#cobra kai series finale

[chirpsythismorning]

When the interviewer asked when we should expect s5 to be coming out, that’s when Shawn mentioned that a little bit of an answer to that might be out there soon.

He actually mentions that this answer could be out by the time the video for this interview comes out, and since this interview was filmed mid-May and it’s now mid-June, I’m assuming we could be getting something soon or within the next couple months, potentially about a release date aka possibly a small teaser with 2025 stamped at the end…

[wandas-lovey]

There’s no actual way it ended like that….

[theomenmedia]

'Cobra Kai' Season 6 Part 3 hits Netflix on Feb 13, 2025!

The final strike is set! 'Cobra Kai' Season 6 Part 3 hits Netflix on Feb 13, 2025. Get ready for the ultimate showdown!

[hollywoodoutbreak]

After 40 years, The Karate Kid saga continues on Netflix with the final season of Cobra Kai, the series that reignited the rivalry between Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. One of the interesting things about Cobra Kai has been the change in Lawrence's character over the years. While he was still nursing some old wounds, the older Lawrence has also become much more focused on redeeming himself for the misdeeds of his past. William Zabka, who's played Lawrence throughout the franchise's history, spoke about how the character's reputation as a bad guy gave him the edge he needed when he was first trying out for the role.

Cobra Kai is currently streaming on Netflix.

[hollywoodhandle]

‘Cobra Kai’ Season 6 - Part 1 Review: A Waste Of Time

By the title of this review you must be thinking: “Oh it’s just another Cobra Kai hater trying to be different blah blah blah.” But no, I’m a huge fan of this show, since Season 1. Cobra Kai has been one of my favorite shows on Netflix and I love almost everything about it; the characters, the story, the action sequences… But look, every great story has an ending, and milking this franchise to…

[banjolandsblog]

Cobra Kai Season 6 Announcement Teaser | 'The Final Season'

[meracyn]

ʙɪᴛᴛᴇʀꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ, ᴋᴡᴏɴ ᴊᴀᴇ-ꜱᴜɴɢ

summary. stuck between miyagi-do and kwon's magnetic-like pull towards you, you feel torn. sam confronts you for being distracted, while kwon continues to challenge your loyalty.

a/n. the (possible idk lol) finale of this mini series!! thank you to each and every one of you for all the support, you guys are the highlight of my days 💕 read the previous parts here; one, two.

warnings. female pronouns mentioned, use of y/n

"...and..Hey, Y/N! Are you even listening?"

Sam's voice cut through your train of thoughts, snapping you back to reality as you turned to face the captain, who held a disappointed expression. "I..uh..I was—" you trailed off, mind blank as you tried to come up with an excuse. "no.." You mumbled in embarrassment.

The girl sighed, sitting down next to you on the bench. "What's going on with you? Don't tell me– is it him?" She asked, sending a look over her shoulder in the direction where the Cobra Kai members were standing, Kwon being with them.

You hesitated for a second before nodding.

"You can't let him keep distracting you. You already know how that keeps ending." Her tone became stern, blunt. It was like a punch as she referred to your losses ever since Kwon talked to you at the bar.

"Don't start with this again. You know I was doing well but–" You tried to defend yourself before she cut you off.

"But what? Y/N, you changed. All you focus is on Kwon and not on your team– this tournament. Does it even matter to you?" Sam asked, standing up. "It might not be important for you, but to me, Miguel and the others–it is." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before continuing, "So..it's your decision if you make the most out of this opportunity, or leave it." Without giving you a chance to reply, she left.

── ⋆ ──

Hours passed. As you were walking around, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned– and as expected, it was Kwon. "Did you make it a mission to follow me around everyday?" You asked, stepping back as you glared at him.

Kwon chuckled, his expression turning serious. "We need to talk."

"Again? No."

He took a step closer to you. "Just for a minute."

"Time's running."

"You're distracted, Y/N,—" He began, when you interrupted him. "I wonder why." Kwon ignored your remark, "—I see it. You don't belong with them anymore, you belong with me, with Cobra Kai."

You shook your head. "No."

Getting closer, his tone dropped to a softer one. "Don't you see I need you by my side?"

"You made your decision, Kwon. I can't betray my team just because you want to get back together." Your chest tightened as you spoke. It was all coming back again, the memories filled with pain.

Kwon fell silent for a few seconds, debating what to say. "I get it," He finally said. "Loyalty. But think about it– what have they given you? I've seen LaRusso and the rest doubt you. They're holding you back."

You didn't reply, the words lingering in the air.

"I'll give you time to think," he continued, keeping his gaze on you. "When you've made your choice, you know where to find me."

── ⋆ ──

You were going back to your room, the weight of Kwon's words still there, the decision tugging in your chest. The closer you got, you felt the cold tension between you and your team– the distance. Just as you were about to pass the boy's room, you heard Miguel's voice cut through the silence.

"..She's been so distracted lately. I just don't get it." he said with concern, but also frustration.

There was some muffled movement when Demetri spoke up. "All I'm saying is– if we keep going like this, we'll lose. It's better if we keep her back, Sam and Devon are enough anyway."

Your heart sank at their comments, the guilt crushing you. It was finally clear what you had to do. That night, as you opened the door to find Kwon, you got surprised at seeing that he was already there, leaning against the wall outside of your room, as if he knew you would come. Pushing away your pride, you went up to him.

"I've thought about it," you said quietly. "I'll join Cobra Kai."

Looking at the smile that appeared on his face as he took your hands in his, you knew there was no turning back.

[lowkeyrobin]

can you please do a demetri x fem reader?? reader has like the biggest crush on him, shes nerdy like him and has the courage of asking him out :3

oo okay! ; one little thing, I do only write gn/ they/them readers so everyone can enjoy and everyone feels included! gender wasn't mentioned practically at all but yk 🙏 ; but thank you for requesting! hope you enjoy! ; also I kept this short and sweet cause I rlly couldn't drag it out much lol

DEMETRI ALEXOPOULOS ; nerds

summary ; you've had a crush on demetri for a long time, and you finally gain the courage to ask him out

warnings ; language

word count ; 619

masterlist

You haven't known Demetri for that long, but after being introduced by Sam and Miguel, you'd come to like him, a lot. You were both nerds, finding peace in niche fantasy comics and superhero movies. He'd often make references and come over to your house to watch a new movie or the latest release in a comic series you were reading.

But he'd never taken the hints, ever.

You tried making advances a trillion times, your friends would often joke about you or stick you together. You didn't do karate like them, but sometimes you wish you did because maybe, just maybe, he'd look at you. Maybe you'd be able to impress him enough to see the potential you held in a relationship, if that even made sense.

