This review contains spoilers for season 6 of Animal Kingdom.“Revelation” is a beautifully crafted and evenly paced episode of TNT’sAnimal Kingdom,and gives its cast plenty of room to shine. With some minor plots from the crime thriller’s final season having been resolved, the more extensive issues begin to have a larger role to play in “Revelation.” “Revelation” continues to chip away at the new foundation the Cody boys are trying to build and what that future may look like for themselves, and those involved with them.
As expected,Animal Kingdomsprinkles a few doses of action within “Revelation,” keeping the thrilling aspect of the series alive. None of the missions in “Revelation” areoverwhelmingly complicated or highly suspenseful, but they are just enough to injectAnimal Kingdomwith a dose of adrenaline. Of course, every high is met with a crash. “Revelation” begins to show the tip of what that downfall may spell for the Codys, while leaving plenty of lingering questions unanswered in regard to the fate of others.
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AsAnimal Kingdomcontinues to move forward, “Revelation” makes the interesting choice to include more flashback sequences thansome ofAnimal Kingdom’sprevious episodes. Most of the flashbacks inAnimal Kingdom’sfinal season have revolved around Baz (Darren Mann) and Julia’s (Jasper Polish) evolving relationship, but have jumped around in how they chose to confront it. “Revelation” keeps the focus relatively simple within a single day. Julia continues to push the limits of her relationship with Baz despite Smurf (Leila George) and Pope’s (Kevin Csolak) proximity, and their shared eagerness puts them in a sticky situation. The weight of their secret givesAnimal Kingdoma wave of uneasiness that is propelled by Smurf’s own deception and hostility toward her daughter.
Meanwhile, thepresentAnimal Kingdomstorylinegives viewers plenty of enticing segments of its own. Deran (Jake Weary) and J (Finn Cole) work with Tommy (Cody Callahan) to pull off another heist, while Pope (Shawn Hatosy) tries to bury some of his demons for good. Craig (Ben Robson) embarks on his own familiar adventure in “Revelation.” He reunites with Renn (Christina Ochoa) and finds himself regressing back into the habits he’s worked so hard overAnimal Kingdom’sfinal season to distance himself from. With the three layers of action “Revelation” provides, it’s difficult to find a dull moment.
FollowingAnimal Kingdom’sfirst season, there has been an organic build toward J’s leadership within the Cody family’s business. While J has been on the receiving end of tons of animosity on his way to the top, he has cemented himself as an even-tempered leader who can balance the diverse personalities within his family. J has proved himself as a leader time and time again with the strategy he often uses to pull the Codys out of tight spots. “Revelation” begins to show how far J has assimilated into the leadership role. As Deran and J pull their last-minute dental heist with Tommy, the latter finds himself injured, and Deran and J are forced to stitch him up. J, who was slowly forced to acclimate to the familythrough his own painful injuries, tells Tommy to remember the pain, so he won’t do anything dumb again.
The authority that J presents in both the legal and illegal side of the Cody’s business makes it obvious why Smurf spent so much time grooming him to take her place. However, Deran also demonstrates his role as a leader in “Revelation.” He first tasks Craig with taking care of himself and makes the executive decision to bring J in for the job Tommy suggests. When J questions Deran’s willingness to pull a jobso quickly after their diamond heist, Deran reminds his nephew that Smurf had a network of people that helped her operation run. He reasons that Tommy could be the first of many that the Codys bring under their wing to educate, and do the jobs their way.
Pope has traditionally had one of the most heartbreaking storylines withinAnimal Kingdom,but Pope has an equally haunting side to his charm that he demonstrates in “Revelation.” Like his family, Pope forges most of his business relationships through intimidation, and it always works in his favor. “Revelation” works well with the rest ofAnimal Kingdom’sfinal season, giving Craig one of the most unfortunate storylines. As his brothers and nephew seem to be progressing, Craig can’t seem to crack the cycle he’s been caught in for six seasons. His stagnancy begins to raise the question of how much the Cody boys are distancing themselves from Smurf’s operation. When Pope needed help, she swept it under the rug and for now, it seems some of the Cody boys are doing the same thing with Craig.
Somehow, with all the separate things “Revelation” has going on,the episode is incredibly paced. Between the flashbacks, Deran and J’s heist, Craig’s relapse, and Pope’s pursuit, it would have been easy for one of the plot lines to lack in delivery. However,Animal Kingdommakes each one of the storylines count, and doesn’t allow one to overshadow another. More importantly,Animal Kingdomproves they don’t need to rely on a high-stakes job to deliver a great episode. In fact, some of the series' best episodes have come from the family having to work together to overcome a massive threat. With a few episodes left before the crime thriller airs its final episode,Animal Kingdomis proving that it still has plenty more to deliver.
Season 1-5 ofAnimal Kingdomare now streaming on Amazon Prime.
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