Fans have waited nearly 21 months for a new season of Cobra Kai and were finally treated to season three on the first day of 2021.
The third season of the Karate Kid revival series takes place in the weeks after the intense fight between Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai that sent Samantha (Mary Mouser) to the hospital, led to Miguel (Xolo Mariduena) falling into a coma and sent Robby (Tanner Buchanan) on the run.
Following the fight, both Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny (William Zabka) are dealing with the repercussions of the fight, both in their own ways. Johnny has fallen into drinking while Daniel’s business is suffering, forcing Daniel and Amanda (Courtney Henggeler) to seriously consider an offer to be bought out by their rival Tom Cole.
Samantha struggles with the aftermath of the fight and is unsure about what role karate should play in her life. Miguel, meanwhile, struggles with walking following the fight, but with some help from Johnny, he is able to overcome his struggles.
Meanwhile, Cobra Kai is back to its old ways with Sensei John Kreese (Martin Kove) leading the group in becoming even more aggressive than Johnny and his friends in the 80s. Hawk (Jacob Betrand) becomes the star pupil of Cobra Kai in Miguel’s absence, while Tory (Peyton List) continues to plan revenge on Samantha for kissing Miguel at the end of season two.
The third season of Cobra Kai also sees some welcome returns from legacy characters from the series franchise. Bobby Brown (Ron Thomas) returns following an appearance in season two. Meanwhile, when Daniel travels to Japan to try and save his business, he heads to Mr. Miyagi’s hometown of Okinawa and reunites with his old flame Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) and rival Chozen (Yuji Okumoto) and he reunites with Yuna (Traci Toguchi), the young girl he saved during the typhoon in The Karate Kid Part II.
In the final two episodes of the season, another familiar face returns. Spoiler (although one that was predictable given the final shot of season two): The one and only Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) returns for the final two episodes and reunites with both Daniel and Johnny. Ali’s reappearance not only lets her catch up with both her old boyfriends, but it allows Daniel and Johnny to see they are more similar than they would both like to admit (which is probably why Ali loved both of them in high school).
Cobra Kai continues its string of excellence that was present in the first two seasons. With the focus being not only on Johnny and Daniel, but their children, the show continues to breathe new life into the series. There are plenty of callbacks to the films, including a handful of flashbacks featuring Mr. Miyagi (the late and great Pat Morita). The return of several legacy characters adds icing to the cake, and it’s wonderful seeing Daniel and Johnny reuniting with their old friends and seeing them interact in new ways.
Warning: Spoiler ahead, but it’s an emotional one not a plot one
The best moment of the series comes in episode five, “Miyagi-Do.” After reuniting with Kumiko, Daniel goes to her home (actually Kumiko’s aunt Yukie’s old home) to catch up. Daniel is desperate for a connection to Mr. Miyagi, and Kumiko produces a series of letters Miyagi sent to Yukie in the years since the second film. Daniel finds a letter that was sent the week Miyagi died and Kumiko translates the letter for Daniel.
In the letter, Miyagi tells Yukie not to worry about him being in the hospital again. He also reveals that he never thought he’d find a family in America until he met Daniel. Miyagi writes about how much Daniel means to him and comments that Samantha makes Miyagi feel like her Sofu, the Japanese term for grandfather. The letter is enough for many tears to flow as Kumiko reads it and allows both Daniel and the viewers to reconnect with our Sensei and father figure.
The third season ends on a surprising note, but one that hints at the characters heading in a direction that none of them expected to, but one that is certainly welcome.
Cobra Kai was renewed for a fourth season ahead of the season three premiere. If season three was any indication, season four will certainly be successful. The series is available for streaming on Netflix.
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