TNT’s Animal Kingdom
Season 2, Episode 2: “Karma”
Directed by Thomas Carter
Written by Eliza Clark

* For a recap & review of the Season 2 premiere, “Eat What You Kill” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Bleed For It” – click here
Things with Craig (Ben Robson) and young Nicky (Molly Gordon) are speeding along, as she falls deeper in love with him and he’s, most likely, just having a good time. He’s a bit of a dummy, Craig; not exactly a deep thinker. Meanwhile, Baz (Scott Speedman) is moving on with Lucy (Carolina Guerra) one step at a time, after the disappearance of Catherine (Daniella Alonso).
And at home, Pope (Shawn Hatosy) looks after Baz’s little girl, he takes her to school, as Smurf (Ellen Barkin) watches on while her boys all do their own thing without mama. You can tell she’s lost. At the same time, the relationship between her and Pope is steadily deteriorating, worse than ever before. Because she sent him to the dark depths of his own soul, now he’s never coming back.
Josh (Finn Cole) makes breakfast at Smurf’s place, then grandma gets a call from Nicky – there’s a fire, after Craig dropped a joint on the couch. So she explains to the young lady to get rid of the drugs, stash her boy’s gun somewhere, and make sure there’s nothing incriminating.
Smurf isn’t too happy when she gets over to the burning apartment. She tells Craig he’ll be paying for the renovations, and he’s not too happy about that. Nor does he stick around with his girlfriend. I wonder if Nicky will finally figure out that he doesn’t care about her.
Then there’s Deran (Jake Weary), he’s trying to cobble together the money so he can buy that bar. But the time is running out, he either needs to put up the cash or he loses the deposit. Out on the town, J goes along with his uncles Deran and Craig, falling in further with the family’s muddied ties. Simultaneously, Smurf decides to let Nicky stay at her place; another way to get under her boy’s skin? I’d bet on it.
Deran, Craig, and J head over to a nearby church. The brothers put on shirts for an HVAC company, heading inside with tool belts and all. Supposedly there to fix an air conditioning unit. They smooth talk their way to the roof and Craig wonders if they’re headed for “karmic vengeance,” and then J works his way downstairs to find where all the vents go, et cetera. Pope, he stops in to listen to a few Christian rock tunes in an auditorium, as Baz distracts the security guard on-site.
J gets into an Employees Only area, he takes various pictures. Then he locates a safe in the floor, snapping another one. On the way out he’s noticed by an employee, covering by saying he’s there for Narcotics Anonymous. Slick. Outside the auditorium, Pope meets a woman named Amy (Jennifer Landon), they talk briefly about church. Imagine Pope, in church! Jesus wept.
The boys are busy planning the big heist at the church, and Smurf is busy changing codes, locks, everything to which the rest of the family has access. None of them are really on the same page. Money troubles, specifically those of Craig and Deran, start infringing on the group’s plans. They’re falling apart at the seams. Funny enough, Baz and Pope are the only two really together on the robbery front; if he only knew what Smurf’s oldest boy has done. But Pope, he’s got his mind on figuring out why his brothers are so thirsty for cash.
And Baz has plenty of trouble on his hands with Lucy, after his daughter walked in to see them together. She isn’t pleased he didn’t tell her about Lena living there. Now, their relationship is crumbling, too. Lucy would rather they keep it less serious, and I can’t imagine this will do the Cody gang any favours with Baz being distracted. What about when he starts digging further into why Catherine disappeared?
Smurf goes to see a friend named Gia (Karina Logue) with a ring she needs cut up. What she’s there for, above all else, is to try cutting the boys off from her sources. She explains to Gia that Baz will soon come to her, lightly suggesting she not get into business too deep with him. Hmm. Tricky mama. Baz has his own money problems, as well; trying to keep a private investigation into Catherine’s whereabouts going on his own ain’t cheap.
When Pope convinces Deran his next target is too hot to move on, the Cody boys go for a food truck instead. One from which apparently drugs are sold. Only, as usual, nothing goes like they planned. Still – they manage to pull off the heist.
Ohhh, I think I might see Smurf’s plan ahead of time. Nicky walks into the kitchen at Mama Cody’s place, as Josh sits at the counter; she’s actually wearing his clothes. Curious if perhaps Smurf’s trying to get the young man and his once girlfriend back together, in turn creating friction between J and uncle Craig. Shit, this is a sly move.
When the boys split up the money, Craig gets the cash he needs for the deposit on the bar from Pope and Deran, though a loan, of course. At home, Baz is struggling with taking care of his daughter and also continuing to plot out the church job. Dad’s not doing so well with Lena. However, the hypocritical shit coming out of Pope’s mouth about parenting would sound a lot better if he didn’t kill the little girl’s mother.
Baz (to Pope): “No one‘s ever gonna have a kid with you, ever.”
Later, Craig pays in full for the bar’s lease. Even though it’s a tough road of business ahead, it’s a slice of freedom. Something to not only take him out of robbing banks and other places, to take him out of Smurf’s loving stranglehold.
Baz goes to see Lucy, to apologise. He tells her Catherine left because she found out about them. For the time being, their relationship is okay. Yet there are so many threads waiting to be yanked out of this that’ll send everyone spinning and unravelling.
Alone at home, Smurf laments the loss of her boys, how they’ve grown up and split apart, from themselves and from her. When J gets back, he and Smurf talk about him possibly moving out. “What do you want, J?” she asks. “I want to stay,” he replies. Then a call comes in – someone relays to Smurf that Manny has died. On her face is a mix of sadness and nostalgia. Now grandma wants to take J on a road trip for the wake. More time alone together. After seeing how Pope turned out, I worry for what this means.
Another solid episode. Season 2 is starting out excellent, with all the characters really developing and new things happening. I was worried the plot might peter out and get too slim. So far, so good; it’s looking exciting! And dark as all hell.
Next episode is “Bleed For It” and I wonder what the Smurf-J road trip will bring.