But, after the fall of Cobra Kai and Kreese and Silver, you'd had some months to kind of tune into karate, see what they did, help them out with little favors. You had nothing better to do, so why not just help them out and maybe make new friends?

That's where Tory came in.

You'd ranted on and on to her and Robby about how much you liked Demetri and how you wished he'd just see the signs. They promised to help you with him, and they held themselves to their word.

You were at the county fair, accompanying Demetri, Tory, Robby, and Devon.

The moon was shining, the neon lights illuminating your path to the ferris wheel.

Robby and Tory whisper as you, Demetri, and Devon follow. Tory turns around as you enter the line, a look of realization on her face.

"How do you guys wanna do groups? Only two people can ride in a cart, and there's five of us." The blonde speaks

"I can go alone," Devon replies rather quickly, "You two should be together," She refers to Tory and Robby. "I'd rather go alone, I like sitting right in the middle," She shrugs, trying to write off the fact she was also in on trying to get you and Demetri together.

"Oh, uh, okay" Demetri shrugs

Tory and Robby nod, and as you realize they're staring at you to do the same, you do.

After a long wait, you hop into the cart with Demetri, awkwardly awaiting for the ride to properly begin. He takes notice of your awkwardness, unable to talk or start conversation, finding it a little confusing. He writes it out as you're probably just tired and hungry.

"So, did you see that new episode of The Mandalorian?" He asks

You shake your head. "Not yet"

You're both silent until you reach the top, your eyes gazing upon the whole lit up fairground.

"Wow, isn't that cool?"

You nod, deciding to just get it over with because you'll be able to escape within the next two minutes. You look back at Tory and Robby, nodding their heads, giving you a thumbs up.

"Demetri, I have something to tell you,"

He looks at you, a bit of worry on his face. "What's up?"

"I like you."

You felt like the whole world was crumbling beneath you, your heart dropping as you spoke. You scan his face, waiting for something, anything. Rejection would've been better than this silence.

In an act you weren't expecting, he places his hands on your cheeks and quickly kisses you, the audible cheers of Tory and Robby behind you like the music to your slow dance. Devon looks up on the curve, also seeing your lips smashed together. She smiles, leaning back in the cart as she takes in the faltering view.

"Y/n and Demetri just kissed!" Tory shouts down to Devon while your faces heat up.

"I saw!"

[angelflms]

Cobra Kai has a tone-deaf problem.

Now, I am a Black woman so all of my observations are through the lenses of that. You can critique my words all you want, but don't be disrespectful because I will be equally as disrespectful in the replies.

I have this phenomenon that I've noticed for a lot of shows I have watched that I call "The Leo Dooley effect," inspired by character from the Disney XD show Lab Rats, where the main character, a POC who set the tone for the whole story, is surrounded by a white ensemble cast that slowly but surely pushes that character aside to serve their purpose.

Cobra Kai does the same thing with Miguel Diaz, as he seems to be the sole reason why any of these things on the show are happening (for better or for worse) and gets one of the worst character driven storylines throughout the series post-coma (I rewrote his story on my blog. Go find it under the Miguel or Xolo hashtags) to further make the show The Robby Show (we'll get into the tone-deaf writing of his character this past season in a minute). He becomes a shell of a character, empty, boring, and in the sidelines all up until the final season, where the writers seem to remember *snaps fingers* oh shit, Miguel's one of our protagonists, and writes an okay story for him. Better than his s5 plot, but not as good as the stuff we got in s1, 2, and the last half of 3 and 4.

Now, s6 has him in his true prime (not in the way people claimed he was in the past seasons). He's got a clear mind, he's goals-oriented, you wouldn't even be able to tell that this kid was paralyzed from the waist down a year ago (in-universe time). However, he's out-performing everyone, was single-handedly saving his team, and it wasn't even enough for Johnny. It was very interesting to watch as People of Color, especially Black and Brown people, tend to have to go above and beyond to prove that we're the shit, but it'll never amount to anything if our white associates (minus Devon in this case - more on her later) aren't doing anything. But the second they do, everyone is getting praised. Miguel knocked his opponent out in forty seconds. FORTY SECONDS. But because the team wasn't doing good overall, he got no attention. I know that feeling all too well and it sucks.

As much as I thought Johnny's "Miguel is our anchor" line was powerful, it also didn't at the same time. The Magical Negro is such an annoying stereotype, as well as the Strong Black Woman/Man, and the Brown and Asian variations that come with it.

Miguel is the Brown equivalent of the Magical Negro, trying to tell the white Johnny what's right and wrong. Teaching him what's okay to say and what's not, despite Johnny being grown enough to probably understand shit on his own. He basically is teaching Johnny in a sense despite the fact that it should be the other way around. And I know that's a typical mentor/mentee thing trope but with how the show goes out of its way to show how self aware of modern problems it is, it's hella tone-deaf.

In terms of the Strong Black Man trope (or in this case Brown), Miguel isn't always strong. He breaks down and cries pretty often but it's viewed by the fandom as annoying, weak, and pathetic, as well as not manly which pisses me all the way off because every time he gets emotional, it's with valid reason. Losing his girlfriend (both times), finding out he's paralyzed, apologizing for running away, his mom possibly dying, not getting into Stanford (tho this would've had more of a punch if Stanford actually mattered but it doesn't whatever). Also, he's a 16/17 year old Brown kid in poverty who was embarrassingly bullied MULTIPLE TIMES. You're telling me you didn't cry as a kid? But when Robby cries every once in a while (which is also equally as valid because he was also a kid in poverty who was bullied), everyone holds his hand and says "it's okay."

"He's our anchor." It just sounds so off to me. Like has to be the one to help everyone else, when you have two Captains who can do the exact same thing. We as POCs have to be the ones to hold down the fort and keep things steady on our backs while white people can settle for mediocrity and not have to do to much because "hey, the POCs got us." It's just like that "if you're in danger, find a Black woman" thing. Because we're expected to be the ones to save y'all when y'all are in trouble. But when the roles reverse, we're expected to save ourselves because we're strong. Y'all don't like it when Miguel isn't emotionally or physically tough because y'all expect him to push through since he's the main character, but it also feels like he's expected to push through because he's a Brown boy in poverty so he's been through enough.

Tory's "we have to fight to get a spot in life" speech was well performed by Peyton List but it felt strange to see a white woman explain privilege to a Brown boy who has less privilege in comparison to her. I have always had a problem with that scene and I never won't have an issue with it.

