Cobra Kai Season 3 Early Reviews Are Out

Cobra Kai fans got a surprise when Netflix announced it would release the third season of The Karate Kid‘s sequel series early on New Year’s Day. Based on early reviews, it sounds like those fans will be kicking off the new year right. Early reviews are out and while many of them note the series repeats certain plot beats a little too frequently in its soap opera structure, they also say that the charm of the cast elevates the material to a delightful level, creating a fun new entry into The Karate Kid mythology. You can see excerpts from some of those early reviews below.

Cobra Kai takes place 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, where a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) struggles to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of Mr. Miyagi, and must face his previous adversary, down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), who seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo.

Are you looking forward to the third season of Cobra Kai? What do you think of the early reviews? Let us know in the comments section. Cobra Kai Season Three debuts on Netflix on New Year’s Day, January 1st.

Entertainment Weekly

“Since production wrapped, Cobra Kai moved to Netflix and earned an early season 4 renewal. The ensuing popularity boost could suggest a long run ahead — but the finale points toward an endgame. And that finale is wonderful, wonderful, ridiculous, and wonderful: A high energy showdown for youth in revolt, alongside a never-more-sensitive portrayal of middle-aged reminiscence. It reaffirms Cobra Kai as one of the cleverest reboots in our nostalgia-drunk era. The series crafts a moral fable beyond any obvious definitions of irony and sincerity. “Being a badass doesn’t mean being an a–hole,” Johnny explains. It’s a goofy line, and a real evolution. Like all the best teachers, he’s still learning.” — Full review

SlashFilm

“In some ways, you could draw direct parallels between Cobra Kai and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. If season 1 of this show took a bit of a The Force Awakens approach, reintroducing us to the legacy characters while telling a new story in the same universe that was all about confronting the legacy of the original story and season 2 was all about asking whether these characters (or anyone) can actually change, season 3 is all about teachers and how their legacy shape their students in profound ways. That’s right: this is The Last Jedi of the Karate Kid universe. There’s also a little bit of Rise of Skywalker in here, especially with the ongoing machinations of John Kreese.” – Full review

AV Club

“[T]he season works overtime to win viewers over with its loose, goofball charms, and when Daniel makes a nostalgic trip to Okinawa halfway through the season, the narrative and humor both start to accelerate in far more enjoyably broad ways. There are still more than a few moments of badly engineered plotting and situations that leave you dumbfounded none of these kids have called the police; but Cobra Kai isn’t trying to score points for believability. Season three pummels you with enough broad laughs and over-the-top twists to keep you coming back to its televised dojo, no matter how often it backslides into hokum. As Johnny says, right after delivering an inspiring speech to his students, only to then turn around and slap the books out of the hands of a random nerd passing by: ‘Sorry, kid—old habits.’” – Full review

Polygon

“Heading into Cobra Kai season 3, I worried that the mess made in season 2 was setting us up for a serviceable mop up, and little more. I was especially troubled by the teases for Daniel’s Japan visit, thinking we would be getting more nostalgia sizzle than narrative steak. But season 3 still has plenty of substance; it got me to care again, about what has happened and what will happen to these people, rather than regret the previous 10 episodes as a tale that didn’t need telling. That’s a hell of a good comeback, but then, we expect no less of The Karate Kid.” – Full review

JoBlo

“Callbacks to events from the movies that have already been referenced in the first two seasons pop back up again and characters make the same bad decisions they did in prior episodes. It is easy to overlook these faults because there is a lot of fun to be had with this show, but I was hoping for more from these episodes. Hurwitz and Schlossberg clearly already had the fourth season in mind when they wrote season three and my opinion may change once I have seen them together. Cobra Kai is still a fun return to a franchise that still has life in it but this season is the first misstep in the franchise since Hilary Swank became the next karate kid.” – Full review

Consequence of Sound

“It’s a staggering accomplishment that continues to crane kick our expectations. What’s been keeping it all together — and this is important — is balance. That was Miyagi’s greatest lesson. As he told Daniel way, way back in 1984, “Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?” That’s a lesson Cobra Kai has yet to forget, and as long as Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg stay true to those words, the best Karate remains inside of them and there’s no reason for any of us to leave the mat. Besides, this thing has to last long enough to give us Silver.” – Full review

Metro

“Cobra Kai season 3 strikes first, strikes hard and shows no mercy when continuing to deliver a series that shouldn’t be as good as this is for a nostalgia trip.  The team who write the show have managed to perfectly balance the old with the new and created something that is truly gripping TV.  William Zapka remains the jewel in the series crown, the entire ensemble cast is just a lot of fun to watch.  The only downside is the sparse use or explanation of certain characters that deserved more from the story than just being ‘the angry kid’ – most notably Robby, Tory and Hawk.” – Full review

Showbiz Cheat Sheet

“There is such palpable tension to the action of Cobra Kai. Bullies are relentless, but constantly defending yourself is stressful even if you’re capable. A character like Tory really embodies the dangers of Cobra Kai teaching. Tory will never be satisfied. She’ll always come back for more. Lose to her and she’ll want to beat you again. Beat her and she’ll have to validate herself. 
It’s that bully mentality that’s dangerous. They’ll destroy everything trying to fill that hole and you empathize with her. You want her to find peace but that’s a lifetime issue. 
There’s a lot of substance in Cobra Kai Season 3, meaning it maintains the high standards they already set in seasons 1 and 2. And this is only the stuff that can be addressed vaguely without giving away spoilers. Once everyone sees season 3 there will be so much more to talk about.” – Full review

RadioTimes

“As expected, the action set pieces are a visual treat and move the story forward in a compelling manner. More observant viewers will delight in the subtle and symbolic Easter eggs related to the Karate Kid films. The penultimate episode is a highlight well worth the wait, and it segues nicely into the final episode. Season three’s finale is more resolute than season two’s equivalent, even if it is a more haphazard episode. Nonetheless, its emotional payoff is satisfying and will leave you hankering for season four. In an era of countless TV and film reboots, Cobra Kai is a welcome revival.  Given the events of season three, it’s clear that the show is hitting a new stride. There are still more stories left to tell in this series, karate chop and all.” – Full review

Paste Magazine

“In addition to take a trip down memory lane to The Karate Kid II, the third season also delves into Kreese’s backstory, trying to provide insight into a man who has become so menacing. Kove’s own son Jesse Kove plays the younger Kreese which is an inspired bit of casting, and definitely explains why the younger Kreese is such a good look alike for the older Kreese. Perhaps you wouldn’t think Cobra Kai would be a good show to take on the lingering traumatic effects of the Vietnam War, but the deep dive into what made Kreese the man he is today tracks. Cobra Kai is forever interested in how the past informs the present. All in all, Cobra Kai, which thankfully has already been picked up for a fourth season, remains a pure, escapist delight.” – Full review