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Posted in: Cobra Kai, Netflix, Review, streaming, TV | Tagged: bleeding cool, cable, cobra kai, Daniel LaRusso, elizabeth shue, John Kreese, Johnny Lawrence, karate kid, Mary Mouser, Ralph Macchio, Review, streaming, Tanner Buchanan, television, tv, william zabka, Xolo Maridueña
Cobra Kai Season 3 December 19 Ends Season with Epic Showdowns: Review
It's hard to top the second season finale of Netflix's Cobra Kai, but the chaos unloaded in the season three finale managed to one-up the school brawl with new lines in the sand drawn. The cliffhanger isn't as huge as previous seasons, but the closing scenes are pretty epic. The adults get their share of action as much as the teens this time around. Consider this your spoilers warning for the episode "December 19."
The episode finds The Karate Kid (1984) love triangle between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Ali Mills (Elizabeth Shue), and Johnny Laurence (William Zabka) all reunited at a gala. Ali's shock to learn that another ex in Daniel is a member of the same club her parents are and meets with him his wife Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) much to Johnny's surprise. Once they all meet, they exchange pleasantries, get the subsequent awkwardness out of the way, and catching up accordingly. It's amusing how Daniel and Johnny's rivalry is all put on the table without tension taking over. Guess that's the advantage of being in a large crowd and having a mutual party both were once interested in.
Consider Daniel and Johnny's past interactions, this is probably the most productive and it only took the person they both fell in love with to come to an actual understanding. Meanwhile, at the LaRusso household, Sam (Mary Mouser) hosts a Christmas party with fellow Miyagi-do students and extending an invitation to Eagle Fang Karate students. As television is, with it being the season finale and the odd group out, you could say the ensuing scene is why the phrase, "This is why we can't have nice things" was created. The fight choreography is certainly more contained since it takes place at a residence as say, a high school. Rivals normally clash and stakes are raised with new additions as well. It was effective for what it is and it's not something simple commentary would suffice. Also, the showrunners in Josh Heald, Hayden Schlossberg, and Jon Hurwitz did a wonderful job handling Kreese's flashback sequences to his time in the Vietnam War and his younger actor counterpart played by Robert Carnahan.
I definitely recommend watching the scuffle for yourself to see the events as they pan out. The subsequent scene leads to a separate epic melee between the series protagonists Daniel, Johnny, and John Kreese (Martin Kove). Their clash definitely puts the episode over the top for me on top of the shot to close the season.
Cobra Kai - "December 19"
9.5/10
Some alignment shifts, two epic battles, and flashback exposition anchor the season three finale of Cobra Kai. Standout performances by William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Martin Kove, Elizabeth Shue, Xolo Maridueña, and Robert Carnahan, as well as powerful writing and direction from Josh Heald, Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, and Bob Dearden, close one of the most satisfying seasons of the Netflix series.
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