Esqueleto

Another solid episode of Cobra Kai. Surprisingly good acting and I love the throwbacks to the original movie. Storyline is developing nicely.

I did spend this episode wondering if William Zabka has aged better than Ralph Machio. I think all that black hair does not suit Macchio.

It is the Halloween party at school. Daniel is worried that Kyler will make moves on his daughter. Daniel decides to attend as a chaperone. He sees a boy in a skeleton costume that brings back painful memories.

This time it is Miguel in the skeleton costume and he gets his butt kicked by Kyler and his cronies when he finds out what Kyler planned to do with Daniel's daughter with a cheap trinket. This is despite Johnny teaching Miguel how to do kung fu kicks Kreese style.

It is one of these episodes where the nerds, geeks and the fat ones are out of place at the Halloween school dance. Miguel even loses a girl to Doctor Who in a bow tie.

It is Zabka who again is the stand out. Frustrated, money problems and seeing a world where deep down he knows he could make a difference.

This episode was definitely a disappointment. Between the Hallmark-quality high school drama at the Halloween school dance and a variety of increasingly crude, filthy jokes that just seem like they're there for show, it was a profound step down from the excellent episodes 1 and 2.

This one also spent a lot more time on the subplot between Daniel (Ralph Macchio) and his daughter (Mary Mouser), as well as her relationship with vicious bully Kyler (Joe Seo).

The played-out high school theatrics, potty humor and excessive focus on the bullying of Aisha (Nichole Brown) just left a bad taste in my mouth. And it took too much screen time away from this show's biggest selling point: the fantastically entertaining dynamic between Daniel and Johnny (William Zabka).

Hoping the other episodes better match the quality of the first two.

By the third episode, Cobra Kai begins to settle into its groove.

The show continues to explore Johnny's attempts at turning his life around, and while the story is still laced with humour, the drama takes a stronger foothold. We start to see more of the show's central relationships develop, giving the series a touch of emotional grounding that balances its nostalgic callbacks.

Ep 3 also gives more room to the next generation of characters, which adds a modern lens to the classic rivalry. This not only broadens the story but also ensures that the series appeals to younger audiences without alienating long-time Karate Kid fans.

The pacing is a little uneven at times, but it's never dull. The writers do a good job of layering character flaws with moments of growth, making the viewer curious about where loyalties and rivalries will ultimately land.

A solid continuation... less flashy than the opener, but meaningful in building the emotional spine of the season.

When they talk about reboots, there's this fear that they are going to completely rewrite the source material and basically destroy the original premise.

Having zero expectations walking into this, I trepidatiously started to watch based on the glowing reviews... Still, I thought that it would be a disappointment, riding on the current wave of 80's nostalgia ala Stranger Things.

I needn't have worried... Incredibly, they brought the two original actors back together and have overcome the three decade barrier to set the stage for what seems to be shaping up to be perhaps one of the most imaginative sequels ever...

Expectations have been raised... Fingers crossed.