Cobra Kai: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 270 Ratings

See All

8.1

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.1	Your Score
8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 270 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Cobra Kai

Now Playing: Cobra Kai

Season Details & Credits

YouTube | Netflix | Season Premiere Date: May 2, 2018

Summary: 30 years after the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) is running a successful car dealerships business while his old rival Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) is seeking to turn his life around by reopening the Cobra Kai dojo.

Genre(s): Comedy, Drama

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Season 1 Episodes

7.8
S1:E5. Counterbalance
Air Date: May 2, 2018
tbd
S1:E2. Strike First
Air Date: May 2, 2018

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Kristen Baldwin

Apr 25, 2018

Cobra Kai manages to give Karate Kid fans exactly what they want, while using the template of the original to launch new characters aimed at younger viewers. ... But it’s hard to imagine anyone enjoying this show as much as those of us who grew up on the original. Read full review

Dave Nemetz

May 2, 2018

All the trite talk of nerds and mean girls feels like it’s from a forgettable teen soap. But the foundation of Cobra Kai is solid: Not only does it deliver on the ’80s retro fun we expect--yes, Johnny and Daniel do face off across a karate mat once again--but it goes beyond that, forcing us to grapple with exactly why we want to see Johnny and Daniel face off again so badly. Read full review

Brian Lowry

May 2, 2018

For the most part, it's an extremely clever revival, an overachiever that knowingly plays off the title's kitsch factor while evolving the characters and augmenting the cast in savvy ways. Read full review

UPROXX Alan Sepinwall

May 1, 2018

It’s compulsively watchable, emotionally engaging, and almost always one step ahead of where you think it’s going. Read full review

Mekeisha Madden Toby

May 2, 2018

This show gets a lot of things right from the perfect amount of references and music from the original and the acid-washed 1980s where the movie reigned supreme to the impressive casting and acting. .... That said, Cobra Kai relies on coincidence far too often even for a show spawned from the decade of decadence. Read full review

Collider Dave Trumbore

May 2, 2018

You might have a good idea of how all of these pieces are going to intersect, but the real fun is in watching these characters come together in interesting ways. Read full review

Rafer Guzmán

May 1, 2018

This series has an underdog spirit of its own, even if it's not quite the triumphant crane kick it could be. Read full review

SEE ALL 11 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

8.1

User Reviews

r0sco1

May 4, 2018

Fantastic fresh continuation of the 80s movie. It has brought both the characters and audience with it as well as making it accessible for new fans.

Love how it doesn't try and make everything politically correct as well.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

SkyfighterDK

Feb 1, 2019

Cobra Kai is quite simply put a 80's boy wet dream, everyone on this show did an amazing job and you can feel the love for the original 1984 Karate Kid. Haven't you ever wanted to bring back to life your most beloved show or movie if you had the mean to do it? well these guys did just thatCobra Kai is quite simply put a 80's boy wet dream, everyone on this show did an amazing job and you can feel the love for the original 1984 Karate Kid. Haven't you ever wanted to bring back to life your most beloved show or movie if you had the mean to do it? well these guys did just that and the result is awesome. Rushed through it in one go and it was a blast! Big hopes for more Cobra Kai from the looks of it too. Thanks a lot!… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

jjpscott01

May 2, 2018

Cobra Kai is poised to be the sleeper hit of the television season. Its a show that in theory should be a cringe-inducing second stab at early 80's nostalgia. The series tells the story of 2 50 year old's from the point of view of both characters. Maybe the most surprising element of CobraCobra Kai is poised to be the sleeper hit of the television season. Its a show that in theory should be a cringe-inducing second stab at early 80's nostalgia. The series tells the story of 2 50 year old's from the point of view of both characters. Maybe the most surprising element of Cobra Kai is how funny it is without losing the original film's sense of heart. Its the kind of show you watch and when it ends you realize you've been smiling for half an hour. Its also the kind of series that shouldn't be nearly as good as it is. Clearly someone put a lot of thought in to how they could make this ballsy idea work. Give the pilot a shot and you'll be hooked.… Expand

14 of 15 users found this helpful141

shahidkhan

May 17, 2018

This is how to get nostalgia right.

I'm an 80s kid and, like many of my peers, have fond recollections of the Karate Kid movies. I have vivid memories of my friends and I practising the crane kick in the school playground on each other. So imagine our surprise to hear that this belovedThis is how to get nostalgia right.

I'm an 80s kid and, like many of my peers, have fond recollections of the Karate Kid movies. I have vivid memories of my friends and I practising the crane kick in the school playground on each other.

So imagine our surprise to hear that this beloved series was being brought back as a comedy web series on YouTube. With the original cast no less. And the first trailers landed and immediately hit me hard in the nostalgias.

Tonally, the trailers were comedy-heavy and whilst the jokes were amusing it did feel like a departure from the world that had been created in the movies.

I am incredibly happy to report it is better than I ever expected it to be and better, as I read in another review, than it has any right to be.

This is nostalgia done right; with a reverence for the original source but a willingness to be playful with it. Yes there is comedy but it veers more towards comedy-drama and is not too dissimilar from the first movie from which this series takes its entire inspiration.

