talk shop tuesday - you once mentioned the 'Robby Lawrence' AU and I would love love love to know more about that, and how Johnny having been present in Robby's life would change things in this 'verse (beyond Robby getting some decent parental figures in his life for once).
Oooh there’s a deep cut 😅 last time I talked about that was a couple years back! Here’s the initial post about it if anyone’s curious.
This is also a bit longer than I expected (even tho I only hit some of the highlights 😅) so the rest is below the cut:
So Johnny being more present in Robby's life would also probably improve things with Shannon, because really, I think a lot of Robby's issues with Shannon had to do with the fact that she was trying her level best but she wasn't prepared to be a single mom. She was relying on Johnny to help parent Robby, and of course that never happened in canon—Johnny kept letting her down. But with Johnny more present, I think the two of them would be on better terms with each other and with Robby! They wouldn't be together as a couple, but they're co-parents and friends, and they love Robby, and Robby loves them. So from the jump, there's a more stable relationship.
Also, I mentioned he meets Sam in elementary school* and they strike up a friendship. A one-sided, Shirbert-esque academic rivalry at first (serious from Sam's end, not so much from Robby's end), but then it becomes more playful over time. As a result, Robby also has Daniel and Amanda as...maybe or maybe not parental figures, but definitely trusted adults. Especially Amanda—I love how much those two just get each other, and of course I gotta keep it in this AU idea.
Robby gets pulled into the Miyagi-Do stuff much earlier—Johnny's wary about it, but he and Daniel have resolved their differences by now (especially since Shannon and Amanda are best friends and keep glaring at them whenever they start fighting, so they've been lovingly bullied into reconciling), so Johnny trusts Daniel with Robby. And he sees Robby flourish—he was always a fairly happy kid since meeting Sam, but with karate in particular, it's like a sort of calmness follows him everywhere. Johnny even sits in on a few of Robby's classes, claiming it's to "keep an eye on them", but everyone knows it's because Johnny's kinda warming up to the idea of this more meditative style of karate. (It helps him too. He and Robby practice sparring, and they develop an in-between style of CK and MD together.)
Obviously Robby would be friends with Sam's friends too...well, at least Aisha, Demetri, and Eli**. Yasmine and Moon would rub him the wrong way, and he and Sam would argue a lot about it. Aisha, Demetri, and Eli cut ties with her, and Robby does too, telling Sam, "the girl I knew, who kept trying to befriend the loner new kid and didn't stop until it worked, would never side with the girl bullying her best friend. Come talk to me when you've gotten your head on straight." (Though of course, Robby jumps to her defense when the Kyler rumors pop up, frowning at Aisha when she says something snide. Miguel attacks Kyler before Robby can, and for that, Robby can admit the new kid is pretty cool.)
And he and Anthony would have kind of a...not a brotherly relationship at first, but a tentative respect relationship, that sort of evolves into a brotherly one over the years (when Anthony starts bullying Kenny, Robby's the one who drags him away by the ear and demands to know "what the hell do you think you're doing, Anthony LaRusso" and nips that rivalry in the bud, thank you very much)
Hmm what else...oh! Johnny opens Cobra Kai at the start of canon, Daniel gets pissed about it, but not as pissed as canon—remember, he knows Johnny here. So instead of doing something underhanded, he calls Johnny and demands to know what he thinks he's doing. Reminds him what Kreese did. Johnny snaps back that he doesn't need a reminder, and that it's a free country, he can do what he wants. Daniel has never spoken about KK3, but Johnny's always suspected there was something else, something about '85 that Daniel's not mentioning. He pries a little, but Daniel gets defensive. Tells him to be careful and hangs up. So that part's just slightly changed—it just means no underhanded tricks, more communication for them.
