purpleheartskies

[purpleheartskies]

Daniel helped Johnny against Wolf Sam helped Robby against some Iron Dragons

Love these little parallels that remind us who the legacy kids really are.

[purpleheartskies]

Robby's mental health in s6 part 2 

Also titled: Robby is the underdog - Part 9, The start of The Resurrection stage in Robby's Hero's Journey

A lot of disappointment wrt Robby's story in s6 part 2 has been around his behavior, lack of focus, and losses. However, with his so many unresolved traumas, the addition of new traumas in part 2, and the lack of a proper support system, Robby's mental health has continued to decline. Robby's underdog story is about his poor mental health, which contrasts the typical Karate Kid underdog trope of having poor physical strength or karate skills. As I've talked about at length, Robby's Hero’s Journey is about finding balance by starting to cope with his traumas in a healthy way and developing a healthy relationship with himself.

Given that part 2 is the start of the Resurrection stage of his Journey, it's important to note that this stage is going to be Robby's final "battle" in the story. This battle is going to be his biggest one yet and with the most stakes. Robby's battles aren't just against his karate rivals/opponents. His battles are also against his poor mental health and how he copes with his traumas. After all, his poor mental health makes him the underdog in this story:

"This fight is not about him. The biggest battle is always the one within. Okay, concentrate, defense, focus, power. You find your balance, and those points will come. All right?"

In part 2, Robby started going down the path that he didn’t want to go down. He drank for the first time to cope with his traumas and poor mental health. He also fought using his anger in his match with Kwon and didn't fight with balance. (I'll talk about these more below.) In s4e4, Silver told Robby that to become a champion, he would have to face his fear. Later, Robby admitted to Johnny that Robby’s fear is that he would end up like Johnny. In s5e5, Robby "let go" of his anger, because of his fawn trauma response, and in doing so believed that he’d found balance. That was the ending of his Ordeal stage, at which he obtained his "want" (a relationship with Johnny) while unknowingly giving up his "need" (finding balance and developing a healthy relationship with himself). In s6e5, it was shown that Robby hasn’t found balance, nor does he have a healthy relationship with himself ("It's still better than always coming in second"). He doesn’t believe in himself or his future. He’s also still fawning (self-abandoning), and in part 2 his mental health continued to worsen due to various reasons. Robby is close now to the moment in his Hero's Journey that his "resurrection" will take place. He will have an internal "death and rebirth". He's going to have to make important decisions wrt himself, his future, his relationships, and the people around him. He must choose his "need" over his "want" in order to succeed in his Journey.  

In ATLA, during his Ordeal at the end of book 2, Zuko chose his want (going home, his "destiny") over his need (standing against his father, helping end the war). In CK, at the end of his Ordeal in s5e5, Robby "chose" his want (a relationship with Johnny and everyone) over his need (believing in himself and who he is). Characters oftentimes do choose their wants over their needs during their Ordeals. When Zuko did so during his Ordeal, it was a total backslide. He had a choice at that moment, and he chose wrong. (This all literally took place in a cave! The Ordeal takes place in the "inmost cave" in the Hero's Journey. For Robby in CK, that cave was metaphorical.) When Robby made his "choice" at the end of his Ordeal (the baby news scene), it was a total backslide. He gave up who he is entirely. (This was a subconscious, defense mechanism.) Neither Zuko nor Robby could find inner peace. Zuko was shown discontent and silently grappling with his decision. Robby's mental health (his self-worth, his self-blame) is shown to have worsened, and he's become more off-balance since.

In this post, I'm going to talk about Robby's traumas, mental health, and behavior in s6 part 2 and how those were affected by other characters (primarily Tory, Miguel, Zara, and Kwon). To start, I'll revisit the state of his mental health at the end of part 1.

Robby's mental health has continued to worsen since s5

(You can read about the Robby's traumas and the impact on his mental health from s1 to s6 part 1 in these posts: The Neglect of Robby Keene (s1-s5), The college essay scene (s6 part 1), and "Second place, second place" (s6 part 1))

In s6e5, it's shown that Robby still doesn’t believe in himself or his future. However, Tory encouraged him that he could win the tournament. To do that, he had to first win the captaincy match. For the first time since the s1 tournament, Robby's flashbacks were shown: He keeps coming in second place, and it's eating him up inside. Miguel then tried to gaslight Robby that Miguel's future matters more, but Robby didn't back down. 

During the captain's match, Robby struggled at first because he couldn't focus. Tory wasn’t there, and no one there was supporting him specifically. Johnny and Sam both stood on Miguel's side. Miguel quickly scored two points on him. Then, Tory arrived. Robby gained his focus and was able to score on Miguel, coming back from 0-2 to win 3-2. Robby, who is usually perceptive of others' emotional states, didn't even notice Tory's emotional state. Robby at the time was struggling so much with his own trauma and mental health (and relief that he'd won despite his struggles) that he simply wasn't that aware or perceptive of Tory's state. It was after she started fighting more aggressively that he started to notice it. 

Tory: "Sorry I was late." Robby: "You came just in time."

Robby's behavior in this scene fit his state of mind at the time. Like how s5e1/2 showed Robby fawning with Johnny before Robby starting fawning completely in s5e5, s6e5 showed how deteriorated Robby's mental health was going into part 2.

Robby and Tory’s relationship in part 2

As frustrating and disappointing as it is, Robby’s part 2 arc (like his previous season arcs) is all about how poor his mental health is because of his lack of stable, genuine support and new traumas that he experienced. Tory had shown him that support in s6e5, but her behavior in part 2 also affected Robby’s mental health greatly.

It goes without saying that in part 2 Robby’s and Tory’s mental healths were at their worst. I’ll be primarily focusing this section on Robby’s mental health when it comes to his relationship with Tory, but I’ll talk about Tory’s mental health a bit first.

Tory’s mental health obviously worsened because of her mother’s death. She also didn’t believe she’d get a fair chance at Miyagi-Do to become captain, which she needed assurance of because she needs the benefits from winning the tournaments. Although she had shown up at the captain’s match in s6e5, Daniel stopping the match and then Johnny egging her on that she wouldn’t get a fair chance really made her believe Kreese’s words about her not being given a fair chance at Miyagi-Do. She had joined Cobra Kai knowing that she had the captain’s spot there. She has also never been against Cobra Kai in general. She was specifically against Silver in s5, which she had clearly stated. She also told Robby in s6e1 that Miyagi-Do is against everything she’d been taught. Tory had made her decision to ensure she was a captain.

After s5, I said that the biggest issue in Robby and Tory's relationship is their communication. This continued in s6. In s6e5, after her mother died, Tory didn’t answer Robby’s calls. After the captaincy match was cancelled and Johnny made things worse, she left the dojo saying she was done. Although there is no context given for what happened between Tory leaving the Miyagi-Do dojo in part 1 and when they all arrived at the tournament, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Robby probably tried to get in touch with her but she likely didn’t respond, like the day her mom had died. (I’ve seen criticism that Robby didn’t go to Tory’s home. However, in s6e1, it sounded like Robby hadn’t gone to Kenny’s home to speak with him either and had only tried to call and text him. But, since Kenny was at the arcade, Robby decided to try in person. Given Robby’s characterization, I took this as Robby respecting their boundaries. If Tory has never invited him to her home, he likely would not go.) Tory continued to behave this way after arriving at the tournament. According to the timeline, it was soon after the captaincy matches that they had left for the tournament. (From what I’ve seen mentioned, the date on Daniel’s phone in one scene in part 2 is a continuity error. That date is the day they had filmed the scene; not the date in canon.)

Robby tried to talk to Tory in the lobby, but she purposely ignored him and walked right past him. During the captain’s pictures, he smiled at her but she didn’t smile back and turned away. Then, he approached her in the aquarium while she was alone. He asked her if she planned on avoiding him the whole tournament. She claimed no, and then said that she didn’t know what he wanted her to say. She had purposely been avoiding him—a defensive mechanism called stonewalling (characterized by behaviors such as refusing to respond to texts or phone calls, abruptly cutting people off and ending conversations, ignoring others outright, etc.). Robby and Tory did end up having a somewhat proper conversation until Sam showed up some feet away, watching and listening to them. When Tory noticed Sam, Tory ended the conversation and walked away. Robby understood why when he turned and saw Sam there. (I didn’t like that Sam came and stood there and listened in on them. Robby and Tory are dating, and it’s not Sam’s place.)

Following this, Tory purposely put Robby in a situation that caused him issues with the others. In s6e5, she had told Robby not to tell anyone about Kreese approaching her because the others wouldn’t trust her. She obviously hadn’t told Robby all the details of her conversation with Kreese because, in this conversation in s6e6, Robby implicitly asked her if her joining CK as their female captain was why Kreese had approached her. Later, when Sam approached her to talk, Tory threw Robby under the bus and said that she had told him about Kreese coming to her. However, she had earlier admitted to Robby that she hadn’t told him why Kreese had come to her because she knew that he would try to stop her. Later in s6e6, when Robby came to Tory at night, Tory told him that she would just be making things harder for him if the others knew he came to talk to her. Well, she had already made things harder for him when she purposely told Sam that Robby knew about Kreese. It has made me wonder if Tory was purposely sabotaging their relationship because she then used this reason and the tournament as her excuse to put them on a pause. It’s also important to note that Tory hadn’t cared about them being in a relationship in s6e5 when they had first made their deal to be on the podium together. But now Tory decided for both of them that being on a pause would be best. She repeated Kim’s words to Robby about owning her decision to be there and what’s best for them is what’s best for their dojos. Tory then told him that it’s best for both of them and to trust her. He rightly pointed out that she doesn’t trust him or anyone. She didn’t respond and got a contemplative expression, which indicated that she doesn’t trust him, so he walked away. Her behavior with him up until that point had already indicated this. Her behavior after this conversation continued to indicate this.

Tory’s mother had died, but she shut Robby out. Like he had told her, he would have been there for her. Tory’s and Robby’s traumas have resulted in both of them having insecure attachment styles. Robby tends more towards an anxious style (characterized by traits such as feeling unworthy of love, fear of abandonment/rejection, and difficulty trusting others), while Tory tends more to an avoidant style (characterized by traits such as strong sense of independence, difficulty trusting others, being uncomfortable expressing feelings, and being dismissive of others). They were already prone to these styles when they first started dating. For example, in s2, Robby hid the truth about medal of honor because he had felt insecure, and Tory went no contact with Miguel after witnessing him cheat on her. Robby’s and Tory’s traumas have worsened by this point, and this has made their relationship more unhealthy. 

Robby was unhappy but was understanding of her decision to join Cobra Kai when he came to speak to her that night in s6e6 and wanted to stay a couple. However, Tory just wanted to focus on her own goals. Tory has always put herself and her own goals above their relationship. Tbf, in s5, Robby had put his need to distance himself from Cobra Kai above their relationship too. That had been in s5e4, before Robby had started fawning. (And, as I talked about earlier, Robby’s mental health has been in further decline due to this trauma response because of his situation with Johnny and the Diazs.) At the time, Tory had been hiding staying in Cobra Kai and working with Kreese, which had been the first instance of her choosing Kreese and Cobra Kai over Robby. Joining Kreese and Cobra Kai for this tournament is the second instance.

It's important to note that she claimed it was best for them, but she was really only doing it for herself. Some say that Robby didn't understand Tory's request for a pause or that he shouldn't be against her wanting one. However, he did understand, but she didn't ask it just for herself. She specifically said that it would be best for both of them and that he should trust her, although she is one who had gone no contact and joined Kreese behind Robby’s back. At that point, she was trying to control their relationship. She didn't care for his feelings and decided to dictate what was best for him too. She then followed that with telling him to trust her. He countered with the fact that she doesn't trust anyone else including him. She didn't deny that, so he walked away. After this point, she has no right to get angry with him about their relationship. She can't under any circumstances dictate what is best for him while also dismissing his feelings and not trusting him. She doesn’t trust him but wants him to blindly trust her yet again. Tory became yet another person who tried to dictate to Robby what was best for him while dismissing and disregarding how he feels and asking for his trust (while not trusting him in return), like Johnny does with Robby repeatedly and like Daniel did when he claimed to be helping Robby wrt to the school fight. Tory reignited those wounds for him. 

(gif on left) Robby was upset and trying the process when she first said that they should focus on karate while they're there and that she needs to own decision to be there. He asked if that means a break up and she said it's a pause. He had the same expression on his face. (gif on right) She then said that it's the best for both of them. His expression after she said this had a noticeable bit of anger.

Having grief is not an excuse to treat someone like they or their feelings don't matter or like you can dictate what is best for them. The same goes for when someone has trauma. Johnny, Daniel, and Sam have all treated Robby as if his feelings don't matter and what they want is best not just for them but for him too. 

There are two more instances that I want to bring up in which Tory continued to make their relationship solely about herself and her feelings. Before I go over these, I want to mention again that he did acknowledge to Sam that Tory had put them on a break. After Robby believed that Tory had started hooking up with Kwon, then Robby also believed that she’d actually broken up with him. 

One incident is in s6e9 after Tory confronted Robby about Zara. Robby defended himself by saying that Tory had broken up with him. Tory then said that she had said a pause and not sleep with their enemies. Robby then called her out for hooking up with Kwon and that being okay. She then told him that his "dumbass got played". Tory insulting Robby like that is pretty messed up. She had refused to have a proper conversation with him and refused to trust him with what she was going through, but she wanted him to fully trust her decision as being best for both of them, although she had kept her choice of joining Kreese and Cobra Kai a secret and kept stonewalling him. He had still respected her decision to want to go on a break. Her not caring at all about his feelings makes the relationship more one-sided than it should be… and a lot like his relationships with the other characters. Tory had made that decision to solely benefit herself. Robby isn’t entitled to Tory, but Tory also isn’t entitled to Robby or to make decisions for what’s best for him. She needs to realize this.

The second incident was while Robby tried to talk to her in the lobby. Robby tried to give her a proper apology and explain his side of the story, but she shut him down. She then started talking about herself and her feelings. So again, it was all about her and her goals. Her mom had died, but she had made her own choice to join Cobra Kai. Robby had kept trying to talk to her but she had been stonewalling him. Tory expected him to feel sorry for her after Cobra Kai lost and got knocked out of the tournament. I am curious if, going into the match, she had expected that Miyagi-Do would lose that match. It was going to be either her team or Robby’s team that would advance to the next round. She would have justified it to herself, and no doubt to Robby too, if she'd helped Cobra Kai knock Miyagi-Do out of the tournament because that would have meant she would advance to the next round and have her chance at the podium. That in turn would have meant that Robby would have lost his chance at the podium. When she'd started that match, she'd been angry with Robby about Zara, so she went into that matching with the intention of winning and knocking him out of the tournament. Again, she can't expect to him to wait around, blindly trust her, be okay with her keeping major secrets (like Kreese's offer), and do whatever she says is best for him, while she focuses on achieving her goals. In a way, I'm happy that he did get the win against Cobra Kai in this regard. He didn’t put her or their relationship above his own future and goals of beating Cobra Kai (and Kwon, specifically) and having a chance at the podium.

I think that someone wanting to go on a “pause/break” is understandable. But expecting the other person to wait around is unfair to them, especially after that someone dismisses what the other person has to say, dismisses their feelings, and dictates to them what is best for them. Just make it a clean break. It's the other person’s choice if they don’t want to see anyone else while they wait for the “pause/break” to be over. Like I said, Robby is not entitled to Tory, but Tory is also not entitled to Robby. In a way, Tory had decided to string Robby along and wanted him to be okay with that. In s5, Sam had been upset in the moment after seeing Miguel kiss that other girl. However, Sam had been okay with it in general after that. Miguel had been the one who kept bringing it up, wanting her to be upset about him kissing that other girl, and gaslighting her about Tory, which is Miguel's go-to method to tear/wear Sam down.

Robby’s abandonment and rejection trauma

A huge part of Robby’s poor mental health is his abandonment and rejection trauma. In s6e5, his “second place” scene wasn’t just about karate but about his life and relationships as well. Remember, finding balance also isn’t just about karate but about life as well. However, Robby’s poor mental health acts as his internal Shadow and as an internal Threshold Guardian in this Hero’s Journey.

Parental rejection, general childhood rejection, social rejection by peers, and other forms of abandonment can cause rejection trauma—a form of complex trauma resulting from abuse and neglect that can cause a fear of rejection… Childhood abuse and neglect… can leave people at risk for rejection trauma. A person might also experience poorer mental health and rejection sensitivity due to perceived rejection, longstanding emotional pain, or instances of romantic rejection that trigger abandonment fears.

During the matches in s6e7, when Robby lost focus/balance, he was triggered; as in, he was having a trauma response. When you’re triggered, you don't think. You feel. It hits you hard and overwhelms you.

Robby was experiencing “freeze” trauma responses. It's not about Tory specifically, but about his trauma from abandonment/rejection hitting him. He has no control over these responses.

Wrt Tory, this trauma was so new. It was also a confusing situation for him. On the one hand, she is the only person who believes in him. On the other hand, she essentially rejected him by not trusting him and by putting them on break, telling him what's best for him while dismissing how he feels and not hearing him out. Her behavior made the relationship unstable/unsafe. Like how Robby can’t predict Johnny’s, Miguel’s, Daniel’s, etc behaviors with him, Robby also can’t predict Tory’s behavior with him now too. This wasn’t the first time that she had chosen Kreese and Cobra Kai over him and their relationship and had kept it a secret. Both times, he had found out in some way that didn’t involve her directly telling him.

It’s striking that in s6e5, Robby seeing Tory at the match caused him to gain balance because he was able to find the strength to believe in himself due to her belief in him. Whereas, in s6e6/7, Robby seeing Tory triggered him and caused him to freeze up. In s1e10, when Robby looked at Johnny during the avt match with Hawk, Robby lost focus too, but in a different way. Back then, Robby’s traumas weren't as bad as they are now due to all of his experiences since then.  In s4, Robby also had a freeze response when he looked at Kenny during the match with Hawk. (That's Robby losing focus in both of his matches with Hawk at a tournament). At the time, Robby was already feeling remorse over his match with Kenny and his decision to have Kenny join Cobra Kai with him. Of course, at that point, Robby was already dealing with the trauma of the school fight and other related traumas, such as everyone abandoning, rejecting, and scapegoating him because of it.

Freeze responses can occur "when the situation confronting you overwhelms your coping capacities and leaves you paralyzed in fear."

Robby is constantly in survival mode due to his fawn response around those closest to him. He was already living in survival mode before s5e5 because of his unstable home life (including not even having a home at times) and unpredictable, neglectful parents hif whole life. His mental health has gotten to a point now where his coping mechanisms are overwhelmed.

In the ongoing life and development of the trauma survivor, the freeze response can continue to emerge in response to the perception of threat, with the brain and body moving into a state of high alert (e.g. heart racing, sweating, breathing accelerated) when triggered. However, when observed, the individual might appear shut-down or withdrawn. This generally occurs in the survivor in response to a trigger that is reminiscent of past traumatic experiences. 

Clearly, Robby lacks focus in general, which is why he wasn’t able to fight as properly in s6e5 until Tory showed up. She had become the only person to believe in him. In his matches in s6e7, he would start out somewhat balanced, but would freeze up when he looked at Tory. The bullying and scapegoating by the others was not helpful either. In s6e8, he even commented that she wasn’t affected at all by being on a break and she was fighting better than ever. He was upset because of her initial rejection (not trusting him and suddenly putting them on a break) and was so frustrated with himself because of his freeze responses, that he had started thinking about drinking.

It’s not that Robby’s story with Johnny, the Diazs, and the LaRussos has been replaced with his relationship with Tory as the main focus of his story. It’s that Robby’s relationship with Tory is being used to explore and show how Robby’s situations with Johnny, the Diazs, and the LaRussos have been affecting his mental health. He is suffering in silence. He is not accepted by them for who he is. He has had to change himself and people-please, putting aside all of his justified issues with them, in order to be accepted by them. He had to self-abandon and put them first. He is still not trusted by them, is still scapegoated by them, and is still not genuinely wanted by them. This has all resulted in his abandonment/rejection trauma worsening and his insecure attachment style due to all of his childhood trauma and the other traumas he’s experienced worsening too. Robby is so overwhelmed with trauma, stress, and anxiety that he is now experiencing triggers and freeze responses more frequently due to this new trauma from Tory’s behavior with him. 

Notice that Robby was showing the same signs of anxiety when he went to speak to Tory that night in s6e6, as he showed when he spoke with Daniel in s3e2 and when he went to speak with Johnny in s4e10. He couldn’t sleep so he went to speak with her. 

In s3e2, Robby starting fidgeting with his fingers when Daniel showed up. In s4e10, Robby was tapping his fingers on his legs as he walked into the dojo to talk to Johnny. In s6e6, Robby couldn't sleep so we went to talk to Tory. When she opened the door, he was standing there fidgeting with his hands.

Of course, Robby is constantly filled with anxiety. He’s in a family, friends group, dojo, and environments that are constantly reinforcing his abandonment and rejection trauma. He still has no genuine, consistent support system, not even one adult. The people around him will not only take away their support without notice. They will also invalidate, scapegoat, and/or bully him, depending on the person and on the circumstance. He has to fawn in order to survive. He’s also worried about his future and sees no prospects for it, other than by winning the tournament. By s6e8, he was failing at that too now.

In s6e7, when Daniel found Johnny packing, Johnny told Daniel that he told Miguel about Carmen. But, Johnny made no mention of Robby. Johnny told Daniel to tell the others. That means Johnny himself didn’t tell Robby and wasn't planning on telling Robby about what was going on. Johnny left Robby out. In s6e8, when Robby wondered how Carmen was doing and asked Sam if she'd spoken to Miguel before he left, it seemed as if Miguel hadn’t spoken to Robby either before leaving. Robby has always been an outsider in this family, and behaviors like this continue to send Robby the message that he is an outsider in this family. (As a juxtaposition, the hospital scenes also reinforced this, as I talk about in my post about the family in part 2.) This added to Robby's abandonment/rejection trauma. 