Moving on to Kenny. Kenny is the only Black character of current time to be in the ensemble. Aisha was on the show but left ofc. Kenny, like Miguel was brutally picked on, primarily by white kids, especially by white rich boy Anthony LaRusso. In the fandom Anthony tends to be the more favored overall. Kenny is primarily favored on the Black side of the fandom (much like Miguel). Similar to Miguel, there was a moment in s6 part two that may have not been intentional but in my eyes, felt very racially targeted.

Hawk and Demetri were very skeptical towards Kenny because they assumed that he was working with Silver despite the fact that Kenny didn't even want to do the Sekai Tekai to begin with after he became publicly bullied again. During a round of tag-teamed fighting, the boys refused to let Kenny in, causing them to lose the round due to Robby not being prepared to be tagged in (he thought they were gonna tag Kenny). Kenny gets mad, rightfully so but the boys didn't back down on their theory (the only reason this theory was even a thing was because they say Kenny and Silver talking and assumed the worst). It took the team's "anchor" to give Robby a pep talk to lead and the others will follow (you know, something a Captain should already know) for Kenny to get the attention he deserves. And then Hawk and Demetri finally accept Kenny. All because the white guy said "hey, we should tag him in."

That sounds so off in so many ways.

It wasn't intentional, I know. But the fact that this was something that happened and the boys didn't even apologize to Kenny after for the assumptions they made only furthers my point on how tone deaf this show can get. Amanda, Miguel, and Robby are literally the only people who see Kenny as more than just a Silver puppet and it sucks because Hawk and Demetri were in the same spot as Kenny once upon a time.

And then there's Devon, the overworking, overwhelmed Asian girlie who tries her hardest to seek validation and gets overlooked. Similar to Miguel in this new part, Devon got ignored badly in the first part. It was so bad that she cheated to get into the Sekai Tekai and got her ass handed to her. And like Miguel, it takes her to have to explain to her white sensei that she's being ignored for him for her to be taken seriously. She's not the best fighter by any means but I thought we were done with this Asian stereotype years ago. And the way Sam talked to her after literally celebrating her victory with all smiles and everything in the first part??? Like it felt so fake as hell.

Finally, Robby. Robby is written well, we all know that. But this shit that they did to him in the second part pissed me off, especially since it's not gonna get addressed apparently. So Robby gets drunk at a bar and basically follows Zara back to her hotel room. Next time we see them, he's disoriented, and she's kissing him. I'm sorry, but that's sexual assault, yes? Robby was drunk and didn't remember anything. So that's her taking advantage of him, yes? Well the creator apparently doesn't think so and is saying that Robby made a mistake and that the interaction won't be talked about next part.

Bitch, Robby is a VICTIM.

Zara sexually assaulted him. Just because he's a man doesn't change the fact that the man got taken advantage of by Zara.

Like did we watch the same scene?

This show has so many problems and I feel like since it's a show about fighting no one cares. But as a Black woman, I see this shit and in between the lines, there's so many issues that won't even get fixed because the show is over.

[maeberys]

I'm a huge fan of Robby Keene's character and I know I might be biased, but I really don't understand people who say Miguel is the Karate Kid of Cobra Kai. I mean, has Miguel ever waxed a car? Ok, all jokes aside, I really think Robby is the one who really deserves that spot. But Robby's character has been mistreated by the writers for most of the series. Nerfing him at the Seikai Taikai was the last straw. Or not, since according to the leaks, Robby isn't going to win the tournament either. Everything points to Miguel winning the tournament, and he'll also go to Stanford. So, what will become of Robby? I wish Netflix release a movie as an extra ending to Cobra Kai, where Johnny and Daniel help Robby recover from his injury, train him together, and convince him to sign up for an adult karate tournament, where Robby finally gets the victory and the recognition he deserves. It gives me goosebumps just imagining it, it would be such a blast. It's a shame that this movie remains only in my imagination.

[callsigns-haze]

The Top Gun Masterlist

- WARNING - please understand that some of my stories contain, gore, smut and other adult topic.

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Pretty like a crime series

Summary: Cobra is finally back on the agency and is finally back in the job. With Kai at home she has to jumble being a mother and a agent. She's sent to her first U.C mission but never thought that she would meet a blonde, green eyed Texan...

Short Love

Summary: The is about widowed father Bradley Bradshaw who enlists his brother-in-law Jake Seresin and childhood best friend Robert Floyd to help raise his three daughters, eldest Donna Jo Margaret (D.J for short), middle child Stephanie and youngest��Michelle in his San Diego home. 

Out of all

Summary: Brothers' Best Friend Series! Follow along as these characters navigate the treacherous waters of love, loyalty, and desire, all while facing the ultimate taboo: falling for your sibling's best friend. From heart-pounding moments to steamy encounters, this series is a rollercoaster of emotions that will keep you hooked until the very end. Brace yourself for intense romantic tension, sizzling chemistry, and enough drama to keep you guessing. Are you ready to embark on this captivating journey?

Moody booty

Summary: Jake "Hangman" Seresin sulks after losing a bowling game to his girlfriend, Y/N, but she quickly cheers him up by challenging him to pool, knowing he'll win and lighten up.

A pilot? Again?

After investigating a crash at Top Gun for four hours, Detective Y/N, who lost her husband Daniel four years ago, finds no evidence of foul play and deems the case closed. During her time there, she reconnects with Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Daniel's younger brother, and meets his charming wingman, Jake "Hangman" Seresin. Hangman flirts with Y/N as he walks her to her car, and for the first time in years, she feels comfortable with the attention. Before leaving, Y/N gives him her card with her number, leaving the door open for future contact. Hangman promises to text, sparking the potential for a new chapter in her life.

Little Life Universe

Summary: Jake "Hangman" Seresin has always been the centre of attention, but behind the cocky aviator façade, he cherishes quiet nights at home with his pregnant wife, Y/N, as they navigate love, routine, and a life the squad knows nothing about.

Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

You knew (3 part series)

Chapter Summary: In a clever setup orchestrated by Hangman and Phoenix, Rooster and Ace, two colleagues with a tense relationship, unknowingly begin exchanging flirtatious emails under anonymous identities. As they bond over shared work frustrations, they eventually realize they’ve been emailing each other all along. The discovery leads to frustration and anger, particularly from Ace, who feels betrayed by Hangman’s manipulation. The revelation complicates their already strained relationship.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

[adoptourcrew]

While clowning is fun we’d like to provide some additional context about Netflix and their history of reviving canceled shows on their platform.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/10/entertainment/lucifer-and-netflix/index.html

After a robust, fan-led renewal campaign on social media, Lucifer was rescued by Netflix after cancellation by Fox due to budgetary concerns and a slight decrease in ratings. Lucifer went on to have 3 more successful seasons.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-lucifer-netflix-tom-ellis-20190513-story.html

Lucifer was inherently expensive to produce because it is a DC property which requires licensing through WB, and because it was produced by an outside studio, however, Lucifer was a major ratings boon for Netflix and well worth the price tag.

