Everybody knows the iconic 1984 cult classic “The Karate Kid” — the story of a New Jersey underdog learning karate from a mysterious old man in order to defend himself and defeat his bully. However, there are always two sides to a story.
“Cobra Kai,” a martial arts drama, tells the story of the rival and former bully, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), thirty-four years after the events of the first “Karate Kid” film. His life has been a downward spiral since his defeat in 1984, but after coincidentally reuniting with the former protagonist Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), and some encouragement from his bullied teen neighbor, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña), he reopens the dojo he previously fought for: Cobra Kai. Thus ensues a series of events that change the fate of several characters through karate.
The series began in 2018 and has finally come to a close, with its finale releasing on Feb. 13. The drama has kept the audience on the edge of their seats, with constant cliffhangers and dramatic developments — and fortunately, the ending did not disappoint.
The finale wrapped up character arcs, meaningful relationships and an engaging plot, all in the best way possible. Every character that appeared had undergone development throughout the series, but by the end they became the best versions of themselves. Although many side characters were unfortunately sidelined for the finale, it only made sense to center on the main characters and their arcs.
The actors delivered the emotional payoff of all of their characters perfectly. The romantic and familial relationships that have stayed strong throughout the show brought tears to the viewers as they recalled the important parts of what made the relationship beautiful in the first place. What made them cry harder, though, was the healing of the broken relationships and how they were able to receive closure on their difficult past.
Not only was the writing perfect, but the costumes, music and choreography helped bring everything together. The music, largely inspired by the ‘80s, set the tone and image, and the costume department understood the symbols that make the show so cohesive.
The choreography is an important part of the show as it is a martial arts series, and just like the beginning, the ending maintained its strength. The realistic movements engaged the audience, and the tension throughout the fighting sequences kept them stressed. The drama is admirable in this aspect as the actors learned martial arts to achieve this effect, or they already had a strong background in martial arts.
There were many wild and chaotic twists that brought out the drama; however, the writers never forgot about the true essence and message of “Cobra Kai.” Going back to its roots, the finale placed many parallels and references from its first season as well as the original “Karate Kid” trilogy, exciting many fans.
All of these factors emphasized the overall theme of the show, the importance of true balance between peace and violence personified through Lawrence and LaRusso. With all these gears and factors working together, they created the perfect and satisfying finale for this show. As the fans and actors now must give a tearful goodbye to this show, we give a grateful thanks to everybody who had worked on this beautiful piece of media and wish everybody the best.
5/5 stars
skwok@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @cobrakaiseries, Instagram