Oh and ofc regarding the romances, there wouldn't be any love triangle nonsense. Miguel would be jealous of Robby from way earlier (because remember, Robby jumped to Sam's verbal defense first), but Robby would say "no, dude, she's like a sister/best friend to me. Ask her out if you want. But...if my dad tries to give you advice, maybe take it with a grain of salt." (Miguel takes her to golf 'n stuff anyway, and Robby figures that's for the best. Casual is better for a first date). And of course with no jealousy nonsense, Miguel and Sam don't break up, so there's no Sam/Robby and Miguel/Tory in s2.
And, actually, Robby and Aisha are both the first to befriend Tory. Now, of course, Robby and Aisha both feel similarly about Sam—they both cut ties with her at the same time and both made amends with her at the same time. But also, Robby's always been the type to defuse the tension (this is a canon trait of his, which would likely carry over more here due to Daniel, Amanda, and Shannon's collective influences). So when Sam starts making accusations and Tory starts getting heated, Robby steps between them, tells them both to calm down, and tells Sam to explain what's going on. So she does, and Robby ropes Tory and Aisha into helping Sam (doesn't take too much convincing for the latter—remember, Aisha forgave Sam in 1x10). They find Amanda's wallet, all is well...and Sam apologizes for making assumptions. Tory's not sure what to make of her, so she just nods (as a result of this, they become friends much earlier).
There's probably more that would change, but these are the big things I can think of 😅 I...did not expect to get hooked on this idea again, but I so am. Thanks for the ask!
*Sam's an Encino kid, but she goes to public school, as Robby probably would too. So that's where they meet.
**Demetri, Eli, Aisha, and Sam all being childhood best friends is a long-standing headcanon of mine, so ofc it would be present here
talk shop tuesday!
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Final thoughts on Partner Track, good, but there is room for improvement if it gets green lit for a second season.
Ingrid & Nick - never was going to work, he was nice and did not deserve to be cheated on but he rushed it, and there was just no spark for me; basically, it’s a he’s perfect, but his not perfect for her sort of situation.
Ingrid not making partner - of fucking course not, someone who has to jump through that many hoops always gets taken for a fucking ride. They were just looking for an opportunity to not give it to her.
Green Crop vs Green Tech - Lemme get this out of the way ‘Z’ was the best male character in the entire show hands fucking down and I look forward to seeing him in the second season.
Rachel & Justin - I liked them, didn’t love them. Rachel was an okay character for me, but I didn’t connect to her as well as I thought I would.
Tyler (& Anthony) - Again I don’t condone cheating but THANK FUCK, Tyler choose to break up with Anthony I was livid during the NY Times scene, like LET THE MAN FUCKING SPEAK. Also good for Tyler for standing up for himself. Btw was I the only one who hoped Todd was secretly gonna be closeted gay cause him and Tyler had crazy chemistry.
Ingrid & Rachel & Tyler - love this friend group, where do I get a friend group like this?
Ingrid & Lina - I would like to see Lina get her shit together next season and maybe finally find her own path?
Ingrid & ‘Z’ - Um endgame anyone? Idk there is something there and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was explored either in the second season or the season’s afterwards.
Dan - Oh fucking Dan, seriously as true to life it was for him to get zero fucking consequences next season he needs to be taken down.
Now the kicker, Murphy & Ingrid, god that ending was painful. I love Dominic Sherwood so throughout the entire show I keep giving Murphy chance after chance and I still think there is potential for him to be the good guy in the end, that final scene still broke my heart. Yes all the characters have done questionable things, I don’t personally think it’s unforgivable but I think Murphy is just too underdeveloped.
I know they were trying to make him “mysterious” but I needed more than two very short conversations alluding to him having had a difficult life. If there is a second season I need them to really flesh him out whether Ingrid forgives him or not. I still stand by Murphy being the least developed character, which is a shame considering I watched the show in part for DS as well as Adren Cho. I also wish we’d gotten more than just a two second flashback two them having sex. All this “history” they have; show us the full flashback scene of how they meet.
Rating 7/10.
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