Daddy's little warrior: 7 times Luke Brunner from FUBAR felt proud of his daughter Emma

In Netflix's high-octane action-comedy FUBAR, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays veteran CIA spy Luke Brunner, but beneath the bluster and espionage is a gentler, sweeter emotional arc of a father learning to rediscover and admire his daughter.

Emma Brunner, played by Monica Barbaro, is no ordinary daughter; she's a high-level agent operating in the same clandestine sphere as her father. What starts out as a jaw-dropping secret for Luke to learn that his daughter had been living a double life just like him becomes one of the show's most endearing storylines.

Throughout FUBAR, their dynamic changes from tension and suspicion to mutual respect, producing moments when Luke can't help but glow with pride at Emma's grit, intelligence, and courage. Whether it's taking charge on a mission, saving lives, or just standing up for herself, Emma consistently shows that she's more than equal to walking alongside, if not ahead of, her father.

These instances aren't just the best parts of Emma's development; they're quiet, sometimes implicit, reminders of Luke's pride in the woman she is. Let's plunge into the seven turning scenes that demonstrate that Emma is indeed Daddy's little warrior and to be reckoned with.

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Daddy's little warrior: 7 times Luke Brunner from FUBAR felt proud of his daughter Emma

1. Jungle revelation in Guyana

In FUBAR's explosive start, Luke Brunner parachutes into an undercover mission in Guyana to find that "Agent Panda" is his own daughter, Emma. She's not only involved, she's in charge. This instant, drenched in awe and disbelief, is the end of Luke's preconceptions about his daughter. His anger quickly dissipates and evolves into admiration as she operates with practiced stealth. The pride is not verbal. It's in his lingering stares, his gentle voice, and that flash of acceptance.

Luke recognizes Emma isn't merely holding on in his world; she's flourishing. It's an amazing start to their shared adventure of mutual respect and emotional renewal.

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2. Maglev train heroics

In a scene of FUBAR's most thrilling action, Emma and Luke are sent to intercept a runaway maglev train carrying nuclear waste. The mission is risky, but what actually surprises Luke is how effortlessly Emma assumes command. She surveys the danger, creates a plan, and saves lives with precision-sharp effectiveness. As Luke observes his daughter move like a seasoned CIA veteran, there is a palpable moment of giving way not to the risk but to his pride.

This is not the girl he thought he needed to shelter. This is a completed operator, and that becomes clear to Luke with unanticipated but profound respect.

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3. Chapel shootout sync

Chaos erupts at the wedding of Luke's former wife when attacking forces invade the wedding hall, but what is notable is the synchronicity between Emma and Luke amidst the shootout. Without dialogue, they operate like a well-oiled team covering each other's blind spots, signaling to one another, and staying alive. In this ballet of bloodshed, Luke isn't merely relieved by her survivalist prowess. He's amazed at her instincts.

The father in him gazes at her in wonder, but the agent within him sees greatness. Between the whizzing bullets and family chaos, there is a layer of emotion: pride coated in fear. He finally looks at her not as his daughter but as his equal.

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4. Debrief and Unit 9 legacy

In the more subdued moments of Season 2's opener, Luke exchanges his CIA dossiers from Unit 9 with Emma. It's an intimate gesture but a loaded symbol. He's sharing information without superior condescension. Instead of correcting or controlling her, Luke asks questions and urges her on. It's a protégé-to-mentor moment, not merely father-to-daughter. He's proud of what she's done, sure, but also optimistic about what she'll create with the tools he's passing along.

This moment quietly reverses their dynamic: Luke's no longer protecting Emma. He's equipping her with history, legacy, and trust. His pride isn't in how she's like him but in the way she's forging her own way.

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5. The Missile Silo stand-off

In the Season 2 finale, Emma takes charge during a crisis when a rogue nuclear missile has to be stopped. As tensions run thick, Emma battles villain Chips and firmly shuts down the launch system. Luke stands behind the monitors, paralyzed not with fear but awe. She doesn't blink, hesitate, or seek approval. She simply acts. Her decisiveness under stress isn't acquired. It's acquired. Luke's face afterward says more than any words: awe, pride, and something else, relief.

Relief that his daughter does not simply fit in the field, she overwhelms it. Within that clinical, high-pressure setting, Luke has realized that Emma has eclipsed even his finest performances.

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6. Passing the torch

After saving the world from a devastating missile strike, Luke at last recedes, making way for Emma to emerge. It's not retirement, it's succession. Luke's greatest moment is not of action, but of quiet. He takes control with trust, not doubt. Emma doesn't need approval; she has earned it. Luke's last transfer in the post-mission debrief isn't doctrinal; it's symbolic. His silence speaks volumes: “You’ve got this.” In Emma’s steady poise and focused leadership, Luke sees his legacy carried forward but better, sharper, more evolved.

The man who once doubted her now sees her as the future, and his proud eyes say it all.

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7. Family in the fallout

After international exposure of their identities, the Brunners go underground. Amid the uncertainty, Luke strides alongside Emma, not in front, not behind, but side by side as an equal. The concluding sequence isn't action-packed but intimate and quiet. Emma isn't merely safe, she's at her center. As the camera pans to their escape, Luke's pride is more than professional. It's personal. He doesn't have to tell them he's proud. His watchful eye, quiet smile, and easy shoulders yell it.

The little girl he once attempted to shield from harm is now his strongest defender. In this gentle fadeout, the warrior and her father finally find their peace.

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Luke Brunner might begin in FUBAR as the protective, hovering father, but by its conclusion, he has become a man who greatly respects and admires his daughter's fortitude. Emma Brunner deserves that admiration not through seeking validation but through succeeding at every test with wit, bravery, and self-reliance. Their dynamic, teeming with tension, partnership, and intimate scenes, gives emotional richness to the high-stakes action.

Luke's admiring looks, encouraging touches, and ultimate decision to refrain tell us a lot. Emma is not only his daughter; she's his peer, his buddy, and finally, the legacy he's proudest to leave.