Whoa, just curious. Welcome to Just curious media. This is let's talk Cobra Kai. And I'm Jason Connell.
I'm Sal Rodriguez.
All right, so we are back with another episode. And I know you're super excited over there.
Well, I'm always excited to be back for let's talk Cobra Kai. I mean, you know, I, you know, I love our other shows. I do. But let's talk Cobra Kai as it gets in the Fuji emoji in the fields. You know, it's it's what? really started it all for just curious media. Really?
It sure did. Let's go back in the Wayback Machine.
Let's do a retcon.
Now, word will be coming up in this episode. That's
right. I just learned a new word. Today, I just learned a new word. So this
episode, which is entitled 10 lessons from Cobra Kai, we're going to be educating ourselves and others today came about because I read an article that deals with this very thing. We're taking the 10 points from that article, they call the article something different. And we're going to give a shout out to the writer and the publication. But it also harkens back to Episode 74 from us, let's talk Cobra Kai when we did three lessons from the Karate
Kid, Part Three. And so you said there was no lessons to be learned in that movie? You did not say that?
Well, one lesson I absolutely learned from Karate Kid three is that when you hit some sort of you know apparatus in the gym, you punch it Oh, yes should not be made of wood and metal,
bloody knuckles will happen should be solved much. So I learned that I'm not going to go down that rabbit hole with all Valley I'll just let it be. But that's a fun episode. I highly recommend people check it out. And there are lessons to learn be learned from that movie. It's a fantastic film. Not as good as the first. I always say that every time. It's I gotta put the disclaimer there. But I love it more than I used to. And it's going to come into play in this
episode. So and we've recorded that just so you know, October 20 2021. South feels like just yesterday. And it's coming up, hon. Two years. So how crazy No, it's beyond two years. So there you have it. So the articles title is 10 reasons why Cobra Kai is so much better than other movies and TV reboots. Now, I agree without reading the article that but that's what caught my attention. This is what they had. But underneath their title, Cobra Kai has succeeded where other TV and
movie reboots have failed. And this all comes down to a few features and plot details the series nailed. Okay, so this comes from Screen Rant. It came out October 18 2023, from
Angel Shaw. And some of those. Find that name familiar because we have covered another article about Cobra high written by Angel Shaw. So I believe at this time i i contribute on the show. Well hit fan of the show Angel. But not AI. Not a not AI. I believe Andrew Shaw is a real person writing great articles about Cobra Kai. It's
funny. So you have like, your AI radar is always out looking scanning. Is that AI? I don't know. And if it is or isn't like what happens? Are you mad if it is are you? Well, I'm assuming that's what's going on? Not embracing AI because people are losing jobs.
Yes, I do have an antenna up for AI. Because unfortunately, I've realized, let me back up a little bit. I have done voiceover work. I have done professional narration. I podcast, I do professional podcasting, folks. And you know what, there's a lot of voice work being taken by AI. So unfortunately, I am have my antenna up. And I have read articles that I think could have
been written by AI. And I especially I've read articles about Cobra Kai, where I at least thought was this AI or does this person even watch the show? So I'm happy to talk about an angel Shaw article. There
you go. Well, let's jump in. We have 10 points, quite a few. We won't spend too much time on them. Some of them are kind of the same. But they're fun will ping pong back and forth. We'll say the point in reverse order. David Letterman top 10 style, and we'll just have a discussion. It'll be fun. Yeah, sounds good. I know you're excited so I can tell
I am i Oh, Jason. I forgot to tell you that I brought along. Johnny Laura. Oh, skeleton. I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you. So I'm telling you now. We have we have kind of overlooked this particular figure. He just hasn't come on our radar. We've covered other collectibles, but I brought the Halloween dance. Johnny Lawrence skeleton outfit for you to see today. Wow. There he is. He has a Walkman too. There is
as a Walkman and he's ever a joint that he's rolling in come with a joint
which was disappointed but I want to steal a joke from my Cheech and Chong action figures and and let them have it.