It was after all this that he told Sam that he wanted to drink. She reminded him that he doesn’t drink, and he said that maybe he should start. He then brought up that Tory put them on a break and that she wasn’t even affected by it, that she was fighting better than ever. Like I’ve mentioned before, Robby had mentioned wanting to drink because of his counter-dependence. He had wanted Sam to stop him. Sam then told him that they shouldn’t let Tory get into their heads like that. Right after Sam said this, Tory walked in with Kwon. Sam immediately left, and Robby eventually ended up at the bar. He ordered his first drink after seeing Kwon put his arm around Tory. Robby turned his head away, and that’s when Tory shoved Kwon away, which Robby didn’t see. A little later, Robby was still glancing over at them. Tory decided to leave because of that. Kwon noticed and went and taunted Robby, telling him that he’d keep her warm that night. Robby stood up and was slightly unsteady on his feet. Kwon taunted him more, and Robby looked like he couldn’t focus enough to put words together. Kwon then left. Robby sat down and unsteadily picked up his drink. Zara then approached him, as if she’d been watching him.

Although Tory's behavior of stonewalling Robby played a huge role in him believing that she had broken up with him and moved onto Kwon (essentially abandoning and replacing him like some of the others have), it should be said that Robby’s belief that Tory had moved on from him and replaced him so quickly was also rooted in Robby’s low self-worth and his belief that he is unlovable. His own father had abandoned him and then replaced him with another kid. In s5, his father had even abused him to prioritize that other kid. Those two had just ditched Robby again, as they went home in an emergency (that also affected Robby because the baby is his sister too) and didn’t even talk to Robby before leaving. In fact, in juxtaposition to Robby drinking because of his trauma, Robby’s father called that random kid his son after that random kid had complained that Johnny was “disregarding” him and called Robby “messed up”, which Robby doesn’t know about. This contrast matches the juxtaposition of the “Johnny chooses Miguel over Robby” storyline throughout the story. 

In addition, Sam had abandoned and replaced Robby with Miguel after the school fight, after having used and cheated on him. It also stood out to me that Sam started telling Robby about all the plans that Sam and Miguel had made for Barcelona. When Sam talked those plans to Robby, I couldn’t help but think how tone deaf of her it was. She has never even taken accountability with Robby nor admit Miguel’s faults in their rivalry. Sam still continues to disappoint in this regard. It also sticks out then that she did leave immediately after Tory walked in, although Robby had admitted to Sam that he was going to drink for the first time because he was so upset. I’ve said before that counter-dependence is hard to interpret, so I understand her not realizing he was hoping she would stop him. Overall, though, it does seem like she’s just his friend at a surface level and still doesn’t understand him. In s6e6, twice she questioned his loyalty: right after they found out that Tory had joined Cobra Kai and when she announced to everyone that Robby had known that Kreese had come to Tory, without even talking to Robby first. Meanwhile, she continues to overlook her past and present acts of disloyalty to him. (Continuing to scapegoat Robby for the school fight and acting like Miguel's past actions towards Robby never happened are disloyal.)

For Robby, all of these abandonment/rejection traumas were compounding. This situation in the bar was the combination of Johnny rushing off with Miguel, without even telling Robby as if he doesn’t exist and as if wasn’t his baby sister too, and Sam sitting and talking about her romantic plans with Miguel, as if she and Robby didn’t have the unresolved history that they have. Robby was also already upset that Tory didn’t care at all about their "break", as in her not having his support didn’t affect her at all. Robby was also performing really poorly in his matches because his mental health was affecting him. Because of all this, Robby was already thinking about drinking. So, after Tory walked in with Kwon, she continued to stonewall Robby, and Kwon later put his arm around Tory, Robby wasn’t in a good mindset at all and was pretty immersed in his own trauma, self-hate, and low/non-existent self-worth. Robby decided to take this first drink.

In s3, Robby told Hawk that Robby doesn't need to drink to pretend to be cool. Robby grew up with alcoholic parents. He never wanted to drink because he didn’t want to end up like them. But, now, he took his first drink to cope and forget, just like his parents do (or did, in his mother’s case). As I mentioned in another post, Robby being SA’d after he drank and got drunk for the first time is a dark irony. This is also something that may/likely have happened to his mother (more than once) before she had gone to rehab.

Miguel is still Robby’s bully and foil

In part 2, Robby continued to check with Miguel that things were still good between them. In s5, Robby made sure to be friends with Miguel and Hawk after Robby started fawning in s5e5. Robby kept initiating conversations with them. Hawk only initiated once and that was to tell Robby that he would shut Kenny up in their match.

In s6e5, although Robby had stood up for himself in the courtyard scene, Robby confirmed with Miguel that they were still good right after their match. In s6e6, Robby checked with Miguel twice to make sure he was on Robby’s side, during the conversation about Tory and Kreese. In s6e7, before their match with Cobra Kai, Miguel told Robby to stay back and stay focused. Robby asked him why he wouldn’t be focused, and Miguel said that he saw him leave the hotel room the night before. After the match, when Robby was in the shower, he didn’t know that Miguel and his sidekicks were talking about him behind his back, saying that they think Miguel should be captain. When Robby came out, they lied about what they’d been talking about. As Robby passed by Miguel, Robby patted Miguel’s shoulder in a friendly manner, again trying to confirm that things were good between them.

Next, after Miguel commented in the locker room about Robby’s lack of focus, Robby confronted him telling him to say whatever it is he has to say.

Miguel told Robby off, saying that he didn’t care about winning and had taken this opportunity from Miguel. Robby said that it hasn’t actually been easy for him and called him out once again for making it all about himself. Robby stood up for himself again, as he had in s6e5, because Robby still believed in himself and his future. Miguel told him that he’d be the reason they’d go home with nothing and he should either man up or admit that Miguel was fighting better and hand it over. After Miguel walked away, Robby looked at the captain’s headband in contemplation.

Miguel: "Sure, but you're also going to be the reason we go home with nothing." Notice the look on Robby's face after Miguel said this. This is scapegoating. (I'll talk more later about how this statement affected Robby.)

Before the platform match, Robby tightened his headband, when Miguel looked at him, to reinforce that Robby wasn’t going to hand it over. However, Robby had another freeze respond while fighting and was knocked off the platform more quickly than he should have been. Miguel ended up winning it for them after a 2 v 1, but before he went up there he told Robby, “Watch how it’s done.” After this match, Johnny got the call about Carmen, and he and Miguel took off without even talking to Robby and definitely not taking him along.

Johnny heard Miguel bully Robby, but Johnny said nothing to Robby to encourage him or make him feel better. Johnny didn't say anything to Miguel in the moment either. Johnny is so useless to Robby. After Miguel had his hissy fit on the plane and called Robby "messed up", Johnny defended Robby for a like a second... Then, to appease Miguel because he started stonewalling Johnny, Johnny called Miguel his son and basically defended why he's "supporting" Robby (which he clearly isn't) as captain.

Robby isn't wrong to perceive Miguel as a threat, even if Robby is doing this subconsciously. Robby needs to understand where he stands with him. Robby knows from past experience that he must stay on good terms with Miguel. In s5e4, Robby had told Tory that he and Johnny still have some issues that are too big to solve. Robby looked toward Miguel. Johnny's unhealthy obsession with Miguel is one of those "too big to solve problems".

In s6e7, Robby was trying to appease Miguel and his anger towards Robby, while Robby was also still trying to believe in himself and his own future. Robby wasn’t wrong about Miguel, though. In s6e8, while Miguel and Johnny had left Robby behind to go to Carmen, Miguel threw Johnny’s alcoholism and failures with Robby in Johnny’s face and even called Robby “messed up” to attack Johnny. Miguel then stonewalled Johnny, until Johnny came begging and appeased him. Johnny assured Miguel that he is Johnny’s son too and basically apologized for “supporting” Robby as captain. 

Because of Johnny’s codependency with Miguel, Robby has to also gauge and be aware of his status with Miguel (and no doubt with Carmen too). After all, Johnny had forced Robby to do the apartment fight with Miguel so that Miguel could take his anger out on Robby and become friends with Robby. In order to have a relationship with Johnny, Robby has to have a good relationship with Miguel. Also, because of Miguel gaslighting Robby after the apartment fight as well as everyone continuing to act like Robby has always been the problem between them, Robby has settled with the belief that he had to be the one to let go of his "hate" in order for their rivalry to be resolved, like he indicated in his conversation with Kenny in s5e8.

When Miguel “apologized” to Robby in s6e9, Miguel didn’t actually apologize. Miguel didn’t admit why he had been acting that way. In s6e8, Miguel had already made sure to undermine Johnny’s support of Robby over Miguel because of his jealousy of Robby being Johnny’s real son and Miguel’s own false entitlement over Johnny. In s6e9, Miguel now showed support to Robby after having gotten what he’d wanted from Johnny—confirmation that he will still be Johnny’s priority over Robby. Miguel was now also motivated to win because of the promise he’d made to his mother that the baby’s older brother (just him, not her other brother) would win. Miguel made sure to give Robby the reassurance that he needed in order to lead with confidence and help the team win. 

Miguel had known all along that Robby had been struggling with his focus. Miguel had called out Robby’s lack of focus a few times, and Robby had also told him that it hasn’t been easy for him since getting there. Miguel could have given him the support he’d needed any time. Miguel had instead chosen to be a bully and hindrance to Robby (as the Threshold Guardian that Miguel is) because of Miguel's petty jealousy, instead of being an ally to Robby (which Miguel shapeshifted into). I’ll discuss their s6e9 conversation in more detail in the next section. 

Note that a big difference between Robby and Miguel is that Robby has never torn down another student, not unless provoked. And even then he makes pointed remarks in response, and not some rant about everything being about himself. Miguel on the other hand tore down Robby out of jealousy and made it all about himself. Miguel is not a supportive “brother” or “friend” to Robby. Miguel is not to be trusted, as he will turn on Robby whenever Miguel feels insecure or threatened by Robby’s presence and Miguel will continue to undermine Johnny's relationship with Robby.

Robby’s self-worth, self-esteem, and self-blame

Trauma greatly affects these traits. I’ll first talk about Robby’s self-worth and self-esteem. Then, I’ll focus on his self-blame.

Self-esteem describes your thoughts and feelings about yourself. It is usually based on judgments you make about yourself in the moment… Because self-esteem involves your thoughts and feelings about yourself and your level of confidence, it isn’t stable or consistent. Instead, it depends heavily on the outer world of people, tasks, and external information used to compare, judge, and evaluate yourself.

Self-worth is a broader, more stable form of self-esteem that is less influenced by outside or inside factors. Instead of focusing on specific traits, skills, circumstances, or achievements, self-worth describes the core beliefs you have about your worth and value. Core beliefs tend to be consistent over time, which is why self-worth is less likely to change in response to feelings, thoughts, behaviors, or experiences.

Robby generally has low self-worth due to all of his traumas, especially his trauma from abandonment/rejection. Fawning also diminishes a person’s self-worth as they put the needs of others above their own. Over the course of the series, Robby’s self-worth has decreased immensely.

In contrast, Robby’s self-esteem has wavered throughout the series. From s1e2 to s1e7, it was low as Robby had no proper support system and didn’t believe in himself or his future. From s1e7 (after the bonsai tree lesson) to s2e10, his self-esteem was high. From s2e10 (after the school fight) to s4e1, it was low again. From s4e1 to s5e5, it was high again. From s5e5 (after the apartment fight and baby news) to s6e4, his self-esteem was pretty low again. In s6e5, after Tory showed belief in him, his self-esteem increased again. Robby stood up to Miguel in s6e5 and in s6e7 because Robby believed in himself and his future. For a short time, after the SA, Robby’s self-esteem was low again. Miguel’s conversation with Robby and winning the team match after that improved Robby’s self-esteem again. In their s6e10 conversation, Tory said that she shouldn't have believed in any of it. Robby asked if that included him too. He wanted to know if she believed in him.  

In s6, the scapegoating continued to affect Robby’s self-worth and add to his self-blame too. Of course, the scapegoating for the school fight has continued. The college essay scene in s6e2 no doubt added to Robby's poor mental health. In s6e6, all the Miyagi-Dos ganging up on Robby and blaming him for Tory joining Kreese and Cobra Kai was uncalled for. When they first found out that Tory had joined Kreese, Sam had immediately asked Robby if he knew. He said that he didn’t, which was true. Sam later threw him under the bus, without even talking to him first, after Tory had told her that Robby knew about Kreese going to Tory. Hawk was also hypocritical about Robby losing the bet with Kwon. Hawk had egged Robby on before the bet and then turned on him after he lost. In s6e7, Miguel told Robby that he would be the reason that that team would go home with nothing. This is also scapegoating. (As a side, the others being upset with Robby for talking to Tory is uncalled for. She is his girlfriend. She had just lost her mom, and she made this choice. Regardless, it is his choice who he dates and talks to.)

Scapegoating is a destructive behavior that can have long-term psychological effects on both parties involved. In the target of this behavior, feelings of worthlessness, guilt, isolation, and even conditions like depression and/or anxiety can arise. They may also begin to doubt themselves since the other person is typically denying their experiences, or making them feel as though they are not worth listening to.

Self-blame also leads to low self-esteem and low self-worth. Scapegoating, abandonment, rejection, fawning, and SA all lead/add to excessive self-blame.

Blaming one’s self is a common response to having a traumatic experience. This is especially true even when the traumatic event occurs through no fault of our own -we didn’t ask for it, we didn’t want it and we certainly weren’t okay with it happening. And while this self-blaming response isn’t logical, the self blame can run deep, cold and hard to shake. There are many reasons why we take on this blame whether it’s a single event or prolonged childhood trauma.  1) We don’t have the capacity to see the flaws and wounds of our caregivers when we’re young. Developmentally, we do not possess the ability to step out of our own experience and perceive that our caregivers aren’t capable of meeting our needs. We can’t see beyond ourselves, so blaming someone else isn’t even possible. Because we are not capable of assigning blame elsewhere, that pain has to be directed somewhere, and that is often inward. 2) Self blame is a survival response. If we blame the caregiver at the root of our trauma, it undercuts our perception that they can provide for us. That, in turn, implies that we are alone in this world without the ability to take care of ourselves. By blaming ourselves, we maintain the perception that we’re still in control of the situation and ultimately safe -even when we’re not. That message of self-blame commonly travels with us into adulthood, manifesting into thoughts such as, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m unlovable”. 3) When a traumatic event occurs, we are hard wired to respond rapidly on an unconscious level. Unknowingly, our nervous system is constantly scanning the environment for potential danger. It’s like a personal alarm system. When the alarm goes off, we assess the situation with a rapid fire response: “Do I escape, fight or hide?” Because we are not aware of this near instantaneous assessment, it often leaves one thinking that more could have been done. The truth is that we likely did everything that could have been done in an attempt to keep ourselves safe -even if bad things still happened. Not being aware that this action unconsciously takes place leads us to conclude that we could have done better or more, thus placing the blame on ourselves.

In part 2, Robby’s exaggerated self-blame increased immensely after the SA. Usually Robby’s exaggerated self-blame is paired with his hopelessness. I’m going to look at two other examples alongside the SA.

In s3e2, after the school fight and being on the run, Robby needed validation that he could change. He told Daniel, “But I caused all this. I’m the one who kicked Miguel… You were right. It was a mistake trying to help because I can’t change.” There is a lot of context to the school fight that Robby ignored. He focused solely on what he himself had done, not the context in which it happened, and then expressed his hopelessness about himself. Daniel then said that we all make mistakes but our mistakes aren’t who we are and he can learn from his mistakes, and that Daniel would help him with that. Robby became visibly hopeful. However, the cops showed up and whatever trust and belief Robby had in Daniel and his words fell away. Robby also stopped believing in himself after that. Not to mention, the circumstances he was in were so dire, and no one cared about his side of the story, his experience or mental health, or had faith in. He was all alone. 

In s4e10, when Robby came to Johnny, Robby told Johnny “I screwed everything up. I had all this hate inside of me… I thought I could use Cobra Kai to control that. But, it just made things worse, and now it’s never going to get better… I’m sick of blaming you, Dad.” Robby needed to hear that it would get better. For these few moments, Johnny gave Robby the emotional support he needed. Notice that Robby again solely focused on what he himself had done, not the context in which it happened, and then expressed his hopelessness about himself, and moreso, his situation.

In s6e9, when Robby spoke to Miguel, Robby expressed that exaggerated self-blame and hopelessness again: "I'm completely screwing it up out there… Tory ended things. She hooked up with Kwon… Then I got drunk and did something stupid. I'm blowing it on and off the mat. You were right. You should have been captain." Interestingly, although he had said that Tory ended things and "hooked up with Kwon", he described what had happened between him and Zara as him "doing something stupid". This means that he doesn’t actually look at it as some casual hook-up, although he thought of Tory and Kwon’s hook up as casual. What happened with Zara was eating him up inside. Notice that, in this conversation with Miguel, Robby did the same things as in the two conversations above: Robby solely focused on what he himself had done, not the context in which it happened, and then expressed his hopelessness about himself, and moreso, his situation.

"I got drunk and did something stupid. I'm blowing it on and off the mat."

Notice also the context in which all these things happened: Robby did something related to his trauma due to Johnny. This is coupled with a traumatic event or trigger and that in turn made him believe even more that he can't change or succeed. This is also coupled with a negative interaction before the traumatic event with the person who he later talked to about his actions, the traumatic event, and his self-blame and hopelessness:

In s3e2, Robby believed that he couldn’t change (that he would end up like Johnny). He hadn’t just lost his balance and his anger had taken over (understandably having a "fight" trauma response in the moment), but he had accidentally injured someone severely. In s2e10, before the school fight, Daniel had told Robby, “This whole thing was a mistake. You wanna end up like him. That’s up to you.” After the trauma, as Robby spoke about it, Robby told Daniel that he had been right about what he’d said. Robby now believed that what he had done / what had happened had proven Daniel’s words right. In this s3e2 conversation, Daniel had also told Robby that Daniel’s words before the school fight had been wrong to say.

In s4e10, Robby talked to Johnny about screwing everything up and making things worse by joining Cobra Kai to control his “hate”. This was a reference to their conversation in s4e4 in which Johnny had told Robby that Cobra Kai is a poison and that Kreese had brainwashed him. Robby then told Johnny that Johnny had trusted Kreese but Robby didn’t trust anyone anymore and that Robby was using Kreese. After hurting Kenny because of listening to Kreese and after having that moment of self-reflection, Robby now admitted to Johnny what he had been using Kreese/Cobra Kai for and that it did make things worse. Johnny then admitted that he had screwed things up for Robby with Larusso and that Robby should blame Johnny and not himself.

In s6e9, Robby told Miguel, "I'm completely screwing it up out there… Tory ended things. She hooked up with Kwon… Then I got drunk and did something stupid. I'm blowing it on and off the mat. You were right. You should have been captain." This was a direct reference to Miguel’s words to Robby in s6e7 that he would be the reason they go home with nothing so he should either man up, or admit that Miguel was fighting better and hand it over. In s6e9, when Robby said that he was completely screwing up out there, Miguel responded that that was a team loss. This countered his previous words that Robby would be the reason they would go home with nothing. Miguel then asked what was going on and what happened while he was away. Robby explained and said that Miguel had been right and should be captain. Miguel then told Robby that that’s bullshit and so on. These conversations were before and after Robby had gotten drunk to cope with this poor mental health, just like Johnny does, and then Zara SA’d Robby. Just like the other two events I talked about above, the SA has affected him immensely.

Robby: "You were right. You should have been captain." Miguel: "That's bullshit."

All 3 of these situations are approached the same way. Robby had an interaction in which the other person demeaned Robby and he had rejected their words (Daniel’s words had been really harsh and were more due to his anger at Johnny; Johnny hadn’t even listened to what Robby had come to talk to him about and had been dismissive of whatever he had said in that conversation, while Johnny had also projected his own past onto Robby; and Miguel had been jealous about Robby being captain and Johnny “supporting” Robby over him). Robby then experienced a traumatic event (the school fight; hurting Kenny coupled with Kenny embracing Cobra Kai completely despite Robby teaching him Miyagi-Do; the SA) that (1) involved him behaving like Johnny in some way (losing his anger and injuring someone; trusting and being brainwashed by Kreese; getting drunk) and (2) made him believe that that person’s words had been right. In each situation, Robby only focused on his own actions and self-blame and ignored important context. Robby then had a conversation with that person about their words being right. That person then told Robby that their previous words had been wrong and/or that he shouldn’t feel the way their words now made him feel. 

Putting aside Hayden’s tweet about the SA, in an interview for part 2, Jon had gone into detail about Robby’s mental state in s6e8 and then merely ended with “Robby made a regrettable mistake”. Like in the story itself, Jon provided no further perspective about what had happened between Robby and Zara. He simply framed his answer the way Robby talked about it in the story. The only information “told” in canon is Robby’s words “I did something stupid”. Robby later provided no perspective on what had happened, not even in his conversations with Tory. In s6e10, when he tried to explain his side of the story, Tory cut him off. This also matches how Robby’s side of the story for his other traumas have been obscured and have yet to be explored. In canon, Robby believes that he and Zara had sex, and he can barely remember what happened. That is the most important pov when looking at the SA.

Although I’ve said that Johnny and Miguel are the two main pov characters, we do get a little of Robby's pov. However, we don't get much of his side of the story for almost all things he experiences. That is, we don’t get much exploration into his side of the story unless he or the other characters say something about it. Because no one advocates for him and instead most times others vilify him and because he rarely speaks up for himself or people stop him when he tries to explain, the “tell” is oftentimes that of the other characters’ or the fallout of the events, which usually aren't in Robby’s favor. The rare times he says something, it's still important to consider his words in the context in which he says them. Robby himself can be an unreliable narrator at times. His exaggerated self-blame, low self-worth, and self-hate frame his own pov, not just of himself but of others as well. As I talked about in a previous post, it’s hard to ignore that this situation with Zara is depicted as another trauma for Robby from the setup to the dialogue to the execution (all the subtext), which I’ll talk about more next. (Note, I know about the episode writers’ interview with CKK. The writer’s demeanor and lack of confidence indicated she was trying to come up with an answer on the spot. She really fumbled it. The other writer's agreement with her was also subdued. As I’ve pointed out, the framing and marketing for Robby’s traumas don’t match the subtext in canon.)

