After two long years, Netflix finally releases season three of “Cobra Kai.”

A continuation of the classic 80´s movie “The Karate Kid,” “Cobra Kai” is a popular TV series revolving around the antagonist, Johnny Lawerence, from the original movie. The structure of the show is similar to that of the Karate Kid but from Johnny’s perspective. “Cobra Kai’s” viewers encounter all of the same characters from the original movies, meet new characters and watch them face and overcome hardships and rivalries.    

From the show’s humble beginnings on YouTube Red in 2018, the show has gained worldwide fame and was picked up by Netflix in 2019. YouTube Red released two seasons of the show before being taken over by Netflix.

Though the show has been out for roughly three years, I started watching “Cobra Kai“ for the first time with my family during the beginning of winter break. I had heard friends talk about this show previously, but it failed to draw my interest as I’m not the biggest Karate Kid fan. After my dad’s friend recommended the show, we decided to watch it, and it was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

From the show’s killer first episode, I knew I was hooked. “Cobra Kai” instantly became my favorite show in a matter of minutes. I could not keep my eyes from the screen, and I would watch it in any spare time I had. I finished both seasons of the show in about a week and a half.

After I had finished the second season, I eagerly Googled when the third season was coming out. To my surprise, it said it was coming out on Jan. 8, 2021. A few days later, I checked the official Instagram account for updates. That is when I saw that Netflix was deciding to release the new season a week earlier than planned, on Jan. 1.

At midnight on Jan. 1, 2021, I started to watch the new third season of Cobra Kai.

I knew that because Netflix was producing this new season, there would most likely be differences between this season and the previous two.

The first subtle difference that I seemed to notice right off the bat was the camera filter used to film the show. It probably went unnoticed by most, but since I had just recently finished the show, this was a highlighted difference. In my opinion, the first and second seasons seemed to have a more yellow and grainy tone to the overall production. However, this season’s atmosphere had more of a cool blue tone. This was not a drastic change because most people probably ignored it, but I liked the other original camera filter better because it seemed to flow with the show better.

The acting throughout this season was about the same as the two other seasons, but the actors could draw their audience in even more. 

At the beginning of the show, I remember thinking that the production value was different from the past two seasons. However, as I continued, the feeling slowly faded away.

As I continued the show, I noticed that one of the main characters, Aisha, played by Nichole Brown, had yet to make an appearance. One of the characters noted that she had been sent away to boarding school due to the last season’s fight. Aisha was the only character that was missing.

The show still kept and owned its well-known cheesiness and did an extraordinary job by fully delivering all of its jokes. 

The scenes were incredible, especially when Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, traveled to Japan. It was there where LaRusso truly found himself and mastered the art of Miyagi-Do karate. I enjoyed Daniels’ time in Japan because the scenes were so heartfelt and beautiful that I felt as if I was right by his side.

 The dojos still looked the same and gave off the same rebellious atmosphere. 

“Cobra Kai’s” music always has and will always have the best playlist for any show and can keep a hard 80’s feel.

This season of “Cobra Kai” flashed back into Johnny Lawerence’s evil sensei, Kresse’s, life. These scenes were juicy because they went back in time to show where Kresse got his motive. The costume and set designers did an excellent job recreating the 60’s. Though I found this part of the show interesting, at some parts I thought it was a little boring.

The show’s tensions and rivalry run deep in the veins of the show. Whether it is a rivalry, enemy or an opposing dojo, there are many tense, emotional and action-packed scenes. By this point, I had already chosen sides who had the best dojo and who was going to win the All Valley Tournament. 

The fighting scenes added to the show’s greatness. Viewers watched the classic characters become better fighters and stand up for both themselves and their dojos. 

Viewers were also able to see the hardships and battles of life through the eyes of the characters. This show did a spectacular job at pouring out the characters’ emotions and tensions onto the screen. 

Though I thought the third season of “Cobra Kai” was a thrilling nail-biter, I think it served more as a buffer season leading into something bigger. This season also left viewers on another cliffhanger leading to the All Valley Tournament. Overall, the third season of “”Cobra Kai“ was worth the wait.