The king is dead. Or, well, the queen. When Ellen Barkin’s Janine "Smurf" Cody took a bullet to the head at the end of the fourth season, it felt like the show’s central nervous system had been ripped out. Fans spent the hiatus wondering if there was even a show left. Honestly, Animal Kingdom season 5 had a massive chip on its shoulder because it had to prove it wasn't just "The Smurf Show." It succeeded, but it was a messy, sweaty, high-stakes transition that changed the DNA of the series forever.
J, Pope, Craig, and Deran were left in a vacuum. It’s that simple. Without the matriarch pulling the strings—and keeping the bank accounts locked down—the Cody boys found themselves in a feral state of nature. If you’ve watched the show from the beginning, you know the power dynamics were always skewed toward Smurf's manipulative affection. Take that away, and you have four grown men who don't actually know how to talk to each other without a middleman. Season 5 is essentially a 13-episode study in fraternal dysfunction and probate law, but with more heist sequences and surfboard wax.
The Power Vacuum and the Rise of J
Joshua "J" Cody has always been the dark horse. From the pilot episode where he watches his mom overdose, he’s been the observer. In Animal Kingdom season 5, his coldness becomes an asset. While Pope is literally losing his mind and wandering into the desert, J is looking at spreadsheets. It’s a shift that frustrated some viewers who wanted more "action," but it’s the most realistic path for the character. J isn't a brawler; he's a shark.
He spent the season playing a dangerous game of "who owns what." Since Smurf left her estate to a woman named Pamela Johnson—someone the boys had never even heard of—the plot shifted from simple robberies to complex legal and physical maneuvers to reclaim their inheritance. This wasn't just about money. It was about the house. The pool. The legacy.
Deran and Craig, meanwhile, tried to find their own footing. Deran was still reeling from Adrian’s departure, turning his bar into a sanctuary that was constantly under threat. Craig was dealing with fatherhood, which, in the Cody world, is about as stable as a house of cards in a hurricane. They were all pulling in different directions, and that's why the season felt so tense. It wasn't just "will they get caught by the cops?" It was "will they kill each other before the cops even show up?"
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Why the 1984 Flashbacks Actually Mattered
Look, I know some people hated the flashbacks. It’s a common complaint. You’re watching a high-octane crime drama and suddenly you’re transported back to a grainy version of the 80s with a younger actress (Leila George) playing Smurf. But Animal Kingdom season 5 used these segments to explain why the present-day Codys are so broken. We finally saw the origin of the "Pamela Johnson" mystery.
We saw a young Janine Cody navigating the criminal underworld while pregnant and raising toddlers in the back of a van. It recontextualized her cruelty. It didn't excuse it, obviously, but it showed that the Cody empire was built on a foundation of pure survivalism. The 1984 timeline introduced us to the original crew, showing how Smurf outmaneuvered men who underestimated her. By the time we get back to the present day, the parallels between Young Smurf and J are undeniable. They both have that same "burn the world to save myself" energy.
The Pope Problem
Shawn Hatosy’s performance as Pope in this season was nothing short of haunting. Without Smurf to direct his "episodes," Pope was a live wire. The scene where he goes to the desert to burn Smurf's belongings—and essentially purge his own demons—is peak television. It was silent, gritty, and uncomfortable.
He was grappling with the realization that his mother had intentionally stunted his growth to keep him as her personal enforcer. Watching him try to form a bond with his brothers that wasn't based on fear was the emotional core of the season. He’s the eldest, but in many ways, he’s the most vulnerable. When he finally confronts the reality of what happened to Catherine and Smurf’s role in it, the dam finally breaks.
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The Heists: Keeping the Adrenaline High
You don't watch this show just for the family therapy sessions. You watch it for the jobs. Even without a mastermind, the boys managed to pull off some incredible stunts. The skate park heist? Pure chaos. The gold heist? Tense as hell.
What made the jobs in Animal Kingdom season 5 different was the lack of a safety net. In earlier seasons, Smurf was the one cleaning up the messes or bribing the right people. Now, if Craig screws up or Deran gets spotted, there’s no one to call. They are operating without a net, and you can feel that desperation in every frame. The cinematography remained top-tier, capturing that sun-drenched, grimy Southern California vibe that makes you feel like you need a shower after every episode.
The stakes shifted. It wasn't about getting rich anymore; it was about maintaining the lifestyle they had become accustomed to. They were fighting to stay at the top of a hill that was rapidly eroding.
Addressing the Pamela Johnson Twist
One of the biggest narrative risks the writers took was introducing Pamela Johnson. For years, Smurf was portrayed as someone who had no friends, only subjects. Finding out she had a peer—someone she respected enough to leave her entire empire to—changed our understanding of her history.
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The introduction of Pam’s family served as a mirror to the Codys. They were what the Codys could have been if they weren't so busy betraying each other. It forced the brothers to negotiate, which is not something a Cody is naturally good at. They prefer intimidation. But Pam knew where all the bodies were buried, literally and figuratively. It was a checkmate move from beyond the grave.
Technical Execution and Production Hurdles
It's worth noting that this season faced significant real-world challenges. Production was shut down due to the global pandemic, which led to a longer-than-usual gap between seasons 4 and 5. This actually worked in the show’s favor. The aging of the actors and the raw, slightly more isolated feel of the sets added to the "end of an era" atmosphere.
The writing team, led by Daniele Nathanson, had to recalibrate the entire show’s engine. You can see the effort on screen. There’s a deliberate pacing to the episodes that feels more like a slow-burn noir than the fast-paced thriller it started as.
What to Do After Finishing Season 5
If you've just wrapped up the finale, you’re likely feeling that specific brand of Cody-induced anxiety. Here are a few ways to process the season and prepare for the final ride:
- Re-watch the Pilot: Seriously. After seeing the 1984 flashbacks in season 5, going back to the very first episode changes how you see Smurf’s interaction with J. The manipulation is much more apparent when you know her origin story.
- Track the Money: If you're confused about who owns what by the end of the season, go back and look at the scenes involving Smurf’s will and J’s "consultations" with the lawyers. J is playing a long game that pays off in season 6.
- Analyze the Pope/J Dynamic: These two are the bookends of the family. One is the past, one is the future. Watch how their physical proximity changes throughout the season; they start as enemies and end as wary allies.
- Check Out the Soundtrack: The music supervision on this show is elite. The surf-rock and moody indie tracks define the atmosphere of Oceanside.
The legacy of Animal Kingdom season 5 is one of survival. It proved that the ensemble cast was strong enough to carry the weight of a massive star's exit. It grounded the show in a harsh reality: when the person holding the family together disappears, the only thing left is to fight for the scraps. It wasn't always pretty, but it was honest. The Codys were never going to have a happy ending, but in season 5, they at least started to understand why.