‘Cobra Kai’ Has a ‘Karate Kid’ Easter Egg Even Die-Hard Fans Missed

When I suggest, or more accurately implore, people to watch YouTube Premium’s Cobra Kai, the first thing I tend to talk about is the storytelling. Co-creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald were tasked with the near-impossible assignment of continuing the iconic legacy of the Karate Kid franchise and not only succeeded but thrived in creating the next chapter of this beloved pop culture institution.

The second point I tend to make when recruiting new Cobra Kai fans is the obvious passion the aforementioned trio have for the source material. I’m a life-long fan of the Karate Kid franchise. Growing up, I enrolled in karate classes because of Daniel LaRusso, so I understand the allure of this film. There are many factors that set Cobra Kai apart from other pop culture revivals, but at the top of the list is the fact that Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Heald genuinely love the Karate Kid.

That point is reinforced by the inclusion of this obscure Karate Kid Easter egg in Cobra Kai Season 2.

Last night, Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso) dropped by The NotSam Network’s The Tomorrow Show to chat about all things Cobra Kai. During her appearance, the actress talked about a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Karate Kid Easter egg from the penultimate episode of Season 2 (“Pulpo”). In the episode, Johnny and Daniel find themselves on a reluctant double date. At the 20-minute mark, the two rivals are beginning to have a bit of fun as they reminisce about their explosive history. The scene begins with a seemingly innocuous anecdote:

“You spilled a blueberry pie on my shirt,” Johnny says, laughing. “That’s because he put it on my chair first,” Daniel retorts. “He’s leaving out the details.”

This isn’t just some filler dialogue used to ease into the action. Daniel and Johnny are referencing a deleted scene from the original Karate Kid.

Thanks to an extremely helpful 2012 Slate article, I learned that original Karate Kid director, the late John Avildsen, posted a trove of behind-the-scenes Karate Kid footage on his YouTube channel. One of the scenes is the rehearsal footage from the aforementioned blueberry pie scene. The encounter takes place in the school cafeteria on Daniel’s first day of school. Ali (Elisabeth Shue, who may or may not be involved in Cobra Kai Season 3) and Daniel are about to sit down for lunch when bad boy Johnny Lawrence slides a piece of pie onto LaRusso’s chair.

Classic bad boy move.

Undeterred, Daniel takes the now-flattened pie and smears it all over Johnny’s shirt, which naturally results in a brawl.

I’m not ashamed to say that I originally missed this Easter egg. It’s definitely a Karate Kid deep cut and a fun reminder of just how much Hurwitz, Schlossberg, and Heald respect the source material. They turned a Karate Kid deleted scene into Cobra Kai canon.

I love it. Season 3 can’t arrive soon enough.

Stream Cobra Kai on YouTube Premium