints was poignant to me as a 46 year old has been.
I really like the side romances, the rivalry, the ambiguous hero / villain dichotomies. The real star of the show is the power of nostalgia for the adult viewer who lives for those flash back sequences and their meaning, building on an already powerful Miyagi mythology with real meaning and nuance.
Take a black and white, good versus evil film into a more complex adulthood is really thrilling to see it all enfold, while keeping the struggle interesting for younger viewers and people not so tied to the original movies.
I have always found martial arts to be an intriguing part of film history. I have had a few friends who have practiced a martial art or two and their discipline and dedication has always inspired me. The life lessons of this series make it good discussion jumping off points for children. Real life issues and the fall out of them are approached in a family friendly way, making this good programing for family TV.
The young adults acting in this series are also inspirations and worthy of praise, if you can watch interviews with them with comedian David Spade, after binge-watching, I think you'll find that entertaining. So Kudos to "Cobra Kai" the series!
