Although they insist that they are better off without their mother, on “Animal Kingdom” Season 2, episode 3, the Cody boys will continue struggle to stand on their own.

“Smurf (Ellen Barkin) takes J (Finn Cole) to the desert for an old friend’s wake,” the synopsis for “Bleed for It” teases. In the previous episode, Smurf asked J to join her for a road trip to say goodbye to a friend but from the looks of the promo, it doesn’t seem like the teen is going to have a good time.

READ: Catch up on “Animal Kingdom” Season 2, Episode 2 synopsis

In the video, J can be seen in the desert at what looks to be the reception where he attempts to grab a drink from the cooler, however, a man sitting close by quickly slams the cooler closed before he can get his beverage.

Smurf can later be seen having a conversation, explaining that not everything works out the way you want it to. “Things go wrong sometimes,” she says.

The scene then cuts to J who is face-to-face with Smurf looking deep into her eyes. “I’ll put a bullet in your head,” he says.

Since the Cody boys have chosen to give Smurf the cold shoulder, the matriarch seems to be turning her attention to her grandson and trying to mold him to be more like his uncles, possibly even better than them.

Although it is unlikely that J is actually threatening his grandmother, Smurf did give him a gun in Season 1 and from the looks of the promo, he isn’t afraid to use it.

Will J be forced to use his gun while attending the wake with his grandmother or is he just practicing for when the time comes for him to threaten someone?

“Baz (Scott Speedman) visits Lucy (Carolina Guerra) in Mexico,” the synopsis for “Animal Kingdom” Season 2, episode 3 says. Since Catherine’s (Daniella Alonso) disappearance, Baz has been having trouble being a single parent and has been clinging to Lucy, who doesn’t seem very interested in being in a committed relationship with him.

However, in the “Bleed for It” promo, Lucy can be seen giving Baz a kiss. Could she have had a change of heart and reconsidered the extent of their relationship?

“Pope (Shawn Hatosy) bonds with Amy (Jennifer Landon) from the megachurch while babysitting Lena (Aamya Deva Keroles),” the synopsis for the TNT show states.

In the promo, Pope can be seen slamming something into the floor while Lena stands behind him. Although is is unclear what caused his destructive behavior, Pope is known to be unpredictable.

The eldest Cody brother’s behavior tends to get erratic when he is off of his medication which is why Smurf began to mix his meds into his food in Season 1 of the TNT series, that was until he found out what she was doing.

Since he killed Catherine, Pope seems to feel guilty and has been going out of his way to help Baz out with Lena. After stumbling into a church while watching Lena, it seems like Pope has made his first connection with a woman since Catherine.

Will Amy be a positive influence in Pope’s life or will she meet the same fate as Catherine?

“Deran (Jake Weary) considers what he’ll risk to get a liquor license for the bar,” the synopsis teases. In the promo, Deran is seen looking deep in thought as if he is contemplating what he should do next.

READ: What happened in the “Animal Kingdom” Season 2 premiere?

In the last episode, Deran was finally able to purchase the bar he wanted, but it looks like the work has only just begun seeing as obtaining a liquor license will prove to be a difficult task for the youngest Cody brother. How far will he go in order to kick start his business?

“Animal Kingdom” Season 2, episode 3, airs on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EDT on TNT.

Animal kingdom
On “Animal Kingdom” Season 2, episode 3, J (Finn Cole, pictured) will have some one-on-one time with Smurf (Ellen Barkin). TNT
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