Netflix’s resurrection of the classic Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai has its 4th season releasing on 31st December. It is 10 episodes long that is 40mins each and will be having the original cast reprising their roles. The series intends to pick up from where the last left off. Written and produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg.
Cobra Kai Season 4 Cast
- William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
- Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz
- Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene
Cobra Kai Plot
Cobra Kai is a series set up after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament which is where Karate Kid movies ended. It showed the conflicts between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso; two Karate enthusiasts who had trained in two different styles. While in the movie LaRusso played the protagonist and Lawrence the antagonist, in the series their roles aren’t as distinct. The two continued having their personal disputes but have, on more than one occasion, tried to look past them. With season 4 picking up from the climatic end of Season 3, the plot and the emotions only heighten.
Cobra Kai Season 4 Review
Cobra Kai is a franchise that never gets tired. They have achieved feats that not many can boast of; the cast of the 1980s have reprised their roles for the series and have stayed on for all the seasons. Now that the 4th season is being released, it can be said that they have not had enough. Fortunately, neither have the fans.
had the honour to watch it prior to release! Being the good-natured person I am, I have decided to share what fans can expect this season. From where we had been left last time, the show picks up on a completely different note. A calm and pleasant scene revealed the effect of the deal struck at the end of season 3. If you don’t remember, season 3 ends with Johnny and Daniel joining hands to send Kreese away once and for all.
It is on this vengeful and angry note that Johnny and Daniel come together. They start training on Daniel’s dojo where both their styles of Miyagi-do and Eagle Fang is taught. It so happens that they also start their bromance which passes off as a very believable marriage. Fortunately, the creators also realised and made sure that there were scenes where others acknowledged their budding chemistry and called them boyfriends. They even have a family dinner together. Did my heart ever sing louder? No.
Exploring the Relationships in Cobra Kai Season 4
The best part of the new season was their relationship. The trope of enemies to lovers (in this case, friends but a small technicality) could not have been done better. Cobra Kai really gave us a slow burn. 40 years of angst. Another surprising addition to the season was the return of Silver. Yes, you read that right. Though in the beginning, it seems that his time on the series will be less but this Cobra Kai, no one from the movies stays behind. With a new name but ahead of shining silver hair, Thomas Griffith is back.
Kreese was in hopes of getting his friend to team up with him against the newlywed. Silver has many conflicts in his way to join the dojo back namely his new vegan and mindful girlfriend. After remembering all the time they have had each other’s backs and inflicted trauma on children, Terry agrees to join Kreese. He tries to be the less impulsive of the two but we all know physical violence isn’t the only form of violence.
At the same time, Robby is determined to hold on to his anger against his father and the man who gave him way too many chances. With this determination came weird decisions. While Johnny is working with LaRusso to teach Eagle Fang and Miyagi Do, Robby is teaching his knowledge of all kinds of karate to Kreese’s students.
A redeeming arc often does not work with me. The redemption that is simply added to drive a plot forward loses the entire essence of righting a wrong. The character becomes complacent as they are forgiven too fast. This seems to be the case for Robby. With him making impulsive and highly rash decisions to feed his rebellious soul, the show is often giving him small measures to remain a grey character for the show. To redeem his hurtful actions, they give him things like helping a young boy to prove himself to Kreese. This boy who was innocent and was bullied by LaRusso’s younger son is now punching people when they are not looking simply to gain a spot in Kreese’s dojo.
LaRusso’s younger son also gets a grey-ish plotline in this season. It is baffling how the series get away with showing a young white boy feeling bad about bullying a young coloured boy but yet ends up bullying the kid anyway. One of the only few things that irk me about the show. Cobra Kai dabbles with way too many grey plot lines. While Robby’s doesn’t sit right, Tory gets a far more convincing one. Her story runs on a similar path from Johnny’s plot in Karate Kid and even the backstory he was given in the series. Tory’s performance overall was so much more refreshing than some others in the show.
Tension and Juggling Romances in Cobra Kai Season 4
Many characters have started seeming one dimensional due to the lack of varied storylines given but the shortcomings have been balanced off with amazing fight sequences. As we all know balance is important; LaRusso would be proud. With stellar fight sequences, we also get a lot of tension and Cobra Kai is nothing without tension. It is also nothing without Sam’s whining. Though Mary Mouser was good, Sam’s plot only revolves around self-pity and juggling romances.
The season is packed with various dynamics and tension chains. Season 4 has introduced new characters and successfully incorporated them into the complex chain of this franchise. The complexity of the series and the rising anticipation of the overall build-up is what makes all of us return to this series. That and all the priceless quips such as William Zabka going on a drunken tweet rant with Miguel being his only follower. Another thing that we didn’t know that we need was Johnny fighting with the sea.
There is a lot happening in the season and sometimes it is overwhelming to keep track of. Along with that, there are many decisions that are hard to get on board with which will the viewers more disconnected than in a state of shock. With a show with many signature styles defining the entire course, fans are not only there for the plot but also for the elements that matter.
Overall, the season was above and beyond expectations with many nostalgic moments. There was a fair share of teeth grinding moments but that is what makes a successful show and the writers know that. Many of their executive decisions were controversial but that is what leaves people talking. It also makes many iconoclasts. Where are the teenagers in the season? Or responsible adults? Hopefully, the series gets renewed and there are some sensible adults as well as some kids doing teenager stuff.
The Movie Culture Synopsis
There were changes but there were also some stagnant character lines. New characters that were introduced added to the excitement and all the actors gave some amazing performances. The build-up of the show was phenomenal as it keeps the viewers hooked.
