5 Best Surrogate Dads Vol. 1

Father's day is this week and as always I have to shout out my fellow dad's. I'm kicking things off with surrogate dad's in film and TV. The role of surrogate's in real life and in entertainment is often overlooked, but they play a very important role in folk's they affect life. So, here we are with 5 of the best surrogate dad's.

Coach Bombay

One of the greatest coaches' in sport's films history. Gordon Bombay was a successful but troubled lawyer who took a team of kid's who just needed someone to believe in them, and teach them the way's of winning. In the meantime, the team taught him that winning wasn't everything and helped him gain closure on some lingering issues from his youth that still haunted him. Coach Bombay mentored those kid's well into their adult years throughout the franchise. Making him one of the best surrogate fathers ever.

Bernie Mac

Based on his stand up routine, Bernie Mac's 2000's sitcom The Bernie Mac Show highlighted how anyone can be a dad. Taking in his nephew and two nieces, Bernie's style was a little rough and blunt (which the kid's needed), and sometimes he displayed annoyance with the situation he was put into. However with his wife Wanda by his side, Bernie Mac showed everything he did with those kid's was out of love.

Hopper (Stranger Things)

Hopper was the Chief of Police in Hawkins, who just went about life flowing a bit. When he became entangled in Will Byer's missing case and the things that lurk underneath Hawkins, he took to the young runaway Eleven. Eventually bringing her into his home to keep her safe and raising her as his own. Hopper at times could be over protective and hard on Eleven, but he wanted to give her as much of a normal childhood as possible. He also would fill in as the surrogate dad for the other Hawkins kid's when called upon, making him a great surrogate dad.

Rocky

Rocky Balboa had a son that he didn't pay full attention to nor have the best relationship with. He tried the surrogate dad role once in Rocky V, to an ungrateful Tommy Gunn. It wasn't until 2015's Creed that he truly took on that fatherly role. Strong armed into mentoring him by a persistent Adonis Creed, Rocky took his years of boxing wisdom and life mistakes to help mold Adonis. Training him to be a boxer, while acknowledging the hurt he had inside from never meeting his father. Rocky's relationship with Adonis, helped him work towards severing his relationship with Rocky Jr. 

Mr. Miyagi

Mr. Miyagi was a calm, philosophical older man who took a young man under his wing and helped him believed in himself. Daniel LaRusso was the new kid in town, angry at being in a new city and school. As well as still grieving from the loss of his father several years prior. Once Mr. Miyagi assisted him in learning martial arts to win a karate tournament, Daniel started to learn how karate and life are intertwined. Although still hot headed he learned to temper his anger and that everything doesn't require a fight. 

Daniel wasn't Mr. Miyagi's only pupil. He also trained young Julie Pierce who had similar issues as Daniel. She lost both her parent's and was an outcast at school, and Mr. Miyagi also took her under his wing. Teaching her as well to control her temper and make the best of things that make her happy. Taking on two youth's who just needed some guidance, is why Mr. Miyagi is the best surrogate dad ever.

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Julie Pierce Must Appear In Cobra Kai

 

The first half of the final season of Cobra Kai descends upon us next week. Recent trailers have shared that Mike Barnes will assist Daniel and Johnny in training their students for the Sekai Taikai tournament. The trailer also hints Mr. Miyagi has kept some "secrets", possibly a training philosophy he never shared? Or maybe he only one shared with one person?

That one person being his only other known pupil Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank in The Next Karate Kid. It's no secret that since Cobra Kai became a runaway hit starting with his first season on YouTube Red. Fans have been clamoring for Daniel and Julie to cross paths. The calls increased as the show bought back several minor characters from the film's. Characters such as Johnny's old Cobra Kai buddies, and Yuna the young girl Daniel saved in Karate Kid II.

While Hilary Swank is a bigger star than those actors and much busier. Fans can't help but hope she enters the final season with a bang to help Daniel out. Even if Swank does not appear herself, some sort of acknowledgement of Julie in the series maybe enough for most fans. 

I wrote a blog at the end of season 3 of remaining characters we need to see. Julie was number one then and is still number one. It would be a disappointment to fans and a disservice to the series, if she is not included in some form. Let's hope the series creators have a big surprise up their sleeve, that will leave fans very statisfied.

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Remaining Characters Cobra Kai Need's To Revisit

If you're like me you spent sometime this past weekend binge watching Cobra Kai, flying through the episodes not paying attention to the numbers, until the final scene of the final episode closes and I sat up and said "That's It?". A subplot throughout the series and the end of episode 10 clearly opens the door for Mr. Kreese's old buddy Terry Silver to return to the scene. If I had to bet next season maybe the last season of Cobra Kai as I believe the story would have been completely told, so if Season 4 is in fact the last season here's a few more people some highly anticipated others obscured that we need to see.

5. Freddy Fernendez

Freddy was the first person Daniel met when he moved to California. Freddy was also the one who invited Daniel to the beach party, where he met both Ali and Johnny. I wouldn't call the two friends but more associates, based on Freddy leaving Daniel behind when he got his ass whipped by Johnny at the beach, and kind of staying away from Daniel as he was frequently bullied by Cobra Kai. We'll just chalk it up to Freddy caving into peer pressure from his friends and just not wanting to be involved and possibly beat down as well. He did appear at the All-Valley tournament celebrating with Daniel when he won. So it would be interesting to see that they kept in touch 30 plus years later and what this character has been doing all this time. Being a witness during the first encounter, he too could offer some perspective on Johnny and Daniel's relationship.

