Critics praise ‘Cobra Kai’ finale: “Mr. Miyagi himself would be proud”
The final episode of Netflix’s hit Cobra Kai has been released, with critics giving their verdict on the finale of the show’s sixth and final season.
Beginning in 2018, the Karate Kid spin-off picked up decades after Johnny Lawrence’s (William Zabka) loss to Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), a defeat that derailed his adult life before he returns to The Valley neighbourhood of Los Angeles to re-open Cobra Kai dojo.
In the final episode, following tragedy at a tournament abroad, the story comes full circle for Johnny as faces off against Sensei Wolf in the Sekai Taikai tournament, where he lost to Daniel all those years ago. This time, however, Daniel is an ally.
Reviews for the episode were largely positive, praising the satisfying ending but feeling the show didn’t always feel as serious as it might have. There was also disdain for a CGI recreation of the character of Mr Miyagi, using the image of the actor Pat Morita who died in 2005.
The Guardian’s review was mixed, with critic Jack Seale praising the finale as “an emotional farewell to the Karate Kid gang” but being puzzled by some of the series’ tonal inconsistencies.
He called it “an extremely unusual show. It’s shot like a daytime soap and is often acted like one, having chosen not to recast any of the original characters: as well as Macchio and Zabka, numerous journeymen who failed to land any big gigs after The Karate Kid have been faithfully retained in the supporting cast, and whatever performance level they have managed is what the series has gone with”.
For IGN’s Matt Fowler, however, the contradictions are what makes the show special. “Cobra Kai is a fantastic blend of tones, mixing sitcom-style comedy with stark, effective drama” he wrote.
“Sometimes characters are cartoonishly stubborn and obtuse, but that always usually leads to a brilliant bit of catharsis. These final episodes take from the same playbook, of course. Some elements play out with all the bells, whistles, and sitcom antics intact (botched proposals, baby-delivery zaniness), almost eliciting eye rolls. But others – hoo, boy – they zig instead of zag and I was thrown for a loop. In a great way. It all works”.
Collider’s Mike Thomas wrote: “While the show isn’t perfect, with weird decisions like the aforementioned AI Mr. Miyagi or the somewhat repetitive fights between Johnny and Daniel, the series still managed to tap into that classic TV feeling that has been lost on most shows. It’s funny, action-packed, cheesy, and simultaneously nostalgic and new. Cobra Kai might finally be ending, but it never dies”.
The Seattle Times’ Chase Hutchinson concluded “Mr. Miyagi himself would be proud” of what the series has become. “What holds the finale together is the way it serves as an inverse of how Cobra Kai began” he wrote. “Where we started with Johnny picking up the pieces of what his life had become after losing in a fight to Daniel decades ago, the finale satisfyingly closes the loop on the many subplots before seeing him get one final chance at redemption”.
Macchio will return to the role of Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends, a crossover with 2010 Karate Kid star Jackie Chan due for release in May. Recently, the actor talked about how he would like to see a Cobra Kai movie made if the film is a success.
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Victoria Luxford
NME
