Deran Stands Up To Smurf In “Animal Kingdom” Season 2 – Broken Boards

Deran Cody stood up his mother and dropped a few truth bombs in Animal Kingdom Season 2 Episode 4 “Broken Boards,” which aired this week.

This post contains spoilers for Animal Kingdom Season 2 Episode 4 “Broken Boards.”

Writing about all queer-centric media out there isn’t possible. But we still try to share exciting news and recommendations with all of you. Animal Kingdom is a show that I started watching last year. The TNT series is based on a film of the same name. It has an enjoyable premise, if you like dysfunctional criminal families.

Deran Cody, played by Jake Weary, is gay on the show. We knew about his sexuality in season 1. Though he tried to keep it a secret from the rest of his family, soon his nephew and one of the older brothers found out. I wasn’t sure how long the series was going to keep Deran in the closet (such a character arc runs out of charm quite quickly). But still, I decided to watch the second season and was surprised by Deran in “Broken Boards.”

Premiering on May 30, 2017, the current season showed Deran buying a bar and doing something on his own. In “Broken Boards”, it was good to see that Deran stood up to his mother, Janine, played amazingly by Ellen Barkin. Not only did he tell her that he’s gay, he also said that she had no power over him.

Animal Kingdom has been throwing hints about Janine being “too” close to her sons. It’s as if she counts on their subconscious sexual fantasies of her to keep them under her control. But with Deran being gay, her tactics don’t work on him.

Here’s the scene I’m talking about!

While the scene between Deran and Janine was electrifying (both actors did an amazing job), I have a feeling Janine is going to try and hurt Deran some other way. The good news is that Deran’s on again/off again boyfriend, Adrian, also showed up in “Broken Boards.”

Those two broke up during the first season, so I wasn’t sure if Adrian would be showing up at all. I still don’t know if we’ll continue to see Adrian, but it’ll be nice to have him back in Deran’s life. Their relationship isn’t perfect. But if Deran is willing to put in the work, it might go somewhere. Also, there are numerous fan videos about those two on YouTube with thousands of views. So, you can tell the fandom is interested in the pairing.

I might write an actual Animal Kingdom recommendation down the line. However, until then I wanted to share my thoughts regarding what Deran did during “Broken Boards.” He opened a new chapter in his development and I’m interested to see what happens next.

“Borken Boards” was directed by Emmy Rossum, one of the leads in another queer-inclusive show, Shameless.

If you’re into crime families, do check Animal Kingdom out. It airs Tuesdays at 9 pm on TNT.

Are you already a fan of Animal Kingdom? Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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