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Sometimes, it was hard for Cole to try mending his bond with his father. He is usually a pretty chill and grounded person, so it may come as a surprise to some. It's been worse. They've made leaps and bounds since Cole has become a ninja. But that doesn't make it easy to move on.
There was a childhood's worth of pressure. Of Lou projecting dreams onto his son. Of emotional neglect as he went off to cope with the loss of a wife. But what about the child who had to figure out how to deal with the loss of a mother?
Cole hates when people make his father out to be an awful person, though. Then again, he's never been very tolerant of people who judge before they have all the facts. It is one of very few ways to truly get under his skin. Especially when talking about his father.
There is one reason above all Cole endlessly admires and respects Wu. It has nothing to do with training him to be a kickass ninja or helping him discover his elemental powers. It is the wisdom he offered up on that mountaintop. He felt like he finally understood why his father did those things. It would never be justification, but it was at least something.
Something he could work with. And maybe, as the son, he shouldn't have been the one doing this: but he reached out. Because his father is hurt, too. And he knows Lou doesn't feel any more at peace with their situation.