4. Snake

When Mike Barnes was bought to the scene in Karate Kid III, Snake and another guy named Dennis were his support system. Snake was a complete frat boy type ass, an instigator, shit talker, and anything else you could think of that gained him the moniker the "Bad Boy of L.A.". Only thing was Snake couldn't really fight. All signs indicate that Snake actually worked for Terry Silver and did any job thrown his way. With Terry Silver coming back, it'll be interesting to see Snake still by his side all these years later still running errands for Mr. Silver.

3. Jessica Andrews

Jessica appeared in Karate Kid III and was played by Robyn Lively who was a pretty big deal in the late 80's/early 90's. Jessica worked at the pottery store across the street from Mr. Miyagi's and Daniel's Bonsai shop. Jessica and Daniel's romantic relationship is non-existant, as she leaves L.A. to move back home to Ohio. The two agree to remain friends and in the age of social media, if Johnny and Ali could reunite through the magic of facebook. Who's to say Jessica and Daniel havent' stayed in touch, or that she eventually moved back to L.A.?  Her purpose could be to reminisce with Daniel about Mr. Miyagi, and get Daniel back into bonsai tree's. She could also remind Daniel that being a jerk is not always the answer.

2. Mike Barnes

If Terry Silver is appearing in Season 4, and I put Snake on the list. Mike Barnes the "Bad boy of Karate" has to make an apperance. He could be called upon to train the Cobra Kai students particuarly Robby on how to truly be dangerous and dirty players. Losing to Daniel in the tournament, he lost an opportunity for ownership stake in future Cobra Kai dojo's. Unless he hit the lottery chances are he's still salty about all the money he lost out on while Daniel owns a successful car dealership. He along with Snake could be the epitome of Daniel's ideology that guys who are true assholes never change. Barnes returning should also grace fans with a showdown between Mike and Johnny.

1. Julie Pierce

In the Next Karate Kid Mr. Miyagi travels to Boston and teaches a new student Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank. Fans have been asking since the series began if Daniel and Julie know one another. The series writers have confirmed Julie does exist in the Cobra Kai verse, and have considered bringing back the character. Julie could easily be bought in for a episode or two, visiting L.A. and touching base with Daniel and family. She could help Daniel and Johnny teach the students some of the tricks she learned at the Buddhist monastery including balance, as well as provide some guidance to Samantha regarding any pressures of being a female kicking ass in the world of karate. Maybe Julie has a career as a anger management counsler giving Johnny the opportunity to learn a thing or two from Julie, and gain a new friend in the process. 

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Last Dragon Revival

 Reboots, reimages, and quasi-sequels are all the rage now. On the flip side streaming video on demand is rapidly becoming the king of good quality content. With demand for quality content so high, streaming providers have to dig deep for original content and the archives to see what can be bought back.        

          

  After watching season 2 of Luke Cage this past weekend, an idea popped in my head. One of my personal favorites The Last Dragon needs to be bought back as a tv series. The Last Dragon is a cult classic and had a perfect blend of campiness, comedy, and action. Not to mention classic lines like “Who’s the master?” and “Won’t you teach me some moves.”, and everyone was trying to find the glow. There has been talk for years of doing a reboot of the Last Dragon but nothing has ever came about with it.      

  YouTube Red’s recent hit “Cobra Kai” proved there is a market for older properties that are bought to modern times and  provided a blueprint of how it could be done. The tv series could pick up during the present day 30 plus years after the events of the movie, and feature Leroy Green better known as  Bruce Leroy helping a student become the master of the 21st century.

   Since Bruce Leroy was oblivious to everything around him that didn’t involve martial arts, it would make for hilarious situations of him still being oblivious in today’s high tech world. Throw in a engaging villain much on the level or better than Sho’nuff, that both Bruce Leroy and his student can face off against and it would be TV gold.

    Now that black nerds and geeks are accepted more within our community, the show could also be a showcase of that subculture, how diverse and vibrant it is,  and just how much the Asian culture influences a lot of us. The movie provided a little insight but the show could dig a lot deeper.

    Unfortunately with the deaths of Vanity, Julius Curry, and Leo O’Brien, iconic characters such as Laura Charles, Sho’Nuff, and Leroy’s little brother Richie could not be reprised. The characters could be given good backstories as to why their not in the series but still exist in the world. On the flip side we could catch up with master wannabe Johnny, his little brother, Mama and Papa Green, Keisha Knight Pullliam could make a cameo as the younger sister with the ever changing name, we could even see what Eddie Arcadian has been up to all these years.

     All the ingredients are there to make a TV show semi-reboot of the Last Dragon a success. Make Brooklyn and Harlem characters within the show and integral to the hero’s battle, between 10-13 episodes and people will fall in love with the Last Dragon all over again. A new generation will come to appreciate the franchise and learn just what the glow is. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube Red, Brown Sugar someone make this happen.

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