TV Show Review

TV Review: ANIMAL KINGDOM: Season 3, Episode 7: Low Man [TNT]

Ellen Barkin Gil Birmingham Animal Kingdom Low Man

Animal Kingdom Low Man Review

In TNT‘s Animal Kingdom, Season 3, Episode 7, Low Man Smurf (Ellen Barkin) play her cards just right and J (Finn Cole) released some of the pressure. The Cody’s and their new partners, Billy (Denis Leary) and Frankie (Dichen Lachman) geared up for a major heist.

Smurf is out of jail no thanks to her sons. The boys will be surprised, but especially Billy. He has his hooks in Deran (Jake Weary) now, and Smurf will not be okay with having to compete with anyone to regain control of her house. It will also be sweet to see Barkin and Leary spit fire on screen together. The wolf and the lioness will finally face off. They will not just be competing for Deran, but for the family – if we can still call it that. Billy’s $600,000 dollar heist casts a huge shadow over Smurf’s leadership. Since the boys are generally through with Smurf, Billy may be a less intrusive alternative for partnership. So, this is going to be very interesting.

I am really concerned about how Smurf will treat J now that she is out. Will she punish him for being insubordinate in their last meeting? I think she will never admit that she mismanaged him when she pressured him to check on Javi’s crew. J will never admit that he was floundering while handling the family business. There are some things people are built to do and others are not. Mia (Sohvi Rodriguez) touched on the fact that the Cody’s are a unique breed among which not everyone can survive. J’s own mother did not survive being a Cody. I wonder if he is really just trying to prove to himself and Smurf that he is not a weakling – that he is not his mother – that he belongs.

Advertisement
 

So, Nicky’s (Molly Gordon) dad actually cares? Seriously, the way her father ripped into J about Nicky’s treatment you would think he was a caring father. What did her father do when Nicky asked to come home? He denied her. She was not wanted in Guam. In fact, he washed his hands of her in the last season. So, when his daughter reached out for help he slapped her hand away. You teach others how to treat your family. When you disrespect your own family in front of others, it sends a signal that they can be disrespected. So, good job dad. You abandoned Nicky to a pack of wolves, rejected her when she sought protection, and now, you are surprised she got mauled? Get out of here with that. I was surprised J stood there in his own home and took that hypocritical abuse from Nicky’s dear old dad.

In the end, J chose Mia. The union is not surprising, but given what we know about her, it is disturbing. Then again, J had no love for Baz, so he may not care that he is banging the woman that murdered his “father”. Regardless, they have amazing chemistry.

Speaking of amazing chemistry, Craig (Ben Robson) and Frankie, played by the enigmatic and beautiful Lachman, really sizzled on screen. Lachman has an ethereal magnetism to her that compliments Robson’s roguish earnestness. I really will enjoy seeing them on screen together. Frankie’s character was revealed to be crime savvy and straightforward. I have no doubt she is playing Craig in some way. What I really like about Frankie is that she, like Mia, has the same strong femininity that snares these Cody men just like Smurf. Mia and Frankie will be formidable opponents in Smurf’s comeback.

Smurf against Billy. Smurf against Mia and Frankie.  J is fed up and still has all legal power. Pope (Shawn Hatosy) just got confirmation that Smurf killed Baz. So, it will definitely be Smurf against the boys. There is a lot of turbulence brewing here, and I really like how this internal battle is shaping up.

Leave your thoughts on this Animal Kingdom Low Man review and this episode of Animal Kingdom below in the comments section. Readers seeking more Animal Kingdom can visit our Animal Kingdom Page. Readers seeking more TV show reviews can visit our TV Show Review Page, our TV Show Review Twitter Page, our TV Show Review Facebook Page, and our TV Show Review Google+ Page. Want up-to-the-minute notification? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.

FilmBook's Newsletter

Subscribe to FilmBook’s Daily Newsletter for the latest news!

Thank you for subscribing.

Something went wrong.

PopcornMovieMaiden

I am ...a lover of all things film/TV ...a poet with a law degree ...a D.C. native, who frequents local and international film festivals ...a couch potato with opinions.
Back to top button
Share via
Send this to a friend