Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.

I avoided watching the YouTube, then Netflix, series Cobra Kai.  I wasn't a big fan of The Karate Kid, and I just didn't want to see a show built around the worst aspects of it--I imagined a lot of nasty people doing martial arts drills.

But I finally gave in, and just watched the first season.  It's delightful.  Set in the present, life for the Billy Zabka character has gone downhill.  He's divorced, drinks too much, lives in a lousy apartment and has no prospects.  Meanwhile, his old nemesis, still played by Ralph Macchio, is doing great--lovely wife and family, beautiful home, owns a car dealership.

While we follow both their stories, putting Zabka front and center was a smart move.  And making him far from perfect was even smarter.  He opens a dojo--Cobra Kai, of course--and starts teaching misfits to be tough, maybe too tough.  Indeed, a large portion of the show is devoted to the lives of the teennage characters, as Zabka and Macchio each become a sensei.

The show plays off the memory of the original films, but you don't have to know them to enjoy the story.  Perhaps what surprised me most about Cobra Kai is how funny it is.  There's certainly drama, but it made me laugh more than all but a handful of shows do. And as a bonus, I now know the San Fernando Valley, and can recognize where the action takes place.

So, belatedly, let me recommend Cobra Kai.  I've still got the second season to binge, and a third season to look forward to.