Nowadays there are many knockoffs, remakes and reboots. Most are shameless cash grabs. However, Cobra Kai feels fresh and new, while also maintaining many nostalgic elements. Season five continues this trend. 

Released on Sept. 9, Cobra Kai season five picks up right where season four left off. After the shocking results of the all-valley tournament, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) is trying to expand his dojo and “No Mercy”’ karate style globally, while John Kreese (Martin Kove) rots behind bars. In light of the drama, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) takes a break from karate to mend his relationship with his family. This leaves Danny LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) all on his own to foil his plans of Silver. Needing backup, he teams up with help from two of his childhood bullies, who antagonized him in the previous movies. 

The new season of Cobra Kai is definitely one of the best yet. It has lots of the action and drama fans loved in the previous seasons. Season five takes time to explore aspects of characters only hinted at before, like Miguel and Robby. It also gives long-standing characters more depth, exposing them at their worst (and best) in ways you have not seen before. The comedy feels forced and usually gets a laugh or two. Although fight scenes usually seem boring, the choreography in Cobra Kai does a good job of keeping the watcher engaged.  The cameos from previous movies can be enjoyable even if you have not seen the previous movies. Cobra Kai always feels like it’s adding to the source material, instead becoming a cheap, irrelevant knockoff. 

However, while there are many plot points that end satisfactorily, the overall season seems to struggle with resolving built-up drama. Cobra Kai spends most of the series building up tension (very well), however, it has trouble resolving it. Sometimes, the scene culminates in a neat resolution, but the ending feels earned or that satisfying. Other times the scene will end with a shocking resolution, only for the show to completely undo what made the scene tense in the first place.

Overall, the season is definitely worth a watch. With its bright colors, plot twists and complex characters, it is no wonder why this show is so popular. While it may be slightly irritating at times, Cobra Kai is a fun watch. If you like the original karate kid movies, or just action, and drama you should definitely check it out.