'Cobra Kai' is suddenly everywhere!

I am fascinated by the stunning success of Cobra Kai since it started running on Netflix. While many viewers are discovering a show they didn't know existed, and the timing couldn't be more perfect for reviving a classic, the show has actually been out there in the wild since 2018.

Most pieces I read about the show when it debuted in 2018 framed it as a sentimental piece of IP with some interesting story arcs that complicated the binary approach of good vs. evil in the original movie.* And that is all absolutely true, but was less than persuasive when convincing critics and fans the show was worth paying for.**

So why is the show an amazing success now since it was viewed more as a curiosity when it originally aired?

The obvious answer is timing. Duh. Sentimental IP updated for our times is exactly the prescription for escapist pandemic viewing.

But I think the actual answer has more to do with Cobra Kai's relative freedom in finding its storytelling legs within the format of a (relatively) little viewed YouTube program. Seeing it as as a bingeable whole, many of those earlier episodes make much more sense as the series found its stride. In other words, it had the luxury of faltering outside of the intense gaze of the mainstream and was able to find its way more naturally. You know, just like TV shows used to be allowed to do—ha!

Whatever the reason, it's a huge hit and it's starting to approach, if it hasn't already surpassed, that "everyone is talking about it" level of social discourse. The really great thing about this show though? It's one of those viral successes that took a long time to get there, so there's a lot to support its continued relevance in the public eye instead of fading away in a week.

Enjoy!




*Another unintended bonus of the current moment is that since the show has been around a few years, you can dig through pieces to learn more at your leisure and don't have to depend on a handful of sites rushing out with their definitive hot takes.

**I am definitely in the cohort that originally missed the series because I was too cheap to pay for a YouTube subscription, despite the positive word-of-mouth at the time.