And I have to say that he's a lot tougher when he had All these little Cobra Kai flunkies with him too. He's not quite so tough by himself in a skeleton outfit. So I grew to love Johnny. But at that point in time, he was like, punk Johnny
wasn't he tried to turn over a new leaf right at that time?
He was and then bring it around and Daniel stirs the pot and pours water. That's true. That's true. It's a Daniel problem. I
found your livery so
Okay, here we go. Number 10 Cobra Kai used the karate kids formula with a unique twist. And I do agree with that point, Sal, because I believe they're alluding to the fact that in the original you have Mr. Miyagi training Danielson. Yep. Right. And it would have been easy to come back and Daniel's now Miyagi, sure, and he kind of is, but you know what I mean, the story is just about him training either his kids or someone else. But no, they went a different way. We resurrected Johnny, and he's
training young Miguel. And it's like a formula we know. But a new slant. And I do love that. Of course. I think it's part of what makes the show so great. Well,
Jason, correct me if I'm wrong, but when Cobra Kai started, very beginning season one, especially the first episode ace degenerate. Neither Daniel nor Johnny. Were involved in karate, right? Yeah, not
at that time. Yeah. I mean, we don't know what Daniel was doing because he had the home dojo, but it was, you know, run over with stuff. Yeah. Yeah, like had storage in there. I wouldn't say he was practice.
No, no, no, he was wrapped up in in LORUSSO Otto there,
so I know. Yeah. And raising a family. So good point. There, Sal. Go ahead.
Number nine. Cobra Kai follows predominantly new characters. I think you'd have to though I mean, Cornell no more. Patton. Rito rest in peace. Right, right. Of course, we haven't seen some of the old characters brought back. That's why they're more new characters because some of the old characters that we'd love to see have still not been brought back, such as Freddy Fernandez, such as Daryl Madol.
Yeah, classics. These are things for the OG us. You know, we were watching the Karate Kid, his kids. I think it had to go younger karate kids, a much older movie. And that was another part of the genius had this show come out. 10 years after the last movie, we're talking about something completely different. We're so many generations later. It's like, Hey, this is great. We didn't just bring new
characters. We follow these characters Hawk Demetri Sam, Robbie, like we have fallen in love with new characters with our anchors around them. And yes, then sprinkling in the people that we love the alleys and chosen such and such. So it's a really a beautiful blend. But it had to be done that way.
Well, Jason is very important to me. I've realized this recently, it's very important to me that I care about the characters in a movie to show you just realizing this. I really have just realized that because sometimes I'll tell you why. Because sometimes I may watch something and realize I didn't like it. So why didn't you like it? Because you didn't care about anybody? That's why Yeah, it's very basic, but it really has become apparent
recently. Yes, I love and care about the people in Cobra Kai, I want them to be okay. Even Kyler hell even Kyler I want him to be okay. I don't you know, I don't want anything, you know, horrible to happen to even the bad guys. I want to be okay, because I care about all of them.
That's good. Well, I come from a documentary background. I'm gonna make a documentary. They're real people you're following and you tend to care about your people, your subject matters. And so yeah, I already have this ingrained in me and my love for cinema. But I am glad that you're on board. Now. I would also say this really behooves you because new characters for a toy collector. Better for the marketplace better for your collection. Yeah.
So I would say when Jason I'll have to say I was disappointed in the recent of Hasbro Miguel and Hasbro Sam as part of the Power Rangers and Cobra Kai mash up. I passed on those two figures. I don't think that they did. Either Sam or Miguel justice.
