The Trailer for 'Cobra Kai Season 2' is Here and I'm Ready to Wax Off

Holy Schniekies. I wrote last year about Season 1 of Cobra Kai and what a revelation it was. To me, it was the best original series to land since Stranger Things. But even Stranger Things was a lot about just nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia. What screenwriters call “intertextuality,” basically making old pop culture references as fan service. Just to make the audience go “Hey! That reminds me of Stand by Me!” Or “That’s just like the wig they put on ET!” and such. Which shouldn’t be a substitute for having an actual story or characters you’re interested in.

Well Cobra Kai S:1 had a plot. It took familiar characters but it totally flipped their stories in a way that made perfect sense but was still surprising and a fresh twist. 30-plus years after the All Valley Karate Tournament made Danny LaRusso a hero and Johnny Lawrence a loser, Danny is a rich asshole and Johnny is a still a loser, but a loser you’re rooting for. It was funny. Well written. Clearly had respect for the source material. And somehow managed to give you a sweeping leg right to the feelings.

And now we see where the cliffhanger ending is taking us. Yes, Kreese is back. The Cobra Kai dojo is reestablishing itself as the world capital of the “Strike hard. Strike first. No mercy.” philosophy. Daniel-san is reforming the Miyagi-Do school to counter Johnny. And to be less of a dick. Plus he’s training his daughter and Johnny’s estranged son. But Kreese has some chick who kicks metric tons of ass.

Ralph Maccio and William “I Played 90% of the 80s Characters You Hate” Zabka are the executive producers on this, and you can see what a labor of love it is for them. It comes through the screen. But it’s not just a nostalgia trip. It’s just great television streaming. Season 1 put me in a body bag. And I am all in for Season 2.