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Three episodes into the final season, Animal Kingdom at last revisited the discovery of Catherine’s body at the end of Season 5. (Read the full recap of that episode here.)
In the first of Sunday’s two episodes, the Shawn Hatosy-directed “Pressure and Time,” a Detective Louise Thompson (Tyrant alum Moran Atias) began looking into the very cold case of Catherine’s murder. Though her colleagues seemed to think that the case wasn’t so much cold as closed — they believed that Baz was the guilty party — Thompson’s interest was piqued when she learned that the deceased had been a criminal informant whose known associates included the Codys. By the end of the hour, Thompson had turned for answers to one of the last people to see Catherine alive: daughter Lena, who noted that on Mommy’s last day, Uncle Pope had been around.
Speaking of the erstwhile Andrew, in 1992, he was chagrined to see Julia lured over to the dark side by Smurf’s gift of a sports car. In the present, when not making peace with the fact that (duh) skaters were going to want to use the ramp that he’d built on his lot, he helped Deran “relocate” a tenant from the apartment complex that Craig was supposed to have emptied out to Trey’s spare room.
Why wasn’t Craig taking care of business himself? First, he was busy hanging with pal Vince and learning after the fact that he’d just banged his buddy’s former wife, Gianna. Then, off his pal’s remark about how he and his ex coparented, he tried in vain to get Renn to take him back. “I get sober for you,” he wailed, “and this is what I get?”
Whelp, Craig wasn’t sober for long. He made a beeline for Deran’s bar, where he started throwing back beers like there was going to be a shortage. Later, when he admitted his slip to Vince, his new BFF knew just what would give him that buzz without opening a bottle: shooting off some kind of ginormous rapid-fire machine gun thingy. (If ever there was a sucky time for that scene… )
Finally, after learning from his new fence that the blue diamonds that were stolen from Gia were too recognizable to be moved, J had them recut, then took them to high-end jeweler Eddie Pham. His brother Arthur, a gem expert that he called a gnome, a troll and more, saved J’s hide by lying to Eddie that the baubles were good to go — then warned J not to return. But that only gave the thief the idea to flip the gnome to gain entry to the jewelry store and rob Eddie blind. Would a guy really turn on his own brother? Deran wondered aloud. “Foreshadowing,” J didn’t reply but probably could have.
In the second episode of Sunday’s double header, Deran celebrated Pride Month in a typically unique, Cody-esque way. After being pressed by his new boo to open up and reveal something, anything about himself, the youngest Cody brother grunted his way through what looked like the worst date ever, then upon meeting a homophobic brute in line for the bathroom, invited him outside to do some gay-bashing.
What the troglodyte didn’t realize was that Deran was gay, and the homophobe himself was going to be the one getting bashed. (Cut to: Deran’s date’s horrified reaction and presumably that relationship coming to an end before it had really even begun.)
In other developments in “Inside Man,” Craig got busted scoping out Eddie Pham’s, but it didn’t much matter, because soon, J enlisted poor, maligned Arthur to deliver crucial intel. There was no way to rob the showroom, he said. But the Codys could make off with $750k worth of jewelry if they hit the birthday party that singer Brock Fellows was throwing for his girlfriend in two weeks.
Speaking of scoring, that was just what J did with married legal secretary Penny after offering her some business advice on a building that she was thinking of buying. Over at Pope’s skate park, his idea of playing referee when a fight broke out was telling young Taylor, who was being beat up, to get out — he was being victimized because his peers didn’t respect him. In response, the teen whacked another skater with his board and became, at least for the moment, top dog.
The following day, Taylor returned, thanked Pope for his wise (?) counsel and offered to help out. And as the boy did so, you could see a sense of purpose starting to light up Pope’s eyes. So, of course, it turned out that the kid was a plant: He’d been sent in by Detective Thompson to get close to her prime suspect in Catherine’s murder.
Oh, and in 1992, Smurf responded to Andrew’s sudden interest in church first by reminding him that it would just make him hate himself and planting a lingering kiss of his lips, then by sending Baz to scope out the rectory for a job involving the whole family. As ever, Mother of the Year. Your thoughts on Sunday’s episodes? Drop ’em in a comment below.
Someone should tell Deran there are easier ways to dump Diet Adrian than committing a violent crime in front of him. Sadly I don’t see how Pope makes it out of this series alive.
They could have cut away to the next scene bf Craig shot the machine gun. I wonder are we gonna get to see J neighbor friend again bf the series is over?
Why cut away, and who is J’s neighbor friend?
Just not a great time to be shooting up things especially if it’s not that important. The guy at the apartment was important to be shown but shooting up the car wasn’t. The Black lady that was in a few episodes in S1 and a few after that, the people in the neighborhood cared about him and his mom more than his family.
That lady’s home was probably just a place for J to keep money, etc under the bathroom sink…
Where are Craig and Deran in the flashbacks???
Craig is a pre teen (they showed him rough housing-short scene). Deron isn’t born yet.