Yeah, that's why it's a weird mashup. That doesn't even count. So. Alright, number eight Cobra Kai doesn't take itself too seriously. So, so true. Yeah. A lot of fun with you on a comedy. I mean, it's a much more silly than the movies, the movies, the original go back and watch it. It's not a silly movie. It's a heartfelt underdog story coming of age, Father Son, kind of relationship bullied and then it becomes a champ. It's anything but silly. But the show it's different. It's a 30 minute
show. It has it for the most part. You know what I mean? Like half hour isn't the long form except for a special maybe season finale. But it's lighter. There are some heavy moments but it doesn't take itself too seriously. I mean, it has Johnny going on advertisements and changing the internet and changing the release date. It's playful. And it lets us
in adjacent others you were gonna say Johnny goes into billboard and draw something. That's what he
does that to shine he'll stop at nothing to be a little silly. I
will say that yes, Karate Kid. I don't think tickets did take itself more seriously. And the only comedic element I believe in the original Karate Kid was the shower Halloween costume. Right? That's what it was probably the only comedic element of the movie.
I mean, I don't know, I'd have to think about this more. It's I don't even know how comedic that was. It was really an amazing costume. It wasn't just a guy. Here's a guy that wants to be around a bunch of people but doesn't want to be seen. Yeah. So clever was
on point and very clever. So yeah, there are moments you know, when Daniel's talking to himself, as we discussed on the recent audio description version, as I listened to the Karate Kid of the outer description feature, and I was like, oh, yeah, he's talking to himself a lot. Like, he's really hot. Like, that was kind of silly, but it was more character. I like to find that his character. So
I liked that I as an actor, I think he would call that a device. And it was a device and I like it. I do like it. Alright, so you're up. Number seven Cobra Kai shifted to Johnny's villain perspective. Yeah, a whole nother angle a whole nother angle. Jason. I'm reminded of this when I had dinner with my father. We didn't speak for years, and we had dinner. And I saw a side of my parents that I never saw because it was my dad's side. I had only heard my mother's side. Now I
get to hear my dad's side. And it was incredibly enlightening and revealing. Very happy I did it. And yeah, very similarly, we get to see the world from Johnny's perspective. Yeah,
we ended the Karate Kid knees barely in the sequel. And the very beginning, which was really written in the first movie, and they put it in the second That was smart. It was well done. But you know, you love to hate him. And then he popped up in other movies, like just one of the guys and back to school, playing kind of a version of Johnny Lawrence like my guy because he just looked apart, all American kid, but he was more of the prick. You know, he had all the friends who were
more followers. He just nailed that role he embodied it, which probably didn't help him William Zabka in real life for a while because like, I'm not that guy. He's like, super sweet. Exactly.
He's very, very nice guy but typecast as a bad guy. typecast as a bully. typecast as a prick. Yeah, yeah,
that was it. He's always that guy. This redefined his character, and him as an actor. And yes, we're falling in love with him right out of the gate. That first episode when I put a nice degenerate, I put it like I had a VCR. LaserDisc. No, I put it on
just the tracking
of this thing. No, I was blown away. I thought, Oh, my God, I always wanted to like this guy more. And now I can I can get behind this guy. I already care about Daniel. And we know he's coming when you're early in the series. So yeah, it was brilliant. They didn't have to do this. And it wouldn't have been as successful. But they had the foresight to do it. And give us Johnny, so we cared back to your point. And it worked. Jason I
think you especially cared for Johnny because you I love you. You have let go the hair out. Well, that that too. When I first met you, you have the Johnny Lawrence hairstyle, but you have told me that you dressed as Johnny Lawrence for Halloween before Cobra Kai. Twice.
Oh, yeah. Well, yeah, two times. Wow. I brought the same outfit back into play. Like it was like three years apart of like, hey, and no one. No one was talking about the movie that in fact, during that window when I did it, I believe the remake came out. And I But that had nothing to do with Johnny Lawrence or data LORUSSO, but it was like that's the only Karate Kid they were talking about. It wasn't at force Karate Kid. Yeah. But yeah, good point.
