Cobra Kai, Season 1

A frequently funny (and occasionally dramatic) revisit of The Karate Kid universe, three decades later.

I had heard good things about Cobra Kai ever since it debuted on YouTube Red, but never investigated further until it hit Netflix in 2020. The show is even better than I expected. 

William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reprise their roles as Johnny and Daniel from the 1984 film The Karate Kid, and without their all-in committment to this show, I'm not sure it would work.

When Cobra Kai begins, Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso's lives have gone in different directions since Daniel's dramatic victory over Johnny in the '84 All-Valley Tournament. Thirty-plus years later, Johnny is a bitter divorced father, estranged from his trouble-making son and his ex-wife, scraping by as a mediocre handy man, while Daniel is a successful owner of an auto dealership, with a huge McMansion, adoring wife (and also partner in the dealership), and a couple of loving kids. However, as we learn throughout the show, Daniel has his own issues. His life is not as perfect as it appears.

Eventually, having hit the bottom, Johnny re-opens the Cobra Kai dojo and things get really interesting (and quite funny at times).

As good as Ralph Macchio is as middle-aged Daniel-san, William Zabka is absolutely outstanding in this show. He brings a real pathos and sadness to Johnny. If you remember Johnny as the villain in The Karate Kid film, you'll find yourself rooting for him in Cobra Kai.

The showrunners and writers of Cobra Kai obviously have a deep affection for the original Karate Kid, and this love is in evidence throughout the series.