The SA is another trauma for Robby and its impact on Robby’s mental health is depicted

To recap, leading up to the SA, there are no indications of Robby’s interest in Zara. He barely noticed her existence other than watching her fights alongside others’ in a crowd. They’re not even shown having a conversation until after the SA. However, Zara took notice of Robby first. As she stood next to Tory during the captains’ pictures in s6e6, Zara commented about cute boys to Tory and nodded in Robby’s direction. When Tory turned to look, Robby smiled at her. It’s at this point that Zara showed her first signs of jealousy towards Tory, as she commented about Tory having dibs. In their first match, which was after this exchange, Zara purposely leaned over Tory after Zara won and taunted, “Welcome to Barcelona, bitch!”, enjoying her victory over Tory. 

While many claim that Zara later targeted Robby because of her rivalry with Tory, Zara had actually taken issue with Tory because of Zara’s interest in Robby; Zara didn’t take an interest in Robby because of Zara’s issue with Tory. Zara had clocked Tory as a threat to what she had first wanted: Robby. Zara’s behavior with Robby during their conversation in s6e8 is one of entitlement over him and his body. Before this, in s6e7/8, the threat that Tory posed to Zara expanded to Zara’s status as the best female fighter because people were praising Tory as a badass fighter for knocking someone's tooth out. In s6e8, Zara confronted Tory at the bar to knock her down a few pegs, but Tory didn’t feel threatened by her at all. This is reminiscent of Miguel in s1 taking issue with Robby in s1e8/9 because of Miguel’s possessiveness/entitlement over Sam and that fed into Miguel’s rivalry with Robby at the avt in s1e10. Like Tory, Robby had not reciprocated in any way.

In s6e8, some time after Zara confronted Tory, Tory left the bar. Kwon then confronted Robby, who was drinking and couldn't even focus. Zara approached Robby with intention, as if she’d been watching him. Zara knew what state Robby was in. In this case and in s1, Robby was the one targeted by the jealous party: Miguel saw Robby as a threat to Miguel’s entitlement over Sam, so Miguel acted against Robby. Zara saw Tory as a threat to Zara’s entitlement over Robby, but Zara acted against Robby. 

In s6e8, the next morning, Robby and Zara exited her room as Robby was putting on his hoodie. He told her that his head is pounding and he can barely remember anything. That is, he had been too drunk to remember what they had done and didn’t feel well at the moment. She in turn didn’t care at all about his hungover state and offered no caring or empathetic statement. Instead, she mockingly said “Well, good thing I do”. She had been sober and remembered all they had done. She then kissed him as if she’s entitled to. He barely responded as she did. After she stopped, he stared at her, shell-shocked, slowly turned, and walked away from her. 

Robby: "I can barely remember anything." Zara: "Well, good thing I do." This kiss is SA, no matter what happened in that room.

It should be noted that Tory seeing Zara and Robby kissing is written as a coincidence. A question remains if Zara would have said anything if she hadn't seen Tory or if Tory hadn't seen them. Robby wouldn't have said anything. He simply told Miguel that he "did something stupid", and he was later shocked that Tory had found out. The point is this isn't written as Zara purposely doing this to Robby to mess with Tory because there's no indication that Zara would have said anything otherwise. She later assumed Robby would choose her over Tory because of what she had done to him.

The way Zara intentionally approached Robby while he was drinking was reminiscent of how Miguel had approached Sam while he knew she was drunk at Moon’s party in s2. Robby wasn't standing steadily when facing off against Kwon and couldn't muster any words. His movements were already becoming unsteady. Zara seemed to have been watching him and made her move after he was all alone. Miguel had also witnessed Sam drinking and made his move to approach her when she was all alone. She'd even stumbled into his arms, but he still kissed her. Robby had been right to call Miguel out for taking advantage of Sam. Robby had known how drunk she had been. The contrast in these situations is that Miguel and Sam had a history, while Zara and Robby had no history or interaction before this. Coincidentally, Tory witnessed both of these kisses. While Sam had been the one taken advantage of by Miguel, Robby had been the one taken advantage of by Zara.

In addition to the lead up to this scene as well as the dialogue in this scene both indicating that this was SA, there are elements in the visual storytelling that also confirm this: (1) Robby’s demeanor in the scene is that of confusion, dazedness, and shell shock. Zara’s demeanor is that of calm, arrogance, and satisfaction. (2) After Zara ended the kiss that she had entitled herself to, Robby was looking at her in shock. Tory was in the background but was out of focus. In terms of “depth of field”, this is a “shallow focus” shot. Tory is not the focus of this moment, although Tory had just been the focus of the previous shot. In fact, Zara is not the focus either, although she is also “in focus” in the frame at first. But that was because she is in line with Robby horizontally (in terms of depth of field) so she was also in focus. However, as Robby walked away from Zara and towards the camera, the focus stayed on Robby. Zara slowly went out of focus too, as the shallow focus shot stayed on Robby. Shallow focus is used to direct the audience's attention to a certain point or subject of interest. We the audience are supposed to be focused on Robby's, and only Robby's, emotional experience in these moments. Robby’s body language must not be dismissed. (3) The change in tone to the upbeat score that is Zara's theme only played after Robby was well outside of the frame. The score started playing when Zara saw Tory after turning to go back into her room. Although the shift in tone is jarring, Robby’s emotional experience in this entire situation was not underscored or associated with this upbeat tone.

Although Tory was already introduced into the scene, Robby's emotional experience is still important and remains a focus in the scene, particularly in this shallow focus shot that focuses on him only.

From Zara's pov, she had won and gotten what she'd wanted: Robby. Tory witnessing the kiss coincidentally was a bonus for Zara. From Tory's pov, Robby had cheated on her and Zara had tried to steal Robby from her. From Robby’s pov, he can barely remember what happened but his rationale due to exaggerated self-blame became "I got drunk and did something stupid."

Another aspect of this situation that indicates that it is intentionally depicted as SA is Robby’s deteriorated mental health afterwards. Whereas Robby would freeze up during his matches each time he had looked at Tory before the SA, Robby’s focus was completely off during their first team match after the SA. Robby then blamed himself for the whole team losing—a combination of his self-blame from the SA and Miguel previously telling (scapegoating) him that they’d go home with nothing because of him. In that match, Hawk and Demetri had been dumbasses about Kenny and had made things worse, but Robby just put it all on himself. In fact, Miguel had picked up on the fact that Robby was completely off-balance now and that something had happened while Miguel had been away. I explained their conversation in detail above. To add to that, Robby hadn’t been as upset that he had drank or gotten drunk; Robby was much more upset about what had happened with Zara. He specifically called the latter the "stupid" thing he "did". This is in contrast to him distinctly calling what he assumed happened between Tory and Kwon a “hook up”. This makes sense because of Robby’s confusion and self-blame over what Zara had done to him. He hadn’t intended on and couldn't remember consenting to “hooking up with Zara”. In addition to the subtext (text and context) and how it was executed, the deterioration of Robby’s mental health/focus and his increased self-blame also indicate that this indeed is another trauma and not just a casual hook up. 

Another hint that Zara’s interest in Robby was purely about Robby (and not about Tory) and that Zara had SA'd him that night is Zara’s belief that Robby should choose her over Tory after what Zara had done to him. Zara was shocked during the brawl that Robby would protect Tory from her and not let her beat Tory up, which Zara interpreted as Robby choosing Tory over Zara. In s1/2, Miguel had also believed that Sam should choose him over Robby after Miguel had promised to and carried through with hurting Robby in the s1 avt. Miguel had also later attacked Robby in the school fight with the similar intentions. When Robby asked Miguel why he had taken advantage of Sam,. Miguel first said that he would never. Robby then asked why'd it happen. Miguel's response to that had been, "She doesn't love you. She loves me!" Here, after Robby threw Zara off of Tory, Zara said, “You’d really choose her over me!” Robby responded that it's not even close. Then, Zara attacked him, after Tory was attacked from behind. The difference in these situations is that Robby and Tory don’t realize the nature of Zara’s actions against Robby, whereas Sam had first acknowledged Miguel’s actions against Robby in the avt but that acknowledgement has evaporated since the school fight. Sam has also never acknowledged Miguel's actions against Robby in the school fight and has only focused on what Robby did at the end of the school fight. In s4e1, Sam also acknowledged that she hadn’t stopped caring about Miguel when she admitted that her feelings had been complicated. Regardless, Miguel had taken advantage of Sam when he had kissed her at Moon’s party. In both these situations, Robby ended up with the blame for what (the SA) Zara and Miguel (the school fight) had each done to him. 

"You'd really choose her over me?" Bitch is crazy to think that he would choose her... and if nothing had happened in that room (which is highly doubtful), she's even crazier.

Robby and Zara are only shown to have two interactions: the morning after the SA and during the brawl. As I talked about earlier, the self-blame that Robby has due to what happened with Zara is an indication that this is a trauma for him. He believes that he “did something stupid” with Zara, although he barely remembers what happened. Robby’s self-blame due to this trauma was treated similarly in the narrative as his self-blame due to his other traumatic experiences have been treated. In light of this and in light of what is “shown”, including Zara believing that Robby should choose her as if she’s entitled to him and being his choice, there’s so much in the narrative itself that indicates this is SA and a trauma for Robby. (Even if nothing happened in the room, Zara still SA’d Robby when she kissed him that morning.)

Given how insidiously the writers have weaved all the neglect, abuse, scapegoating, and bullying Johnny and Miguel have subjected Robby to in s5 and s6 into the story (the Mexico trip, apartment fight and their conversation after, college application letter, and courtyard scenes) and how they’ve framed and marketed these as acceptable and wholesome (even using words like “therapy session” for the psychologically and physically abusive apartment fight), it would be surprising if this really weren’t intended as SA. (The episode writer said that her interpretation (basically her headcanon) is that Zara told Robby something had happened and kissed him to fuck with his head. Making someone believe that they had sex with you when they can’t remember or give consent is fucked up too. Nothing the writers say can redeem their handling of this or salvage Zara’s character.)

Robby took his self-blame out on Kwon

There are many parallels between Robby and Kwon. For example, both Robby and Kwon were potentially the best students in their dojos, but they were second to the teacher’s pets: in Robby’s case, that was Miguel; in Kwon’s case, that was Yoon. In part 2, Miguel and his two sidekicks were antagonistic to Robby. In part 1, Yoon and his two sidekicks were antagonistic to Kwon. In Kwon’s case, he had to fight all three of them to earn his spot as captain. He beat the sidekicks first and then had a final fight with Yoon. In Robby’s case, he beat out Hawk and Demetri for one of the top four spots and then Robby had to fight Miguel for the captain spot. Kwon and Robby were also given a similar move. In s6e3, Kwon executed a double kick on Yoon’s sidekicks. In s6e10, Robby executed a double kick on Kwon and Yoon. Both Robby and Kwon are good at mind games and throwing their opponent off-balance off the mat. Robby and Kwon shared similar insecurities. They both believed they could be the best, but they struggled to be the best.

Since crossing paths, Kwon had been antagonizing Robby, especially using the fact that Tory—Robby’s girlfriend—was on their team. Kwon laughed at Robby as he tried to catch Tory at the elevator. Then Kwon challenged Robby to the bet. Robby shouldn’t have taken the bait, but everyone was watching as Kwon was challenging and belittling him. Robby wanted to prove that he could win and that he’s not weak. Robby has postured at times before, so this was in character for him. (Though, mature me believes he should have walked away.) He did lose the bet unfortunately and lost his and Demetri’s room in the process.

Later, Kwon beat him in a match after taunting him about the bet. Then, in s6e8, Kwon was pretending to get close with Tory, which Robby took as a sign that Tory really had moved on from him. After Tory left, Kwon taunted Robby about keeping Tory warm that night. Robby was getting drunk at that point, couldn't string together a comeback, and went back to drinking. After that, Robby was SA’d by Zara, and Robby’s focus was completely off because of that. 

In their match in s6e9, Robby took his anger out on Kwon after Robby realized that Kwon had been playing mind games with him and he had fallen for them.

In truth, Robby’s anger had really been directed at himself. Kwon just became the outlet for that anger. Robby had fallen for Kwon’s games but that was on Robby. Robby shifted some of the self-blame he felt for that and for the SA onto Kwon. After all, it was the SA that Robby was really beating himself up about.

"He's making it hurt."

It’s actually quite symbolic that Robby directed his self-blame and self-hate at Kwon. Kwon was written as a mirror character to Robby, hence all the parallels. 

Mirror characters tend to share several qualities and are used to complement and highlight each other’s traits. Common mirror characters embark on parallel plots, sometimes to achieve a single goal, which tests them and highlights their traits in different ways.

Mirrors in fiction are characters who reflect the main character and reveal insights into the main character's behaviors, thoughts, and motivations. A mirror allows the main character to check the state of their own being or learn lessons from their mistakes.

In s6e10, Kwon kept antagonizing Robby. Kwon’s rage at Robby had been palpable. During the brawl, Robby was one of Kwon’s two targets. In the end, Kwon chose to attack Axel and tragically landed on the knife he’d intended to use on Axel.

In s6, Kwon became the student that Kreese had wanted to mold Robby into in s3/4. However, Robby hadn’t trusted Kreese, had been using him, and is too much of a Miyagi-Do. Even Silver realized this and told Kreese that he doesn’t have control over Robby. Although many fans wanted to see Robby become Cobra Kai completely, he was never going to. Robby had his own reasons for being in Cobra Kai and those reasons didn’t include fully embracing Cobra Kai. When Robby was fighting Kenny in the s4 avt, Kreese had to remind Robby that he was fighting his opponent not his friend. s4 already revealed that Robby’s weakness is that he has too much heart. After that match, seeing Kenny fully adopt Cobra Kai (“It’s Cobra Kai. No mercy.”), and then seeing himself reflected in Kenny, Robby lost and didn’t become a champion. 

Kwon in turn was driven to be Kreese’s champion. Kreese imparted the same teachings on Kwon that Kreese had imparted on Robby. Kreese had told him that he could be one of the most terrifying fighters in the Sekai Taikai, just take all that anger inside of him and give it purpose. Unfortunately, this ultimately resulted in Kwon’s death.

In Robby’s fight against Kwon in s6e9, Robby fought with his anger. He made sure to “make it hurt” and humiliate Kwon. Robby had let Kwon get in his head, and Robby now took his anger at himself out on Kwon. Robby gave his anger (his “hate”) purpose. “I had all this “hate” inside of me… I thought I could use Cobra Kai to control that.” Robby fought with anger as a Cobra Kai would, not with balance as a Miyagi-Do would.

Although Kwon is not The Shadow in Robby’s story and has the role of a Threshold Guardian, as a mirror character to Robby, Kwon plays the role of what “the hero could become if they succumb to their inner darkness or make the wrong choices”.

This is Robby’s final “battle” of the series. Compared to the others, he has the most struggles and stakes left. Part 2 showed just how bad it is for Robby. He started experiencing another type of trauma response (freeze) more frequently because his abandonment/rejection trauma worsened due to Tory’s behavior with him. Johnny continued to neglect him and choose Miguel over him. Daniel is too unfocused that he’s not rebuilding his relationship with him. He has no true friend and is still the group's scapegoat. After the SA, his mental health worsened, his exaggerated self-blame increased, and he lost more mental focus. 

Throughout this, he started going down the path that Johnny—The Shadow— had gone down. Robby’s mental health has now worsened to the point that he took a drink and got drunk for the first time in order to numb himself. Then, in his second fight with Kwon, Robby became the fighter that Kreese had wanted Kwon to become: Robby combined his anger with his skills and gave his anger purpose. Although Robby was proud of his victory, he had gained it by primarily channeling his Cobra Kai side. Taking that step further to becoming like Johnny and like the 3rd generation of Cobra Kai.

Robby is Miyagi-Do. He carries the heart and essence of the Miyagi-Do dojo (post 1, post 2). He always has throughout the story. In part 2, when Robby was struggling, the whole dojo was struggling. When Robby improved, the whole dojo improved, as seen in their fight with Futura De Pantera before the fight against Cobra Kai. Robby also led the locker room chant that they are “Miyagi-Do”. In fact, when Miguel said, "We're a family. All of us", Robby got a thoughtful expression and then stood and said, "Who are we?" All the kids said, "Miyagi-Do!" — Robby's family and home have always been Miyagi-Do. 

During the Resurrection stage, usually two deaths occur for the hero: an “external” death and a “internal” death. It's quite telling that Robby’s mirror character literally died in this stage while he was fighting with intense rage. Kwon's death is said to have an impact on all the characters. Of the Miyagi-Do kids, Robby will be most impacted because of his rivalry with Kwon. Kwon’s loss to Robby the day before had added to the rage that drove Kwon during the brawl. Knowing Robby, he’ll feel remorse for taking his anger out on Kwon, “making it hurt”, and humiliating him. This will likely lead to some self-reflection on Robby’s part.

It is also interesting that Robby’s next opponent said only these words to Robby, before the physical death of Robby's mirror character: “Are you going to keep defending? Or are you going to start fighting?” The “death and rebirth” of Robby's internal self should include him moving out of the defensive mode (fawn state) that he's been in since s5e5 and back into fighting for himself, especially against his Shadow—Johnny. 

It’s also telling that Robby fought with balance as a Miyagi-Do against Miguel and won in s6e5. Daniel's KK1 victory leitmotif was played. That win also remains. Later, Robby fought with anger as a Cobra Kai against Kwon and won in s6e9. Although the win remains, the consequences of that win were undone when Cobra Kai were reinstated. In a way, that win was tainted because it wasn't a win using Miyagi-Do. When Robby fought Axel in the semi-final, Robby first went on offense and got nowhere with Axel. Then Axel switched to offense and was landing hits fast. Daniel reminded Robby to go on defense. Robby’s Miyagi-Do defense was so strong that Axel became frustrated. Miyagi-Do is the key to beating Axel. However, Robby has to be balanced on his own, with or without support, in order to truly win his upcoming fight against Axel.

Cobra Kai represents the generational trauma that is being passed down. It’s also presented as an unhealthy coping mechanism. Miyagi-Do represents healing from that generational trauma and is presented as a healthier coping mechanism. Robby rejects Cobra Kai because he doesn’t want to go down that path. 

"Well, you are the tree, Robby. You've got strong roots. You know who you are, right? So now all you've gotta do is visualize what you want your future to look like, and then you make it happen." 

Because of Robby's traumas and poor mental health, Robby doesn't know who he is.  In part 3, Robby is going to have to make his final decision about which path he wants to go down. He's going to have to make important decisions about himself, his future, and his relationships. The Resurrection stage also includes a sacrifice on the hero’s part. I assume for Robby the sacrifice will be letting go of his “want” and choosing his “need” so that he can finally start finding balance.

(As always, please don't reply or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships. I'm aware of the part 3 leaks, but people also shut down conversations about all possible theories for the leaks. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

[purpleheartskies]

In s6e7, Johnny heard Miguel bully Robby, but Johnny said nothing to Robby to encourage him or make him feel better. Johnny also didn't say anything to Miguel in the moment. Johnny really is coward pos! He's so useless to Robby. Of course, he is... Johnny himself is abusive to Robby. That Mexico trip and apartment fight were toxic af. Johnny psychologically and emotionally abused Robby to find Miguel in s5e1. Johnny handed Robby over to Miguel so he could take his anger out on Robby and beat the shit out of him in s5e5. Johnny said nothing but praise for Miguel's college essay that scapegoated Robby---by name!---, and then dismissed Robby's concerns for his own future in s6e2. Johnny stood here like a useless turd after Miguel said this to Robby in s6e7. In s6e8, on the plane, after Miguel had his hissy fit and called Robby "messed up", Johnny defended Robby for a like a second... Then, to appease Miguel because he started cold-shouldering Johnny, Johnny told Miguel "you're my son too" and basically defended why he was "supporting" Robby (which he clearly isn't) as captain. Johnny also admit in this conversation that the tournament is all Robby has for his future (indicating Johnny's words of encouragement to Robby in s6e2 were really empty). Robby is Johnny's actual son! Johnny should be defending Robby from Miguel always, not defending his support for Robby to Miguel. No kid should suffer because another kid doesn't have a parent. Robby must not suffer, especially at Johnny's hands, because Miguel doesn't have a dad. Billy's bs interview blatantly framing Johnny co-dependency with Miguel as wholesome is so beyond disappointing. "Johnny needed the boy who needed him." Robby is right there! right there! ... being bullied by "the boy who needed [Johnny]". Robby needs Johnny! Robby has always needed Johnny! Also, this must be said: "Tough love" is a euphemism for abuse and bullying. Miguel's behavior with Robby in s6e7 is nothing to praise.

In my last post, I mentioned this moment of Johnny's expression when Chozen said that Robby needs his father:

In that post, I included these quotes:

That scene in s6e7 and Johnny not actually helping Robby with his future (not even in encouraging him or giving 1:1 time to train him for his karate matches) are examples of Johnny not knowing how to nurture Robby's need.

"I want... I wanna be a father to you. I really do. I try to protect you. I try to be there for you. I just suck at it. I really suck at it. But I want to so bad... I love you too Robby." --- Johnny in s4e8

It's moments like these that people ignore or twist into a version that they want, but these are the moments that make up the real story. The one that Kreese alluded to in s1e10, "The real story has only just begun." It's not about the karate and the fights. It's about the characters.

This toxic blended family is a house of cards built on a foundation of the neglect, abuse, bullying, and scapegoating of a child. (Robby is a child wrt to Johnny and Carmen.) No way is this family going to get some "happily ever after" with Robby permanently beaten and bullied into place as an afterthought. Even if the toxicity of Johnny and the Diazs remains, Robby must walk away. He's the underdog in this family. In part 3, Robby must find the courage to let go of wanting Johnny and to walk away, as painful as it will be.