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/netflix-lucifer-season-5-nielsen-streaming-ratings-1234646785/#:~:text=The%20premiere%20of%20the%20first,by%20Netflix%20in%20June%202020

Cobra Kai was initially produced by YouTube Red, but when the platform moved away from more expensive scripted programming after the second season, Netflix swooped in to save it, and it is now in its 6th and final season.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cobra-kai-moves-netflix-1299581/

Longmire was highly rated on A&E, beating out other cable shows like Mad Men. A slight drop in ratings by the S3 finale and less interest from advertisers due to an older audience led to cancellation. It went on to do well on Netflix with 3 more seasons.

https://www.looper.com/371526/the-real-reason-longmire-season-7-was-cancelled/

Designated Survivor was canceled on ABC after reduced ratings, budgetary concerns, and issues behind the scenes. Netflix ordered 1 season, but it was canceled again after ongoing issues behind the scenes.

https://www.slashfilm.com/1314648/why-designated-survivor-cancelled/

Manifest was canceled by NBC in 06/2021, then added to Netflix. Its surge in popularity once added to the platform prompted Netflix to order a fourth and final season, and while the writers had a 6 season arc planned, they were able to finish their story.

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/tv/a41984394/why-manifest-canceled-season-5/

You was initially produced by Lifetime, but it didn’t find its audience and they didn't order a 2nd season. When it streamed on Netflix a few months later, a boom in popularity and chatter on social media prompted Netflix to order subsequent seasons.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/you-was-ignored-on-lifetime-then-it-blew-up-on-netflix-what-does-it-mean-for-tvs-future/2019/01/17/900fab9c-1a86-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html

While licensing on Netflix can lead to a revival of a series, this is not always the case. There is a threshold of streaming hours weighed against the budget, and recently it was announced that Warrior failed to meet this.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2024/09/23/some-disappointing-news-about-warrior-season-4-on-netflix/

Heels has recently been added to the Netflix roster, with hopes from creators that high viewership numbers could lead to a third season, although sources caution that logistical challenges may make this difficult.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heels-licensed-netflix-season-3-hopes-1235869552/

While the dream is that Netflix buys OFMD with the intention of producing an additional season, even just acquiring the licensing rights for streaming leaves room for hope. Until we know more, we can keep our beautiful show alive by doing what we do best, talking about it.

[wrongroup]

Robby Keene’s cursed blood

It’s only my personal opinion about a silly show and I might be wrong. If Cobra Kai ended with its second season I would probably regard it as some sort of modern day Greek tragedy. But it didn’t. And I believe that the very beginning of its downfall can be attributed to the reintroduction of Kreese back in season 1 finale. Since then the show has kept its downward trajectory, finally getting to all time low with season 6. But while almost every other plotline turns into cheap soap opera, Robby’s story for some inexplicable reason continues to be a great generational tragedy. Johnny’s absence and Shannon’s negligence lead him to the life of crime. Daniel turns on him the second it turns out he’s Johnny’s son. Kreese uses him only as a pawn to get Johnny back. Silver hates him because he is jealous of Johnny’s relationship with Kreese. His rivalry with Miguel was portrayed to be more about Sam but in my opinion it is mostly about Johnny. Even if they won’t ever address it properly in the show itself. Even Hawk’s animosity can be attributed back to when he thought Johnny only got angry with them over the first All Valley because Robby is his son.

Johnny is a product of Cobra Kai philosophy. And even though the show never in any definite terms explores what it actually means it does have both pros and cons beyond it being cool but evil. So Robby being Johnny’s biological son inherited all the bad consequences of such lifestyle. Johnny does something bad and Robby suffers the ramifications for the sole reason of having Johnny’s blood in his veins. Robby commits mistakes of his own obviously but almost all of them are connected to his father in some way or another. And even from the narrative perspective Robby’s whole existence is used in service to either advance or torture Johnny on his way. And in the part 2 of season 6 season Robby is even shaped up to play the same role in Tory’s plotline. 

But Miguel on the other hand has inherited Johnny’s spirit and not his blood. And doesn't have to suffer for too long through any consequences of his own actions while succeeding in pretty much anything he puts his efforts to. I know it is done for plot advancing reasons but at this point it is just getting ridiculous. Johnny’s legacy is split between Robby and Miguel so unfairly. And by the end of the series that difference will be astronomical.

[demifiendrsa]

Cobra Kai Season 6 | Date Announcement

The sixth and final season of Cobra Kai will consist of 15 episodes, with the season to be split into three five-episode blocks. The first five episodes will premiere on July 18, 2024, while the second batch of five will premiere on Nov. 28, 2024. The final five episodes of the series will premiere in 2025 with an exact date to be announced at a later date.

Stills

[peacennlove]

THE WAY OF THE FIST ; a cobra kai fanfic series.

PAIRING: f!reader x miguel diaz. TAGS: total fluff, meet cute, wholesome s1 miguel, nostalgic wattpad-esque intro because it's perfect for cobra kai, nervous lil babies

my first ever proper post on this account and it is so random. this is the result of inescapable hyperfixation. this series’s going to be true to its source material; so bundle up, grab a sippy, and expect homage to 80s corniness, blissful cliches, and solving problems with violence. pure silliness for my comfort karate soap opera. also, probably poor use of spanish; correct me if i’m wrong in any aspect of it. major kudos if you recognize the phone number at the end.

PART 1.1 – TAKE MY BREATH AWAY when the cute boy that just moved into apartment #109 in your complex miraculously befriends you, you believe that you’ve finally turned a new page and can finally rewrite the melancholic script of your life. however, when he defends you against your bully using karate, you are suddenly thrown into the precarious cusp of letting him go to your rival or taking a chance on finding happiness for yourself, all the while harboring the dark secrets of your past.

Everything is taken care of with the apartment while I’m away 

Will be back soon

Here’s $200 for whatever you need until then.

Be good, [Y/N]. 

