The Grey Cobra, Cobra Kai's lack of villainous intentions

(Video Article)

I wanted to love this show from day one, it just had a natural potential to be incredible. Little did I know this show's objective was to bitch slap all the other Teen Drama/Soap Operas. Seriously, the other entries in this strange genre cannot hold a candle to this show's outstanding writing. Cobra Kai repositions the characters from The Karate Kid Trilogy, the original and the only one that should exist, all other so-called Karate Kids, with the exception of Never Back Down can fuck their own mothers; Cobra Kai takes the OG characters and mixes them with a new group of fighting teens, to prove that Cobra Kai Will Never Fucking DIE! Anyone who seriously watched the classic understands Johnny is the legit hero, Daniel was a little bitch who let his ego and personal issues cloud his judgment. Further, Daniel is a bit more of a bitch when you consider the fact that he manipulated the kind old Mr. Miyagi, all for free training, a car and the ability to take his rage out on poor Johnny.

Well, that is one way this could have gone, most shows take a very black and white approach to storytelling; Cobra Kai looks at those shows and then sweeps that bitch ass leg. Every character by the second season is, for the most part, a fully developed individual; the characters that fill out the typical villain roles are given reasons for their more despicable actions, which means that even when something truly horrible happens, you feel for both sides. Daniel has not been made into the bully that would have been easy to create, they instead choose to create natural life scenarios that would create conflict based on each character's perspective. The first season has a natural conflict between Daniel and Johnny by introducing two new proteges to become the next generation of rivals. Miguel the Ecuadorian neighbor of Johnny, and Robby Johnny's son who becomes Daniels first protege.

In many ways, the show is clearly remaking the best aspects of the original film with storylines that feel familiar, yet go in totally unexpected directions. Not only was I constantly surprised, but I also never questioned a character's motivations or nitpicked the choices they made; the characters felt organic, and each twist felt necessary while never contradicting what we know about these characters. Something that is shocking in this day and age, is that the show never cheapens a character by making them evil for the sake of conflict.
Even the characters which are clearly meant to be the bullies, are sympathetic and are making bad choices not out of bad intentions, but simply because humans who have suffered or lived a hard life, are very likely to make mistakes with far-reaching consequences. Of course, that would imply that if you have a good life, then you shouldn't make any mistakes; much like real life, Cobra Kai understands that no one is perfect, and even those who have it all make mistakes, just like those who have nothing.

Something that also makes Cobra Kai standout is that it is both modern, and a critique of modern sensibilities. This show is here to remind this generation that we're a bunch of pussies. Yes, the shit we have is really cool, but that does not mean you forget the past, you embrace the past and allow it to guide you to your future. Miguel and Johnny are the heart of this show, the way they teach each other the old and the new, that is the kind of role model/father figure relationship we all need. Johnny is a dinosaur trapped by his past, Miguel is a nerd frightened of his future; together, they embrace their past to live in the present.

If you did not want a life lesson with your entertainment, why choose a franchise famous for it? In today's world of constant bullying, a show like this is the kind of examination of the bully and victim, that we need. Both parties are the victims, and it is likely that the bully was someone who was bullied into becoming one out of rage, and the misguided use of discovered strength. Cobra Kai is not out to justify these kinds of actions, rather the show is out to simply examine them.

When you're making a show based in human drama, it is a far wiser idea to draw from realistic behaviors and intentions, than to manufacture drama for the sake of cheap entertainment. We have all watched a show that deeply pissed us off, because a character we loved made a choice that made no sense; that choice was made to develop a plot point that was unnatural, and that is why those choices piss us off. We are not forced to learn from our entertainment, generally, if the artist has something to say, you learn from it regardless and never feel as if your learning.
If your show is populated by characters whose only purpose is to advance the plot for the stars, then your show is full of robotic, inhuman plot devices. This is the sad reality for most shows of the genre, they take the cheap storylines that are captivating for the shock value they have upon first viewing and nothing more. I expected that to be Cobra Kai's fate, a show that would be sold on nostalgia alone, a show that would never best the original film; yet, Cobra Kai not only never dies, it fights with more tenacity than you could ever expect.

The one show that oddly feels the most like Cobra Kai, would be Buffy; both shows are classic coming of age stories, that use a fantastical setting to explore the psyches of its characters. While Buffy tended to be more black and white, it still had more instances of dealing with the grey areas of life than most shows of its ilk; Cobra Kai takes that kind of allegorical storytelling to the next level, by creating a world where black and white do not exist.