Chapters 30-31, Draft 4 COMPLETE!
Yes, TWO chapters this time!
Chapter 30: Got trimmed; Kim convinced me to move a big event to the beginning of the book. It works better as a ‘reintroduction’ to the main characters, so I agreed. And it helps the flow of the finale.
So many paths to pick and choose,
Which leads to the exit? What route should I use?
Only when you reach the point that is highest,
Will your vantage show:
The labyrinth is biased.
Chapter 31: Is very short. But it’s the intense kind of short. Two poems in one post would be predictable, so let’s try something else. Did you know that I have a soundtrack that I listen to? One that helps inspire my writing?
The playlist is made from songs on my iTunes collection. No, I don’t use Spotify. It has commercials! No thanks.
For chapter 31 I usually listen to this song from X-Men First Class:
(Sorry if there were commercials. It’s not like I can link to my iTunes directly.)
This track plays during a scene from Magneto’s past. He enters a lonely bar in some South American country, looking for the Nazis that experimented on him. The song starts out mellow, then builds in tension as the Nazis are found and Magneto ‘meets’ with them.
I love this song as Magneto’s theme, and it’s a real shame that Henry Jackman wasn’t used for the music in the following films. I can’t even remember any songs from those movies. 😪
Other Abandonment Party news: Now it’s story time. Prepare for a shock: I used to have a girlfriend.
Yes, I know. It’s bizarre even writing it out.
We dated about twenty years ago. She got married a year or so after we broke up, and now has three more children. (She only had one when I met her.)
“But Brad, what does this have to do with Abandonment Party 2?”
Are you ready for this? One of her children is thinking about drawing the cover for the next novel!
Yeah! The ex-girlfriend in question was recently on Facebook, posting pictures of her teenage daughter’s art. I just happened to check on her (in a totally non-stalker-like way) and sent her a message.
Then the daughter showed an interest in doing cover art for me! I immediately said: “That’s amazing! If only I had actually THOUGHT of what I wanted on the cover.” 😣
I know, right? So I spent about five days thinking. And writing. And now I have the cover planned out! It will capture the theme/setting of the book perfectly!
So even if she doesn’t agree to draw it, it’s good that I have the description ready for the next potential artist. 🥳
Review of Cobra Kai: Kim told me that I should watch this show. “The fights are good.” And, like every other boy in the eighties, I had seen the first two Karate Kid films. So why not.
At the time of this post, Cobra Kai has reached season six. And while I JUST caught up, it took me about two YEARS to watch it all. Wanna know why? Let’s go over the seasons! SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING UP TO FIVE EPISODES INTO SEASON SIX!
Season 1: This one is a pure nostalgia grab. Daniel and Johnny fight, but only through petty arguments and pranks. (Although Daniel manipulates a landlord into raising the rent of an ENTIRE plaza just to ‘get’ Johnny. As a renter, that act was truly vile.)
The rest is pointless teen and parenting drama. Yes, show, I see these kids are bullied. You don’t need to spend half the season showing me everything they go through at school. Ugh, school. I hated it when I was younger and I hate spending time there in fiction.
There was a short tournament at the end of the season, but I was left thinking: Why did Kim watch this show? The fights weren’t THAT great.
Season 2: More of the same. The only reason I’m sitting through this is because I can relate to Johnny: as a renter and a single guy. And I know what it’s like to face ‘married society.’ People like Daniel with spouses and kids think they’re better than us. When they see a single person rise up in some way, they’ll think: “Can’t have that! They should know their place! Better take away what little they have, ha,ha,ha!”
Okay it’s not always like that. But it feels like it sometimes. 😒
But it’s all I’m relating to at this point. I don’t care about the teen drama. It never leads to anything exciting. Like I said, it’s taking me YEARS to get through this. This is the show I watch when I sit down to eat and can’t think of anything else to put on.
“I’m done with all 11 seasons of MASH? I guess I’ll watch a Cobra Kai.”
Then the final episode of the season hits. The kids had been on summer break, but now they’re going back to school. I’m settling in for another snooze-fest. Boy was I wrong!
A massive brawl erupts throughout the halls of the campus that involves EVERY kid from the two dojos. Nerds are fighting nerds. Hawk vs. Dimitri. Stingray dropping dudes left and right. Tory equips spiked knuckles and rips into Sam’s arm like friggin’ Wolverine. Miguel gets kicked off a balcony and gets his BACK BROKEN!?
I am in awe. And this is when I start watching the show for real. At least one a day, during lunch. 😅
Season 3: At this point Kreese takes over the Cobra Kai dojo. After the fight at the high school, he has his students terrorize everyone, anyplace, anytime. It’s like that story arc in Baki where escaped prisoners come for all the main characters.
And just like in Baki, we’ve got fights all over the place: at chop shops, laser tag, even Daniel’s own house gets raided. A BIG step up from the first two seasons.
My bro Johnny spends most of the season getting Miguel back into fighting shape. The kid starts off paralyzed, but with the power of rock, he learns to stand again! (I’m not joking. Johnny takes Miguel to a rock concert in a wheelchair, and the songs rock SO HARD that Miguel’s previously-limp foot starts tapping along with the beat. It’s a miracle!)
In the final episode, Daniel and Johnny combine forces to fight Cobra Kai. And Kreese calls an old buddy in response….
Season 4: Kreese’s old buddy’s name is Sliver. Kim tells me that he’s from the third Karate Kid movie, but neither of us saw that one. Oh well; doesn’t matter, the show does an excellent job explaining who he is through flashbacks.
And with Daniel and Johnny working together, we no longer need to find ways to force conflict between them! Yes! No more awkward surprises at the hardware store! “You’re buying caulk for the dojo with MY son!? How dare you!”
The season ends with an All Valley Tournament, and the fate of every dojo is at stake: the winner stays, the losers close forever.
Cobra Kai wins, but only because Silver paid off the ref. Man, I was ticked off. I want tournaments to end fair. Fortunately, I don’t have to wait a year for the next season and Silver’s storyline to resolve. 😅
Season 5: Silver now controls Cobra Kai. He ‘won’ the tournament; framed Kreese for assault; and uses his wealth to expand Cobra Kai dojos. We’ve come a long way from the endless petty drama of the first season. 😤
Silver even brings in some karate masters from Japan to bolster his forces. He has every advantage over Daniel and friends. It looks hopeless. Silver torments Daniel every chance that he gets; he even drives his wife away!
But in the end everyone unites against Cobra Kai. They attack Silver on two fronts—although mostly by accident—trapping him and all of his students in a super battle for the ages! There’s even a katana duel. INCREDIBLE!
It’s all a little too conveniently wrapped up, but THIS is what I want from the show! Good fights and reasons to have them! On to the final season!
Season 6: Gotta be kidding me. This season isn’t finished yet? Only five episodes!? And I won’t get more until November!? 😭
Fine. What I saw was good. Kreese has escaped from prison, and is entering a reformed Cobra Kai into a global martial arts tournament. And while he doesn’t interact with Daniel and Johnny quite yet, Miyagi-do dojo has its own problems.
The first five episodes deal with the internal struggle of Miyagi-do as they find the six members to compete in the global tournament, along with a captain for the boys’ and girls’ teams. It’s fun stuff, but I already miss having Silver as an adversary. Although we never found out how his trial turned out…. 😏
Conclusion: I’m not sure if I can recommend this show to people. It’s weird. The first two seasons are drop-dead boring. But after that it’s full speed ahead with amazing fights and fun character moments that impact the story.
But, I don’t usually listen to other people’s recommendations anyway. I’ll just tell them to ‘watch it yourself and see if you like it.’ 😅
Until next time!