Cobra Kai

[Drunk Monk]

S4e3: There’s some surprising life lessons doled out by each Sensei that is astonishingly wise. Still packed with Easter eggs. Still fun. What I like here is that each character has reasonable motivations - the backstories are justifying. Also there’s no real good guys or bad guys. Well maybe Carmen is good, but even Kreese in all his villainy grapples with ptsd from Nam so there’s some justification, albeit no redemption. It casts him as more tragic instead of caricature. The new character Kenny brings some reversal, tainting the previous bullied kids as they become the bullies. And Daniel’s son is coming into play nicely finally. Something I really like is how each Sensei expresses their dedication to Karate here - what they’ve sacrificed and how they feel it has been worth it. That’s relatable and resonates deeply with me. Even johnny’s love of coors is explained.  

S4e4: Nice 80s film and music references. Those press my nostalgia button. I want to see Moon come back into play. Amanda might also be good but she’s flawed as the overprotective Mama bear, which gives her role room to err. I just learned that actress plays Sheldon’s sister in Big Bang Theory - might have to dig that out because I like her performance here and only vaguely remember her character in that. It’s consistently good writing how the character stories intertwine and how the Easter eggs are tucked - definitely by fans for fans.