"It can clear up a lot of confusion around childhood trauma, when you realize abandonment is not only when someone walks away. It's also when someone who is meant to protect you, allows others to hurt you."

[purpleheartskies]

In my post Johnny, Robby, and the "family" (s6 part 2), I talked about Johnny still not being ready to fulfill the needs of his biological kids. I said the following:

Johnny is not codependent in his relationship with Robby, so Robby doesn't get the open "love" and "caring" that Miguel and Carmen get from Johnny.

Johnny is incapable of healthy relationships. He's caught between two extremes: He's codependent with the Diazs, while he neglects and abuses Robby. These relationships also aren't independent of each other. Johnny is still choosing Miguel/Diazs over Robby, as part 2 continues to show.

In s6e10, when Chozen said to Daniel and Johnny that Sam and Robby need their senseis and need their fathers, Johnny's expression was one of worry or self-reflection.

Johnny keeps failing to be there for Robby as he needs.

In fact, Johnny's not ready for this baby plot device either. When Carmen said that she's [the baby's] so lucky to have him as a dad, he had the same reaction.

This was just a few hours after Miguel had called Robby "messed up" because of Johnny's behavior. Carmen and Miguel are aware of Johnny's flaws, yet never encourage him to get better.

It's also important to mention that Devon is already set up as the "daughter" that Johnny will choose over his own.

I came across this post, and it reminded me of Robby’s story with Johnny and these two moments:

"I want... I wanna be a father to you. I really do. I try to protect you. I try to be there for you. I just suck at it. I really suck at it. But I want to so bad... I love you too Robby." --- Johnny in s4e8 Like Robby had said in s5e4, some of his and Johnny's issues are too big to solve.

People say the family is all "bad writing", but the family is actually realistically written. The whole point is that the family itself is "bad". It's dysfunctional and unhealthy. Johnny hasn't grown, and he won't as long as he stays in his codependent relationships with the Diazs and doesn't actually get the help and healing he needs.

Like I said in that other post:

The writers have made this Johnny-Robby-Diaz situation an "either/or" situation this whole time, and this situation is meant to cause Robby more trauma. They literally set up Johnny's decision in s1e4 as a "do over". All of Johnny and Miguel's heartfelt conversations about their own relationship are in the context of Johnny's failures with Robby, Miguel's belief in his entitlement of Johnny over Robby's, and Johnny using Miguel to feel better about his own failures with Robby. In s5, Johnny talked about the baby only in terms of Johnny's failures with Robby. Robby is treated in the writing as not a member of this "family", which given the circumstances in which he was forced into it, is telling.

I wonder what will happen between Johnny and Robby now. Like I said, I'd always believed that Johnny and Robby only would be endgame, but after part 2, I'm wondering if Johnny and Robby are meant to be endgame at all. Regardless, there is no setup that genuinely includes Robby in Johnny's "do-over" "family". Given all the setup, no ending for Johnny and Robby's relationship will be satisfying. I just hope that, by the end of the story, Robby is no longer stuck in this abusive situation.

Overall, I get people being upset about the story. I am too. But, I also see so much nuance in the story that I wonder where all this will lead.

(As always, please don't reply or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships. I'm aware of the part 3 leaks, but people also shut down conversations about all possible theories for the leaks. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

[purpleheartskies]

Robby's Hero's Journey - The Character Archetypes

Also titled Robby is the underdog - Part 8

(Text in blue font is quoted content.)

A character archetype is a common recurring representation of a character that embodies a set of universal and recognizable traits or characteristics.

Typically, there are 8 character archetypes seen in a Hero's Journey. In Robby’s Hero's Journey, some of the characters' roles are easier to identify than others', but most are identifiable. It's important to note that a character can fit different archetypes at different points in the Journey, though a character usually embodies a primary archetype in the Journey. This post will review which characters fit which archetype in Robby’s Hero’s Journey.

The archetypes:

Hero

Herald

Mentor

Shadow

Ally

Shapeshifter

Trickster

Threshold Guardian

The Hero

The hero is the central figure of the story (protagonist) who undergoes a journey, facing challenges and transformations. The hero often starts as an ordinary person who is then called to adventure. They are present throughout the entire journey, from the ordinary world to the return with newfound knowledge or power.

Robby, of course, is the hero in his Hero’s Journey.

"Well, you are the tree, Robby. You've got strong roots. You know who you are, right? So now all you've gotta do is visualize what you want your future to look like, and then you make it happen."

Robby is the protagonist, which is still shown in s6. In part 2, especially, it was interesting how central he was. Everyone treated him horribly, but he was still at the center of the scapegoating. He was also the only teen to have had all three new antagonist teens be antagonistic or be an opponent towards him. The rivalry between him and Kwon was well-developed, with a lot of parallels between Kwon and him. Zara noticed and later targeted him. Axel was/is set up as a opponent for him in official matches. This can't be said for any of the other teens. Also, the lack of support from all three senseis towards him and the lack of one-on-one conversations between him and the senseis, especially Johnny and Daniel, are glaring. During the brawl, Johnny, Tory, Sam, and Miguel each came or tried to come to Robby's aid.

Based on Vogler's version of the Hero's Journey, stages 1 to 9 spanned s1 to s5, stage 10 spanned s6 part 1, and stage 11 started in part 2. Stage 11 is the Resurrection stage and the climax of the story. In this stage, Robby will have his final "transformation". At one point in part 3, Robby will choose his "need" (believing in himself and finding balance) over this "want" (a relationship with Johnny, for which he gave up who he is and stopped believing in himself) in order to achieve the goal of his journey. Stage 12 of Robby's Hero's Journey will then span the remaining episodes after Robby's final transformation.

The Herald

The herald is the “call to adventure.” They announce the coming of significant change and become the reason the hero ventures out onto a mysterious adventure. The herald is a catalyst that enters the story and makes it impossible for the hero to remain in status quo. Existing in the form of a person or an event, or sometimes just as information, they shift the hero’s balance and change their world.

Daniel is the Herald. He issued the "call to adventure" to Robby in s1e6.

Daniel: "You wanna stick around. Learn something." Robby: "Sure"

The Mentor

The mentor often possesses divine wisdom or direct experience with the special world, and has faith in the hero. They often give the hero a gift or supernatural aid, which is usually something important for the quest. The mentor may also directly aid the hero or present challenges to them that force internal or external growth. After their meeting, the hero leaves stronger and better prepared for the road ahead.

As I went over in my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, Daniel serves as the main Mentor in Robby's story. In fact, he is The Mentor in the The Mentor stage of the Journey. He imparted Robby with lessons about finding balance, understanding who he is, and thinking about his future.

Robby: "I just wanted to get back at him [Johnny]." Daniel: "I know. But you're never going to find balance that way. You can't let that bad blood change who you are. I'm not saying you need to like the guy. I know I never will, but he... he is your father. And believe me, you're lucky to have one. You just gotta try to remember, he's... he's not a monster. He's just a guy with a lot of demons. Mr. Miyagi always told me there's no such thing as a bad student, only a bad teacher. And your dad had the worst teacher there ever was. It sent him down a wrong path. But you don't have to go down that path. Do you understand? You don't have to ever become him. Trust me. You let go of all that anger, and I guarantee you, no matter what happens tonight, you go home feeling great."

Daniel continued to provide mentorship from s2 to s4.

Kreese and Silver have also taken on Mentor roles in important points of Robby’s Hero’s Journey. 

In s3e5, Kreese’s advice to Robby was crucial for Robby surviving juvie. This advice led to Robby striking first for the first time and eventually led him to Kreese and to joining Cobra Kai.

"Now you're in the real world, kid. You might wanna learn to strike first."

In s4e1, Kreese also told Robby that he has enough potential to become a champion and he just needs to show it to the world. In s4e10, although Kreese's lesson wasn't good, he was still being a Mentor to Robby when he asked Robby if he was fighting an opponent or a friend, during the match with Kenny.

Silver's lesson to Robby in s4e4 was crucial to Robby's Journey and was the start of the The Approach stage.

"You've learned to channel your anger, but you're afraid... If you want to become a champion, you need to dig out that fear and face it. Because if you don't, it's going to hold you back forever."

Silver also tried to impart a lesson on Robby in s5e9: "There's a difference between being heard and being listened to. They heard you, but they listened to me."

Since s5, in general, Robby seems without a Mentor. Maybe because Johnny is present physically in Robby's Journey now. In anything Johnny and Daniel should both be playing this role, but both are too focused on their own issues and each other. Johnny is also not a Mentor for Robby. Johnny is Robby’s Shadow.

The Shadow

The shadow is the main antagonist of the story. The shadow reflects the darker aspects of the hero, sometimes represented as the mirror image (opposite) of the hero and their beliefs. Overall, they are the antagonist or villains present throughout the whole story in varied ways. The shadow is the "monster under the bed," and could be repressed feelings, deep trauma, or festering guilt. These all possess the dark energy of the shadow. It is the dark force of the unexpressed, unrealized, rejected, feared aspects of the hero and is often, but not necessarily, represented by the main antagonist or villain. However, other characters may take the form of the shadow at different stages of the story as "foil characters" that contrast against the hero. They might also represent what could happen if the hero fails to learn, transform, and grow to complete their quest. At times, a hero may even succumb to the shadow, from which they will need to make sacrifices to be redeemed to continue on their overall quest.

As I talked about in my Robby has a Hero’s Journey post, Johnny is the Shadow character. This is what I said in that post.

The Shadow is one of several character archetypes that plays a role in the Hero's Journey. The Shadow can be the part within the hero that they don't like or that is deep repressed feelings or trauma. The antagonist or villain to the hero usually is the physical version of this Shadow.  Robby's main conflict is with his "hate", as his main goal is to break the cycle of generational trauma. Robby's "hate" due to his trauma is his internal Shadow. Johnny is the character and antagonistic force who represents and causes Robby's "hate"; Johnny has been Robby's external Shadow throughout the series. Daniel called Robby's conflict with Johnny "bad blood" in the avt locker room in s1e10. In s2e1, Johnny also said that he doesn't want to have "bad blood" between them. In s3, Robby said that Johnny should be his worst enemy because he abandoned Robby. In s1, after Robby saw Johnny give Miguel the gi and hug, Robby went to Daniel to piss Johnny off. In s4, when Sam brought up that Johnny knows Robby is a "good person" and that Johnny's "trying to change", Robby shifted to anger and said that Johnny had a choice and he chose to become a drunk loser who still hasn't figured out his own life and now he wants to make up for lost time to feel better about himself. Robby then joined Cobra Kai to prove that the Cobras and he are better than them, the Miyagi Fangs. Robby especially wanted to prove that he is better than Johnny. Robby reacted based on his "hate" both times. In this scene in s4e10, Robby is talking about this "hate" that he feels because of Johnny's behavior and him choosing Miguel over him consistently. (He can also be referring to the school fight wrt his "hate" for Miguel, but had Johnny supported Robby over Miguel after the school fight, Robby's "hate" for both of them probably wouldn't have worsened so much.)

In s6, Robby continues to struggle with his traumas. In s6e5, his "second place" trauma was exposited, and that of course has greater roots in how Johnny (and others) treats him. In s6 part 2, Robby's struggle with his internal Shadow is shown to be worsening. He kept losing focus in his fights and eventually resorted to drinking to cope with his abandonment/replacement trauma. In s4e4, he said that doesn't want to end up like Johnny, but by s6e8, his trauma has worsened so much that, when he believed that now even Tory had abandoned and replaced him, he decided to drink for the first time and got drunk, like Johnny does. He also fought with anger, not balance, when he fought Kwon in s6e9.

As I mentioned above, Robby is in the middle of the Resurrection stage. This stage ends with the final transformation and win. Something will happen that will cause Robby to start confronting his worsening mental health and Johnny (especially Johnny's behavior towards him), which Robby stopped doing after the apartment fight (the end of his Ordeal stage).

"I'm sick of blaming you, Dad." Robby is tired of all of the trauma Johnny's behavior causes him. Since Robby said those words, the traumas have worsened. Throughout Robby's life, Johnny has abandoned, neglected, replaced, abused, and scapegoated Robby.

The Ally

Allies are friends or companions who support and accompany the hero through their journey. They often complement the hero's skills and help them face challenges. Allies can also be characters who aren't as close to the hero but offer some type of help along the way.

Robby doesn't have a consistent, trustworthy Ally. Although characters have played the Ally role in his Journey from time to time throughout his story, none have been an Ally the whole way through.

This lack of consistent support from an Ally or a Mentor is actually a key aspect of Robby's character journey. The lack of support impacts his mental health greatly and makes it harder for him to succeed in his Journey.

The Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter adds dramatic tension to the story and provides the hero with a puzzle to solve. They can seem to be one thing, but in fact be something else. They bring doubt and suspense to the story and test the hero's ability to discern their path. The shapeshifter may be a lover, friend, ally, or enemy that somehow reveals their true self from the hero's preconceived notion. This often causes the hero internal turmoil, or creates additional challenges and tests to overcome. The shapeshifter blurs the line between ally and enemy. Often they begin as an ally, then betray the hero at a critical moment. Other times, their loyalty is in question as they waver back and forth. Regardless, they provide a tantalizing combination of appeal and possible danger. Shapeshifters benefit stories by creating interesting relationships among the characters, and by adding tension to scenes filled with allies.

Sam, Tory, and Kenny have this role in Robby's journey. 

Sam started out as an ally to Robby, but after the school fight, Sam had a choice and she chose. Although they’re "friends" now, their friendship is superficial at best. Sam still acts like she did nothing to hurt or betray Robby and acts like Miguel bears no fault in the rivalry with Robby. Robby has stopped holding people accountable for hurting him, so he went along with Sam using him in s5 (like she had tried to in s4). He also had his own reasons for wanting to take down Silver and Cobra Kai. They have been "friends" since.

Tory also fits this role. Since they became friends and then lovers, Tory has betrayed Robby twice now. First, as she helped Kreese in s5. Second, as she joined Kreese behind Robby’s back for the ST. Robby isn't faultless in their relationship. In s5, he gave her the break-up ultimatum because he wanted to distance himself from Cobra Kai. In s6 part 2, his side is more complicated as she was putting up walls and refusing to communicate. Both of their traumas were at their worsts. Although Tory believes that Robby cheated, Robby didn't cheat and what Zara did to Robby is not his fault. (Narratively, it is shown that Zara took advantage of him while he was drunk. Robby blaming himself, while not even able to recollect what happened, is par for him. I'll address this again later.)

It was interesting to see how both Tory and Sam betrayed Robby in s6e6. Tory told Sam that she had told Robby about Kreese. This was low because, in s6e5, Tory had told Robby not to tell anyone that Kreese had come to talk to her. Tory also made it sound like Robby knew about the offer Kreese had made to her, but in Tory and Robby's conversation just earlier, Robby asked Tory if this (joining CK as captain) was what Kreese had come to talk to her about. Later, when the others were confronting Robby about talking to Tory, Sam told them that Robby knew about Kreese and Tory. Sam didn't even talk to Robby about it first. Both girls threw Robby under the bus about Tory joining Kreese.

Sam and Tory indeed are this archetype in Robby’s journey. Each girl played a role as his ally, as a friend turned girlfriend. Both relationships feature betrayals of some sort by the girls. Their trust and loyalties with him fluctuate. Both girls are narratively attached to him more than to any other boy (Miguel included). 

Kenny also fits this role. He too started out as an Ally. As Robby trained him, Robby did try to curtail Kenny’s desire to fully become Cobra Kai. After Robby showed “no mercy” to Kenny in their match, Kenny chose to fully adopt and stay Cobra Kai. Robby did apologize to Kenny for the match, and it took some convincing from Robby to get Kenny to join Miyagi-Do. (Honestly, I wasn’t so keen on how much Robby insisted that Kenny join Miyagi-Do.) Since then, there hasn’t been much of their relationship. However, this relationship was used as a major turning point for Robby, as Kenny was the “mirror” that Robby looked into during his Ordeal stage. It’s also through Kenny that Robby’s weakness of compassion was explored.

Miguel seems to be playing this role since the apartment fight. Between Miguel not taking accountability in s5e5 and continuing to scapegoat (s6e2), intimidate (s6e5), and bully (s6e6-7) Robby, Miguel puts on the appearance of friendship with Robby. When Miguel "apologized" in s6e9, he didn’t reveal the true context of his behavior: his jealousy of Robby being Johnny's son, and Johnny supporting Robby's captaincy win. Instead, Miguel deflected on the reason. This wasn't an actual apology. Robby believes that Miguel is his friend but Miguel is not. In s5, Miguel only became Robby's "friend" after Miguel got to beat the shit out of him and scapegoat him completely for their rivalry and school fight. The baby plot device also cemented Miguel's place more in Johnny's life. s6e8 showed though that Miguel will not tolerate Johnny favoring or supporting Robby more than Miguel. Miguel is most definitely not a true friend. s6 continues to show that explicitly and subtly. Miguel actually does have a primary role in Robby’s story, which I'll get to in a bit.

The other teens in the Miyagi-Do are shapeshifters too. Their alliance and loyalties to Robby shift, depending on the circumstances. After the school fight, the Miyagi-Dos had taken part in scapegoating Robby for the school fight that Miguel had caused and escalated between him and Robby. Miyago-Do teamed up with the bullies (Johnny, Miguel, Hawk) first, before Robby even joined Cobra Kai, but the Miyagi-Dos called Robby a traitor. In s6, although they're all Miyagi-Do now, the scapegoating for the school fight and other things continues...

The Trickster

The trickster is the jester or fool of the story that not only provides comic relief, but may also act as a commentator as the events of the plot unfold. Tricksters are typically witty, clever, spontaneous, and sometimes even ridiculous. The trickster within a story can bring a light-hearted element to a challenge, or find a clever way to overcome an obstacle.

I’ve been trying to nail down who fits this archetype in Robby’s story. Demetri is a possible character. For example, in s6e6, after they saw Tory in the hotel lobby, Hawk asked if Robby would be okay, and Miguel said that he would be. Demetri bluntly said, in comedic fashion, that he himself wouldn’t be. Though Demetri can be more annoying than funny, he does have moments of levity and commenting about the events. He doesn't seem to have had an important impact on Robby’s journey, as some tricksters may. But again, not all the archetypes in every journey fit the molds exactly.

Anthony may be another trickster, as he has moments of levity and calling things out too.

For Johnny's and Daniel's Journeys, Amanda, for example, fits this archetype as one of her roles. She lightens a lot of moments and calls out the absurdity of events often. She doesn't play this role for Robby’s story specifically though. In fact, she told Daniel to ignore Robby’s feelings after the arrest because Robby’s "a teenager". She also told Daniel to let Robby go after Robby walked away from Daniel outside of juvie. Though, she had given him advice in s2e4 about mistakes. She may be a Shapeshifter in Robby's Journey, specifically.

The Threshold Guardian

I'm going to take some time with this final archetype because a few characters fill this role. I'll also talk about the inanimate Threshold Guardian in Robby’s Journey.

What is a threshold in the Journey?

A threshold can be any dividing line between one point and another. A border between one space and the next, between one state of being and another, the threshold in your story represents a moment in time that changes everything for your protagonist and their fate. They’re crossing over from one form to another, one place to another, one mindset to another. The hero will go through several throughout his journey and each one is important because each means he has "made it" to the next phase of his journey. Often the hero will have to bypass or defeat a person or thing that makes getting through the threshold rather difficult. These beings or obstacles are called "Threshold Guardians"—their purpose: to stop the hero in his tracks.

About Threshold Guardians

This archetype guards the first threshold—the major turning point of the story where the hero must make the true commitment of the journey and embark on their quest to achieve their destiny. The role of the threshold guardian is to help round out the hero along their journey. The threshold guardian will test the hero's determination and commitment and will drive them forward as the hero enters the next stage of their journey, assisting the development of the hero's character arc within the plot. The threshold guardian can be a friend who doesn't believe in the hero's quest, or a foe that makes the hero question themselves, their desires, or motives in an attempt to deter the hero from their journey. Ultimately, the role of the threshold guardian is to test the hero's resolve on their quest. A threshold guardian is an archetypal character who stands between the hero and their goal. The guardian might be another person, or it might be an object, animal, or event. To pass the guardian and progress the narrative, the hero must typically change in some way, try something new, or overcome challenges. The Threshold Guardians often represent the status quo. The hero is the maverick, renegade, or rebel trying to cause change, while the Threshold Guardians are defenders of the way things are. The threshold guardian is usually a secondary or tertiary character whose entire purpose within your story is to be an obstacle for the hero. In the annals of mythology, the Threshold Guardian were generally minions of the story's primary antagonist, and served a very literal purpose. As time passed, and storytelling got more sophisticated, so has the role of the Threshold Guardian. The ally of the antagonist – This Threshold Guardian is actively working to stop the Hero from reaching their goal – the true antagonist of the story.  There is often a symbiotic relationship between a villain and a Threshold Guardian.

Miguel is the primary Threshold Guardian

In my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, I stated this about Miguel's role in the Robby's story:

Although Miguel is an antagonistic force towards Robby, Miguel is more an extension of Johnny (and Sam). Robby's actions are primarily driven by his "want" (a genuine relationship with Johnny) and his "need" (understanding who he is, overcoming his "hate", and finding balance), which are both tied to Johnny as he is the main source of Robby's trauma and "hate".

As mentioned, the Threshold Guardian blocks the threshold between the ordinary world and the special world, but Guardians appear at important points to "test"/"block" the Hero.

Miguel is the most prominent Threshold Guardian in Robby's Journey. Miguel especially is (one of) the biggest obstacle when it comes to Robby getting to Johnny, the Shadow. 

Robby about Johnny and the Mexico trip: "uh... it wasn't really that kind of trip. But, uh, we did work out a few of our issues. There's still some that are just too big to solve." 