Deran and Craig were in the first two episodes last week. If you blink, you could miss them. The party scene, they’re running around, like you said rough-housing.
Yes, he is…Smurf told Julia to babysit her brothers…
I didn’t catch that she said brothers plural. I just remembered seeing the young Craig. But I believe you’re right….hopefully we see young Craig and Deron before the last episode!
I meant to add Craig was in the 2nd episode last week-not in either episode this week.
Anybody know the song that opened “Inside Man” that was playing while Pope was fixing his skateboard? Not even Google can identify this song! Thanks for any help. The chorus seemed to be “everybody jump if you wanna jump”.
Tunefind says “Jump” by Towers of London…
I didn’t think I could dislike Smurf anymore but yet I do dislike her more! Leila George has the mannerisms and voice and facial expressions that Ellen Barkin did for Janine Cody. It’s eerie! She is the absolute worst mother! Deron is spiraling and it’s about Adrian. He should have gone with him. I am still not sure what is up Craig’s sponsor. I don’t see cop but….maybe runs his own crime crew. Just not sure! Poor Andrew as a kid. Renn is just plain mean!
Leila is absolutely brilliant as young Smurf. From her walk, to her facial expressions to the way she says ‘baby’. Exactly like ‘old ‘Smurf. I was totally creeped out by her kiss with Pope tonight. Gross.
Leila George has really grown into the Smurf role.
Agree! Thee was a scene last week out by the pool – she was holding a drink & cigarette, folded her arms across her chest & just the way she sloooowly turned to go back inside. It was so Ellen Barkin-esque, I rewound it & watched it three times. Leila George is really, really good.
LG really is phenomenal, I almost didn’t even believe it was her! I hope she gets a much deserved Emmy. What a great show…..and I’m a huge fan of the source material….the film.
And Lena!!!! I was wondering if we’d ever see her again…..just wish it wasn’t when that cop was interviewing her-without her adoptive parents-that cop has no problem breaking rules. The story is moving fast! An awww moment when Deron and Pope find the apartment guy a place to stay….I felt so bad for him.
Who was the guy with the blue eyes leaning on the desk in that scene? Also, where did they place that tenant? Lena is beautiful
What desk or guy with blue eyes? The tenant now is staying with Tre, the surf board designer.
Before they showed Lena there was a guy w piercing blue eyes & blonde curly hair in the room w the detective questioning Lena. I thought that was her adopted Dad maybe. I’m in a hotel so I can’t see it again
According to the cop’s boss that was NOT the adoptive father. I think it was just a guy she sent to pick Lena up at school.
Something is unclear there…the boss said his Det didn’t have permission to talk to her, yet that guy turns out to be her adoptive father. It’s the same actor from when Pope dealt with them previously. ?
Man it’s so hard to watch Smurf destroy Julia . . . I mean, we know it happens, but having to watch it is a lot harder than I thought it’d be.
They are definitely making those of us who liked Smurf..not like her. She’s just awful. Leila George definitely has the Smurf Strut down pat as well as the “baby” thing going just like the older Smurf. I feel like the boys are spiraling out of control right now. I feel so sorry for Craig. I don’t trust Vince at all. The cops are coming for Pope and he’s blind to it right now. J is talking them into setting up trust funds, stocks, bonds..so that he can kill them and end up with all of their money. I’ve never seen a more sinister character on this show. The Codys trust him and they follow his lead. I think he’s playing them all. I still hold out hope that he won’t double- cross them all and kill all of them. I hope the boys get it together. They’ve got to reel Craig back in and get Deran to settle down, he seems full of rage (outside of doing something good for the tenant). Smurf had the best instincts and she knew that you can only trust family..they are trusting too many outsiders for their own good. Also, the cops said Cat was a Confidential Informant..Smurf was right all along.
Why would J care? As far as he knows for 17 year’s of his life they never gave a crap about him and his mom.
Exactly, he is playing his uncles and they are letting him take charge because they are too busy to pay attention. I think they should steer clear of Eddie Pham, he’s got all of his bases covered. His brother is probably setting them up to get into good graces.
Hopefully J is setting up a trust fund for Baby Nic & anyone else that deserves it.
Honestly I hope J sets them up and walks away with it all. I would like to see him set up Lena and Nic and no one know where it came from. As of now it looks like Julia walked away from Smurf and kept J away from them or she wouldn’t do Smurfs work and she kicked her out. Either way they was left alone to barely make it while the others lived great.
I’ve honestly thought J’s been running a long con since the beginning. He’s carefully watched & listened to everything in. The boys – as well as us – don’t really know what his game plan is.
Remember when Smurf took the kids to the house because the owners were out of town. How did she get the house for good??? Wasn’t Craig’s father the guy (I think Jimmy) back in her trailer days that loved her? And wasn’t Deran’s father the guy in the van on the beach? Aagghh! Inquiring minds want to know!
I think we already know that Deran’s father is Denis O’Leary, right? I’m not sure it matters how Smurf got the house; she said she was going to get it and what Smurf wants, Smurf gets.
