Is Catherine Dead in Animal Kingdom?

Caught in the crossfire of hell, Catherine made several wrong turns during the first season of Animal Kingdom. She snitched on The Codys and had the audacity to steal from Smurf (a move I would rate 0/10), which was why I figured she’d be dead sooner or later.

But damn, episode nine did not come to play.

Of all the ways I was expecting things to turn out, Pope’s involvement and his actions were what shook me. Catherine may not have been the most intriguing character on the show, but the others involved in episode nine’s arc went against what I’d expected of them.

So, did she die? Or did she cheat her way out of death too?

Is Catherine Dead in Animal Kingdom?

Catherine is dead in Animal Kingdom. She dies in the ninth episode of the first season by Smurf’s orders. Pope went out to investigate if she had been stealing money and snitching to the cops. In a last desperate attempt to save herself, she had sex with the Pope, but he killed afterwards.

I was so sure that Pope would relent to her sweet words. After all, he’d loved her for so long. The only thing that kept him sane during his time in prison was Catherine — she was his anchor, his true love.

But I guess the feelings of betrayal were far too overwhelming. And for someone like Pope, his duty to the family always comes first.

It was no secret Smurf wasn’t fond of Catherine. She was looking for a way to take her out without coming under fire for it. Catherine’s betrayal practically handed that opportunity to Smurf on a silver platter.

Why Did The Pope Want Catherine Dead?

Pope never wanted Catherine dead. When Smurf told him, what she had been doing, Pope even defended her saying there was no way she would do that. But when he saw evidence of it in Catherine’s house, and how blatantly she lied to him, Pope murdered her.

He suffocated her to death, muttering a teary “I love you too.” You could see it in his face how much that hurt him.

He knew Catherine never loved him, that she lied to him and was trying to manipulate his feelings in her favor. And he felt like he had no choice but to end things there before they escalated.

After Catherine’s death, Pope started taking care of Lena.

Does Baz Know Pope Killed Catherine?

When Smurf tried to use Pope’s secret to eliminate Baz (by warning Pope that Baz was going to kill him), Pope handled things in a very surprising manner.

Animal Kingdom: Pope & Lena’s Final Goodbye - Season 4, Episode 9 [CLIP] | TNT

He told Craig and Deran to take care of Lena if anything happened to him (that’s much more than Baz ever did) and went to Baz’s place, fully prepared to die.

Because despite his love for Lena, Pope’s guilt only strengthened his desire to die. Baz walked in with a gun in his hand.

Pope confessed to Baz that he killed Catherine. He also reminded him that Baz had only taken Catherine to punish Smurf for denying him Lucy — never once thinking how that would hurt Pope, because no one ever thought about Pope. Baz forgave him and promised to care for him always.

I loved her. You knew that, but you still took her away from me. You took her to punish Smurf, because she didn’t want you to be with Lucy. But you punished me too! You never thought about me! None of you ever thought about me!

Pope to Baz

Animal Kingdom: I Love You, Brother - Season 2, Ep. 13 [CLIP] | TNT

Pope is honestly one of the most disturbing yet fascinating characters in the show. Yet, despite everything, you can’t help but sympathize with him.

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.