Thank you. Alright, number six, Cobra Kai paid homage to the 1980s without making fun of it. Very true. It does pay homage from the music that Johnny plays to the cars he drives. And yeah, we just love it, man. I mean, especially us in our age older, and probably a little younger. And then there's probably a whole new generation of people who are growing up going Aedes are cool, like when I was growing up saying, Oh, the 60s are amazing. My parents
generation. So there is that too, but they don't make fun of it. They don't overdo it. Right? They're not every episode isn't like, hey, you know, where's my Walkman? They're not doing that. They just do it respectfully and just enough.
Well, one of my favorite tips of the hat to the 80s era in Cobra Kai was at the roller skating rink. Yes, yes. When? Who was dressed as Don Johnson? Robbing Robbie. Yes. And then Samantha was dressed as Molly Ringwald,
Molly ring.
Yeah. So I do love those tips of the hat. Those Those shout outs to Yesteryear. Absolutely.
All right. So take it away. Number
five, Cobra Kai allowed Daniel and Johnny to have changed since the Karate Kid. All say, I like change. I do. I like when people change for the better. One thing I love about Cobra Kai is redemption. People can change. Well, you have bad people can become good and good people can become bad. But the point is, people can indeed change because I'm usually running around thinking people don't change. are
bad people get worse. As far as Terry Silver's concerned more evil. Yeah, it's absolutely true. These guys changed. I mean, we left the Karate Kid Daniels champ Johnny comes over and gives him the trophy. So maybe they went on ahead a friendship we don't know. Like we didn't see that change because the next movie only had the beginning on the exit of all Valley and crease tries to kill all of his students. And Mr. Miyagi saves the day. And then we don't really see those Cobra Kai's
anymore. But yeah, I mean, what a huge change Daniels now growing up, he's had some success, he earned success. He's had a lot of failure. He had a rough beginning, losing a father young, that's already a super disadvantage. And now he's having success in his names on billboards. And he's using his two time all Valley championship to leverage that into becoming a local icon. And then Johnny goes
the other way. we're led to believe that after that loss after He hands the trophy, Daniel, he really just was never the same in life. Maybe after he was choked out. Yeah, because it was like, that's his new father figure and he tried to kill him.
I mean, he took I get it, you know, he accepted defeat. He congratulated his opponent. So he was okay at that moment in time. Until what? Maybe 20 minutes later.
20 minutes later. Yeah. What do you say when he gives Daniel the trophy? You're right, LORUSSO? That's cool, great moment. And for different indices, like trying to move in. They're trying
to get a photo bomb.
Yeah. Can you sign this? Yes. So really huge change. And not just them. The show's been around long enough to see Robbie change, Miguel, change, Sam change, Anthony's growing up before our very eyes
change is happening. Robbie's mother change big time.
His mother is awesome. She's got clean, and she's on the right path. You know, Johnny's clean, so just fantastic. Fantastic. Great point. Okay, number four, the Karate Kid story is enhanced by Cobra Kai. So this one is a huge point. And I couldn't agree more. But I especially say The Karate Kid Part Three Yeah. is enhanced to me. I resurrected it. Well,
I use the phrase of what justified, redeemed. Yeah, redeem those the words that I use when I think I
always get to use those little hang out clear. We're bringing Karate Kid three back to life. It brought it back to life. In fact, when we started this campaign, this journey together with let's talk Cobra Kai, I even told you I believe in an episode, just watched the first Karate Kid watch the second, no need to watch Part Three. Right? And then we finish season one and think we were in the season two. And I put it back on thinking wow, why not? And I was blown
away immediately. Like, oh, no, very using three because this is early. And I even told you you got to see it. I look at it with a new lens. Now. I can see the bad but there's so much to take away. And I think this show is definitely brought those characters back. It's enhanced them all. And it's given the legacy just another you know, more momentum. So yeah, of course it's It's massive.
I also think Jason how lucky the show runners are that. What is it? Thomas? Ian Griffith right. Thomas in Griffith Barry Silbert? Yes that he's around to be able to step into the role and because what if they had to get someone else they probably wouldn't have done it. They probably wouldn't have had Terry silver come back if he was played by another actor. So how
am I chosen?
