5 Questions We Need Answered In ‘Animal Kingdom’ Season 5

After two years, viewers will finally be reunited with the Cody family in the “Animal Kingdom” Season 5 premiere. Following the nail-biting Season 4 finale, the TNT drama will follow the family as they travel to navigate their lives and criminal activities without Smurf.

Here are 5 questions that need to be answered in “Animal Kingdom” Season 5:

1. Why Did Smurf Leave Her Estate To Pamela Johnson?

Smurf (Ellen Barkin) had a network of assets that she could have left to her sons and grandson. However, she left everything to a woman named Pamela Johnson. J (Finn Cole), Pope (Shawn Hatosy), Craig (Ben Robson), and Deran (Jake Weary) have never heard of the woman and are unsure if she could pose a threat to their plans for the family business. Will the Cody boys discover the reason why Smurf cut them out of her will?

2. Who Will Replace Smurf As The Head Of The Cody Family?

Now that Smurf is dead, her sons and her grandson all think they have what it takes to be the leader of the Cody family and take her place. When Smurf went to jail, she made J the head of the family and taught him how to run the family. Now, each Cody is determined to prove they can take her place, but how far will they go to become the leader of the pack?

3. Will The Cody Family Fall Apart Without Smurf?

Although the boys often complained about Smurf controlling their lives and their share of the money after heists, they are now left with no one to run their family businesses.

Even if one of them is able to declare himself the head of the family, there’s no guarantee that everyone else will fall in line.

Executive Producer John Wells previously teased what’s to come in an interview with Deadline.

“A big part of the Animal Kingdom world is the danger our characters face every day in this life they’ve chosen. We want to keep the audience guessing in a way that still feels real to our characters’ world. It’s called the Animal Kingdom for a reason!” Wells explained.

“No one can live forever, and I think an interesting conversation the writers had was about the power dynamics of this family. What happens when the power shifts? How did Baz’s death change the family? How would the Cody boys survive without their mother? It will be fascinating to see our characters’ growth or reversion in the face of that loss.”

4. Will Pope Finally Snap?

During “Animal Kingdom” Season 4, Angela (Emily Deschanel) did her best to insert herself into the Cody family dynamics and manipulate Pope, but Smurf never allowed her to get too close. However, after Smurf’s death, Angela managed to secure her spot by Pope’s side. Angela knows how dangerous Pope can be, but will her consistent manipulation push him over the edge?

5. Will Adrian Betray Deran?

Deran and Adrian (Spencer Treat Clark) planned to run away together after the cops tried to blackmail Adrian into helping them lock up the Cody family. Deran ultimately decided he wouldn’t leave his family but demanded Adrian leave the country. Adrian then told Deran he was the worst thing that ever happened to him and left. Did Adrian really leave, or is planning to take revenge on Deran for breaking his heart?

“Animal Kingdom” Season 5 premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.