r/animalkingdom

WTF!!? I really never had a problem with J until the last 2 episodes. That was so messed up! When Billy told Deran not to trust J I was like yeah ok Billy but nope he was right! So J was playing them this whole time? That’s so crazy

Thoughts:

Smurf is the worst mother I've ever seen on television. At first I thought she was just manipulative with a caring side underneath, but after finding out she had Baz killed?? HER OWN SON?? And admitting it so casually?? Yeah no. This woman treats her children like possessions. If they stop orbiting around her, she turns on them immediately.

Pope continues to be the character that emotionally destroys me the most. Shawn Hatosy’s acting is unbelievable. The scene where he crashed out after everything happening with Lena genuinely hurt to watch. I know Pope has done horrible things, but there’s something deeply sad and lonely about him that keeps making me feel for him. His voice and quietness weirdly soothe me too and I hate that this show has done this to me 😂

Losing Lena clearly messed Pope up badly. You can tell she represented something innocent and grounding for him. Every scene involving those two is sweet but also deeply uncomfortable because of the Catherine situation hanging over everything.

J keeps making my feelings flip flop every episode. Sometimes I feel awful for him because the entire family scapegoats him for things that genuinely aren’t his fault. Craig attacking him over the cartel situation made me so uncomfortable because J literally didn’t know. But THEN J goes and leaves Morgan drowning in the river or abandons Nicky emotionally and I’m sitting there like: “I don't know what to think anymore".

Deran honestly might be the one I root for most at this point. He seems one of the only brothers who truly understands how toxic and suffocating the family is. Him wanting a life outside of Smurf’s control makes complete sense to me. Also yes, I’m still invested in him and Adrian 🌚

Also I’ve JUST started seeing young Smurf in the flashbacks and the haircut scene felt like the official birth of Young Smurf™. You can already see the foundations of who she becomes starting to form.

Can't wait to watch more season 4!

Found Unfamiliar on Netflix today and it gives me the same 'job' vibes. Check it out.

Like the title says I feel so terrible for Pope, I’ve never come across a character who is such a tragic life. Every time he’s on screen (other than the spicy scenes or when he’s doing a job) all I want to do is hold him and tell him it’s ok 😭😭

Just finished the first few eps of season 5 and the scenes with him just wanting to spread Smurfs ashes (lot more kindness than she deserves) so it’s next to Julia but no one is willing to give him 5 mins of their time broke my heart.

He was just a neurodivergent little kid who needed support and instead was manipulated and abused by his “family” and turned into an attack dog which they then turned around and hated on / belittled him for.

Shawn Hatosy not getting any awards for this feels criminal.

I need to vent here because nobody in my life wants to hear about the shit I like.

I started watching because I love Shawn Hatosy but I did not think I was going to like it as much as I did, I also did not know I was going to like more characters than just Pope. I love Deran and Craig, I loved the brother relationship between the three, I also loved Adrian and Deran relationship, that was something I really didn’t expect. Also really loved Pope and Amy’s relationship a lot.

That final fucking wrecked me man, seriously. Pope staying behind and telling them to go, Craig fucking dying after he proposed to Renn and was going to go be with them and Derans reaction to it all.

I was also spoiled to Popes death so that didn’t hit me as hard, I’ll tell you one thing I’m glad he burned that shit to the ground though, one last fuck you to Smurf all of that crap she worked for is gone she treated them like dirt and seeing what she did to Julia was awful, you know what’s going to happen but that shit was truly disgusting. I don’t think Smurf could handle another woman in the family, like when she said you can’t have my son while kicking Julia out.

Let me know what you thought of the series and stuff I NEED to talk about it!!!!!!

I started watching the show for Hatosy from the pitt, and I binged AK. Just finished the show, god I cannot stop my eyedrops. How could Hatosy not take an award for his role as Andrew, the guy is just amazing. I loved the show even though there are so many nude scenes. And Smurf, I hate you.

I genuinely cannot believe how addicted I’ve become to this show considering I was struggling through stuff like Peaky Blinders and Vikings recently. THIS is the pacing I needed all along because every episode feels like chaos waiting to explode.

My thoughts so far (episodes 1-3):

Smurf is genuinely terrifying but also weirdly hilarious sometimes. The scene where the boys basically declare independence from her and she throws a full emotional tantrum had me CRYING 😭 She acts like the entire family owes her complete devotion forever. Every argument in that house feels like psychological warfare.

Pope continues to mess with my emotions the most. His bond with Lina is actually sweet and protective on the surface… but then my brain immediately goes: “YOU KILLED HER MOTHER.” So every wholesome scene with him feels cursed underneath 😭

I'd like to talk about Shawn Hatosy for a moment because I find his voice and the way he talks weirdly soothing?? Which is insane considering Pope is one of the most emotionally terrifying people on the show 😭 The calm/soft delivery mixed with the intensity underneath it has me emotionally confused every episode.