I mean chosen also. Hello? No. Yeah, lucky that there are round and alive and still acting.
What? Ali back at? It wasn't Holly, it was Elizabeth Shue.
Hello. We never got Dutch back. Right. We never got Dutch. I don't think we're gonna get Dutch ever. That's
not critical. It would be cool. Yeah. I mean, give me a Lamar. Yeah. Revenge of the Nerds. Yes, reference. But yes, I love this point. And it easily could have been the number one point for me. Yeah,
I think so. I agree. I think this is a huge one. In fact, I might even
let's reorder these.
I'm sorry. I was just thinking that I might want this as number
one, but we're sticking to the script here. Okay. Top three
number three. Cobra Kai had a clear story to tell. Right Other than beating a dead horse? So yeah, same not just for Yeah, very much. Not a very popular saying. Also, more than one way to skin a cat is also a horrible same Yeah. Yeah clear story to tell not beating a dead horse meaning not trying to just reiterate a point over and over, but taking a whole new direction and going into avenues and arenas, which we never would have had suspected. If you were just trying to stay in that
Miyagi verse specific. Yeah, right.
I'm sure they were pitch things for years. Okay, Daniels growing up, he's taken on the Miyagi role. And yeah, that has happened. But it wasn't the first thing it didn't happen right away. There's a lot of reluctancy. And there's a world around it. Now. There's like an ethos. It's not just that, yeah, we care about all these other characters that only really talented show runners could do. Come up with, get everybody on board and biggest point of all execute on it. It's
flawless execution. And so yeah, they had a clear story. This is the only reason while they got you know, the rights, you know, because Will Smith on some of it has a Weintraub estate, and you had to get Daniel on board and Johnny but really, you know, you had to get off Macho. He is the Karate Kid. And he liked their idea. But you know, he was pitch things for decades. So I don't want to hear it. So they definitely had a clear story. Well,
Jason, when you and I have gone down these rabbit holes of what kind of went on between the Karate Kid motion pictures and Cobra Kai, what what went down things like How I Met Your Mother and all that. I told you early on, it appeared like Ralph, macho, was a little more reluctant to walk around as Daniel Russo than Zabka to walk around as Lawrence.
Absolutely. Yeah. Well, he Lorenz definitely was typecast but LORUSSO. So think about it. His whole career and he's incredibly talented. But hey, karate kid. Hey, karate kid. Hey, karate. I mean, at some point, you're just like, I can never do this again.
Yeah. Imagine. Yeah,
go to he's
around. He's probably all these years rough, much like walk into the mall and people start doing the cranium in front of him. I bet you.
Yeah, in fact, I bet you he's not called The Karate Kid as much now as Mr. LORUSSO pivoted. Its pivot for the younger generation.
Well, one day there will be a LORUSSO verse.
Oh my gosh, bring it all the way around like me. I'll reverse.
Maybe lower themselves.
resolvers That's deep. I got to think about that. Okay, number two, so, Cobra Kai didn't shy away from tasteful Rhett cons. Yeah, here's the word. That's a new hip word that we're all saying not me. retroactive continuity. Okay. All right. I get it. I like it. And it didn't shy away from that. And I think I even spoke to some of that earlier, which so I think it's kind of a similar point. But much like said, Johnny's father, you know, we didn't know his backstory.