In s1e5, although Robby had seen Johnny give Miguel the gi and hug, Robby had only taken an action that would affect Johnny—getting a job with the LaRussos. Robby's first interaction with Miguel was the beach party in s1e9, where Robby tried to protect Sam but Miguel attacked him. In the s1 avt, before going out for the final match, Robby said to Daniel that Robby has to face "him" eventually, talking about Johnny—The Shadow. But, Robby faced Miguel in the match! Miguel is the Threshold Guardian that is an Ally to the Shadow, the Threshold Guardian who has a symbiotic relationship with the Shadow throughout the series. Although Robby lost the s1 avt, he had fought with balance and honor. His win was internal. He and Daniel then reopened Miyagi-Do and crossed the threshold into the Special World.

Robby's main fights with Miguel are the s1 avt (Crossing the Threshold), the school fight (Tests, Allies, and Enemies), the apartment fight (end of the Ordeal and start of the Reward), and captaincy fight (The Road Back, another threshold crossing).

Robby's first fight with Miguel, the primary Threshold Guardian, was right before Robby crossed the threshold into the Special World. Robby finally got a victory over Miguel as Robby was crossing back into the Ordinary World in The Road Back stage.

The s1 avt and captaincy fights were points in Robby's Journey where he was crossing the Journey thresholds. Note, in these two fights Robby had balance in his fights. In fact, Robby’s struggle with balance was featured as a component of each fight. Yes! Robby’s poor mental health/balance is also a Threshold Guardian. I will get into this in a bit. 

The school and apartment fights each resulted in major shifts in Robby’s journey, both externally and internally. 

The school fight took place during the Tests, Allies, and Enemies stage. Miguel pushed Robby to his limit. He lost his balance, had a "fight" trauma response, and accidentally injured Miguel. After this, Robby expressed hopelessness in his journey for the first time, "But you were right. It was a mistake trying to help me because I can't change." Robby was contemplating giving up on the Journey. Robby was put in juvie and lost everyone’s support. 

Robby did give up on his goals for a time. Then, in s4e1 Robby decided to compete for the trophy and a better future because of his conversation with Sam, in which she'd brought up Johnny and that triggered a trauma response in Robby. In s4e4, Silver's advice to Robby to face his fear emboldened Robby to confront his Shadow once again in The Approach.

"For as long as I can remember, I've been afraid... afraid that I'm gonna end up like you. But that's not gonna be my fear anymore... because I am better than you."

The apartment fight took place at the end of the Ordeal stage. Robby was pretty much beaten into place by both Miguel (the main Threshold Guardian) and Johnny (Shadow) as part of the toxic family. Robby was also welcomed back by everyone. However, he had to give up who he is, including his self-worth, as he stopped standing up for himself and his side of the story. Because of the situation, he chose his "want" (relationship with Johnny) over his "need" (who he is and finding balance). At the beginning of the Ordeal in s4e10, Robby had expressed his second statement of hopelessness. "I screwed everything up… It just made things worse and now it's never going to get better... I'm sick of blaming you, Dad." At the end of the Ordeal in s5e5, Robby ended up giving up who he is because it was never going to get better.

Both environments/situations that Robby entered into after the school fight and after the apartment fight have been traumatic but in different ways. Both have resulted in severe internal changes in Robby, further worsening his mental health and worsening his struggles with balance. Robby’s losses, in karate and in life, are setbacks in his Journey. Not to mention, the apartment fight was a mirror to the school fight.

Since the apartment fight in s5e5, Miguel has played a Shapeshifter role, as I described above. However, Miguel's primary role in Robby's Journey is that of the Threshold Guardian, especially when it comes to his attachment to Robby's external Shadow–Johnny. Miguel's conversation with Johnny on the plane in s6e8, for example, is a setback for Robby gaining a true relationship with Johnny. The little bit of "support" Johnny gave Robby because he'd won the captaincy was challenged by Miguel. Johnny's attention straying from Robby to Miguel and staying focused there, like after the school fight and for the Mexico trip, are other examples of how Miguel is an obstacle in Robby's Journey to achieve his goals ("wants" and "needs" are both goals).

Miguel's antagonistic behavior towards Robby when it comes to Johnny, Sam, and the karate championships (especially in S1 and S6) are interestingly described by the following:

This important archetype character's entire existence is wrapped up in guarding the threshold. For this to make sense as you create your story, there has to be a really good reason why. Finding out this reason why will help you build out your threshold guardian character's backstory and motives (because, remember—every character, even the secondary ones, need motives). In many instances, threshold guardians are willing to make dramatic sacrifices to protect their threshold. They want to keep their special world separate from your hero's world. They don't like the fact that your hero is trying to shake things up by crossing between the two. It's messing with the status quo. Maybe the guardian realizes that the hero's willingness to cross boundaries is a threat to the way things have always been.

Carmen is also a Threshold Guardian, an indirect one. She actively scapegoats Johnny and Robby for Miguel's faults and violence in the fights and has kept Johnny’s focus on Miguel, like when Johnny talked about his failures with Robby or about being uncomfortable being a “dad” to Miguel. The baby plot device, for all intents and purposes, is a Threshold Guardian as well. I've always said that the baby was introduced primarily to impact Robby in his character journey. He is the only one who changed because of its introduction into the story. And the circumstances around that change moved Robby from one stage (The Ordeal) to the next (The Reward) in the Journey. In s6, the family scenes being done in a way that excludes Robby, either subtly like with everyone praising the scapegoating essay or explicitly with Robby not present at all, is also very telling. (See my post about Johnny, Robby, and the family in s6 part 2.)

Robby's "hate"/trauma is also a Threshold Guardian

Robby's "hate"/trauma is a Threshold Guardian, in addition to being his internal Shadow. This is shown explicitly in a lot of his fights. The battle is both internal and external in these fights. 

The internal threshold guardian - While not as common and not as easily recognizable, sometimes stories include internal demons as threshold guardians—something within your main character that's preventing them from moving forward and that they must learn to overcome. It might be a past trauma, addiction, fear, etc.

The overall theme of the series is about finding balance, not just in karate but in life as well.

"You remember lesson about balance? Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?”

In my Robby has a Hero's Journey post, I said this:

In s4e10, Daniel told Hawk during his match with Robby: "This fight is not about him. The biggest battle is always the one within. Okay, concentrate, defense, focus, power. You find your balance, and those points will come. All right?" This also applies to Robby's journey and his conflicts with his "hate" and with Johnny.

In that fight, Hawk resorted to mostly using Cobra Kai against Robby so didn't need to rely on his balance, while Robby resorted to mostly using Miyagi-Do, lost his balance after he looked in the "mirror", and eventually lost the fight.

Robby's balance has been emphasized in Robby's fights with Miguel and Hawk throughout the series, and in Robby's fights in s6 part 2, as part of The Resurrection stage.

Hawk is another main Threshold Guardian

Hawk had first injured Robby in the s1 avt and that enabled Miguel to do more damage. Hawk was also the person Robby fought and lost against in the s4 avt. This was the start of Robby's Ordeal stage. He lost his balance during that fight and lost the fight.

In my Keeping the Peace post, I talked about the correlation between the s5e8 scene of Johnny recapping the avts with the boys (more unreliable narration on Johnny’s part; Johnny keeps trying to reframe Robby's reality) and Robby’s s6e5 shadowing boxing scene.

Interestingly, in the s5e8 scene, Robby is sitting with his Shadow–Johnny–and the two main Threshold Guardian characters —both of whom were trained by Johnny and primarily use Cobra Kai as their fighting style like Johnny does (while Robby primarily uses Miyagi-Do). Johnny talked about the first avt, the main fight during the Crossing the Threshold stage, as if Miguel hadn't cheated and as if Robby had lost the tournament fair and square. In s6e5, Robby’s "second place" trauma was emphasized using the avt matches to these two Threshold Guardians.

Other Threshold Guardians in Robby’s Journey

Trey and Cruz were the obstacles Robby had to overcome in the Refusal of the Call stage in s1e7.

Shawn played this role in s3. Robby had to defeat Shawn in order to "advance" in the Journey. In this case, Robby chose to strike first for the first time.

In s4e1, Robby had to fight the Cobras to secure his place as their leader. They became his allies after this.

In s6 part 2, as part of the Resurrection stage, all 3 new antagonists played some role in Robby's Journey. (I will speak objectively about Zara here, based on what is portrayed in canon. My post about the SA and it's framing and marketing explain that all of Robby's traumas, especially by other characters, are framed and marketed the same way. I will treat the SA as I treat those other traumas and will address it as such.)

Of these three, Kwon was explicitly set up as Robby's rival. He has many parallels to Robby. While Miguel is a foil character to Robby, Kwon is a mirror character to Robby. (I hope to address this more in a post about Robby in part 2.) Robby kept losing to Kwon until their match in s6e9. Although that fight is cool, Robby fought with anger and made sure to make it hurt, which made the Shadow proud. Robby didn't rely on Miyagi-Do and didn't fight with balance. In terms of succeeding in his goal of finding balance, Robby had a major setback. He was angry that he'd fallen for Kwon's mind games, and he took his anger out on Kwon. Kwon fits this description of a type of Threshold Guardian.

To increase tension and add to your hero’s internal development, this archetype should represent something greater to your hero than just a simple test of their ability. Maybe your guardians represent the bigger, worse villain that your hero will need to go up against in the future. Maybe they represent your hero’s internal conflicts and faults that they’ll need to overcome at some point. Maybe they represent a weakness that your hero has been trying to hide.

Miguel matches the first "maybe" that is listed. Kwon seems to match the other two "maybe" because a lot of Kwon's insecurities matched Robby's.

Zara is another Threshold Guardian. It stuck out to me that Robby losing in his matches really hit him hard after the SA. He seemed to be somewhat coping with his lost matches before that, even with Miguel bullying him about his poor performance in his matches. But, it was after the SA that he blamed himself for the whole team losing. Hawk and Demetri were being dumbasses about Kenny and had made things worse in their first group match, but Robby just put it all on himself. When Miguel talked to Robby, Robby specifically mentioned messing up off the mat too, when he said that he shouldn't be captain anymore. His drinking didn't seem to upset him; what Zara had done upset him much more. He specifically called the latter the "stupid" thing he "did". This makes sense because of his confusion and self-blame over it. This experience traumatized him, like his other traumas have. His self-blame increased and his mental health worsened.

Axel is another Threshold Guardian. He is an interesting one because Axel and Robby didn't interact much until their match, which was interrupted. They will compete again in part 3. I did find Axel's line and frustration with Robby interesting: "Are you going to keep defending, or are you going to fight?" When I heard this line the first time, I thought: "This is some meta-commentary about Robby's people-pleasing." Robby has stopped fighting for himself and has been on defense with all of his "friends" and "family". He has shown his edge once in a while, like with Miguel in s6e5 and s6e7, but it's not enough. Robby's people-pleasing is a defensive behavior he has to consciously counteract to start fighting for himself again. Threshold Guardians challenge the Hero. Axel’s line stuck out because Robby is at that point in his journey where he needs to stop defending and start fighting his main antagonists, his Shadows.

Although the Axel-Miguel rivalry is set up, not much thought and time has been put into developing their rivalry. Axel's interest in Sam is the only basis for it. Kwon and Robby's rivalry was well developed. Kwon is a mirror character to Robby, but Kwon was obviously a misdirect. Axel seems to be another misdirect as the final Threshold Guardian before Robby faces his Shadow. Axel is set up with a sad backstory (meaning his redemption is set up), and his conversation with Sam on the beach foreshadowed him joining Miyagi-Do. Miguel is the one who has been at the main thresholds. He is the primary Threshold Guardian. (Hawk is secondary to him). Like Robby had said, he and Johnny still have some of the issues (Miguel/Diazs) that are too big to solve. s6e8 showed that Miguel is still an issue between Robby and Johnny. Robby is also excluded from the family in important ways. Miguel also keeps the rivalry going as he pleases, as shown with his bullying Robby until he got Johnny's attention back. In a way, Miguel bullying Robby in s6e6-7 was Miguel acting as a Threshold Guardian at the time, affecting Robby's mental health. The Miguel-Robby rivalry is not over yet, and Robby’s side of the story has yet to be explored and resolved. (I'm aware of the leaks, but I'm also aware that people shut down conversations about other theories for the leaks that can also be possible. I’m just going to stick to analyzing canon here.)

Overall, a lot of the characters have identifiable archetypes in Robby's Hero's Journey. The main characters in his Journey especially are easier to classify into the archetypes. After part 3, I may do a revised version of this post because the story will be over and the roles may be more defined for some of the characters after that.

(As always, please don't comment or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships.)

[purpleheartskies]

About the framing and marketing of the traumas in Robby's story including the SA

TW/SA

This situation with the SA in Robby's story feels like post-s5 all over again. Robby experienced something(s) traumatic, but the audience is not supposed to consider it traumatic for Robby because of the framing and marketing, and many fans go along with it---though in this case, many fans are opposed to ignoring the SA.

Hayden's comment about the SA seems to indicate that the writers don't see the SA for what it is and won't address it in part 3. However, Jon (privately) 1000% agreed with a fan that consent can't be given while drunk, that he was very upset with Hayden's tweet, and that he himself wouldn't have answered that question in that way. Hayden is a known troll, and given how he has always approached answering questions, his comment may have been a tone-deaf statement that pushed the narrative framing. For example, Hayden had also responded to someone in that q&a that Miguel always sees the best in people. This is not true, looking at the context throughout the story. Miguel definitely thinks the worst of Robby and acts on it whenever Miguel feels like it. These and other points I will talk about in this post make me wonder if the SA may still possibly be addressed in some way as SA.

Although there are definitely flaws in the writing, such as in the pacing, I don't think the skills of the writers can be completely ignored. Their character and relationship writing in particular are quite good (as in consistent and realistic) compared to a lot that I've seen across a variety of stories. I also think that, while many view SA as an egregious trauma that sets it apart from other traumas (hence the more resonant backlash about it), these writers are treating the SA as just another trauma in Robby's story. After all, they've handled Robby's other traumas with a similar writing, execution, framing, and marketing approach. For example, the same day that Netflix posted the ig reel marketing the SA as "Can Tory catch a break?", which matches the narrative framing, Variety put out that interview of Billy glorifying Johnny's relationship with Miguel and claiming that Johnny "needed the boy [Miguel] who needed him", which also matches the narrative framing. As I pointed out in another post, the framing and marketing of both situations treat Robby as inconsequential, although both are extremely traumatic for him. 

The storytelling style in the show is very interesting. There's a lot the consistency and patterns throughout the story, especially when it comes to the characters behaviors. For example, my pre-s6 analyses of Miguel's envy of Robby being Johnny's son, Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself for screwing up with Robby, and the blended "family" not being written genuinely (especially Robby's inclusion in it) are inline with what was depicted once more in s6e8. In fact, the occurrence of Robby experiencing a trauma (the SA) while Johnny was off tending to the Diazs is in line with the consistency of how the writers approach Johnny and Robby's story: Johnny's relationship with the Diazs is narratively in opposition to Johnny's relationship with Robby. It is an either/or situation; it always has been. 

In this case, Robby was left out of the family situation and was, overall, feeling so unsupported (because he is, despite Johnny's words to Miguel) that his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth were at their peaks, with him believing that Tory had abandoned and replaced him too, so he drank for the first time. In fact, the writers reminded us through Sam that Robby doesn't drink. They wanted us to be clear on the fact that he was drinking for the first time, and the rum and coke doubles he was downing would impair him. Robby telling Sam about his intention to drink seemed to be his counterdependence peaking through: he had wanted her to stop him. (In fairness to Sam, no character has understood Robby's counterdependent tendencies. Though, it would have been good of her, as a friend, to stick around after he told her that he was thinking of drinking. I'm not blaming Sam, though, for Robby's decision to drink. It was Robby's decision to do so. I may do a proper s6 part 2 Robby analysis soon.) It's within the context of Robby getting drunk for the first time and being alone and vulnerable that Zara took advantage of him. This was all juxtaposed with Miguel showing his envy once again about Robby being Johnny's son and Johnny once again committing himself to Miguel in comparison to Robby. In the hospital scenes, Robby's absence was felt including Carmen speaking about the baby having her big "brother" win, as if she has only one brother competing in the tournament.

Looking at how the writers have written scenes throughout the story, the SA is written as what it is: SA.

First off, there's no narrative "show" of Robby consenting or intentionally getting together with Zara. They don't show him noticing her, getting friendly with her, or drinking with her. They're only shown to have two interactions: (1) the conversation outside of her hotel room the next morning, and (2) during the brawl. In both these interactions, Zara acted entitled to Robby, his body and him, while Robby showed no interest in her whatsoever. Wrt to the SA itself, Robby was clearly shown to be getting drunk and losing his faculties (he couldn't focus enough to talk back to Kwon) before Zara even approached him. The next morning, his hungover state and his statement that he can barely remember anything also prove that he hadn't been in any condition to consent. He was barely responsive when she kissed, and he looked disturbed/shell-shocked as he walked away. In turn, she was shown watching and approaching him at the bar with intent. The next morning, her bold response "Well, good thing I do" to him saying that he barely remembers, her indifference about his unwell state, and her stealing a kiss from him as if she's entitled to show that she was sober and didn't care if he could consent or not. She had been interested in him, and she'd taken from him what she'd wanted. 

The framing and marketing that we should feel sorry for Tory wrt this doesn't match the nuance of what is shown, only the framing of it. Tory seeing them is written as a coincidence. The framing that Robby had cheated and made a "mistake" is set up by Robby's words: "Tory broke up with me. She hooked up with Kwon. I got drunk and I did something stupid". Some fans claim that Robby "cheated" to get revenge, but there is no narrative proof of this. Robby didn't try to throw it in Tory's face and was shocked that she'd found out. Then, his defensive argument with Tory---that she was upset that he'd gotten with someone even though she'd gotten with Kwon---added to the framing. However, Robby is already established as a character with exaggerated self-blame, who blames himself for his traumas when he isn't at fault at all or isn't 100% at fault. In this case, he can barely remember what happened. He knows that he got drunk because he was upset, thinking that Tory had hooked up with Kwon. But, he essentially doesn't know the details of the "mistake" that he is blaming himself for. He was also already blaming himself when he and Tory got into their argument about it, so he was defensive about it.

Overall, the whole situation had contexts of Robby's underlying traumas. He drank for the first time to deal with his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth. He took this step, despite his goal not to become like Johnny. This is also likely a type of situation that his mother may have experienced in the past, given what had been shown about her in earlier seasons. He blamed himself for it, although he essentially doesn't even know details about what he's blaming himself for. He just believes it's his fault. Robby being SA'd the first time he drank and got drunk seems to be a dark irony in light of all this.

Another thing that stuck out is that Tory cut Robby off when he tried to explain what had happened with Zara. This was after Cobra Kai had lost, and Robby had approached Tory in the hotel lobby. Robby not being able to tell his side of the story or details of his side of the story being obscured is pretty consistent with his story so far. When it comes to the school fight, for example, Miguel's wrongdoings against Robby have been obscured, and only Robby's wrongdoing in it have been explored and addressed. In s3e2, Robby clearly told Daniel that he had kicked Miguel (which is a true statement), while he also told Daniel that it was a mistake trying to help him because he can't change (which is his exaggerated self-blame; it had been an accident and there is so much context to consider for that fight). This is similar to "I got drunk" (true statement) and "I did something stupid" (exaggerated self-blame; he couldn't consent and barely even knows what happened).

In s3e2, Robby wasn't able to say more to Daniel because the cops had shown up. Robby stopped trusting Daniel, was put into juvie, and their relationship dissolved. Robby also stopped talking about his side of the story. Even when Kreese (s3e5) and Tory (s3e8) showed him empathy about it, Robby didn't respond. He finally talked about it in s4e4 when he tried to defend himself to Johnny, but Johnny dismissed what he said. Then, in s5e5, after the abusive apartment fight, he explained to Miguel what had happened at the end of the school fight, in response to Miguel gaslighting him about the school fight. Miguel's question implied that Robby had had no reason to not hold back that day in school, which shows how entitled and lacking in empathy and self-awareness Miguel is as the person who had attacked Robby brutally that day. (Robby having a "fight" response at the end of the fight was quite natural, given the circumstances.)

Robby has been scapegoated for their school fight and is still being scapegoated for it, as depicted in the college essay scene in s6e2. The SA being written how it was---as SA---and Robby being scapegoated for it is in line with how he has been scapegoated narratively before. Again, I think people view SA on a different level than these other traumas and situations, but it is a type of trauma and it is being treated as his other traumas have been treated. The SA was also perpetrated by a new character, who isn't endeared to fans in general, so she is being more rightfully called out and given less of a benefit of a doubt. Those who defend her or make gross comments about the SA mainly do so because she's a young, hot female.

Wrt the SA, a question remains about how and if Zara would have flaunted it in Tory's face had Tory not seen them. Zara also later taunted Tory about it on Zara's livestream because Tory was standing nearby. (Maybe Zara saw Tory alone and purposely went and stood close by. We don't know.) By this point, Zara is depicted as an opportunist. She had taken advantage of Robby while he was drunk, alone and vulnerable, and she was taking shots at Tory whenever the opportunity arose. Zara SA'd Robby because she'd wanted him. Tory coincidentally finding out had been a bonus for Zara, which she used to piss off Tory more.

In fact, Zara isn't depicted to have any positive personality traits at all. She started a rivalry with Tory because she saw Robby and immediately became interested in him, but noticed that Robby and Tory have something and didn't like that. She got in Tory's face after she noticed people talking about Tory, instead of her, as a badass fighter. Then, she threw having been with Robby in Tory's face because Tory coincidentally saw her kissing Robby. Then, just to piss Tory off, she purposely commented on her livestream that she plays hard all night. Tory snatched her phone and told Zara's followers that Zara doesn't care about her karate sisters and steals their boyfriends. She started losing sponsors so that pissed her off at Tory more. During the brawl, when Tory tried to get to Robby, Zara stopped Tory, said that she's hers, and started beating on her. After Robby threw her off of Tory, she was shocked that he'd choose Tory over her. She then attacked Robby. (This Zara-Tory rivalry is pretty one-sided and doesn't parallel the Tory-Sam rivalry which was already two-sided before Miguel became an issue between them.) 

