Rocky Balboa and Bruce Lee can rest easy, the legacy of their films is in safe hands, namely in the hands of the creators of the never-losing-its-brightness-and-appeal series 'Cobra Kai'. We figure out the secret of the showrunners of the Netflix pro...

The series 'Cobra Kai' emerged from the 'Karate Kid' franchise, the first part of which was released in 1984. By blending the sports drama genre with martial arts films, John G. Avildsen (director of 'Rocky') achieved incredible success, which led to three more parts about teenagers and their love for karate. We have already told you more about this film story born in the 80s, and even highlighted the main merits of 'Cobra Kai', which came out 34 years after the first film. Now we are eager to share our impressions of the new season of the series, which continues to delight fans of the Mr. Miyagi universe.

At the center of the plot is still the 'Cobra Kai' karate dojo, now solely owned by Terry Silver (Thomas Griffith) — the sworn enemy of Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) from the third 'Karate Kid' film. In the fourth season, Daniel and Johnny Lawrence's (William Zabka) students lost the karate tournament and were forced to close their dojos. This made 'Cobra Kai' the only place in the Valley (a district in California) where karate is taught. Although in reality, they train ruthless teenagers who disregard everyone else's interests. And in the fifth season, LaRusso, Lawrence, their students, and new-old characters from the original franchise continue to fight against 'Cobra Kai'.

The plot framework — the confrontation between LaRusso and company and the evil sensei (here Terry Silver) — repeats from season to season, but each time the creators manage to find a new angle for the story. Now Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald have raised the stakes for all characters in the series, making it more mature and serious. More cruelty and emotional pressure, and except for a few episodes, the air crackles with heightened tension. The showrunners dissect human weaknesses and study evil that cleverly disguises itself as good. Moreover, while the first seasons focused more on problems from the outside world, the fifth season targets the intra-family difficulties that arose against the backdrop of the endless 'bonsai' vs. 'snake' confrontation.

Importantly, not only the story but also the characters evolve. The characters in 'Cobra Kai' were never perfect; they were drawn in shades of gray. Therefore, even the most hardened villains of the series sometimes evoked sympathy. The authors continued to play with the ambiguity of the characters in the fifth season, driving some to the brink of despair, turning priorities upside down, and adding psychological depth to the character arcs. The messaging here is woven so carefully and unobtrusively (as in past seasons) that you won't even be able to criticize these scenes, and you might even recognize yourself in them.

How to come to terms with a difficult past (and not drown yourself in total revenge) is still one of the main leitmotifs of 'Cobra Kai'. At the same time, this is now relevant not only for the aging LaRusso and Lawrence but also for their students, who are trying to figure themselves out. Such an intergenerational story. Teenagers learn to accept not only the light but also the darkness within themselves, fight social labels, and overcome their deep-seated fears and mistakes. Therefore, both adult and young viewers can find a character close to themselves and relate their own experiences to theirs.

'Cobra Kai' is, by and large, a series about people and their relationships, but no one is about to forget about karate. Sparring, street fights, brawls, local competitions, and now even fights with katanas and sai (Japanese knives) — all of this is vividly and qualitatively shown in 'Cobra Kai' in the best traditions of sports cinema.

Here, too, a balance is maintained between drama and comedy, which prevents the series from drowning in self-reflection. 'Cobra Kai' has a lot of humor: not only verbal but also situational. Of course, the creators do not forget about the nostalgic vibe of 80s America and references to the original films. And the crane kick is the icing on the cake! In addition, the showrunners found a way to please fans of '', paying tribute to the legacy of the Duffer brothers.

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Little is valued more than a good story, right?

(Terry Silver)

Perhaps this is exactly what the showrunners of 'Cobra Kai' are guided by, who continue to maintain the standard even in the fifth season. But there is a vague feeling that the story is approaching its logical conclusion, although judging by the finale, at least one more season awaits us. I wonder, will Hilary Swank come out for a walk in 'Cobra Kai'?