The third season of ‘Cobra Kai’ has been the first really released by Netflix, but the truth is that those responsible for it had already finished with it before YouTube decided not to go ahead with it. That’s when Netflix came to the rescue, taking very little to renew for a fourth batch of episodes, being then when there may be a change from previously seen in this television sequel to ‘Karate Kid’.

‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3 Spoilers From Here

A few days ago I shared with you my impressions of the first five episodes of this third season, in which there was already a certain tendency to excess that could end up playing against it. Well, that has increased as the chapters passed and have ended up being especially harmful to the character of Robby, a little less than condemned to be a plot device instead of what has happened feels like a natural progression of the character played by Tanner Buchanan.

Certain Excesses

And it is that this improbable alliance between Kreese and Robby may make sense so that there is a greater emotional charge in that tournament of the fourth season that promises strong emotions, first because of the inevitable friction that there will be along the way between Daniel and Johnny, but above all for the emotional resonance of facing his father and his former mentor.

For that reason the decision of the showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg is logical, but the way to get there enhances the less interesting side of ‘Cobra Kai’, which has led to some characters being completely blurred. With Kreese, they are on the edge of that often, but where it has been most evident has been with Tory, who has ended up reduced to the role of a vindictive nutty willing to do anything.

It’s a shame that something like this has happened, because on the other hand, ‘Cobra Kai’ has managed to handle the nostalgic load much better in this second season, both serving to close a LaRusso character arc that went back to ‘Karate Kid II’ as for the recovery of Ali, the character that so marked the lives of the two protagonists in the first installment of the saga.

Respectful And Entertaining

There it has been noted that those responsible for ‘Cobra Kai’ feel deep respect for what has been seen so far in the saga instead of resorting to that recently fashionable trick of ignoring the sequels. It is not something in which they are always equally successful – it is appreciated to give more background to Kreese, but the dramatic touch associated with their flashbacks does not quite fit well within the series – but you can see the love they have towards this universe and that helps one to be more receptive to what they are telling.

On the other hand, it is true that this third season has been more an interlude than a true advance in the story, but its ability to entertain and see you one chapter after another remains as or more relevant than in the previous two seasons. Their weapons remain the same, perhaps sinning to be a bit repetitive on some fronts, but without being something that is annoying in any case.

If there is even a great final battle followed by an intense confrontation between its protagonists – although here it is Daniel and Johnny with Kreese instead of between the two of them. In return, making use of that again feels like a necessary step for the story to really progress, so much so that it would have no problem with the fourth season putting an end to ‘Cobra Kai’, although those responsible have already dropped that that is not something that enters their plans.

Besides, the technical effort of staging is appreciated in that pitched battle of the last episode, where the surprise factor of the second season no longer exists, but in return, it puts you much more into what happens by not resorting to the trick of changing shot very often, something common in the series and that in my opinion limited the impact of the moments in which karate becomes the star of the show.
For the rest, ‘Cobra Kai’ continues to work better from the lightness, but it is normal that it is increasingly difficult for it to have such a predominant presence as in the first season. At the end of the day, the stakes are high and that is something that must also be reflected with some seriousness. Too bad those excesses that I mentioned before that tarnish the set a bit.

In Short

Maybe ‘Cobra Kai’ will never get a season as round as the first, but in the third, there has been an improvement compared to the second, and everything has been directed towards a fourth that promises be a joy. And hopefully more balanced than its two predecessors.

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