Zara is depicted as vain, egocentric, envious, entitled, lacking in accountability, violent, and opportunistic. She preys on and assaults guys without a care and flaunts having been with them, and she actually thought that that one night and whatever she did to Robby would make him choose her over Tory, who she knows Robby has a history with. She didn't treat Robby as a person at all, but as something that she is entitled to.

As I mentioned, this isn't the first time that Robby has been subjected to an abuse/assault/trauma that has been obscured with framing and marketing. Robby's story is actually quite dark if the framing and marketing around it is removed. I actually feel that the writers were trying to top the abuses from s5 with the SA, as in what other trauma could they give Robby. As the series has gone on, Robby has experienced the most traumas out of all the kids, almost all of which are not his fault at all or not completely his fault, and are still unaddressed. (Out of all the kids, Robby is also the only one to have gone to juvie, although some of the others should have gone too.) Just like I mentioned above, Robby blames himself for almost all of these traumas, regardless of how much fault he bears... as many trauma victims would. Wrt the SA, Robby is 1000% not at fault for what Zara did to him.

Looking back to s5, consider the Mexico trip in s5e1/2. Johnny subjected Robby to emotional and psychological abuse while Johnny did what he could to find Miguel and told Carmen to stay safely at home. Robby ended up staying to help Johnny after Johnny tried to abandon him again. Now, one could claim that Robby wanted to stay. After all, Robby told Johnny, after saving him, that Johnny's trying to fix things and Robby wants to help. But, as I pointed out after s5, this is a people-pleasing statement. Robby was putting Johnny's needs above his own. Johnny had tried to abandon Robby again after kidnapping him to Mexico under the guise of a father-son trip. Johnny had also psychologically and emotionally manipulated Robby with gaslighting and guilting. Robby also repeated what Johnny had said earlier, that they could make stories together, another emotional manipulation. Robby changed himself to stay with Johnny. Robby even did a chili eating contest to fix one of Johnny's screw ups. And of course that whole trip ended with a big heartfelt "father-son" hug between Johnny and Miguel as Robby watched from the background, a blatant callback to the s1e5 scene that was a trauma trigger for Robby. This time Robby had to swallow his trauma given the situation he was in. The trauma and abuse Robby suffered on this trip was framed and marketed as Johnny needing to find the boy who needed him (Miguel), Robby wanting to stay and help Johnny, and the two of them making stories together. This trauma and abuse are still unaddressed.

There is a follow up though, that shows that Robby wasn't okay with the trip. His conversation with Tory in s5e4 showed that he didn't enjoy the trip and he clearly stated that he and Johnny still have some issues that are too big to solve (Robby looked at Miguel when Robby said this). Those issues have not been solved, but have been tucked away because of the news that came later. In s5e3, Johnny told the opposite to Carmen that he and Robby are good now. s5e4 is the last time that Robby spoke about his issues with Johnny. There have also been NO proper one-on-one scenes or interactions between Johnny and Robby since the Mexico trip. Although many love Johnny and Robby's "father-son bonding" on the trip, the context of that trip shouldn't be ignored (but it is by many). The Mexico trip was never used to establish a foundation for them to start (re)building a relationship. In fact, the trip added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma. The trip also set up Robby completely adopting people-pleasing after he would later hear the baby news.

Now, take the apartment fight and baby news in s5e5. Robby had made his boundaries clear to Johnny. Robby didn't want to be Miguel's friend. Robby was also willing to be okay with Johnny's relationship with Miguel. But, Johnny cornered Robby with Miguel and with the psychologically and physically abusive, "Johnny classic"/Cobra Kai solution to "fight it out". Robby noticeably didn't want to fight and hesitated before and after saying yes to the fight, which he only said yes to to posture after Miguel said yes to the fight. Robby, especially, started out fighting hesitantly. Johnny egged them on, and it was after Miguel drew blood that Robby stopped hesitating.

As they fought, the boys ended up on the second floor balcony. Miguel gained the upper hand, and Robby stopped fighting back. Robby looked on in fear but Miguel suddenly stopped fighting, which is stated in the script as "showing mercy"---a callback to how their school fight had ended. The end moments of this fight were juxtaposed with flashbacks of Miguel's side of the school fight, a "tell" that framed Robby as the bad guy/aggressor in that fight. Robby then asked Miguel why he held back, and Miguel gaslit him about not learning karate to hurt people but to be badass and learn balance. This is not completely true. Miguel had just said yes to this fight so that he could hurt Robby with his karate, as Miguel has done a few times before. Also, Cobra Kai, which Miguel had learned first, doesn't teach finding balance. After this statement, Miguel asked Robby why he didn't hold back in school. As I described earlier, this is another gaslighting statement. As Robby explained his actions at the end of the school fight, Robby acknowledged that that was the worst moment of both of their lives. Both of them had also just relived the trauma of the school fight with this apartment fight. Johnny asked if they were good now, and Robby hesitated but then nodded yes. For both fights, Miguel got resolutions completely in his favor and is no longer dealing with repercussions from the fights, while Robby got no resolutions on his side and is still dealing with repercussions. This apartment fight was marketed as a "therapy session" for both boys and the video for it showcased the younger cast minus Tanner (who was filming a movie at the time) watching the middle to end of the fight, the latter of which frames the narrative in Miguel's favor using flashbacks as "tell". Again, Robby's side of the school and apartment fights and his lack of resolutions were obscured in the framing and the marketing.

This abusive and traumatic experience for Robby also ended with tonal shifts, like the SA scene does. Johnny let slip about the baby news. As Johnny and Miguel became excited over it, Robby is visibly shown to be processing the news and only acted overly excited after Johnny pointed to Miguel and said to act that excited. Suddenly, Robby exclaimed that that is awesome, and they all hugged and all was good between them, with a guitar riff score playing. The SA scene also ended with tonal shifts. As the elevator opened, the ominous music that had been playing intensified, shifting the focus of the scene from Robby to Tory. The scene visually focused on Robby as he walked away. Then, Zara spotted Tory, the music shifted once more. This time from ominous to upbeat/playful, and Zara blew Tory a kiss. In both cases, the scenes became about the other characters' feelings and dynamic, while Robby's traumatic experience in both these situations was visually shown, it was dismissed and later framed as him being in the wrong. In s5e8, Robby talked to Kenny about the rivalry as if Robby's hate had been the problem, and once he let that go, all was good. This of course is not true, as Miguel clearly is the one who had started and maintains the rivalry with Robby as Miguel feels entitled to. This is shown again in part 2, with Miguel acting like a jealous ass to Robby until Johnny promised to give Miguel preferential treatment again, compared to Robby. Miguel later gave Robby the pep talk to help them win. In s6e9, Robby took the same approach of putting the blame of what Zara did to him onto himself, despite barely remembering what had happened and Zara clearly remembering. Zara however is the one who is clearly at fault for whatever she did to him. She acted entitled to him and took advantage of him. Her expectation that he choose her over Tory after that night also shows her entitlement.

In s5e5, at dinner after the apartment fight, Robby was now miraculously happy with both Johnny and Miguel. After Carmen came home, Robby kindly asked if he could stay for dinner. After she paused and said yes, Robby cautiously watched her as she walked away. Robby's place in the family is clearly unstable, and this is still indicated in s6, including in s6e8. When Carmen asked about the boys' bruises, Johnny told her that the boys beat each other into submission. This is not true. Miguel had beaten Robby into submission. Johnny's claim is meant to frame the resolution as fair for both boys, just like the marketing attempts to, but this doesn't match what was shown in the actual fight and resolution. s5e5 also added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma.

Robby's story has gotten darker as the story has gone on, though the context and tone of his story remain obscured using framing and marketing that minimizes/removes how dark and traumatic these experiences are for Robby. At the same time, Robby still lacks a stable support system and his mental health is shown to be worsening. After s5, many claimed that Robby had found balance. So far, s6 is showing that Robby never found balance. In fact, his mental health has gotten so bad that he eventually chose to drink to cope with his poor mental health, just like Johnny does, although Robby's goal is to not become like Johnny. 

The SA narratively fits as another traumatic experience that Robby has had and that he blames himself for. The SA is framed and marketed as something that only affects Tory. The narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experiences another trauma also continued. The SA has been dealt with in the narrative and in the marketing the same way as Robby's other traumatic experiences have been. Throughout the story, the writers have been "telling" the audience to ignore all of the abuse and trauma Robby has been "shown" to experience. The SA isn't a unique circumstance. I've said before that this story is full of irony:

"Irony introduces depth, nuance, and multi-layered meaning. Its ability to present contradictions and incongruities between appearance and reality, or between expectation and actuality, demands critical thinking from the audience to uncover the intended deeper significance. Rather than passive acceptance of face value, irony prompts an analysis of context and subtext — engaging viewers or readers in a richer interpretive experience."

If the SA were the only trauma dealt with in this way, I wouldn't be writing this post. But Robby's other traumas have also been dealt with this way. We have been "shown" what Robby has experienced throughout the story, but the "tell" obscures so much of it, and he and the other characters have yet to understand what he's experienced and how it all affects him.

Since part 2 came out, it's been good to see that people have been calling out the SA by calling out the nuances of the scenes involved---body language, dialogue, and context. I've also seen people say that they recognize Robby blaming himself for it as a trauma victim would, and as Robby specifically would. After s5, it was so hard to talk about Robby's abusive/traumatic experiences during the Mexico trip, apartment fight, baby news and the family dinner scenes. People would dismiss all these storytelling nuances that were clearly portrayed as Johnny used and abused Robby to find Miguel and later abused Robby to force his submission into Johnny's new family. Johnny forcing Robby to be friends/family with these people, especially in such a violent way, is a violation of Robby's boundaries. Zara SAing Robby is also a violation of his boundaries. The storytelling nuances have also always been present and ignored by many the whole time as Johnny and Miguel's relationship has been built at Robby's expense, with the persistent layers of Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself and Miguel feeling entitled to Johnny over Robby and being jealous that Robby is Johnny's son. These nuances and layers are still there in s6, and especially in s6e8. 

After part 2 came out and especially after Hayden's comment, many said that they needed female writers because of how the SA has been handled. But, two women wrote s6e8 and a woman directed it. In fact, the woman who directed it also directed s5e5, which had the apartment fight, baby news, and dinner scenes. That episode has so much nuance that people choose to ignore. I still remember how some people would openly dismiss Robby's body language in those s5e5 scenes that I've described above. I also remember a lot of people claimed after s5 that the writers didn't remember Robby's traumas and mental health issues anymore. Now I'm seeing some of those same people talk about Robby's mental health being the reason he drank. 

Despite many going along with the framing and marketing of Robby's other traumas, it's a relief overall to see that many still hold the view that this is SA and haven't been swayed to believe otherwise. (Although, I have seen that some have shrugged their shoulders and have adopted the view that Robby "cheated" or had "casual sex", which is not supported narratively with "show" but is framed and marketed as such using "tell".)

I really hope that people keep the conversations going in the fandom about the SA, as well as about Robby's other traumas and all of the nuances in his story.

[purpleheartskies]

Thought of another messed up marketing example.

Here is a still (last one in the set) by "netflixfamily" of Johnny hugging Miguel at the end of the Mexico trip. Robby is in the background. The caption reads "hold that kid as tight as you can and let them know you've got them".

Again, they act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. In canon, the Mexico trip is so messed up. Johnny had tricked Robby into a father-son trip. Then, after Johnny had to admit to Robby that Johnny lied, Johnny used Robby wanting to make stories together and Robby's guilt about the school fight against him. Johnny gaslit him about looking for him when he was on the run. This is all emotional and psychological abuse. Johnny even told Carmen on the phone while Robby could hear that it wasn't safe for her. Basically, Robby is the disposable one, while Johnny's goal was to keep the Diazs safe. To top this off, Johnny eventually left him at a bus stop and said "sorry". That hug in s5e2 was meant to mirror the original moment in s1e5, which was absolutely a trauma trigger for Robby so he went to Daniel to get that job to get Johnny's attention.

So... Where is netflix's "hold that kid as tight as you can and let them know you've got them" comment for Robby? Clearly, it's non-existent.

At the time, allaboutrobby (who recently quit ig) had called them out for leaving out Johnny's real son Robby, so they made this reel of the s4e10 Johnny Robby scene a few days later, with the caption "me realizing that we don’t talk enough about this father/son relationship as i’m rewatching Cobra Kai."

The marketing team clearly thinks that Robby is inconsequential, and I wonder if they even understand or see all the details (that are so consistent) in the story.

Either way, this is another example of a scene/situation being praised or glamorized, while Robby's side of the story is ignored and he is treated as inconsequential.

I don't know what to think about all this and if the SA or anything else in Robby's story will be addressed.

Take Billy's interview. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Johnny and Miguel. In canon, Robby is framed as wrong and at fault for how Johnny treats him and for having trauma, even though Johnny is the parent and his behavior is immensely traumatic for Robby. Johnny has done nothing to make things right with/for Robby, while Robby is the one who was abused by Johnny while he prioritized his new family and Robby had to put all of his trauma aside to be a part of Johnny's new family, that narratively Robby's still not treated as completely part of.

Take the SA ig reel. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Tory and Zara. In canon, Robby is framed as the cheating boyfriend who got drunk and "made a mistake" because he "got played", although he was drunk and can't remember what happened while Zara intentionally targeted him, can remember, and doesn't care that he can't. Robby should be focused on as the one who can't catch a break, but he's not.

Take the apartment fight marketing posts calling it a "therapy session". They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. In canon, they only show Miguel's flashbacks and have Robby take all fault too. The marketing was for Miguel's side of the story. (Tanner wasn't there for interviews for s5, but still no one brought up Robby's side.) They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Miguel only, although the school fight was traumatic for Robby too. Robby does admit this in canon, but it was still in service of the apology to Miguel. Not to mention, the apartment fight itself was plain abuse on Robby by Johnny to force him to be friends with Miguel. This was abuse, not therapy.

Even the school fight was framed as if Miguel didn't do anything wrong, his "I'm sorry" instantly made him innocent, and Robby's the one at fault for it all because of the kick and accidental injury. Miguel had done so much to Robby in that fight, but Robby's side is in consequential. It's all about Miguel. Robby was and is still scapegoated, that is still shown and hinted at (like in the college essay) but it remains unaddressed. I don't have any of the post s2 or post s3 marketing on hand, but no doubt the marketing would not have shown Robby's side of the story.

There's more to address in Robby's story, but you see...

In a way, how they handled the SA isn't isolated because they literally handle Robby's whole story this way. I mean, child abandonment and replacement are even more recognizable as traumas for the child, but people still are taking the parent's side and are happy he replaced his son, and the show has marketing material promoting it.

[purpleheartskies]

I don't know what to think about all this and if the SA or anything else in Robby's story will be addressed.

Take Billy's interview. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Johnny and Miguel. In canon, Robby is framed as wrong and at fault for how Johnny treats him and for having trauma, even though Johnny is the parent and his behavior is immensely traumatic for Robby. Johnny has done nothing to make things right with/for Robby, while Robby is the one who was abused by Johnny while he prioritized his new family and Robby had to put all of his trauma aside to be a part of Johnny's new family, that narratively Robby's still not treated as completely part of.

Take the SA ig reel. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Tory and Zara. In canon, Robby is framed as the cheating boyfriend who got drunk and "made a mistake" because he "got played", although he was drunk and can't remember what happened while Zara intentionally targeted him, can remember, and doesn't care that he can't. Robby should be focused on as the one who can't catch a break, but he's not.

Take the apartment fight marketing posts calling it a "therapy session". They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. In canon, they only show Miguel's flashbacks and have Robby take all fault too. The marketing was for Miguel's side of the story. (Tanner wasn't there for interviews for s5, but still no one brought up Robby's side.) They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Miguel only, although the school fight was traumatic for Robby too. Robby does admit this in canon, but it was still in service of the apology to Miguel. Not to mention, the apartment fight itself was plain abuse on Robby by Johnny to force him to be friends with Miguel. This was abuse, not therapy.

Even the school fight was framed as if Miguel didn't do anything wrong, his "I'm sorry" instantly made him innocent, and Robby's the one at fault for it all because of the kick and accidental injury. Miguel had done so much to Robby in that fight, but Robby's side is inconsequential. It's all about Miguel. Robby was and is still scapegoated, that is still shown and hinted at (like in the college essay) but it remains unaddressed. I don't have any of the post s2 or post s3 marketing on hand, but no doubt the marketing would not have shown Robby's side of the story.

There's more to address in Robby's story, but you see...

In a way, how they handled the SA isn't isolated because they literally handle Robby's whole story this way. I mean, child abandonment and replacement are even more recognizable as traumas for the child, but people still are taking the parent's side and are happy he replaced his son, and the show has marketing material promoting it.

[purpleheartskies]

Yeah... Netflix and the showrunners are not going to address Hayden's disgusting tweet. Netflix posted this yesterday. They're still trying to gaslight the audience that Robby's at fault and Tory's the victim.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCrtPk_OTOQ/?igsh=MWQ1ZGUxMzBkMA==

[purpleheartskies]

Here's another "gem" that Billy and Jon both reposted: link

Apparently, Robby never needed Johnny, and Johnny never needed him. Miguel fills the Robby-shaped hole in Johnny's heart.

These people are really fucked up, and I don't apologize for saying this. I have respect for showrunners and actors who don't praise their characters' awful behaviors and call them out for what they are. These showrunners and Billy are beyond disappointing. And, this article comes just two days after Hayden's fucked-up tweet.

Parents must never replace their own kids. Johnny is a heartless pos. Nobody should be praising this.

[purpleheartskies]

Yesterday, I made a post about the Cobra Kai subreddit mod controlling the conversation about the SA. They were gaslighting in their comments about why they were stopping fans from claiming that Zara SA'd Robby.

I took down the post this morning after seeing Hayden's tweet:

I and many others have tweeted at Hayden expressing our utter disgust at his claim. He not only denies that this was assault. He gives his narrow classification of what assault is.

Thinking back on my post from yesterday. I stand by every word about that mod. He was trying to control this conversation. He, like Hayden, is an enabler of assault.

Zara SA'd Robby.

This is a fact that so many of us are pointing out to Hayden. He is honestly a disgusting person for saying what he said.

Robby was clearly portrayed as not being able to give consent. It doesn't matter that he blamed himself afterwards, as in that doesn't absolve Zara and make him at fault.

A fan on ig made a story and @ the writers.

Jon viewed their post and had a dm with them:

Although Jon is admitting that he agrees with her definition of consent, which implies that he is agreeing that Robby didn't give his consent, this is a meager step in fixing the damage and hurt that they have caused. It was a private dm that she had made into a story; not a public statement made by any of them about this.

Not only was assault blatantly portrayed. Robby was blamed for it, and it was framed as cheating. Now, Hayden has essentially denied that consent is needed and that this would be assault only if Zara had done one of 3 specific things. Fuck him!

Their entire narrative is framed in such a fucked up way, and now this!

This is a mess. They don't plan to address the assault and claimed it wasn't one. Now, they have to backtrack...

But they still won't fix it in canon. They won't make changes to Part 3 to fix this. It's highly unlikely. The person on ig even said that she is an SA victim who is still seeking justice and is now so upset not only because of Hayden's comments but also because Part 3 won't give Robby justice and Zara will get away with it.

For so long, I've been calling out all the neglect and abuse Robby is subjected to. "See something, say something." I don't care what the writers intended. Like in this SA situation, I hold them accountable for what they portray. It's their responsibility to understand the shit they put out into the world.

As much as I hate all this, this is finally something that those fucked-up writers have to answer for. Fans are pissed off and skewering them for this.

I'm curious what they'll do next. Can they really pretend that this didn't happen? That they can market Part 3 without properly addressing this situation? Or that Part 3 won't be scrutinized for not addressing the assault and maintaining the claim that he is at fault and cheated although he was clearly assaulted?

Hayden's comments make it impossible for them not to address the assault in canon, but they're already done with post-production of Part 3.

This is a shitstorm for them, and frankly, it's about time they be held to the fire about something.

[purpleheartskies]

Another Silver and Miguel parallel to add to the list:

Silver to Johnny, s5e10: "But if it's any consolation, at least you won't be around to screw up another kid."

Silver was still seething from Robby's defiance earlier that day, when he'd showed up at the dojo. Before that, Silver had run into Johnny and Carmen at the hospital after their ultrasound appointment. The scene transitions to and from this scene in s5e10 cut to Robby getting hit or falling the same way as Johnny.

Miguel to Johnny, s6e8: "You'll probably make things worse at the hospital too. Like drinking in the parking lot when Robby was born. No wonder Robby's so messed up."

Miguel was upset that he wasn't getting Johnny's attention more, so Miguel brought up Johnny's failures with Robby. Johnny and Miguel were flying back home to get to Carmen at the hospital. In this episode, Robby drank for the first time to cope with his problem, like Johnny drinks to cope with his problems.

Silver and Miguel are the only two people to acknowledge that Johnny has screwed up / messed up Robby, and they do so as verbal attacks on Johnny in some context related to the baby plot device.

[purpleheartskies]

Johnny, Robby, and the "family" (s6 part 2)

Well, gotta say, I'm perplexed by s6 part 2. It seems like the writers are still just building out the story---or moreso, dragging it out---until the resolutions. Part 2 has left me with the curiosity of how Johnny and Robby's story will be resolved.

Since watching s1 and until watching s5, I'd wanted to see Johnny and Robby build a relationship onscreen. I know that's not going to happen now. There's just no screentime for it, if it were to happen. And, frankly, it's not something I care to see anymore because Johnny just doesn't deserve to keep Robby in his life anymore, especially since s5e1. I'm a huge believer in people (especially parents) treating other people (especially their own kids) right and showing them that they have value as a person. But, Johnny has never truly or openly shown Robby that he has value---though we're still being given hints that Johnny does love Robby. s5 escalated the abandonment and neglect to outright abuse (emotional, psychological, and physical), and I'm just not here for that and find Johnny irredeemable since s5 (whereas before I was open to his redemption).

