TNT’s Animal Kingdom
Season 3, Episode 10: “Off the Tit”
Directed by Larry Teng
Written by Addison McQuigg

* For a recap & review of the previous episode, “Libertad” – click here
* For a recap & review of the next episode, “Jackpot” – click here
We see Lucy (Carolina Guerra) doing a bit of work. She and her guys are checking out a coyote who’s bringing bodies across the border alongside cocaine. Not exactly safe for business, y’know. And she’s ruthless, unwilling to leave the man alive.
Back in the city, Smurf (Ellen Barkin) – who’s got Billy (Denis Leary) in her bed – gets a call from Pedro aka Pete (Reynaldo Gallegos), who’s down in Mexico taking care of business for her. She also questions J (Finn Cole) a bit about young Mia (Sohvi Rodriguez). Things are tense between grandma and her grandson. Doubt that’s gonna change any time soon. He heads out to meet Mia later, asking her to try figuring out what Pete’s helping Smurf with, and why.
At the hospital, Craig (Ben Robson) tries apologising to Linc (Damon Erik Williams), wanting to mend the bridges between him and Deran (Jake Weary). But Linc tells him: “That‘s not my life.” A guy like him doesn’t want to be involved with a guy like Deran, entrenched in a criminal lifestyle.
More of Smurf working her devious magic. She teases Billy over “honour among thieves” and his belief he’ll get his money from the job soon. She tries to make him feel he won’t get any of the cash, hoping it’ll sow seeds of distrust further. Judging by the look on Billy’s face, it’s working already. He goes straight to see his son, asking Deran if he’s gonna screw deadbeat dad over for his cut. Eventually, ole dad wants J’s number. This will get ugly, real soon. On top of that, Billy spies the combination on his son’s safe at the bar. Oh, fuck. There’s more trouble when Craig accidentally lets slip there’s a “storage unit” where all their money’s stored.
Later on, Craig runs into Renn (Christina Ochoa). He discovers she’s had an ultrasound and she’s pregnant. She won’t answer him when he asks if he’s the “daddy.” It’s highly likely he is, particularly given her response. Although for now it remains a mystery. He winds up falling into Frankie’s (Dichen Lachman) arms when he gets home, after she comforts him and provides him some positive encouragement— something the guy barely, if ever, gets.
Over at DCFS, Pope (Shawn Hatosy) is running up against the system, as usual. He wants to get in to see someone about Lena, worried about her as she’s being thrust into the foster system alone. He’s frustrated by the wait time, though it’s all he can do: wait. This is not a good place for him. He isn’t adjusted to a normal life or the normal world.
J’s trying to make new moves on his own. He’s looking at a laundromat, a place to launder money— perfect! He also looks at a bowling alley. More than that, he hopes to maybe give Mia a job, allowing her to make some money and so she might stop sleeping in her car. The two of them continue their relationship. Never fully clear where it’s headed. In the meantime, Mia’s sneaking a look at whatever Pete’s got going on. All she knows is it involves a few guns + Mexico.
Like he always does when wounded, Deran goes to see Adrian (Spencer Treat Clark). They hang out a bit. Deran’s conflicted about family, as it goes in the Cody Gang. He’s caught between a deadbeat father and forceful brothers.
Finally, Pope gets in to see someone at DCFS. He talks with a woman about Lena, asking to see her to make sure she’s all right in her latest home. He tells her Baz is dead, the mother is gone— of course, he knows better. But he finds out they likely won’t be allowing Lena back with him. That’s when he sees the women who removed Lena from the home, and he gets extremely aggressive and confrontational. This almost causes a very bad scene. Won’t reflect well on-file, either.

“Doesn’t matter what they say— you can be anything you wanna be.”

At home, Billy grabs J, threatening him to give up his money. He even insults the young man’s “weak bitch” of a mother. Not a good idea. J certainly doesn’t back down, he refuses to do anything for Billy, and definitely not under threat. This is not over yet between them. Smurf gets home as it’s over, then she finds Pope waiting, upset, not sure what to do about Lena being taken into foster care. In his time of need – similar to Deran with Adrian – he runs to the one person who can comfort him: mom. When Billy makes another comment about Smurf’s “tit” to her baby boy, Pope beats the shit out of him by the pool, almost drowning him. Billy slices him with a knife, and before Pope can beat him to death Smurf calls the whole thing off. Whoa. Tension’s never been so high at mom’s house! Looks like the resident junkie’s moving out sooner than expected, too.
That night, Smurf takes Pope to a house, where she shows him Lena’s foster home. She’s being taken care of by good people, in a beautiful home. It could be worse— she could be with the Codys.
Billy goes to the bar, though Deran isn’t around. So, he goes out back to relax, have a hit of heroin to take the edge off. And he just can’t keep his eyes off that safe. When the son shows up, he finds dad heading out, and deadbeat is acting weird. We already know exactly why. Deran soon finds out, as well. Most tragic? Billy claims, in a note, to have remembered his son’s birthday, the combination, when he actually just saw it earlier. An utter piece of shit. At least Deran finally sees the true face of his father, despite the harsh learning curve.
In a warehouse, Smurf meets Pete and his crew. Outside there’s Mia, lurking in shadows. Pete went to Mexico to find Marco for Smurf, she hopes he’ll give up where he and Lucy took all that money Baz had stolen. When no answers come, Smurf prepares to get fucking medieval. She spreads peanut butter on Marco’s dick and balls. After that, they break out some nasty rats. Hoooooly shit. Truly a medieval method of torture.

“You be you, man.”

God, this show gets better all the time. I’m a lover of the original Australian film. I wasn’t sure this would live up to it, though. It has, and beyond. “Jackpot” is next time. Bound to get wilder!