Animal Kingdom 3×1 Review: The Killing

Animal Kingdom returned to our TV screens with an emotionally heavy episode. ‘The Killing’ revealed the fate of a main character and laid the groundwork for what the Cody brothers might face next as the series progresses.

I was provided a screener of ‘The Killing’ for review. Opinions are my own. Contains spoilers!

If you aren’t watching Animal Kingdom on TNT, I recommend you do. It is an enjoyable series which is able to elicit emotional investment for a dysfunctional family. I also wrote a piece on how the show handles queer representation. It is good stuff if you are into a story about criminals.

Coming to ‘The Killing,’ the second season ended on a cliffhanger with Baz’s life on the line. The premiere of season three didn’t waste any time taking a major player out of the show. If you have been keeping up with Scott Speedman’s career, you might already have guessed he was going to leave the series.

‘The Killing’ showed the rest of the Codys reacting to Baz’s death. I liked how the show allowed the brothers to express their emotions and be sad over losing their brother. The final scene with the group on their surfboards made for a good send-off for a series regular.

Of course, Pope (Shawn Hatosy) wanted revenge and grew suspicious of everyone. There was also an interesting scene between him and Lucy where she tried to make him believe she didn’t have Baz killed.

Considering how every character has an ulterior motive, while I think Lucy might have had Baz killed to take all of his money, I am also starting to suspect Smurf (Ellen Barkin). I don’t know if Smurf put on a show upon hearing the news of his death while in jail or she was genuinely heartbroken even if she had him murdered.

Baz and Smurf have been at odds with each other. The tension rose very high during the second season when he stole money from her storage unit. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if she finally decided to end him to take better control of her family even from behind bars.

Like I said, the premiere of Animal Kingdom season three served as an acceptable goodbye to Baz while giving us a few hints about what the Cody’s will face next. Deran’s father is also going to make an appearance soon, and I can’t wait!

Some thoughts and questions

• If Smurf did have Baz killed, does she suspect Lucy took the money?
• I’m looking forward to seeing how J (Finn Cole) gets his uncles to work for him.
• Poor Lena. That little girl has gone through a lot.
• Will Adrian return in Deran’s life? I hope so. Their relationship is problematic but I still like the two together.
• What is going to happen to Nicky?
• Ellen Barkin continues to kill it as Smurf!

Did you watch the season 3 premiere of Animal Kingdom? What did you think of ‘The Killing’? 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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