I was also really sure that Johnny and Robby only would be endgame. In a way, this is still possible, though it would be dissatisfying regardless of how they do it now. (I'll touch on this later in the post.) After watching part 2, though, I'm really wondering if Johnny and Robby were ever meant to be an endgame at all.

Johnny and Miguel's conversations on the plane (s6e8)

I think it's interesting that this episode is called "Snakes on a plane". Only two of the characters were shown on a plane: Johnny and Miguel. So maybe this is an acknowledgement that they are still Cobras. Which, let's face it, they are. Joining Migagi-Do simply doesn't erase all the things they haven't taken accountability for or the fact that these two are still their version of Cobra Kai. I've also said before that Johnny's relationship with Miguel is part of Kreese's Cobra Kai legacy.

Their two conversations are quite interesting. The first is Miguel throwing Johnny's confession to Miguel in their s2e3 conversation back in Johnny's face. This is not surprising behavior from Miguel. Moreover, this situation has a similar context to that s2e3 scene: Miguel performed well in a tournament but Johnny was distracted or not happy because of Robby.

Miguel: "You were disregarding me all tournament. And you're making things worse right now. You'll probably make things worse at the hospital too. Like drinking in the parking lot when Robby was born. No wonder Robby's so messed up." Johnny: "Hey, man, that's a low blow. Don't bring Robby into this. I know you're upset you didn't get captain, but he won that fair and square. It's not my fault you choked." The flight attendant then came and asked Miguel if Johnny was bothering him (cause Johnny almost got into it with a first class "Johnny"-like passenger earlier) and if Miguel would like to change seats. Miguel said yes.

This really was a low blow. Johnny also hadn't done anything wrong to Miguel. Miguel is just controlling and entitled over Johnny's attention: how dare Johnny not pay attention to him only, despite how poorly the team was performing overall. I'm going to say it cause it is what it is. This is abusive to Johnny. Miguel brings up Johnny's failures with Robby and then insults Robby, calling him messed up because of those failures. Miguel wasn't just attacking Johnny. Miguel was also attacking Robby to attack Johnny. Using Johnny's weakness (Robby) and secrets against him and then cold shouldering him like that because Miguel's pissed at him for not running after him is a manipulation / abuse tactic. Codependent relationships are dysfunctional. Miguel can abuse Johnny as much as he wants, and Johnny will do what be can to appease Miguel, after Johnny's instinctual reactions.

This led into their next conversation:

Johnny: "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you more in Barcelona, all right. I saw you killing it out there, I didn't think you needed my support as much as Robby. He doesn't have what you have. He's not going to college next year. Sekai Taikai is the biggest thing he's got going for him. But I see how that made you feel. You're my son too. As for your mom, I'm really scared. I love her so much. I've tried my best to get myself together, be a good guy. Things like this happen, and it feels like I could lose everything all over again. The truth is, I don't know if she's gonna be okay. But, I can't think of the alternative. Alright?"

The fact that Miguel knows that Johnny abandoned Robby, has used that against Robby (school fight), and even used that against Johnny just earlier on the plane, but Miguel still wants to make sure that he is given what Robby has never gotten properly from Johnny is so entitled of Miguel and so on par for him. Miguel knows that Robby still doesn't get this from Johnny. I mean, Miguel is literally upset that he himself is not the center of Johnny's universe.

Miguel is not entitled to Johnny as a father, especially not over Robby,---no matter what!

This is like on prom night. Johnny expressed wanting to be a father to Robby. Johnny was literally piss drunk, and Miguel had scraped him off the floor. Look at the state of Johnny... and Miguel broke down and held this moment against Johnny? Seriously? Miguel trusted Johnny again, only after the apartment fight because Johnny let Miguel beat up Robby. Miguel hadn't even trusted Johnny after he had come down to Mexico to rescue Miguel. Miguel told Hawk and Demetri, after they got back from Mexico, that he's not going to let Robby being with Johnny get to him. Well... here we are again. Miguel is being his typical narcissistic asshole self to both Robby and Johnny because of Miguel's insecurity and entitlement wrt Robby being Johnny's son.

Johnny and Miguel's exchanges on the plane are a pattern that show how Johnny stays trapped in this relationship with Miguel at Robby's expense.

To me, the fact that these scenes fit so well with these other Johnny and Miguel scenes is incredibly interesting. Cause to me the question is why?

Why keep including these scenes if everything is "resolved" for the Johnny-Robby-Miguel situation, as many fans claim everything is?

Johnny and Miguel's conversations about their relationship status as "Father/Son" or "Student/Sensei" always revolve around Johnny's relationship with Robby, since Miguel found out that Johnny is Robby's father in s2e2/3. Even in s4e7, Miguel himself brought up Johnny's relationship with Robby when Johnny talked about not knowing how to be a father. In these conversations, including the s6e8 one, Johnny consoled Miguel, and himself, that Johnny will do better with Miguel, with it implied that Johnny will not do better with Robby.

Even now, Miguel is still stewing inside that Robby is Johnny's "real" son, and Miguel continues to take this out on both Johnny and Robby whenever Miguel feels insecure about it.

Part 2 has me still saying what I've been saying all along:

Why do the writers keep including scenes like this if this "family" is meant to last or if Johnny is already redeemed for failing Robby... while never actually giving us meaningful conversations between Johnny and Robby that explore their issues without Johnny being an emotionally immature asshole about it all?

Their conversation in s4e10 went seemingly well because Robby was blaming himself for screwing everything up and was not blaming Johnny for anything. When Johnny took blame on himself, it did mean something but it was about Robby's relationship with Daniel falling apart because of Johnny and not about their own lack of a relationship because of Johnny. And then, what happened right after that? Miguel ran off to Mexico, and Johnny psychologically and emotionally abused Robby, even abandoning him again (at a random bus stop in Mexico), in an extreme effort to get Miguel back.

Here, on the plane, Johnny did so much to try to talk to Miguel after Miguel ditched him for another seat. Yet, Johnny has never tried to talk to Robby and fix things with him in this way. Remember, in Mexico, Johnny literally dumped Robby at a random bus stop and went off after Miguel, instead of fixing things with Robby properly. This was also after Johnny had tricked, kidnapped, lied to, gaslit, and guilted Robby. In s5e8, Johnny got annoyed with Robby's fatherly advice comment and dismissed it. Back in s3, Johnny only went to the soup kitchen to talk to Robby because Bobby refused to apologize to Robby for Johnny. Johnny had no intention of going himself if Bobby had apologized for him. Johnny also never went back to try to fix things with Robby. Overall, Johnny never puts this amount of effort in to fix things with/for Robby. This has been consistent throughout the story.

This is all why I'm not mincing words in this post. Johnny and Miguel have a dysfunctional relationship in which Miguel has gaslit and guilted Johnny, that is manipulated him, before. Miguel's behavior with Johnny wrt Johnny not running after him all the time is inexcusable, regardless of the circumstance. Miguel is 17/18 now. Let's take off the kid gloves. He's becoming a grown ass man. According to many fans, Robby has to suck it up and let go of all the legitimate lifetime of trauma he has due to Johnny (which Robby actually does still need therapy for). Well, Miguel must suck it up and not feel entitled over Johnny like this because, frankly, Miguel's feelings of entitlement are his own problem. They're not Johnny's problem, nor Robby's problem. Meanwhile, making amends to Robby directly for failing him is Johnny's problem. A problem that Johnny has yet to solve and may never solve because he's too busy running after the Diazs---his "do over" family.

Like I've said before, the Diazs and the baby are plot devices meant to distract Johnny from his actual goal of making amends with Robby.

Johnny to Miguel in s4e7: "I took all that bullshit I felt from them, and I put that on Robby's life. I can never fix that. I don't want to make that mistake again." Of course, Johnny's talking about never making that mistake again by doing things right with Miguel because Johnny believes he can't fix anything with/for Robby. The Diazs have always been a "do-over" family for Johnny. Their purpose is not genuine but is for Johnny to use them to feel better for his past and present failures with Robby. This is all in the writing. Hence, Johnny's words in s6e8 as well: "I've tried my best to get myself together, be a good guy. Things like this happen, and it feels like I could lose everything all over again." Just like how, when he risked his own life for no reason at all in s5e10, he was also focused on everything he himself would lose.

Johnny's "do-over" "family"

Now, one thing that stuck out to me was that really important family stuff was going on, and Robby wasn't included. In fact, Robby was left behind, and he actually drank for the first time (which is... smh... another post that needs to be made). But, it really sticks out that, like the scenes in s6e5 where Johnny and Carmen feel the baby kicking and then Miguel comes in with his Stanford deferment news, Robby's not there.

The writers purposely exclude Robby from these heartfelt scenes of the family. In this episode, like in s6e5, both the baby plot device and Miguel got focus, but not Robby. Interesting... like in Carmen's dream in s5e4...

When Daniel found Johnny packing, Johnny told Daniel that he told Miguel but made no mention of Robby, and told Daniel to tell the others. Johnny seemed to have left Robby out. Later, when Robby asked Sam if she'd spoken to Miguel before he left, it made me wonder if Miguel had spoken to him either. It's possible that neither Johnny nor Miguel spoke to him before they left.

And when Carmen commented that the baby's big brother will win the world tournament, she only says "brother" singular. Yes, she's talking about Miguel, who is in the room, but this baby has two brothers competing in the tournament. Miguel is also not the brother who is the captain and would be competing in the final rounds.

Robby's existence was excluded from this situation completely.

This is one of many reasons I'm still saying that the whole blended "family" isn't meant to last. It will either be Johnny and Robby only in the end, because Johnny relationships with the Diazs are not healthy and are intentionally and explicitly built/written at Robby's expense. Or, it will be that Johnny and Robby won't have a relationship in the end and Johnny will live "happily", dysfunctionally ever after with the Diazs.

(Sidebar - It can actually be Johnny and Robby only in the end because this show has had its dark moments, and most recently Kwon died in front of everyone in a horrific way. And, the setup for something happening to the baby plot device (and maybe Carmen as well) is now there. I'm not saying I want this. I don't, for sure. I think if they go this route than they truly shouldn't have included the baby plot device at all. But given a lot of their decisions so far, they don't care about taking the moral or socially-acceptable approach to portraying serious topics---for example, intentionally framing Johnny's neglect and abuse of Robby, which benefits the Diazs, as wholesome and sympathetic is one of those things. At this point, I'd like to see no Johnny-Robby relationship in the end. Leave Johnny in his toxic relationships with the Diazs for all I care (though I do feel bad for Johnny cause he doesn't deserve to be stuck in dysfunctional relationships either) but get Robby away from these toxic people. That is how I want this story to go now.)

Anyway, leaving Robby out of these important family scenes, while also never giving him a scene with Johnny and Carmen in which they are, specifically Johnny is, focused on Robby's issues in a meaningful way is quite telling. The essay scene in s6e2 included Robby, but Robby was there (1) to point out that he was still being scapegoated for the school fight while the whole "family", including Johnny, were still going along with that, and (2) for Johnny to dismiss Robby after Robby brought up his struggles for his future. Then, a literal waterfall of shit rained down on Miguel's essay and this false "family".

Again, this all shows that Robby's place in the family is essentially non-existent. I mean, is it even surprising?

This "family" situation is meant to be another trauma that Johnny inflicts onto Robby.

Look at how the family was put together, or more specifically, how Robby was beaten into place by Johnny and Miguel, and then blinded-sided into people-pleasing because of the baby news. He's not a genuine part of this family, nor is he supposed to feel like he is, just like he's not being his genuine himself since that news.

In fact, I thought it was interesting that, in the locker room in s6e9, when Miguel said, "We're a family. All of us", Robby had a thoughtful expression and then stood and said, "Who are we?" and all the kids all said, "Miyagi-Do!"

Robby's family and home have always been Miyagi-Do.

Maybe this is one of a few reasons why he wasn't one of the "snakes on a plane".

Robby and Miguel

This "friendship" / "brotherhood" is one-sided. Keeping in mind that Miguel has never taken accountability with Robby and keeping in mind all of Miguel's other behavior towards Robby so far, nothing about Miguel's behavior in part 2 was surprising.

At first, Miguel's being a whiny bitch because he didn't get the captain spot and then Johnny was "disregarding him". He and everyone were blaming Robby and were upset with Robby for not having focus, even though he wasn't the only one doing poorly. Way to not be a supportive "friend" or "brother" but to be an unsupportive bully and asshole instead.

Then, after tearing Robby down, Miguel was only supportive of him after two things happened. That is, for two reasons: (1) Miguel got Johnny's confirmation again that Miguel will be Johnny's priority. Miguel was upset because he wasn't getting Johnny's attention the way he wanted---as his "son". So, as long as he got more attention than Robby, who actually does need Johnny's attention way more, Miguel was now happy with Johnny and hence happy with Robby. (2) Carmen made Miguel promise to win.

Miguel only became supportive of Robby after Johnny chose Miguel over Robby again. And the fact that he called Robby "messed up: shows Miguel's true feelings about Robby.

Miguel had called Robby "messed up" for no reason at all other than jealousy, just like Miguel had felt entitled to break Robby's arm for no reason at all in the school fight after Miguel attacked Robby for no reason other than jealousy.

Robby is still a punching bag for Miguel if not physically then verbally, and even when Robby's not present.

Again, this is all par for the course for Miguel. I'm not seeing anything different that hasn't always been there this whole time.

All of their history and Miguel's behavior up until s6e8 is why I doubt the intentions behind Miguel's "peptalk" with Robby in s6e9. Miguel wanted to win. He'd promised Carmen they would, so Miguel was now doing the opposite of what he had done before. Now he was supporting and telling him what he needed to hear in order for them to win.

In part 2, another rivalry was resolved in which both parties acknowledged their wrongs. In fact, Anthony even drank a laxative to make it up to Kenny and prove that he was truly sorry for what he had done in the past and for starting things, even though he hadn't been the one to put the laxative in Kenny's water.

In contrast, Miguel has never taken accountability with Robby for their rivalry that Miguel had started. Instead, even now, Miguel made sure that he is still Johnny's number one before Miguel started to support Robby again after (1) Miguel was bullying Robby for not having focus, and (2) insulting Robby as a way to attack Johnny.

The Johnny-loves-Robby hints

So, every season, there are hints, or I guess seeds, of Johnny's love for Robby.

Johnny is not codependent in his relationship with Robby, so Robby doesn't get the open "love" and "caring" that Miguel and Carmen get from Johnny.

This is really important to understand about Johnny's behavior/relationship with Robby.

Throughout part 2, we were shown the same hints of love that Johnny has for Robby, although they get no screentime together and Johnny has yet to makes amends and prove to Robby that Johnny is truly remorseful for what he has done to him. Johnny is still avoidant in this regard.

Although, to Robby, Johnny denied Robby's reality about his future, Johnny told Miguel that the tournament is all that Robby has for his future because he's not going to college. Again, Johnny's lack of actually trying to help Robby outside of training him for the tournament is glaring. He doesn't help Robby find alternatives to karate and also tells Robby a lie about his future prospects---it's a lie because Johnny himself doesn't believe that Robby has a future, not that this is actually true. Again, Robby just needs an adult to be there for him and to truly help him, which he doesn't have. For himself even, Johnny sees the tournament as his big shot. Also, in s6e6, at the sponsor's table, when the sponsor mentioned that winning dojos and champions are taken care of, Johnny asked "Like paying for college." He was very likely thinking about Miguel. Johnny doesn't believe that Robby can go to college, and in s6e2, Carmen told Johnny that he essentially needs to help pay for Miguel's college.

In the locker room in s6e7, Johnny's speech was a projection of his own failures onto the kids' possible futures. It's interesting that, as the kids walked out, Robby was the last one to leave. Johnny stepped towards Robby and said his name, but Robby said "Sorry, Dad" and left too. This was the closest we got to seeing Johnny try to have a conversation with Robby.

At least, we got a moment of Johnny defending Robby's win to Miguel, calling it fair and square.

Johnny also told Miguel to leave Robby out of their issues. At least that was Johnny's immediate reaction to Miguel's verbal attack on Robby. Later, after Miguel cold-shouldered Johnny, Johnny basically did put his relationship with Miguel above his relationship with Robby again. Also, although Johnny called Miguel "my son too", Johnny has been treating Miguel like more than his son, whereas Johnny still treats Robby like a stranger or a random student, for the most part.

Johnny is incapable of healthy relationships. He's caught between two extremes: He's codependent with the Diazs, while he neglects and abuses Robby. These relationships also aren't independent of each other. Johnny is still choosing Miguel/Diazs over Robby, as part 2 continues to show.

Regardless, Robby is and will always be an issue that Miguel has with Johnny in their relationship. Robby will always be an issue in their relationship, in general. Johnny uses Miguel to make up for his failures with Robby, and Miguel feels that he is more entitled to Johnny than Robby is.

Johnny did hug Robby after Robby's win against Kwon, which also knocked the Cobras out of the tournament (temporarily). So that was nice to see. But, it was just so quick and related to the tournament, so it wasn't a real focus, unlike Johnny's conversations with Miguel and Devon had been---Johnny's do-over kids.

During the brawl, Johnny frantically trying to get to Robby was something to note. Johnny wasn't able to get to him though.

There were also two small moments before this though that also stood out to me:

In s6e10, when Chozen said to Daniel and Johnny that Sam and Robby need their senseis and need their fathers, Johnny's expression was one of worry or self-reflection.

Johnny keeps failing to be there for Robby as he needs.

In fact, Johnny's not ready for this baby plot device either. When Carmen said that she's [the baby's] so luck to have him as a dad, he had the same reaction.

This was just a few hours after Miguel had called Robby "messed up" because of Johnny's behavior. Carmen and Miguel are aware of Johnny's flaws, yet never encourage him to get better.

At the baby shower in s6e3, just minutes before Carmen told Johnny that she can't wait for his daughter to meet him, Daniel commented to Johnny that he never only has one drink.

They all know Johnny's an alcoholic.

Johnny tells Miguel in s6e8, "I've tried my best to get myself together, be a good guy." This is simply not true. He doesn't want to improve a lot of his behaviors, his drinking being one of those things.

Sadly, in this episode Robby drank and got drunk for the first time, and he messed up (at least that's how he and Tory talked about it, though his conscious decisions that night beyond his decision to drink are unclear). It's so telling that Miguel literally commented about Johnny messing up things, including Robby, because of his alcoholism, and in this same episode, Robby had his first drink to cope with his problems. Robby's goal is to not become like Johnny, and this first drink is sadly a step down a path to become like Johnny. (Robby's part 2 stuff is definitely getting it's own post.)

The writers have made this Johnny-Robby-Diaz situation an "either/or" situation this whole time, and this situation is meant to cause Robby more trauma. They literally set up Johnny's decision in s1e4 as a "do over". All of Johnny and Miguel's heartfelt conversations about their own relationship are in the context of Johnny's failures with Robby, Miguel's belief in his entitlement of Johnny over Robby's, and Johnny using Miguel to feel better about his own failures with Robby. In s5, Johnny talked about the baby only in terms of Johnny's failures with Robby. Robby is treated in the writing as not a member of this "family", which given the circumstances in which he was forced into it, is telling.

I wonder what will happen between Johnny and Robby now. Like I said, I'd always believed that Johnny and Robby only would be endgame, but after part 2, I'm wondering if Johnny and Robby are meant to be endgame at all. Regardless, there is no setup that genuinely includes Robby in Johnny's "do-over" "family". Given all the setup, no ending for Johnny and Robby's relationship will be satisfying. I just hope that, by the end of the story, Robby is no longer stuck in this abusive situation.

Overall, I get people being upset about the story. I am too. But, I also see so much nuance in the story that I wonder where all this will lead. (Billy's answer to this interview question (at 4:36) is also interesting. While, Tanner's answer in this other interview (at 2:00) is interesting as well, though I don't like Tanner's lack of compassion for Robby. Maybe Tanner doesn't get that in canon Johnny hasn't changed his behavior with Robby.)

(As always, please don't comment or reblog with dismissive comments about the nuance in the story. The nuance is part of the story, and the story is exploring important topics like trauma, bullying, neglect, and dysfunctional relationships.)

[purpleheartskies]

(SPOILERS for s6 part 2!!! I know I said no more posts before it came out, but I watched the sneak peak and this stuck out to me.)

After they found out that Tory has been working with Kreese. (S5E9)

Miguel: "Did you know about any of this?"

Robby: "No... I had no idea."

After they found out that Tory went back to Kreese and rejoined Cobra Kai. (S6E1)

Sam: "Did you know?"

Robby: "No... I swear."

Miguel and Sam are immediately suspicious of Robby when it comes to Tory and Kreese/Cobra Kai. Instead of assuming that he did know, they should assume that he didn't know.

Miguel and Sam both have a history of assuming the worst of Robby or doubting him. Hard to say that they're truly his friends, trust him, or are loyal to him. I mean, neither have even taken accountability with Robby and both act like Robby is solely at fault for Miguel and Robby's rivalry and their school fight, so this fits too.

In the current situation, Robby knew about her convo with Kreese but not about her joining Kreese. Still, they'll probably blame him because he didn't say anything about Kreese. Robby kept that secret because he trusted Tory.

I don't think Robby will blame Tory. He didn't look angry. He'll probably blame himself due to his exaggerated self-blame and if the others blame him not saying anything about Kreese.

And.. oh, yeah! I saw that look!

Part 2 is going to be rough for sweet Robby. He better finally start getting some real payoffs!

[purpleheartskies]

Following up on my recent post, I've been thinking about the conversation in s5e8 of Johnny recapping the avts and the boys just agreeing with everything he was saying.

Ugh... Johnny, Miguel, and Hawk all know that Robby was cheated out of the avt win the first time. They all know Miguel had cheated and Hawk had played a role in disadvantaging Robby in his fight against Miguel. Hawk and Miguel had each attacked Robby between rounds in their matches against him.

But, really. The fact that Johnny literally said that Hawk had injured Robby but then left out that Miguel had injured Robby too is so infuriating. All of them act like they're better than Robby and like Miguel and Hawk did absolutely nothing wrong to him---as if, the end of the school fight and the head shaving weren't a reaction to their behavior towards him (in Miguel's case) or people he cares about (in Hawk's case).

