The Problem Cobra Kai Fans Have With Amanda LaRusso
In a high school world where karate rules everything (for some reason), it's easy to forget about the parents of the main cast of Cobra Kai. Heck, we don't even know who some of them are. Sure, we'll always remember Johnny and Daniel, but they're the characters the Cobra Kai universe is built on, not to mention they're present in every episode.
When it comes to critical details about the other parents, you might not take much notice. You might not even know their names. Miguel's mother pops up from time to time as the concerned parent-turned-Johnny's love interest, and Amanda LaRusso, played by Courtney Henggeler, is present as a sidelined character who doesn't seem to do much but be Daniel's wife and Sam's mother. Of course, in the case of Amanda LaRusso, that's only true if you haven't been paying attention. Some fans certainly have been paying attention though, and they seem to have a problem with her parenting style.
What fans think about Amanda LaRusso's parenting style
To begin with, you'll have to keep in mind that Amanda LaRusso doesn't get nearly as much screen time as her spouse, but that's really her fault for not being in The Karate Kid back in the '80s. When we do see her, she's usually busy being a mom, a wife, or a partner in Daniel's business, and fans on the Cobra Kai sub-Reddit thread "Will Amanda issues ever get highlighted to her" don't seem to think she's very good at the mom bit.
"So she simply is too lenient of a parent. Too focused on being a hands off cool parent," says original poster u/VirenXEdge. The user then cites a moment in season 1's second episode when Daniel and Amanda are lecturing Sam after she throws a pool party at their house without their permission, saying that Amanda was telling Daniel to go easier on the kid, and that "Amanda is too focused on her daughter being popular at school." The user also claims this results in Sam "basically developing bystander syndrome" to conserve her popularity.
Other users came out to back u/VirenXEdge, like u/canadacentennialbaby, who comments, "What do you think those kids were drinking in those cups while hanging out at the LaRussos' pool? I think Amanda is trying way too hard to be the cool mom. Her reaction to the son's behavior at the country club proves that," seemingly referring to earlier in the episode when Amanda pulls Daniel away for drink while their son is stuck on his tablet refusing to join festivities.
Most of the other fans in the thread who have a problem with Amanda LaRusso similarly cite her parenting as the primary reason. But, hey, that's just the way she's written.