Cobra Kai

“Fans will have strong opinions about one callback to the original film that verges on the distasteful, but for all its flaws, a thread of sweetness runs through Cobra Kai as it picks up the story of two men who bitterly hated one another 40 years previously finding common ground in later life. Like the original, there’s a satisfyingly crunchy ending, too, with at least one of our protagonists required to demonstrate their prowess on the fighting mat.”
Ed Power, The Telegraph

“Mostly it’s complete nonsense. After two crucial characters together reach the end of the line in an explosive turn of events, they’re not even mentioned again. Still, every now and then, when the show speaks to the idea of the need to have someone in your corner to root for you in life, or when it’s simply being funny, this black-belt sequel still has something about it.”
James Jackson, The Times

“Cobra Kai works best when it’s self-aware, bringing heart, laughs and smartly timed movie nods while playing its own game. It’s been lost over the past two seasons, with stakes getting too far-fetched to be enjoyable. Thankfully, these final five episodes bring back the precarious balance it once had (save for one, badly executed AI choice and a late-entry bad guy I couldn’t care less about). There’s even fun final cameos for good measure. What’s truly surprising are the emotional punches it throws, holding them for the biggest impact and delivering a knockout when they do.”
Tilly Pearce, The i

“Over time, Johnny has become the show’s main character, despite the likable William Zabka’s technical limitations: the unambiguously serious scene where Johnny confronts his former father figure Kreese about the damage he did is, objectively, not brilliantly written or acted, but is delivered with a raw emotional courage that makes it suddenly devastating. In unlikely fashion, Cobra Kai wins again.”
Jack Seale, The Guardian