Well, not his I mean, being Johnny's we assume silver spoon. You know, speaking of a great show from the 80s Ricky Schroder at his finest, but yes, we assumed that's who he was. Okay. Now, if you go back and watch the Karate Kid, and I highly recommend it. You do see Johnny speaking to his father, right? Or you kind of see who his father is. Who's not said at the, at the country club. There's a scene all of them are dancing and such. So you kind of like, oh, but whatever. We don't
know who he was. But maybe he was supposed to be said, you know, younger said, Okay, I get it. Yeah. And then we bring in at Asner, as Sid, who's fantastic rest in peace at Asner. But it's those types of things. It's a classy way to go back. And you could call it revisionist history, but it's not. I was gonna say how do we how do we tell this story? It's different. It's not like I never did that. This is not my recollections very No, it's not that now that does happen sometimes in these types of
shows and, and movies. But it didn't do that. It went back and did it a favor. I mean, it went back and fix the flaws with Ali's character. She went off with some college kid from UCLA that wrecked the car, and that was it. Now we went back and we got it right. That's what I would call a retcon. And they did it beautifully. Look, talking about resurrection, chosen another guy we absolutely
hated. And then you get more understanding of him and the pressure that he had, like, this show just gets all those things right now.
And that's why we need to see Julie Pierce because we'll be able to hear more of her story. The Next Karate Kid will come to more life just like karate kid three came to greater life.
That's right. That's where the movies and the franchise jumped the shark. No doubt about it The Next Karate Kid. But yes, getting Julie's character out of it. She's fantastic in it two time Oscar winning actress. And so bring her and Hilary Swank to the series. I totally agree. And then we can make more fun and bring that fourth movie into the, you know, into the base camp. Hey, it's okay to talk about that. And Miyagi is last time as Miyagi. So yeah, I love
that. Absolutely. All right. So that leads us to the big finish here.
Please go ahead. Drumroll. Number one, Cobra Kai poked fun at obsessive nostalgia. Yeah, the story starts in the 80s. But we're not living in the 80s. That's for sure. Johnny was sort of in a time warp. But even presently, he's not back in the 80s anymore. He's up to date. He's on the he's online now using the web using the interwebs. So yeah, I would almost say that the Cobra Kai is not so nostalgic right now. No,
but I do say that Johnny is like the Encino Man, which is not too far from where he lives. It's true and receita. But it's true. I think they easily again, back to the show runners and everyone involved, easily could have been overly reliant on nostalgia and just played it to death. We talked about a little bit this earlier, some of these points are similar to each other. But they didn't
do that. It's there. Because these guys are from that era, much like you and I, and we reference things all the time. But we're not stuck there. We're moving forward. In fact, I love that nostalgia brought these two guys together these two guys being Johnny and Daniel, that one, you know episode where they're driving around in the car, and they like the same music and then they go to the South Seas apartment. They have drinks, but it's that bond of that era that they were both a
part of. And it doesn't overdo it. Yeah, every frickin scenes like, Hey, do you have that on LaserDisc? It's like, Oh, my God, we will just be bored. We will become desensitized to it. And we're not. In fact, I love when Miguel is learning music from Johnny, which is very true. I was always learning my parents music, and he's doing deep dives online, and doing rabbit holes about music. He doesn't know anything about from the 80s and has an appreciation for it. So yeah, they do it. Right. But
they don't overdo it. They probably the writers room probably has to pull back. Okay, three less nostalgic jokes. And no more references over there. They probably just tone it just that right balance. They're so good at it.
I almost feel like we spend more time in Vietnam than we do in the receipt a nice 84
Right, right, right. Yeah, it's Yeah, so there you go. The magic. And that's it. Top 10 list, David Letterman style, but it's spot on. I read this thing. I was like, oh, Sal, we got to come on and talk about this. These are points that we would make. We can give a shout out to Screen Rant. They're keeping the drum pounding for the show, as we are keeping the lights on. Heck, we'll still do episodes, even if they hold off longer on the sixth season of Cobra Kai, but this was a lot of fun.
Jason, I almost got a little teary eyed because as I read this article, or it's from the first time I read it, I'm almost thinking, I think angel is indeed a Cobra Kai fan, an actual Cobra Kai fan writing articles. Very
true. And not AI,
not AI. Thank you, Angel.
Well, that's all I have Sal, what a great journey we've taught ourselves and others 10 lessons from Cobra Kai. So we're all better for it.
I am I'm a better person, I feel.
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