‘Cobra Kai’ Season 4: Who is Twig aka Terry Silver? This theory proves Kreese's soldier bud could be Miguel's father
Spoilers for ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 3
It is 1969. During the war in North Vietnam, a group of soldiers are clustered together. Titled ‘December 19’, the action-packed season finale of ‘Cobra Kai’ turns back to a horrific page from John Kreese's (Martin Kove) past. The summary of the 40-minute episode reads, “Old wounds begin to heal at a country club holiday party, but a brutal assault by Kreese's students leads to new betrayals and alliances.”
Chains rattle as the camera pans to two soldiers. “It's my fault Johnny. Jesus Christ, they're gonna kill us all,” Twig (Nick Marini) whispers in Kreese's ears. Consoling him, Kreese replies, “Hey, hey, hey, get your shit together. The only thing you gotta worry about right now is survival.” In the flashback, we see how the prisoners of war are forced to fight each other over a pit — dubbed “deep enough, but that's not the worst”. At the bottom of the pit lies a nest of slithery snakes and cobras.
There's a reason why the series based on ‘The Karate Kid’ hints on that particular sequence and it will leave you shell-shocked.
Soon, his friend Twig is picked for the fight, but Kreese volunteers on his behalf and has to fight the unit captain. Just before they head for a fight, the captain taunts him, “Sorry it has to end like this for you, Kreese. Only one of can live and I still got something to live for. He continues, “That girlfriend of yours, Betsy... she is dead. Wrapped her car around driving to visit her grandmother in Pasadena. I kept it under wraps. Didn't want you to lose focus. So much for that idea.”
Switching between past and present, the fight scene shows a duel between Kreese and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and then shifts back to the past where the young Kreese is fighting his captain. “I tried to tell you it was kill or be killed. But you couldn't keep up,” his captain warns him when he seems to be on the losing side. Gaining his strength, he gets back up on his feet and pushes him to the edges. Right at that moment, there is an explosion and all soldiers are freed. The captain begs Kreese to let him go but Kreese pushes him to the deep end of the pit, saying, “No mercy!”
After that spine-chilling sequence, his bud hugs him and says, “I owe you man. You saved me. I will do anything you want. Your whole life, you hear me, Johnny. I owe you.” As the episode ends, Kreese seeming calls his old friend and says, “Hey. Long time.”
If we join the dots, it is his friend Twig. In ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 2 Episode 4 ‘The Moment of Truth’, Kreese mentioned that an old war buddy offered him a job after the fall of the dojo. Moreover, if you recall, in ‘The Karate Kid, Part III’, Terence “Terry” Silver (played by Thomas Ian Griffith) is one of the two main antagonists and Kreese's acquaintance from his military days. The flashback beautifully orchestrates why he is so strong-headed and unyielding. Now, going by the two theories, Twig is Terry Silver — the billionaire friend of Kreese in his 80s might help him fight against Johnny and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).
Now, while we can't wait to see Silver's role in the next season, there is one more puzzle piece fans seem to have pointed out. Not much is known about Miguel Diaz's (Xolo Maridueña) father. Remember, in a previous episode, how Miguel's mother said she learned what her husband really did only after she got pregnant and called him a “very bad man”?
One Reddit fan seems to hint that the sleazy businessman Terry Silver shown in ‘Karate Kid III’ could be Miguel's father. “All that Miguel's mom mentioned is that Miguel's dad is a very bad man. Could it possibly be Terry Silver? Maybe he comes into season 3 to offer to pay for hospital bills, and also to team up with Kreese on cobra Kai?” the fan posted
Another wrote, “It would be an interesting twist, but I kind of doubt it. I always just figured it was code for cartel/gangster/whatever and left vague due to having nothing to do with any potential storyline. Could be wrong of course.”
A third said, “I rewatched KK3 the other day and liked the loyalty Terry Silver had to Kreese shown in the beginning. Wouldn't let him give up, Cobra Kai never dies, etc. Cartoon villain on the toxic waste business thing though lol. That could fit, but better to just have him be Kreese's financial backer again.” And a fourth added, “I was thinking his dad sold nickle bags in the park and Frank White wasn't getting in. Miguel's dad had to leave the country or die. Or something. Of course, I can never completely rule it out but it feels far too convenient.” What do you think could happen? Spill your theories!
Catch the latest season of the beloved Netflix action-drama ‘Cobra Kai’ on January 1 and binge-watch all 10 episodes to kickstart the New Year.