Johnny Lawrence is a down-and-out loser surviving day-to-day as an odd-job man, living in a run-down apartment building. Turns out you lose one karate tournament as a teenager and it really screws up the rest of your life.

Johnny is still hung up on his past, unable to move on and finding it impossible to escape his rival’s success as Daniel’s numerous promotions of his car dealership intrude on his life. From his point of view, Johnny was the hero in his own story and Daniel was the villain. But the hero lost in this version and we get to see the fallout all these years later.

And then a new kid called Miguel moves in next door to Johnny and a parallel to the first movie is played out after which Cobra Kai is open for business once again as Johnny has a point to prove to his old nemesis and his other doubters.

I have to say, the central performance by William Zabka as Johnny Lawrence is excellent. Despite being abrasive, misogynistic and borderline racist, somehow you still end up rooting for him. His delivery in every scene is pitch perfect and lines that should sound nasty are softened by a smart, nuanced performance of a man lost in time, still living in the 80s. In later episodes he flat out bullies some of his students and his choice of language is hilariously inappropriate – “God, I feel like I’m a virgin again just looking at you” is delivered to a young, skinny teen and that’s one of the kinder things he says to his new protégés.

The series strikes a precarious balance between modern humour and 80’s cheese without crossing the line into parody - which it could easily have done. A scene in a graveyard in later episodes ends on a quietly epic shot that highlights an obvious respect the makers of this series have for the original.

The real fun for us old-timers is the references back to the original films.They weave in flashbacks and musical cues from the movies but it isn’t overdone and in most cases serves the story. But the show doesn’t rely on nostalgia alone and actually manages to offer a compelling narrative about the rivalry between two men that goes back to their youth and which neither has fully gotten over.

Also Daniel is revealed not to be the cocky douche he came across as in the trailers. Although a successful businessman he has trouble connecting with his kids and still suffers from bouts of anger which lead to questionable decisions. And he finds himself lost later in life without Mr Miyagi’s advice to guide him. In other words, this is a totally believable evolution of the character in the first movie.

Neither Danny or Johnny is the hero or villain here, both have good and valid reasons why they think they’re both in the right. The show does a good job of layering in complexity to both characters, their relationships and how they react to each other. Again I was surprised by the level of nuance built into the series. Yes it has moments of crude humour, and the language is certainly saltier than the PG rating the movies got. But it strikes the right balance between 80s cheese, modern humour, story and nostalgia.

The show did lose steam for me when focusing on the teenage cast. Although all decent performances the narrative was once again about high school crushes and bullies which we’ve all seen before. The fight scenes aren’t really as captivating either to those of us watching amazing choreography weekly in the Arrowverse or Marvel’s TV offerings, but they’re not supposed to be and that’s fine. This is supposed to be the real world and aside from one overly-enthusiastic contestant in the tournament who kept doing somersaults for no discernible tactical advantage that I could see (aside from maybe it looks cool) the fight scenes are believably realistic in most cases.

But all in all, when considering just how bad this series could potentially have been, I'm amazed they pulled off so well!… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

srink

May 23, 2018

Great series. A great Emotional ride. Started slowly and as the episodes go up, it gained pace and the finale is absolute killer. Excited for season 2

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Onlyclassicvg1

Sep 26, 2022

The movie film is a government assigned project to broaden and enlight people and glory of nation. Cultural learning is emportant to follow on global basis. We make our nation a better and more convenient place for house and living. Kazakhs are progressive and asstonishing people that withThe movie film is a government assigned project to broaden and enlight people and glory of nation. Cultural learning is emportant to follow on global basis. We make our nation a better and more convenient place for house and living. Kazakhs are progressive and asstonishing people that with conclusion of project will have new optimistic… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Elthor

Jan 8, 2019

'How I Met Your Mother' floated the joke that Daniel was the bully of the Karate Kid films and Johnny, the real hero, was his victim. That joke becomes the foundation for Cobra Kai, a satire of the original 80s movies.

If you like the original films, you will probably hate how they have'How I Met Your Mother' floated the joke that Daniel was the bully of the Karate Kid films and Johnny, the real hero, was his victim. That joke becomes the foundation for Cobra Kai, a satire of the original 80s movies.

If you like the original films, you will probably hate how they have been corrupted. Daniel has retained none of the values he learned from Miyagi. Johnny has zero self esteem and his life is a dumpster fire. The series follows these two middle aged idiots as they torment each other and the teenagers that they use in their feud.

Pure crap. Nothing worth watching this for.… Expand

1 of 7 users found this helpful16

SEE ALL 74 REVIEWS

Seasons & Episodes

70

Series Overview
Season 6

67
- Season 6 Overview
  Air Date: July 18, 2024
Season 5

78
- Season 5 Overview
  Air Date: September 9, 2022
Season 4

70
- Season 4 Overview
  Air Date: December 31, 2021
Season 3

72
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: January 1, 2021
Season 2

66
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 24, 2019
Season 1

72
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: May 2, 2018
- 7.8
  S1:E5. Counterbalance
  Air Date: May 2, 2018
- tbd
  S1:E2. Strike First
  Air Date: May 2, 2018