'Animal Kingdom' Finally Returns With Season 5

We’re less than a month away from the fifth season of Animal Kingdom, which will premiere on July 11th. Season 5 will follow the now-leaderless Codys, Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Craig (Ben Robson), Deran (Jake Weary), and J (Finn Cole), in the aftermath of Janine ‘Smurf’ Cody’s (Ellen Barkin) death at the end of Season 4. The upcoming season will explore Smurf’s early years as the boys search for more information on Smurf’s beneficiary, Pamela Johnson (Charlayne Woodard).

As always, the fight for their kingdom risks division, incarceration, and/or death; however, without the brains of the operation, they’ll be starting from scratch. With new characters, family members out for revenge, and subsequent drama threatening a precarious empire, Animal Kingdom’s penultimate season (or final if it gets canceled) raises 5 very big questions for the Cody family.

Cover Photo: TNT

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Animal Kingdom Season 5

Will father Craig allow his daddy back in his life?

Ren and Craig are new parents. Considering Craig’s track record for parenting, that doesn’t bode well for the kid. On top of that, Craig’s father Jake is in town; someone Smurf threatened to kill if he ever tried to get close to Craig. The pair talk in the season 4 finale; however, with Craig unaware of their relationship, it remains to be seen what happens next.
All out war?

Perhaps the biggest betrayal of season 4 was that Smurf left basically everything to a woman the boys had never heard of: Pamela Johnson. Throughout season 4’s flashbacks, a young Pamela (Milauna Jackson) helps Janine after Julia and Pope’s father, Colin, is killed in a shootout. Clearly, Smurf had a very close relationship with Pam. In season 5, Charlayne Woodard is playing present-day Pamela as J and the others attempt to get Smurf’s money from her. All we know about Pamela right now is that she has two kids. Codys v Johnsons?
How did Janine become Smurf?

Season fourth introduced Smurf’s origin story; a series of flashbacks taking place in the 70s’ showing off Smurf and her first crew. Now that present-day Smurf is dead, the focus will be on how Janine became the conniving woman we knew and loved—she certainly wasn’t that Smurf at the end of season 4 when she runs back to Jake. Now, in the 80s’, Anthony Konechny will be playing a younger version of Denis Leary’s Billy, Deran’s estranged father—who is now back in Deran’s life—showing how they met and eventually separated. Expect parallels between young Smurf, Pope, Julia, and Pamela’s story and the inevitable decline of the Codys.
Who will lead?

All eyes are on J, who will likely have control of the Codys’ criminal empire moving forward. As the most capable, the other boys will turn to him as someone to rely on and make decisions (just like they did with Smurf, smack talk aside). If not him, maybe Billy? There’s a power vacuum that needs to be filled and while they may agree on sharing responsibilities at the beginning of the season that peace won’t last. If J, Deran, Craig, and Pope begin to fight among themselves, it’ll all come crumbling down—the Codys need to prove they’re still formidable with so many people vying for the number one spot.
Closure for these two?

Season 4 ended with Adrian fleeing to Indonesia to avoid prison time. Deran and Adrian were supposed to leave together but Deran just couldn’t bring himself to leave Oceanside, marking the end of their relationship...or maybe not. David DeSantos who played Agent Livengood in Season 4 is returning in season 5. That said, Livengood was the one jerking Adrian around for information on the Codys and ultimately influenced Adrian’s drug charge. If Livengood is returning, Adrian might be as well.