Denis Leary
We don’t know yet how she actually got the house. Deran’s father is Billy, who had the beach van, and Craig’s dad is named Jake.
Why did Craig’s apartments have to be emptied out? How can they pin Catherine’s murder on Pope just because he was there? Is the cop hoping for some kind of confession? Infiltrating the skate park seems like a waste of time. Deran’s new “boyfriend” is not his type, hopefully he is gone. I still think J and now maybe Craig are going to kidnap Nick from Renn.
They were confident that Baz was the last person to see Cat alive, and now Pope being there destroys that theory. Deran said Craig’s tenants need to leave because J told him to do that…probably going to update it for sale.
I remember in the preview someone took Nick from Renn (looks like they roughed her up a bit, too) and later we see Craig tell her he’ll get Nick back..so I don’t think he kidnaps him. I had no idea he had planned to do that and then blamed Deran for not letting him do it. To me, the evil one here is J..he’s been playing them and plotting against them since even before he whispered in Smurf’s ear while she was sleeping. He tolerates them, he uses them, but ultimately, his mind about them has not changed, which is very unfair. They always have his back. J is pure evil with no loyalty to anyone. I think he is wrong to hold this grudge against his uncles, or even Smurf…that was Julia’s choice to break away from the family. The boys were manipulated by Smurf. Also Smurf did pay their rent for them when Julia couldn’t. When J had nowhere else to go, Smurf took him in and treated him like the others. He’s ungrateful, conniving and evil. I will never get over how he murdered the innocent Morgan just to cover his theft. He did this when he was 19 years old! He shot his grandmother in the head with an ease that was terrifying. Mia, well, she had it coming. LOL
How many more episodes and are they gonna end up with a few Cody deaths
Nine more episodes left, and we shall see about Cody deaths…whatever happens, I’m gonna cry. 🥲
The show has me on edge because I believe they will all be killed off, except J. I hope the writers let them all live, but the way it’s going now, I just don’t see that happening. I think the final scene will be J looking at all of their tombstones at the graveyard and then he finally smiles. *shiver*
Every episode I dislike Smurf more. Worst Mother of the Century award right there.
Deran’s spiraling, Pope’s about to, and Craig I don’t know what he’ll do if he can’t get more time with his son.
And I agree with others, J’s playing them all and will probably be the last one standing at the end.
What used to be at that corner where pope built that ramp? It seems like there building up to a buried memory in popes mind about Julia. Like when they were kids in that trailer park & he couldn’t find her. Pope knows he deserves prison for killing Catherine.
J does seem to always sit ,& listen when Nic his cousin is brought up
Good observation, Linda. I’ll have to pay closer attention when Nick is mentioned in J’s presence.
I am perpetually trying to decide who was the worst psychopath, J or Smurf. You can definitely see that they are related. I think that Pope is the best of them. But now for my secret, almost unspeakable theory, J is not Baz’s son, he is Pope’s son. It’s no coincidence that they look so much alike. But J is a straight up, cold blooded killer who has been manipulating EVERYONE around him, including Smurf. He once said that he gave Julia the shot that killed her, and I think it was a premeditated murder. That boy has never felt anything for anyone. He is a brilliant monster.
I agree Lynn, J and Smurf are the biggest psychopaths. I actually think J is the worst, though. I just finished watching a clip on YouTube from Season 5 when they show the flashback of Smurf killing Max. I truly believe that she loved her children back then. I just don’t know what happened in between the ages of 7 and 16 that now make her not like her own children. She treats Baz better than she does Julia or Andrew at this point. Janine seemed to have really loved Colin, their father. She seemed to really love and care for the twins when they were younger. We saw her freak out when she couldn’t find them. We saw her not want them to see her getting harmed by Max. We saw her show them motherly affection and concern several times, and not just when they were helping her shoplift from stores. I just want to know what happened. She genuinely seemed to love and care for them when they were young, or am I just too optimistic and hopeful or is my memory just bad?
Having your kids shoplift for you is an odd way to love…
I think they are all gonna get screwed by all the new friends they just met. Since smurf isn’t around everything is all messed up. They will turn on each other
I’m hoping that upcoming episodes explore Smurf’s relationship beginnings with Craig and Deron.
Enjoying this season a lot more than the previous one which was as close to a mess as a good show can be. (Stories building up then fizzling to nothing, not jiving with previous seasons, filler material, etc.)
These first four installments have flown by. Will feel deprived with only one episode next Sunday!
Not sure how much time is supposed to have passed since the end of S5. Still a bit baffled by there being no mention of the Truillos.
I am also surprised they didn’t tie up that Pete storyline. Pope is still driving that gold car, though. I believe they said this is 3 months later, which makes sense, as Craig couldn’t possibly stay sober for longer than that. *groan* But seriously, Nick is still an infant, so that falls in line with the 3 month jump in time.
Ah OK. I missed the three month reference. Thanks.
Damn the original and didn’t fall nearby! When will there be a full 6th season? Just a top series, exactly the top everything! Nothing comparable! The series is like an addiction!
Without any Emmy nominations even