J is frustrating me now because he’s becoming more and more like Smurf. Early on I felt so sorry for him, but now he’s doing dirty work for her and getting deeper into manipulation. The fake hostage/criminal act at the bar was insane. He’s way smarter and colder than I first thought.

Baz has fallen HARD in my rankings. At first I thought he was the decent/stable one, but he keeps showing how selfish and aggressive he actually is. The scene where he exploded at Lina over the TV volume and threw the remote genuinely shocked me. It was scary seeing how fast he switched.

The meltdowns in this family are honestly one of the best parts of the show 😂 Every argument turns into screaming, emotional breakdowns, guilt trips, or someone storming out. These people are EXHAUSTING and I cannot stop watching. 🌚

Getting pretty tired of the Craig - Ren argument over her dealing, objectively yes it would be better if she stopped and did real estate or something but Craig is in no position to tell her that when he’s still doing jobs, drugs, getting into fights over who shows up at their illegal skating events etc. Like lead by example or shut it.
Not to mention expecting her to be ok with relying on him fully when he left her for dead and stole her stuff a few years ago….

Hi guys, I am still processing this series and its characters. I finally finished it and am watching it a second time because I missed a lot of stuff that I am catching the second time around. Okay so there are characters that I just don't feel like they added anything to the show. Here there are;

1. J's pedo-teacher. She really did not add anything. She would get high and have relations with J, a teenager. She didn't really know J and his difficult life with an addicted mother. She could have been a support to him before his mom died so that he did not have to go to Smurf.

2. Angela- she suddenly shows up at the Cody home with nothing to offer. Why did she not inform everyone how bad Smurf was to Julia? She only "threatened" Smurf once, stating she could tell her sons what she did to Julia and then never did anything. We didn't even get to see her character come to an end, we only heard about it. The actress was not a good fit for the character. She did not look like a drug addict at all. Only her dirty coat was any indication that she was a street person.

3. Mia- Baz's killer. Always had a frown on her face for no reason. Made a living killing people but could not afford a place to stay? Wouldn't you have money if you did that?

4. Frankie- Has all these connections to mega millionaires and all these great ideas for taking their money but couldn't do it with out the Codys?

5. Young Smurf- We did not need flash backs, we pretty much could figure out that her origins as a criminal started when she was young. We also knew that she had to be a bad mother from the beginning.

6. Pam/Pat- whatever her names was, Smurfs friend that she left her inheritance to. Very lame friendship with no depth.

I could go on but I will stop here. These are the characters that I felt were not needed. What do you think?

So I finally started Animal Kingdom and I wasn’t expecting to get this invested this quickly, but I’m already 3 episodes in and fully locked in.

A few thoughts so far:

- J (Joshua) losing his mum Julia and being sent to Smurf feels so heavy. He’s so quiet, and reserved and I honestly relate to him a bit. I just want to give him a hug because he’s basically dropped into this chaotic family with no warning.

- His uncles are… a lot. They’re not exactly warm or welcoming at all and they treat him pretty harshly. I know that’s kind of the point but still 😅 Baz seems like the only one who’s even slightly on his side, so I’m clinging to him for now.

- Everyone is weirdly attractive (not even gonna lie). Baz and Pope especially stand out for me.

- Smurf is fascinating but also really unsettling. I like that she’s “family-oriented” in her own way, especially with J, but something about her feels off. Like she has a much darker side underneath all the care.

- The funeral scene really stuck with me. No one seemed emotional at all about Julia, which felt cold and kind of disturbing. Makes me think there’s a lot of history there we don’t know yet.

- Catherine calling out Smurf about Lina (“you turn on her the second her boob grows”) was WILD and made me instantly suspicious of Smurf’s past.

- The tension in general is really well done. Like when Pope and Deran clash while J is trying to help with their schemes… you can feel how unstable everything is.

- The first job (stealing watches) was actually really fun and fast-paced, which surprised me because I thought it would be slower overall.

Overall I didn’t expect to like this as much as I do. It’s kind of addictive already and I feel like I’m reading between the lines of everything everyone says.

Anyone else feel like Smurf is way more dangerous than she looks this early on? 👀

So I’ve finished watching Animal Kingdom and started rewatching it slowly. I would really like to find similar shows to watch to fill the void.

I’ve already finished watching

The Sopranos
Breaking Bad
Narcos
El Chapo
Sons of Anarchy
Tulsa King
Ozark
Money Heist
Shameless
Orange is the New Black
The Irishman