It is always the same place your mother sticks her inevitable note on the fridge, which is also always beside the stack of twenties and tens stacked haphazardly on the counter. When she first left abruptly, of course, your first instinct was to call her – ask what she was doing, where she was going, how long she would be gone, where to get food and shampoo and toothpaste and toilet paper and advil and tampons and fruit, how you were going to get to school, why she would leave you on your own like this – but after learning that mountains of missed calls and desperate voicemails left by her young and scared daughter meant nothing to your mother, your second instinct instead took precedence: figure it out and get something sweet to ease your nerves. If it didn’t mean getting left to fend for yourself in the foster care system, you wouldn’t have hung up on the 911 operator the first time she took off. And if it also didn’t mean that evading foster care meant living with him, you wouldn’t swallow your immense hurt and resentment for your mother’s carelessness and try to find help every time she left afterward. Instead, you held your breath and spent many nights rearranging your thoughts: without her, you still had your own space, decent money to stretch, and soon you wouldn’t care whether or not she returned. That last part had not settled in yet, but you were hopeful that the next time she did this… it would. 

At least your mother had the decency to leave at night this time around, rather than spoil your appetite for breakfast in the morning. You tear the obnoxiously yellow post-it off the fridge, crumble it in your hand and then mindlessly toss the note into the bin before reaching over for the cash and sliding it into your wallet. Wordlessly, you walk towards the front door, and then you quickly decide that the sweet to quell the twist in your stomach will be a frozen cola. You loop your arms through your jacket and shrug it over your shoulders as you open the front door of your apartment; however, before you step out to begin your walk to the convenience store, you catch a glimpse of a familiar red and grey hoodie over the railing, and the way your breath hitches keeps your hand frozen on the door knob. You watch as his mom holds his face in her hands, then the sweet smile he gives her in return, and your heart burns with the way his entire face lights up with clear adoration for her. It’s when his mom releases him, and then – somehow feeling your gaze – looks up and sees you, that compels your body back into motion. Eyes widening in horror, you pull and lock your door shut and book it down the stairwell, strategically opting to take the back exit to avoid the horrific possibility of bumping into him on your way for that damn frozen cola.

��Hey, Nestor,” you greet at the door,  “... the slurpee machine working?”

Nestor peers up from beneath his register counter, grins warmly. “Hey, nena– yeah, it finally got fixed yesterday. Go crazy.” He nods over to the glowing polar bear face, the wheels inside the frozen flavors finally spinning again after a long two weeks. From what you had picked up from overhearing Nestor’s many disgruntled phone calls to his landlord, the damage was not something he was expecting from the shortcomings of the old building or lack of maintenance, but you knew better to pry. You simply grin at your salvation for the night, reaching downward to grab an XL cup, and you aim the cup beneath the cola flavor to fill it to its very brim. 

“Not a fan of cherry or blue raspberry? That’s-”

You gasp, interrupting him, and your arms jerk upwards. Helplessly, you stare at your hand and sleeve, which are now both covered in icy, sticky clumps of your precious sweet. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” he blurts out, instantly reaching over and fisting a handful of napkins from the dispenser to your left. “God, crap, I’m sorry.” You turn your head while he hurriedly wipes off your hand, the sheer shoddy luck of your life making you consider swiping a plastic knife from the utensil display and jabbing it into your jugular. Watching him afar at the complex, often being able to retreat into a corner or throw your curtains closed before he could notice - until today, of all days, it seemed - was a fine circumstance to bear, but this moment, where your habit of being easily startled sent glops of frozen syrup and crushed ice everywhere, being the moment where you finally get to see him up close? You felt immaculately pitiful. Your heart does not settle, especially when his warm fingers consistently brush over your frigid ones, and as he glances upward from tending to the mess and then locks his eyes onto yours, the ability to speak is, much like your will to live, completely out of reach. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, I- I just… wanted to… You’re, like, the only person my age I saw at the complex, and I saw you walk in, and I’ve been meaning to introduce myself for a while, but I… I probably ruined that now, right? Right - okay.” He blinks at you, and then he gulps. Finally breaking the strong gaze between you two and defeatedly throwing the soiled napkins away, he turns away to leave.

He takes about two steps away from you when a sudden burst of adrenaline pumps through your veins. “No. No, you’re totally fine.” you babble, warmth rushing to your cheeks from how fast and loud you just spoke, “I-... I…��� Air huffs from your nose, and you blink when he immediately turns on his heel to face you. “It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. I’m, uh, I’m pretty easy to scare.” A lopsided grin is the best you can manage, and you then try to further remedy the painfully tight air between you two by nonchalantly grabbing a fresh XL cup to fill. “[Y/N]. My name’s… [Y/N].” you softly say, carefully pouring the frozen cola from your ruined cup into the newer one before you toss it. 

Taking advantage of the opportunity of redemption you’ve given him, he’s quick to grab a XL cup himself with a grin that is far more pleasant than yours. “Miguel.” His grin spreads into a smile, even sweeter than you ever could’ve imagined when it’s right in front of you rather than from afar, as he places his cup beneath the cherry flavor. “You, uhm, go to West Valley?” Before you can answer, a whirring sound distracts you both, until, when he presses the nozzle again impatiently, red syrup sprays all over his face and hoodie; cherry slush then slowly fills his cup, his body frozen from the burst. Your mouth drops and you set down your cup to get napkins for him. As you offer them to him, he sheepishly accepts them from you. For a moment, there’s an even heftier silence between you two, until you make eye contact with him again - and then laughter forces its way through the both of you, which finally breaks the ever-thickening ice that had been forming over you two. “I deserved that, I guess.”

You shake your head, now smiling brightly. “No you didn’t. I think this slurpee machine is possessed.” you reassure, pressing down lids on both of your slushies and then holding his cup out to him as you hold yours to your chest. As he tosses his napkins, red stains now littering his hoodie, he laughs at your joke and gently takes his cup from your hand. “... And yes, I go to West Valley.” you answer his question that was soon followed by reddened chaos. “Are you… are you a sophomore too?” you follow up, and when he doesn’t answer - just looking at you as though you asked the question in a foreign language - you take that as a no, “… Freshman?”

“Sophomore.” Miguel asserts, blinking as he follows you to the register. “That’s relieving, though, I really dreaded the idea of facing my first day at a new school on my own. I’m, uh - clearly - not so much of a hit for first impressions. Tell me, is West Valley as fancy as it sounds? Am I doomed?” Before you can reply, he panics as he sees you reaching for your wallet, pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket and slamming it down on the counter. “No- please let these be on me. It’s the least I can do.” Butterflies consume your stomach, fluttering and spiralling around your very insides, as you glance between his kind deed and his face - which, even under the harsh fluorescent lights, is incredibly warm. “Oh, shit- hold on, give me a sec…” Your expression widens as he takes off into an aisle, just as Nestor approaches the counter. 

“I think your cherry flavor is broken.” you note to him, and he curses at the sight of the splatter of syrup and slushie all over his machine. 

