Brian Gray

I knew from the first episode that this was going to be a tough watch. First- William Zabka is the best actor here, he’s done a great job with what he was given. Ralph... wow. I don’t know what to say. The rest of the cast was just transported from a CW show. Here’s what’s wrong with Cobra Kai: Jonny Lawrence had zero human growth over the course of 34 years since we last saw him. He’s a drunk. An absent father. But worst of all- his development seemingly stopped at 18-19 years old in the late 80s. He still acts like a high school bully. Picks on children. He can’t seem to talk to women like an adult man- he’s always seconds away from inviting them to the Galleria on his dirt bike for an orange Julius. At the end of The Karate Kid, Jonny congratulated Daniel on his win. He showed empathy and growth, despite his brainwashing. I always assumed that after that, he and Daniel became friends. That he continued to grow and live a healthy normal life. As Cobra Kai shows us, this Jonny never left that tournament a better person. And there in lies the issue with the whole show- while there are some funny jokes here and there, and some good drama, it’s just all very mean spirited. Hell, even the bullies I remember from high school grew up to be better people. Not Jonny. He’s a loser. What a waste of Billy Zabka’s acting talents. Watch with caution- or just watch the original movie.