"There's a difference between someone consistently acting in toxic ways as a character trait [Johnny/Miguel/Hawk] and someone reacting out of character in response to abusive behavior [Robby]." (This is a quote about real people, but it applies so well to these characters.)

Johnny is a heartless pos coward who still can't even take accountability with his own son and instead abuses and emotionally neglects him, after abandoning and neglecting him his whole life. I often think of this next quote when I think of Robby's situation with Johnny.

"It can clear up a lot of confusion around childhood trauma, when you realize abandonment is not only when someone walks away. It's also when someone who is meant to protect you, allows others to hurt you."

Johnny has done this time and time again. The apartment fight had been the latest occurrence and was fucked up, and Johnny and Miguel proved that they're still Cobra Kai through and through with their continued abusive/bullying ways. In this conversation, Johnny also acted like what the other boys had done to Robby in the first avt didn't matter; that it either didn't happen (in Miguel's case) or wasn't a big deal (in Hawk's case).

It's so ridiculous that Miguel had called Robby "runner-up", as if Miguel desperately cheating to win against an injured Robby was something to be proud of and made Miguel a real champion. Miguel had also quit the next tournament. At least Robby had fought with honor in both tournaments and didn't abandon his team or girlfriend in the second one. Miguel didn't even bother to stick around and support Sam. In their phone call in s5e1, Sam had even reminded Miguel what fighting Tory meant for her, and Miguel gaslit her in response by minimizing her trauma due to Tory as just "karate". In turn, Robby had come back out to support Tory for her match, despite his own loss, mental state, and not wanting be Cobra Kai anymore, because he cared about the importance of the match to Tory.

Miguel is a narcissistic asshole. I don't care what anyone says. I'm not going to pretend like there's nothing wrong with his behavior. I mean, look at his reaction when Johnny leaves out Miguel's cheating ways.

There is seriously something wrong with how he consistently behaves about all his past actions towards Robby (and others) including those before the school fight, freaking gaslighting others to shift the blame from himself, having no regrets about his actions except "showing mercy", and having no empathy for the person he himself had put into a "fight" response situation that led to his own injury. You can't assault someone and then get upset if they fight back in the moment. Suddenly stopping, saying "I'm sorry", and expecting the other person to immediately realize that you're no longer a threat and be completely okay with you is an entitled and abusive mentality that shows a lack of self-awareness.

And then there's Hawk. Freaking moron called Robby an "asshole". Ha! Hawk became one of the top assholes of Cobra Kai, alongside Miguel and Johnny of course. In fact, in this conversation, Robby was in the presence of some of the worst assholes of Cobra Kai. Johnny and Miguel had proven with the apartment fight that they're still Cobra Kai. Hawk was still channeling that Cobra Kai energy too. Right before the trial match, he told Robby that he'll "shut [Kenny] up" in their match, but Robby reminded him to have empathy.

When Robby was in Cobra Kai, he wasn't an asshole. Hawk was purposely intimidating a younger kid, and Robby's intentions were to protect that kid from Hawk, who had (1) purposely dislocated Robby's shoulder over a taunt during a verbal back and forth which Hawk himself had started, (2) tried to gang assault his former best friend over a silly yelp review, and (3) broken his former best friend's arm for no reason at all..., just like Miguel had wanted to break Robby's arm for no reason at all in the school fight. Robby knows that just because you "ally" with Miyagi-Do doesn't mean you suddenly change or are "good guys" now, which Johnny and Miguel are proof of. Hawk had also wanted to fight Robby immediately when Hawk had seen Robby at the CK dojo for the first time since the school fight. Like, asshole, you act like a psycho, breaking people's arms on purpose for no reason at all, and then act like you're a better person than one of the persons that you had previously assaulted over a slight. Nah! Hawk's still completely lacking in self-awareness about all that. The humbling he got by Kenny in the ST trial match and by Demetri during the selections in s6e4 was well-deserved.

All three of these assholes were just sitting here acting like they'd never done anything wrong to Robby. They're so entitled and lacking in humility. (Well, now Hawk seems to have some humility but only because it was forced on him.) Robby had taken accountability with both these boys by this point, and they couldn't even do him the courtesy of taking accountability in return. Of course, Johnny, especially, is a lost cause pos, and he'll always be one. He'll continue to allow Miguel and anyone to hurt Robby whenever it benefits Johnny himself.

And for Miguel to claim that Hawk deserves to represent them, even though he's the reason Robby had to fight Miguel with an injured arm in the first avt final. Seriously? Miguel: "Duhhrr... Im'ma gaslight again. We attacked and cheated Robby out of a win, so he doesn't deserve to represent us." smh... Hawk taking part in taking away Robby's chance at a win and not admitting it canceled out his own win in the second avt and made him undeserving.

This all makes Robby being the captain for Miyagi-Do in the Sekai Taikai even more meaningful. Robby represents Miyagi-Do the most, and he's going to represent Miyagi-Do's legacy on the world stage. Of these 3 boys, he deserves that captain spot the most. For the trial match, it was basically decided that, because he was cheated out of a victory the first time and came in second the second time, that he didn't deserve to represent them in the trials. Now, for the actual Sekai Taikai itself, Hawk didn't even make it into the top 4 and was pushed out of the top 6. That was some more humbling that he deserved. And Miguel...

Let's see that replay!

This Near-Villain Victory still makes me so gleeful. Miguel was so sure that he'd win. He'd even tried to gaslight Robby that he himself needs the win more because his own future matters more.

People keep talking about how the idea had been thrown around in the writers' room that Miguel wouldn't even make it into the top 6 and would have been Tory's replacement, which I assume would have still been to create tension between him and Robby. But, people don't even consider that, even though the writers did add Miguel into the top 4, they still gave him a humiliating loss that villains get in stories. lmao

To insert Robby having a villain-trope victory against Miguel---Robby's one and only definitive win against him---as Robby's Hero's Journey heads into the climax... lmao That's some low-key vicious writing against Miguel right there that clearly indicates the role that each boy has in the story.

[purpleheartskies]

Thought I'd share some of my thoughts about the trailer for part 2.

I guess I should get this out of the way first. I'm aware of the "leaks", and honestly, most don't make sense when considered together and they're only about limited parts of the story. For example, are there leaks about closed-set scenes? I'm curious about more of the interpersonal interactions between the characters. Are there pictures that substantiate all of the "leaks"? I've mostly just seen comments and words.

Besides, Tanner seems very stoked, and I'm happy for him. He's always cared about Robby's character, so I assume Tanner's enthusiasm is a good sign.

Regardless, I'm writing this post with what we have from canon up until s6e5 and what is in the trailer and other official marketing material in mind.

Overall, I liked the trailer and wasn't disappointed by it, in the sense that as a trailer it did it's job of making me generally excited and intrigued about part 2. I think the s4 trailer is still my favorite, a huge reason being the hopes I had for the direction of the story were still possible. Plus, I love that Robby was the only teen to have his lines in the trailer along with the senseis. It had been a Robby-focused trailer. Though, this part 2 trailer gave off that vibe to me too. Interestingly, none of Robby's lines are in this trailer, but there's a lot of him and his interactions/relationships hinted at.

I had started writing a draft about Robby and Tory for part 1 but then held off on it, thinking that I'd wait for part 2. I'm glad that I did. Tbh, I don't judge Tory for joining Kreese in Cobra Kai. I also don't judge Robby for his behavior in ep 5. I have more thoughts about each of them that I may share in a short post before part 2. I'm really curious though to see how things go for them individually and for their relationship... and if we'll get any context about what happened after Tory left the dojo to when CK arrives at the ST. (I assume we will.) I do ship keenry, though have never expected them to be endgame in the series. I hope they end on a good note, though.

I'm not surprised at all about Miguel's behavior with Robby in the trailer, nor am I surprised by how some fans are twisting it as Miguel just being "brotherly" in a good way. No lol. Miguel's being his typical asshole self. It's not just that he's frustrated with Robby and basically telling him "You're throwing away the opportunity you stole from me," Miguel's also trying to lead the team while they're on the mat. In the first gif above, he's leading the huddle and then he's shown saying "Come on, y'all. Let's go." Given the order they're standing in, these are two different huddles. An encouraging person wouldn't get in someone's face like that or try to take over. But, given all of Miguel's other behaviors that gets praised by his fans, this praise is not surprising.

Miguel also angrily leaves the locker room. That's not "hero" or mature behavior. He's being a diva. I saw someone comment about Demetri's negativity. Well, Miguel's behavior doesn't lend any positivity either. It's funny that his fans claim that he's mature, but he lacks emotional maturity. He also lacks many of the typical hero traits for an underdog in a sports underdog story. No humility on his part and no encouragement for his peers that doesn't have a selfish reason behind it. Miguel is in it to win it for himself, no one else. I also noticed that Hawk starts to get up as Miguel leaves. I assume he's still Miguel's loyal follower at this point. Or, he's going to offer to talk to him, but that's not like Hawk's character. We'll have to see.

Oh, and the fact that Miguel's lurking around while the senseis train the captains is just annoying. Like, why can't Miguel just go away for once and let our legacy characters be? He's a plot device who's main purpose is to keep the conflict ever-present amongst these characters.

Reflecting on Miguel obviously taking the lead on the mat, I wonder if Miguel cries to Johnny and then Johnny tells Robby to let Miguel lead on the mat. That is probably why Miguel's also present in the captain training scenes, even though Miguel isn't a captain. He and his fans are having a hard time coming to terms with that.

Something isn't right in this situation if the guy without the headband is inserting himself in the captains' trainings and is taking over during matches. It's Johnny's and Daniel's jobs to support Robby and Sam as leaders. If they let Miguel assert himself as a psuedo-leader, then they fail as senseis and mentors to Robby and Sam. But, at this point, Johnny and Daniel failing is on par for them.

Not many other thoughts on the senseis. Overall, the trailer did have more of a Miyagi-Do centric feel to it. For example, it's interesting that they showed Kreese and Daniel's conversation about having something to lose, despite Johnny and Kreese having a lot of unresolved conflict left. There's also so little focus on Johnny or his arc in the trailer itself.

I feel sorry for these kids, in general. They're stuck with Johnny and Daniel as senseis. These two are too absorbed in their own issues. I think the dojo starts out doing poorly, but Chozen shows up and that helps change the attitude on the team.

Is this Chozen that Robby smiles to? Could be. Not sure.

When it comes to Robby, I was pleasantly surprised by how much he's featured. It's interesting that they showed scenes of Robby dealing with Miguel, Kwon, and Axel in sequence (first gif), given that these will be Robby's 3 main antagonists/opponents in this part/tournament.

No doubt, Robby's arc will be really bumpy in this part. He not only has to deal with his teammates, one of which is his bully and seems to be attempting a mutiny. He has to deal with whatever unresolved situation he has with Tory. He has to deal with Kwon getting in his head using Tory. He has to deal with new opponents, especially Kwon and Axel. He also has to deal with his continued lack of support from the adults, other than them training him in karate. No doubt, he'll have to continue dealing with whatever emotional neglect and abuse Johnny will continue to subject him to.

Of course, I will mention that having so many stakes at this stage makes sense for Robby. Part 2 and the ST track with being the next stage in the Hero's Journey---The Resurrection.

"The Road Back [Part 1] allows the hero — and the reader and audience — to see the light at the end of the tunnel, if not for a few brief moments. [Robby's captaincy win!] It then introduces more conflict, higher stakes, and reveals everything that is at risk going into the climax of the protagonist's journey. And the climax of your hero's journey encompasses The Resurrection stage. If you've employed The Road Back stage of the Hero's Journey within your story, you've done the necessary work to set up the high stakes. And make no mistake, the climax of your story has to have your protagonist dealing with the highest stakes they've ever experienced. It's the big fight, the final showdown, the emotional confrontation — everything that your protagonist has been preparing for throughout their entire journey has led up to this final moment or sequence."

This is supposed to be a near-death / death experience that the character is "reborn" from. Now, depending on the type of story, this can be literal (think Buffy the Vampier Slayer s1 and her death/resurrection in the finale), but in most stories, it's figurative. It's the point in the story where the character's old "self" dies and they become their new "self".

"The best type of stories showcases a character arc that culminates to a real transformation. If you follow the stages of the Hero's Journey within your story, there's a reason that we show the protagonist in their Ordinary World to start — we need to see the beginning of their arc. In The Karate Kid, if we don't see the angry, resentful, and weak Daniel from New Jersey, we won't feel an empathetic connection with the young man that faces his bullies and fears. The climax stage of Campbell and Vogler's structure is the ultimate culmination of what the hero has learned and been through. We need to see the hero resurrected in this final act. Gone is the character we met in the Ordinary World. Now we must see them apply what they've learned through their many tests and conflicts. And this climax begins with that resurrection, whether it be physical or emotional. When Daniel goes down during his semifinal fight, there's a moment where he and his allies (Ali, his mother, and Mr. Miyagi) believe that his journey is over — that he has done all that he can to prove himself. When Daniel shares his feelings about balance, Mr. Miyagi realizes that Daniel must be given a chance to fight in the final bout against Johnny. It's less about Daniel's revenge and more about him being able to attain the balance he seeks in life. And that is when Daniel is given the reward of resurrection." (screencraft)

In a positive growth arc, the character will choose their "truth" over their "lie". They will embrace their "need" and give up their "want" and start moving forward permanently. In Robby's case, his "want" is to have a relationship with Johnny and his "need" is to believe in himself and "find balance". It's very possible that, to "find balance", Robby realizes that he must let go of Johnny and the want of a relationship with him. After all, narratively, a real relationship with Johnny has been kept unattainable to Robby, despite Robby seemingly having obtained that Reward after facing his Ordeal. Johnny refuses to grow (he truly doesn't want to and deludes himself that he has already grown), and the only way for Johnny and Robby to have a relationship is for Johnny to grow.

In turn, Johnny's Resurrection stage is next too. Johnny's "want" is to feel better about himself, so he keeps chasing after people who make him feel that way, even at Robby detriment. Johnny's "need" is to face his past trauma due to Kreese and to make amends with Robby directly. When Johnny is ready to make those amends, it's possible that Robby will have moved on from him, which Johnny most definitely deserves.

These are just some thoughts. Trailers are meant to market and build hype and are not accurate summaries of what will happen. At this point, I'm also trying to refrain from making specific predictions or having specific hopes because, as always, you can never know what a writer will have in store for their characters and plot, and in the case of CK, it's nearing the end of the story anyway.

[purpleheartskies]

Keeping the peace

In s5e1, Robby started people-pleasing with Johnny, putting Johnny's needs above his own.

In s5e5, Robby was forced to fight and essentially submit to Miguel (and Carmen) in order to not get abandoned by Johnny, who only cared about putting together his dream "family" with the Diazs, Robby, and the baby plot device (that was obviously introduced to worsen Johnny's dysfunctional behavior towards Robby so that Robby's traumas and mental health would worsen). Robby started people-pleasing completely after Johnny dropped the baby news and then said that they have to act excited.

In s5e8, Johnny shut Robby down when he commented about Johnny giving fatherly advice to Miguel and not to Robby. Robby laughed off his own comment as a joke when Johnny got annoyed. After shutting Robby down, Johnny proudly claimed that, with them on the same team, they can win the Sekai Taikai.

In the college essay scene in s6e2, Robby also spoke his mind for a moment only to take back his words.

In a recent post, I talked about the similarities in these two scenes. Johnny was being there for Miguel and supporting him, while not being there for Robby or giving him any support. In the latter scene, Johnny also took part in (well, continued to take part in) scapegoating Robby, as part of supporting Miguel. Johnny shut down Robby by denying his reality and presenting one that is acceptable to Johnny. Johnny then followed that by talking about winning the Sekai Taikai or the benefits from winning it. Robby had to sacrifice his voice to keep the peace with his emotionally immature, neglectful, and abusive father.

In s5e8, Johnny also recapped the boy's avt matches:

Johnny: "All right, boys. We have a choice to make, and it's not gonna be easy. You're all badass fighters, but only one of you can get on the mat tomorrow. All right, Hawk's the current All Valley champ. But it could've gone either way. Diaz is last year's champ, and that could've gone either way. [Robby's silent head nod in agreement.] Even though Hawk injured Robby in the semis, Hawk didn't have to fight in the semis this year because Diaz booked it to Mexico. Point being, you're all deserving. LaRusso, Chozen, and I are having a hard time deciding which of you should go up against Cobra Kai. Maybe we should just flip a coin."

Johnny completely left out that Miguel had cheated to win the match by yanking on Robby's injured arm. Johnny said it could have gone either way, which really wasn't true. Robby nodded in agreement, though. Then, Johnny apathetically mentioned Hawk getting disqualified for injuring Robby.

Miguel: "We don't need to flip any coins. We actually already made up out minds." Robby: "Yeah. We talked about it, and there's only one choice." Miguel: "It should be Hawk." Robby: "He beat me fair and square." Miguel: "And, I bowed out of the last tournament. He deserves to represent us."

Miguel said that they (he and Robby) had talked and decided that Hawk should fight in the trial match. Robby agreed and stated that Hawk had won their avt final "fair and square". Robby's comment is a jab at Miguel's cheating win against him, which nobody spoke up about. Miguel never got a "fair and square" win.

Johnny had said that they all deserved the trial spot, but Miguel had cheated the first time and quit the second time. Hawk had injured Robby the first time and won the second time. Robby had not lost "fair and square" to Miguel, but Robby had lost "fair and square" to Hawk. Technically, Miguel didn't deserve to represent them, no matter what. Should Robby getting second place twice be the reason that he didn't deserve to represent them?

In this scene, Robby sat on the left side, in the 2nd place position, next to Miguel, while Miguel sat in the 1st place, center position in front of Johnny. (The second place spot on the winners' podium is usually on the left of the winner if you're looking at the podium from the front, like from Johnny's line of sight/perspective in that scene. From this perspective, Hawk was in 3rd place.)

This conversation about the avts is quite telling. It's another conversation in which Johnny denies Robby's reality and presents the one Johnny views as acceptable. This scene occurs between the fatherly advice scene at the beginning of the episode and the scene after the trials of Robby smiling super happily, him and Miguel with their arms around each other's shoulders, as Johnny tells them that they can have a party to celebrate winning a spot in the ST. Right before this, Johnny had quoted Rocky to the judge: "If I can change, and you can change. Everyone can change." Sure, Johnny... you haven't changed. You've just changed your reality and are forcing it onto Robby.

The direct correlation between Robby's courtyard shadowboxing scene in s6e5 and the conversation in s5e8 about the avts is also really telling.

"Diaz is last year's champ, and that could've gone either way."

In s2e1, Robby had accused Johnny of telling Miguel to fight dirty against him. In s5e8, Johnny pretended like Miguel had never fought dirty at all. In fact, Johnny hadn't even acknowledged Robby's injury when Johnny had mentioned Miguel's "win", and Johnny of course left out that Miguel had kept targeting Robby's injury, especially targeting it between rounds. Johnny simply said that their match could have gone either way. Johnny mentioned the injury only wrt the semis. Robby inserted a comment that Hawk had beat him "fair and square" in the s4 avt, which I've always thought was an oddly specific way to describe Hawk's win in s4 in the midst of Johnny glossing over what truly happened wrt Miguel's win in s1. Johnny had essentially claimed that Miguel had won "fair and square". Robby had nodded in silent agreement to this, but Robby's "fair and square" comment about Hawk's win was a subtle call out that Miguel's win hadn't been fair and square. Robby himself recognizes the nature of Miguel's win not being "fair and square", even though this has never been acknowledged officially (Miguel got to keep his dirty-win title and trophy) and the others stopped acknowledging this after the school fight. In the shadowboxing scene, Robby rubbed his injured shoulder as he flashed back to the tournament. Sadly, the injustices in Robby's life wrt to Miguel's actions against him are no longer recognized by anyone, and may never be, because of what happened at the end of the school fight.

Miguel has never won against Robby fair and square. In s6e5, it was so satisfying to see Robby finally win against Miguel and it was fair and square. Their match also highlighted that, had Robby's balance not been off in the s4 avt, Robby would have easily beaten Hawk, who hadn't even made it into the top 4 in s6e4.

Miguel said that he and Robby had talked about Hawk representing them in the trials. I've wondered since s5, did Miguel "convince"/gaslight Robby that Hawk deserves to represent them more than Robby does? Since s6 part 1, I've wondered even more, was the s5e8 conversation like the one in the courtyard in s6e5? Did Miguel take the same approach? Of course, in the s6e5 one, Robby had found his voice again because of Tory's belief in him. I was proud of Robby in this scene. He stood up to his bully and stayed firm.

No doubt, Robby has been keeping the peace with Johnny since s5e5 and had started doing so in s5e1. Robby's still struggling with his balance, which was clearly shown in s6e5. In s4e10, Robby had talked about his "hate" for Johnny and Miguel. This "hate", his traumas, is constantly with him. As Robby heads into the ST, he doesn't have Tory's support, nor anyone else's. Robby's alone again and more off-balance than before, seeing as Tory has rejoined Cobra Kai.

In part 2, I hope that Robby starts to find his voice more. Just acknowledging and speaking about his traumas and telling off Johnny may help Robby calm some of the chaos inside. Sadly, Johnny will not respond maturely or kindly. I hope Robby realizes that his worth and place in life isn't defined by Johnny or anyone else, that he himself defines those for himself.

It's disappointing that this is what the story has come to. I always wanted Johnny and Robby to win a tournament together as sensei and student, but I wanted it to be with them healing individually and as father and son. I always wanted Johnny to grow and prove himself to Robby. The onus is on Johnny to step up and do better. After everything that's happened, it really doesn't matter now if Johnny does. Johnny doesn't deserve Robby as a son, nor to be by his side while he wins the ST or to have Robby in his life. Robby's win in the ST will be more meaningful if it comes with him standing up to his ultimate rival in the story: Johnny, his behavior, and the trauma that Johnny has been passing down to Robby.