“Carajo. That pinche pendejo is going to pay.” Nestor seethes, shaking his head frustratedly, before softening when you tilt your head curiously to him, “Ah, nena, why don’t you just head back home before it gets dark?” He pushes the two cups back to you, and you offer an empathetic smile. Only a moment later, though, Miguel returns, placing down a bottle of pepto bismol onto the counter.

“Here, I got all of this.” Miguel declares with a proud grin. Nestor’s eyebrow twinges upwards, glancing over to you, before a knowing smirk falls upon his face as he allows Miguel to pay for the drinks and the medicine instead. “The pepto’s not for me, by the way. My grandma’s not feeling well - that’s why I grabbed it… the… pepto. It’s also why I’m here. I didn’t follow you - I didn’t… clarify that… earlier. Unless I did. God-” he explains to you, and you cannot resist the smile that breaks across your face this time. 

You open your mouth to speak, desiring to compliment him on taking such good care of his loved ones, but the doors of the store are roughly pushed open, and your neighbor walks between you and Miguel to get to the pizza slices. You had spoken all but five words to the man after living beside him for all your life, and, based upon his messy scruff and sunken eyes, you took it that you weren’t going to be adding any further words to him anytime soon. Nestor, too, is distracted, as he walks over to your neighbor angrily. “Hey, pendejo, you’re going to pay to replace my machine.” Your eyes widen. Ah, he’s the damage, you correctly internally deduce, slowly grabbing your cup from the counter.

“What? No. It’s not my fault your stupid machine can’t work for shit. Maybe if you cleaned the thing more than once a month, it wouldn’t need a kick start.” your neighbor counters, “Get me that one, will ya?” He jabs his index at the glass to one of the slices of pizza.

“I’m not getting you shit, cabrón. You completely broke my machine!”

“Can you just get me the damn pizza? Put it towards the cost, man, whatever, I’m not in the mood for this shit.”

Your eyes widen, and you turn to Miguel. “You want to walk with me back to the complex?” you offer, “Nesto will spot us, I promise.”

“Hijo de puta idiota. Gringos como tú me hacen explotar la cabeza - you punched my machine! You owe me-”

Miguel grabs his things and cash, nodding without taking another second to watch the increasingly turbulent scene unfold. “Yes.” He stuffs the pepto in his pocket, and then, to your surprise, takes your hand in his while he leads you both out of the convenience store - just as you hear the sound of glass breaking and Nestor yelling puta madre.

You swear you feel like your head is floating ten miles above your shoulders. Walking, still hand-in-hand, while happily sipping from your slushies, you just can not get your heart to stop skipping. The cool breeze of the night and from passing cars on the street to your and Miguel’s right wafts across your face, tousling pieces of your hair that tickle your cheeks, and you blush like the little girl within you that’s jumping up and down. “West Valley is the intersection of rich kids from the Encino hills and the rest of the poor unfortunate souls beneath them. I can spare you the embarrassment of trying to find a seat in the cafeteria for lunch, but unfortunately you’ll have to learn how fast the blatant gentrification gets old on your own - and the never ending shitshow from Kyler and his little friends, too. That’s a quick learning curve.” you explain after Miguel had gotten the chance to reask his question.

Miguel tilts his head at your specific condemnation. “Kyler? Who is he? What’s his deal?”

Your eyes widen, realizing you had inadvertently verbalized your personal resentment for your bully, and in the fear of saying too much that would give Miguel fuel to find out for himself the many sensitive incidents that led to the massive target on your back that Kyler had branded you with, you simply shake your head. “He’s just the inflated head of the Encino assholes - typical type that thinks everyone is dumb and that he shits gold. It’s stupid, and he’s stupid, and if you stay out of his way, he won’t target you.” Your expression flickers to a somber one, your memory forcing upon the blow-up doll incident and the last incident before summer of your head hitting concrete so hard while his friends held your arms to the wall that you almost went to the hospital afterwards, and you assume when his hand tightens on yours, Miguel had caught your drift.

“But he targets you. Why?” he asks, concern darkening those captivatingly deep brown eyes of his. 

Your throat tightens. “What, are you gonna beat him up or something on your first day? That would be a horribly silly thing to do. You’d be putting yourself at risk of being his new guinea pig of the year, and I can’t let you do that to yourself. There’s nothing to do. Forget about it. Trust me, Kyler’s not a hill worth dying for.” Word vomit practically spews from you, hoping that you can brush him off from the idea that he actually stood a chance against the biggest grade-A asshole that ever terrorized your life. And, especially considering how your life has turned out so far, you’d know the criteria for one, and Kyler certainly fits the mold. So you tell little lies mixed in with the truth of your reassurance, because you couldn’t bear being the reason for Miguel’s life to go to hell; no matter how endearing his natural chivalry is, you did not believe yourself worthy of such unnecessary courage. You two reach a crosswalk, and you press the push button for the two of you. “He doesn’t… Listen, he doesn’t bother me as much as he thinks he does, okay? Just focus on you, yeah? First impressions are going to make or break your first year, and, clearly, you’ve got some work to do in that department.” you tease, shifting the conversation far away from Kyler.

Miguel’s expression softens, your efforts successful, and he chuckles. “It worked on you, though, didn’t it? That means I’m not a total failure.”

Heat rises beneath your cheeks. “I am not a reliable example. We both have slurpee syrup all over us, and I embarrassed myself first, so there couldn’t be any risk of me rejecting you.” you remind him, gesturing to the sticky stains present on both of your clothes. The way he looks at you makes your heart jump from your chest, and you look away from him as a result - instead staring upward at the sky. “S- So, I suggest you start practicing in front of a mirror or something.”

“Really? That bad, huh?” he softly entices, and you feel your body burn from his stare on you.

Your blush darkens. “That bad.”

“Ah, that sucks, because, you know, that just ruins my plans for tonight. There was this really cute girl that was going to come over tonight so I could make up for my horrible first impression I made with her. Man.” Your head snaps back to look at him, your expression widened in bewilderment. He shakes his head, feigning disappointment as he puckers his lips to the side. “But, no, you’re right, I gotta prevent any further screw ups with her and cancel. Unless you think cancelling on her would make things worse? I mean, [Y/N], you should’ve seen her, she got frozen coke all over herself because of me, then the machine exploded on me, and then she saw that I was there to buy pepto bismol, I mean, I don’t know [Y/N], that’s gotta be the worst first impression she’s ever experienced.” He pauses, as though to let the words filter through your brain, until he speaks again to play with your nerves beyond repair, “God, [Y/N], maybe there is no coming back from that. You should’ve seen her face, [Y/N], I could’ve-”

“It’s not the worst.” you blurt out, before he could cause you to dissipate into thin air, “Maybe… she thought it was super sweet.” Maybe it was the sugar from your slushie that was pushing you to act against your better judgement, but from how Miguel then rolls his thumb over yours, you decide to lean into the confidence - like a turtle peeking out from its shell. “I don’t think you should cancel. I think she would really like to come over to yours.”

