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Netflix's COBRA KAI starring Ralph Macchio, William Zabka (2021)
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322 posts in this topic

1 hour ago, I like pie said:

Each season gets better.

It will be hard to top the first season which was perfection and I don’t see it reaching that high again. Similar to Stranger Things. I really hope it does. 

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33 minutes ago, Kramerica said:

I'm behind but catching up quick. On Season 2, Episode 6. Love this show. The only thing missing is Elisabeth Shue :cloud9:

Right? What a missed opportunity. <3

You'll have a great time with Season 3, though. :whistle:

Edited by Bosco685
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This was an interesting episode.

Quote

In Cobra Kai season 3, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) discovered that there's another side to Miyagi-Do karate that his late sensei, Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita), kept a secret from him.

Spoiler

 

Daniel returned to Okinawa for the first time since The Karate Kid Part II and he not only reunited with his former love interest, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita), but he also encountered Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), his arch-enemy who has shockingly turned over a new leaf.

 

Daniel-san was Mr. Miyagi's student and best friend from when they met in 1984 until the sensei's death in 2011. Daniel also learned the origin of Miyagi-Do karate in The Karate Kid Part II and it's an indelible part of the mythology: In 1625, Miyagi Shimpo Sensei, a fisherman, fell asleep from drinking too much sake off the coast of Okinawa. He woke up off the coast of China and then, 10 years later, he returned with a wife, children, and the secret of Miyagi's family karate. When LaRusso opened the Miyagi-Do dojo and set himself up as sensei, he showed his students the myriad new lessons Mr. Miyagi taught him that went beyond the iconic system of self-defense he trained Daniel-san in The Karate Kid movies. Naturally, after 27 years of training with Mr. Miyagi, Daniel assumed his sensei had taught him everything, but LaRusso found himself in for a rude awakening in Cobra Kai season 3.

 

At this point, Daniel-san is the embodiment of Miyagi-Do being strictly used for self-defense only, which is what Mr. Miyagi always taught "true" karate to be, and LaRusso was shocked when Chozen revealed that there was more to Miyagi-Do than Mr. Miyagi told him. But Chozen is also a Miyagi-Do sensei; he was trained by his uncle Sato Toguchi (Danny Kamekona), who grew up like brothers with Miyagi, and they were both taught karate by Miyagi's father - which sort of makes Daniel and Chozen "karate cousins". In Cobra Kai season 3, Chozen toyed with Daniel-san by making him believe they were still enemies, and he was a little miffed when LaRusso claimed that Mr. Miyagi taught him all there was to know about Miyagi-Do. Daniel had another thing coming because Mr. Miyagi did keep secrets from his student.

 

As Daniel discovered, Mr. Miyagi never told him that Miyagi-Do karate can also be used to kill because "defense takes on many forms." As Chozen explained, Miyagi ancestors once had to defend Okinawa from Japanese invaders and there was no option not to kill, so Miyagi instructors developed a system using secret pressure points to render their enemies helpless. Chozen demonstrated the secret Miyagi technique by incapacitating Daniel-san's joints and making him think he was going to murder him like he said he would back in 1985 - only to honk his nose the way Daniel did to Chozen at the end of their fight.

 

As hilarious as Chozen's prank at Daniel's expense was, it contained an important lesson for LaRusso: "If an enemy insists on war, then you take away their ability to wage it" - a maxim that could serve Daniel well against John Kreese (Martin Kove) and Cobra Kai. As for why Mr. Miyagi didn't want Daniel to know that his karate can also be used to kill, Daniel is probably correct that in the modern world, there is no need to use lethal karate. Still, Chozen gave him the Miyagi scrolls with the secret pressure points techniques, from one Miyagi-Do sensei to another.

 

 

 

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Binge-watched the whole season last night. The teaser at the end of Season 2 doesn't pay off until the end of Season 3, but it was worth it because binge-watching is possible.  A one-episode-a-week release like Mandalorian would have frustrated viewers for months waiting on Ali. (thumbsu

I know Ali's character came first, and her character is basically the same in Cocktail (1988), but it was a little tough to let Ali in Cobra Kai be the original Ali when she was "Evil Ali" in The Boys.

Edited by valiantman
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2 hours ago, valiantman said:

Binge-watched the whole season last night. The teaser at the end of Season 2 doesn't pay off until the end of Season 3, but it was worth it because binge-watching is possible.  A one-episode-a-week release like Mandalorian would have frustrated viewers for months waiting on Ali. (thumbsu

I know Ali's character came first, and her character is basically the same in Cocktail (1988), but it was a little tough to let Ali in Cobra Kai be the original Ali when she was "Evil Ali" in The Boys.

I honestly think the weekly releases will eventually start on Netflix also.  Amazon and Disney have noted there is increased buzz as well as internet talk with the more spread out schedules.  The longer is is on, thr more people talk, and in the long run the shows do better.  It also "shortens " thr time between seasons.

 

Mandalorian has benefitted greatly from the one per week.  The last surprise worked so much better with so many fans being at the same place in the series.   Weekly release just does that better. 

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9 hours ago, Bosco685 said:

This was an interesting episode.

 

I really liked this episode. Nothing beats a redemption arc IMO. It was cool to see Chozen go from a steely-eyed rival to what now could be called an old friend. I always felt he was Daniel’s most dangerous opponent by far compared to Johnny or that dub from General Hospital.   

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43 minutes ago, drotto said:
3 hours ago, valiantman said:

Binge-watched the whole season last night. The teaser at the end of Season 2 doesn't pay off until the end of Season 3, but it was worth it because binge-watching is possible.  A one-episode-a-week release like Mandalorian would have frustrated viewers for months waiting on Ali. (thumbsu

I know Ali's character came first, and her character is basically the same in Cocktail (1988), but it was a little tough to let Ali in Cobra Kai be the original Ali when she was "Evil Ali" in The Boys.

I honestly think the weekly releases will eventually start on Netflix also.  Amazon and Disney have noted there is increased buzz as well as internet talk with the more spread out schedules.  The longer is is on, thr more people talk, and in the long run the shows do better.  It also "shortens " thr time between seasons.

 

Mandalorian has benefitted greatly from the one per week.  The last surprise worked so much better with so many fans being at the same place in the series.   Weekly release just does that better. 

I agree, they will likely switch to weekly - but the teaser of Ali at the end of Season 2 would have been "more people talking" (angrily/impatiently) about wanting to see Ali in Season 3 before Episode (Week) 9.  If they want to release Season 4 weekly, I think they have less chance of angering the fanbase since there isn't a big cliff-hanger like that right now (and I don't know if any Cobra Kai cliffhanger could match that 30+ year return of a fan favorite who isn't Daniel or Johnny).

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Cobra Kai season 3's finale is titled "December 19", which an important date in The Karate Kid history that takes on an even greater significance.

 

Cobra Kai season 3's finale is titled "December 19" for a good reason because it's a pivotal date in The Karate Kid's legacy: December 19, 1984, is the date of the All Valley Under 18 Karate Tournament when Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) defeated Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). Cobra Kai ingeniously reframed this date in season 3 to become another crucial day in the history of the saga.

Now that is a very cool little detail to honor the entire show journey. :applause:

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