With its TV-14 rating, Cobra Kai is theoretically accessible to the majority of early teens. However, if you watch the show for a long time, you’ll see that the rating doesn’t tell the whole story. Seldom does it.
Decades after the first Karate Kid, the show finds Daniel LaRusso as a prosperous car dealer in California and Johnny Lawrence in a much darker place, unemployed, estranged from his son, and surrounded by more beer bottles than furniture. For older viewers, what starts out as a nostalgic reunion eventually develops into something far more complex and, depending on who is watching, more intense than the packaging implies.
There is a lot of physical fighting. For a show centered around karate, that is not surprising, but as the seasons go on, the intensity significantly increases. With bloodied faces, broken bones, a man’s earlobe severed in one scene, and school fights that spill into hallways with an organized chaos that’s difficult to look away from, Season 5 in particular takes things noticeably further.
It’s not as gratuitous as a horror movie, but it’s also not as polished as the original films’ tournament-style sparring. The extent to which The Karate Kid is willing to go may surprise parents who watched the show as children.
Probably the most persistent issue is language. It’s not sporadic; rather, it’s an integral part of the program. Words like “f–k,” “s–t,” and “a–hole” are frequently used by both teenagers and adult characters. In particular, Johnny Lawrence delivers the majority of his dialog with a casual crudeness that would make many parents uncomfortable but feels true to his character. Before you sit down for an episode, it’s important to know that strong language is a firm line for families.
The language is only one aspect of the adult themes. The show’s teenage characters drink, vape, and handle relationships in a way that is more candid than most TV-14 programming. One of the main adult plots deals with a character’s excessive drinking and driving, which is treated with some gravity but is not avoided.
Although there aren’t any overt sexual allusions, there are enough that most teenagers won’t be able to ignore them. The recommended age is set at 15 and up by Common Sense Media, which is higher than the official rating. This is a reasonable position given the content of the show.
However, there is a valid argument for the show’s merits. For a show of its kind, Cobra Kai is remarkably well-written. The character work is surprisingly well-considered. Johnny Lawrence, who plays the antagonist in the first movie, is given a whole new life here as a man who sincerely tries to improve himself while failing in ways that are incredibly human.
Through the gradual accumulation of decisions over the course of six seasons, rather than through speeches, the show examines redemption, loyalty, what it means to be a good mentor, and whether people can truly change. Talking to a teenager about those topics is worthwhile.
Additionally, it’s the kind of show that parents and children have actually watched together, which says something. It appeals to viewers of all ages; the nostalgia appeals to adults, while the teenage characters and plots appeal to younger audiences. Even though they acknowledge that the content isn’t completely clean, many parents on the internet say it’s one of the few shows they truly enjoyed watching with their children.
When most families ask if this is appropriate for a 13-year-old, the honest response is that it depends on the 13-year-old. Nothing in Cobra Kai is likely to overwhelm a mature adolescent who already knows how to use social media, attends a real high school, and has discussed drinking and peer pressure at home. It might be better to wait a year or two for a 13-year-old who is younger or more sensitive, or who lives in a home where language and adult content are carefully controlled.
The notion that the TV-14 label resolves the issue is worth rejecting. It doesn’t. Ratings are a place to start, not a conclusion. A much more useful picture can be obtained by watching one or two episodes first, or at the very least by reading the thorough content breakdowns found on websites like Common Sense Media and IMDb.
