J Avenges His Mother in the Animal Kingdom Series Finale

The intriguing, nail-biting (and at times, deeply disturbing) six-season ride of Animal Kingdom has finally come to an end. Poetically enough, it connects to the show’s very first episode that showed how a young, recently orphaned J came in to live with his grandmother, Smurf, and became part of her criminal organization.

Animal Kingdom’s prized question has always been about where J fits in. Does he embrace Smurf’s way of life or is he here to destroy it all? The finale gives you a definite answer.

In the Animal Kingdom series finale, Deran and Craig manage to break Pope out of prison. But their efforts turn futile, as J reveals he knew the Codys were the reason for his mother’s death and he has been conspiring to take them down ever since.

Here’s how it all went down!

1. Is J Baz’s son?

The episode’s core deals with flashbacks that connect to Animal Kingdom’s premiere and premise. One night, Pope discovers Julia breaking into their house and realizes she’s pregnant. While she has an inkling that it might be Baz’s child, she doesn’t know for sure.

Irrespective, Pope promises to always look after the child and together they even choose a name for him: Joshua. The twins begin bonding, due to which Smurf even agrees to get Julia the proper rehab facilities she needs for her drug abuse.

2. Smurf’s Cruel Side

Of course, this is Smurf we’re talking about. She cannot have any female being her sons’ topmost priority, not even her own daughter. So when she sees that Julia’s growing relationship with Pope may weaken his loyalties to Smurf, she turns cold and cruel all too quickly.

She takes Julia out of rehab and abandons her under a bridge brimming with addicts, without access to any money or a home. Then, she gives Pope a choice—either to fend for Julia and renounce Smurf, or the other way around. We know who Pope ends up choosing.

While it is certainly sad, can’t say I’m all too surprised—this is Smurf for you.

3. Breaking Pope out of Prison

In the present, Deran and Craig undertake the monumental mission of breaking Pope out of prison. They have everything in place—cash, ammunition, and a getaway car. But what they don’t anticipate is J’s betrayal.

Instead of helping his uncles rain fire on Pope’s prison transfer bus and cause a distraction, J runs back home to tip off the police about the whole affair.

To add insult to injury, even though Deran and Craig manage to get Pope to the getaway car, they realize they can’t outrun the police. Pope makes the grand gesture of luring the cops towards him so that his younger brothers can escape. Ironically enough, Pope manages to gun down all the officers.

This could’ve been a decent ending for the Codys, except that Deran and Craig decide to rob a convivence store for some cash and first aid. It backfires as Craig ends up getting shot dead in the process.

In the meanwhile, Pope manages to catch up with J and knocks him out, preparing to drown him tied to a lawn chair. While he is initially infuriated by J’s betrayal, the nephew finally reveals that he knew the Codys mistreated his mother.

Pope feels remorse for the way he abandoned his own twin sister. As a way to punish himself, he lets J go, sets fire to the treasured Cody house and lies down, knowing that he’s soon going to die of the wounds he got from the police chase.

4. J’s “Happy” Ending

Executive producer John Wells is known to have used, “This is Animal Kingdom,” as a self-explanatory phrase for everything that happens on the show. Indeed, the same phrase can be used to describe J’s ending as well.

Through the six seasons, there have been times when it felt like J had truly become a part of the Codys. Of course, as the series finale depicts, J knew that the Codys had abandoned Julia. Blaming them for her death, he was simply waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

With Smurf long gone (courtesy of none other than J), all that was left was to take his uncles down and burn the Cody enterprise to the ground. But it all came at a cost—he had already lost quite a few loved ones on the way, and this episode too ends with him having to poison Penny to death.

Although he ends up with the Codys’ money, enough to buy him security and comfort, he’s left all alone somewhere in the Virgin Islands as he looks back at the years he spent trying to avenge his mother.

5. About Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is an American drama television series developed by Jonathan Lisco. It is based on the 2010 Australian film of the same name directed by David Michôd, who is executive producer for the series, alongside Liz Watts, who also produced the 2010 film.

The series follows a 17-year-old boy, who, after the death of his mother, moves in with his estranged relatives, the Codys, a criminal family clan governed by the matriarch Smurf.

The crime drama stars Ellen Barkin, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Danielle Alonso, Molly Gordon, and Denis Leary. Season 6 will be the final season of the show.