Cobra Kai has proven to be a success since it first premiered in 2018, which made the news of YouTube Premium dropping the series a bit surprising to fans. However, the show quickly found new life when Netflix picked up the rights to the first two seasons and renewed it for a third season. While that third season is still without a release date, we now know when we can expect the first two seasons to arrive on the streamer.
Netflix has confirmed (via See What’s Next) that the first two seasons of Cobra Kai will be available to stream starting on August 28. This would include the first twenty episodes of the Karate Kid continuation series.
While Cobra Kai’s move from YouTube Premium to Netflix may have been surprising to some, but the move was reportedly in the works for some time. Before this deal was struck, the two streaming services had already discussed the idea of moving the show. That deal, however, ultimately didn’t go through.
Cobra Kai itself picks up 30 years after the events of The Karate Kid and reintroduces fans to the characters of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, who have both taken very different paths. Daniel runs a successful business, while Johnny is a deadbeat who’s in between jobs. While the two have seemingly put their feud behind them, the rivalry is soon reignited when Johnny reforms Cobra Kai with a new generation of karate students.
The first two seasons of the series received critical acclaim, with many lauding the series for its reverence to the original films and its willingness to add new elements to the franchise. So while there’s certainly a plethora of new characters with new problems, there’s still growth with Daniel and Johnny and a few nods to an iconic character from the film.
Cobra Kai’s arrival on Netflix will mark a prime addition to the streaming service’s already-massive stable of content. And of course, it provides newer viewers with yet another opportunity to check out the show for the first time.
With this new release date, one has to wonder how when Netflix plans on releasing the highly anticipated third season. Work on Season 3 reportedly wrapped in November 2019, which would mean the episodes are currently in post-production. And as of right now, there’s been no official confirmation that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected things. Given this, there’s a chance Netflix may be planning to release the season by the end of the year. Otherwise, it may not see the light of day until early 2021.
Regardless, it’ll be nice to have the first two seasons available in their entirety ahead of that new season. And let’s just hope it won’t be too long before we get to see the next chapter in Daniel and Johnny’s famous feud.