Miguel smirks. “That’s a relief. She’s actually really insightful, you know, so I bet she’d be a better help than a mirror.” 

Clearing your throat, you tear your eyes from him, just as the signal on the crosswalk changes. “Oh, actually, I wouldn’t bet on that. You wouldn’t know this, but she’s just as bad at first impressions.”

Smiling, he shakes his head. “No. I don’t think she is at all.” Squeezing your hand, he begins to lead you two onto the street - until a black jeep wrangler speeds forward, nearly hitting you both. You gasp and drop your drink, squeezing your eyes shut and holding onto the crosswalk pole from the fear that just struck your body, and Miguel throws his slushie all over its front window before it drives around you both and rounds the corner. “What the hell-” The car suddenly shuts off.

“Hey! I’m going to fucking- ohhh, look… who… it… is.” He slams his door shut, as does his friends. 

You slowly peer up once that terribly familiar voice rings in your ears, opening your eyes to see the horrific sight before you: Kyler and his posse, now approaching you and Miguel. “Miguel-” you try to caution, pushing off from the pole and stepping behind him, but Kyler cuts you off.

“Who… are you?” Kyler questions with a smug smile, jabbing his index into Miguel’s chest, “Oh wait, I forgot, I don’t care. But, hey, man, excellent choice to spend your night with. She’s a… let’s just say, looks can be deceiving - she’s got a wicked body under those clothes, and an even more wicked mouth on her.” Your eyes water, clenching your hands into fists at your sides. “Word of advice, don’t let her stay too long afterwards, bro - she gets attached real easy.” He looks past Miguel and winks at you, and you glare back at him - your quivering lips undermining the look of real anger on your face. “Isn’t that right, huh? That’s really sad, you know, throwing yourself at the first dude that gives you the opportunity. The desperation is… it’s pathetic - it’s really, really beneath you - [Y/N].” His friends and him laugh at you, and all you can do is cower back into your shell so that you can hone in the strength to not cry in front of them.

Much to your shock, though, Miguel steps forward and slaps Kyler’s hand from him. “What’s your problem? Why don’t you leave her alone?”

Kyler snorts. “Tough guy, huh? You know, you look pretty scrawny to be tough.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Miguel taunts, and then, faster than you can blink, he suddenly lunges forward and punches Kyler square in the face. You watch as he topples backwards and holds his nose, his friends immediately coming up behind him, and you cover your mouth with both your hands. Never did you think that you’d see the day when someone would finally dare to stand up against Kyler, for your sake at that. Miguel groans, shaking his now reddened fist, and before you can urge him to run, Kyler regains his footing and shoves Miguel to the ground - nearly sending you down too from the force. The sqooshing sound of liquid distracts all of you for a moment, as you see Miguel turn on his side. A large pink explosion in his pocket is revealed, soaking his backside and the back of his arm, and Kyler and his friends burst out in laughter. 

“Is that pepto, dude? You got diarrhea or some shit, man?” Kyler mocks.

“Oh-ho-ho, bro, Kyler, we gotta call him ‘Rhea.”

“‘Rhea. Yeah, I like that. Suits him perfectly. Here, ‘Rhea, let me help you up-”

You stand in front of Miguel, blocking Kyler. He looks you up and down. “Huh, she’s got some fire in her now. Yeah, I always liked that in a girl.” He reaches forward to touch your face, but you sharply smack his hand away. 

“Leave him alone, Kyler.” you grit, shoving him forward in a shocking display of courage. Kyler’s face darkens in anger, rushing right back towards you, but he stops himself - instead opting to chuckle in amusement. “I mean it.”

“Oh, you mean it? Is that a promise?” Kyler whispers, a taunting tilt to his head. Miguel scrambles back to his feet, and his friends step past Kyler. “You really askin’ for me and my bros to beat your ass? She’s not worth it, bro. You don’t gotta do all this to get her naked, man, trust me, I know.” You step back, eyes darting around to find any sort of help, and just as your eyes land on what you think is your neighbor - your assumption is correct.

Your neighbor, although still slightly heavy on his footing, you see is holding a now empty grease-stained napkin. Your eyes drift to the ground, where a pizza slice is by his feet, and he’s eyeing one of Kyler’s friends in annoyance. “Hey, watch it man, and clear the sidewalk. Some of us are trying to get home.” he huffs, his eyes then finding you and Miguel. “Better yet, why don’t you all just go home and leave the dorks alone.”

Kyler turns to face your neighbor. “Who’s this dude?” one of his friends scoffs, tapping Kyler on his arm.

“You’re going home? Like, you have a home? Sorry, man, could’ve sworn I’ve seen you begging from a corner.” Kyler smiles and raises his hands, literally brushing your neighbor off. “Matter of fact, wait, I do know you. You’re the jerk-off who cleaned my dad’s septic tank.” His friends laugh, jumping and pushing off of Kyler as though he had said the funniest joke they’d ever heard, and your neighbor purses his lips. You can practically see his patience wearing thin. “Fuck off, dude.” Kyler then turns back to you and Miguel, just as you were able to help him up, and he takes his time approaching you. “You know what, ‘Rhea, I’ll let you off tonight, man.” he says, not once taking his eyes off of you, “As for you…” his eyes drag along you from head-to-toe, “I’m only just getting started. I’ll be seeing you both tomorrow, yeah? Remember bro, not too long-”

Kyler suddenly drops to the ground, clutching his back in pain, and when you look back up, you see your neighbor has taken his place. The next few minutes pass in a blur, as you and Miguel watch in awe as your neighbor takes on four people at once - and barely gets any hits in return. Roundhouse kicks, jabs, punches, elbows, a head-butt, sidekicks - you had barely seen your neighbor walk to his apartment in a straight line, nevertheless bust out coordinated attack moves over and over again, until Kyler and his friends were all on the ground. You and Miguel exchange a shocked look, your neighbor panting heavily with one hand firm on his hip. “Woah- that was-” Miguel stammers.

“Go home.” your neighbor sternly orders, turning around and walking away back from where he came without speaking another word to either of you. As you look down at Kyler, who’s reeling in pain and clutching his eye, you look and see your slushie cup - laying on its side on a patch of grass. Your nostrils flare as you then go to pick it up, then, as you hold the cup over him, you look him up and down.

“It’s a promise.” you affirm, answering his previous taunt as you then remove the lid and dump the rest of the half-melted slushie over his head. “This should help with your eye.” Tossing the cup onto him, you walk back to Miguel and you both finally cross the street.

Miguel and you reach the front door of your apartment, and, before you walk in, you lean against the door, fingers bracing around its side as your cheek presses into it. “You know, I would come over to yours, but I… I’d really like to shower and head to bed.”

“So you’re cancelling on me, then?” Miguel jokes, and he smiles at you warmly. “I understand. My left pocket also understands.” He twists his back, giving you an updated look at the now darkened stain. You laugh, suddenly wishing you could magically change the both of you in fresh clothes in a blink of an eye so that you could spend the rest of the evening with him. “Hey, uh, about what Kyler said back there,” he softly brings up, and your enchanted expression flattens, “I want you to know that I didn’t pay any mind to it. I know it’s all bullshit. It’s all stupid, just like him.” He references your deduction, and your eyes water with pure adoration.

“Incredibly stupid.” you whisper, a soft, gracious grin pulling your lips, “I’m sorry I dragged you into all of that. I just made your first day a hell of a lot harder.” Miguel shakes his head, perplexed by your apology.

“No you didn’t.” he reassures, “He shouldn’t be saying stuff like that. If you think I’m going to let that asshole ruin my life or yours, you are sorely mistaken.” He’s so. Fucking. Sweet. you can’t help but internally gush, your fingers arching into the door. “We have each other’s backs now. Call it apartment complex roommate solidarity, whatever, just, please at least save me that seat in the cafeteria tomorrow, would ‘ya? You’ve piled a lot on my plate - my first impression has got to be polished perfect by sunrise - so you’d be doing me a major solid to keep that promise to me.” You bite over your lips to prevent your grin from breaking into a majorly dorky smile. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Miguel gasps, taking out his phone, “I need your number. For progress videos and feedback, you know.”

You nod, your heart swelling with how his thumbs excitedly hover over his screen as he waits for you to tell him. “1-385-262-7284.” He quickly taps in your number faster than you can get the numbers out, then immediately sends something to you. Your phone buzzes in your pocket, and you take it out to see a notification with a slushie emoji. “See you tomorrow?”“Yeah. See you tomorrow, Miguel.” you warmly promise, holding your phone to your chest as you slowly close your front door. Your back presses against it, and you slide down until your bottom hits the floor. You open your phone again, and you save him as a contact - a simple Miguel for the time being - and you respond with the same slushie emoji, wishing the euphoric feeling from the possibility your crush maybe liking you back could last forever.

[itssomeonetofightfor]

Father/Son Themes in Cobra Kai

I have always been a passive social media reader, but this season made me want to write about this show, or on a platorm, EVER, forgive my innaptitude to accompany arguments with appropiate gifs. I'll learn, I hope.

The most compelling thing that came out of The Karate Kid was the relationship between Miyagi and Daniel. His teachings, their struggles, their love. Cobra Kai followed suit, however, they seem to have forgotten it throughout the seasons...

I have loved the experience of seeing what our beloved OG characters have been up to. From oblivious drunken (maybe not the oblivious anymore :)), hard to hold a job, troubled by his past Johnny to a renewed man with a passion for the only type of karate he knew in his life,encountering a lonely bullied kid which leads him to search for his own identity again after being let down by the only father figure he ever respected in his life after the abandonment of his father. (Even though he followed suit and abandoned his own son)

On the other side, we have his rival Daniel, THE Karate kid, who is now a fulfilled family man who has learned nothing but love, determination and balance from a man that stepped into a mentour role in his life after the loss of his father. He still feels the loss of purpose until he encounters a lonely kid ( said rivals abandoned son) in need of guidance and balance.

This was a beautifully written dance the first 3 seasons. The "nerd" in need of toughening and the "criminal" in need of guidance. They were paralled perfectly. Miguel was Daniel if he had been taught Cobra Kai and Robby was Johnny if he had been taught Miyagi Do.

Both fall in the gray because they can't let go of their independent grudges and they both fail their kids because of it. Johnny fails not only Robby who he OFTEN forgets is his biological kid ( on the exception of mentioning it to Miguel, but in reality doing nothing to redeem it) but also Miguel as he tries to redeem his past by leading him into the no mercy way.

Daniel on the other hand goes off the deep end with his PTSD and kicks Robby out not once but TWICE of his life for simple misunderstandings. This was compelling because I always thought the writers were aware of their parallels, both kids and adults.

After the school fight, both Senseis start to fall apart in consequence. Both riddled with guilt. Johnny goes the drunken crazy route only to be told off by his pupil for showing mercy and Daniel cast off by Robby as he is heading to juvie. It's a whirlwind that takes our heroes in separate and tough directions. What a challenge for a writer, what a beautiful predicament. Miguel gets his due, love and effort here, but Robby starts to get forgotten, at least by his own father, until it is too late. Daniel tries, but after abandoning Robby twice I get the distance and lack of trust.

In season 4, even though I love the season, you see these links start to fall apart. I love the karate drama like no other, however...it started to get tiresome, the bickering, the not learning, the abandoning..still I thought it was leading somewhere great, until it had to be Robby to be the one to make the first significant move to have a relationship with his father in spite of his father not giving a shit if he went to his loathed mentor, at least Daniel still cared. Miguel found it overwhelming to think he was not a son to Johnny that he fled in search of identity.

Season 5 is where they start going of the rails within this theme. Which forgive me , but is intrinsical to the lore. I wept when Robby went back to Daniel , one of my favourites in the series and never to be seen again thus far.The show has apparently forgotten there was once a bond there.

I loved the moment Johnny found Miguel after his father turned out a dissapointment. Most of all I enjoyed finally father and son time between Johnny and Robby even if tainted by a deceitful trip for Miguel. I get it, he's trying.

But otherwise, the plot turned into their endless bickering and ridicuoslusness.

In Season 6, fuck their mentorship roles, away goes the depth of their bonds. They are so worried about other things that the most significant moments that made this show great are spent elsewhere. Daniel might as well be a stranger to poor Robby at this point and to Johnny as well..he alludes to it but I have not seen anything to back it up. Even though his son is having a hell of it. Miguel and Johnny are in this, weird on and off I'm your son, love me more that your biological son merry go round ..and are probably the only ones given any closure. I love the fights and drama. But I do wish they went back to the father and son thematic that made this franchise so compelling.