Given that Cobra Kai‘s an infuriatingly good revival of a 1980s-born franchise, there’s plenty of throwbacks to be found. Not only did the series bring back Chozen, Kumiko, and more this season, but a Twisted Sister concert pushes the plot in an unexpected way. There’s one 1980s-famous face that actually doesn’t appear in the franchise, though, despite some Twitter users initially believing otherwise when they thought they saw Anthony Michael Hall pop up in the jungles of Vietnam (as John Kreese’s Marine boss, Captain Turner) during a flashback scene.
Oh, that’d be something if true, right? Anthony Michael Hall portrayed not-Michael Flynn in Netflix’s War Machine (2017), so we’ve seen him in military mode, and he famously earned 1980s geek-cred as “King of the Dipsh*ts” in Sixteen Candles (1984) and other John Hughes movies, but he isn’t a The Karate Kid-franchise guy. At least, not yet.
So, who’s the actor who played Captain Turner? That’d be Terry Serpico. People couldn’t believe their eyes, and it’s hard to blame them because the resemblance is uncanny.
Am I the only one that thought that Terry Serpico in #CobraKai season 3 was Anthony Michael hall? pic.twitter.com/xKQjUgPSSa
— Adam Plissken (@Crockett1120) January 4, 2021
@KristianHarloff Here’s a great shot of Terry Serpico from season 3 of Cobra Kai. No wait, this is actually Anthony Michael Hall in the 2017 movie War Machine! pic.twitter.com/dwnVxHSpQA
— David Crabtree
(@DavidWCrabtree) January 3, 2021
Terry Serpico or Anthony Michael Hall? #CobraCantTell
— Brad. (@bradmiska) January 4, 2021
Ah, Terry Serpico is in this season of Cobra Kai, the guy you think is Anthony Michael Hall but is not. pic.twitter.com/rj5VXK3K5L
— Mr Howard (@MrHoward) January 3, 2021
One is not the other, as Kristian(and many others) found out/realized, during this awesome #CobraKai S3 Spoilers review!! But TBF, they’re basically twins, LOL
(Terry Serpico) & (Anthony Michael Hall) pic.twitter.com/00hijHPfN8— Edward Herrel (@haskell420) January 3, 2021
I beg of all greater powers to PLEASE make Terry Serpico look less like Anthony Michael Hall. This is not the first or even second time this shit has happened to me! #CobraKai
— Cobra Kyle (@CobraKyleMusic) January 1, 2021
I thought Anthony Michael Hall had been showing up a lot in things we’ve watched lately, like roles in @Yellowstone, @CobraKaiSeries, #Hannibal (film), and #MrMercedes. Come to figure out, it’s actually @terryserpico.
Don’t I feel stupid? Sorry, Terry—I need new prescription. pic.twitter.com/3GlbhpLxeS
— Aging Gen-Xer (@Aging_GenXer) January 3, 2021
This show is written for us gen xers. I know the young kids love it too but they put in only things we will understand. I’ve been waiting for a series like this all my life. And by the way. Anthony Michael hall?!? Amazing. #CobraKai
— Not Real Life (@JakkiMac21) January 1, 2021
Hey, it happens, especially with a show that’s so skilled at seamlessly mixing nostalgia with appeal for the younger generations. Terry Serpico’s definitely doing the honors here, but surely, no one would be mad to see Hall pop up as a LaRusso Auto Group rival in Season 4, right? Make it happen.
Cobra Kai Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix.