This review contains spoilers for the series finale of Animal Kingdom. The past is heartbreakingly relevant in Animal Kingdom's series finale. The series finale could not have been tasked with delivering higher stakes and the series manages to fulfill its demands on both an emotive and physical level. Shawn Hatosy, Jake Weary, Ben Robson, and Finn Cole all give gut-wrenching performances in "Fubar," elevating the viewer and character response to the emotional, final chapter of the TNT crime thriller.
Pope (Hatosy), Craig (Robson), Deran (Weary), and J (Cole), all embark on their own journeys in Animal Kingdom's series finale. "Fubar" provides a glimpse into the state of mind these characters were in when Animal Kingdom first began, asking viewers to consider how far some of them have come. Despite weeks of buildup that aimed to get the four Cody men on the same page, "Fubar" couldn't pull them further apart. After establishing these characters for six seasons, it's impossible for there to be an ending for each of them that feels adequate, but Animal Kingdom challenges that notion to its absolute limit.
Animal Kingdom challenges how grim a series finale can be. As grim as every series finale is, the task of the cast and crew to deliver a fitting end for the series is a heavy weight to bear. Animal Kingdom handles it quite well, managing to pull viewers out of the Oceanside landscape they have been trapped in for a few weeks, and experience one final heist with the Cody family. With the environment and four strong characters Animal Kingdom has created in Pope, Craig, Deran, and J, it is impossible for there to be an ending for all of them that would have left everyone feeling satisfied. Therefore, Animal Kingdom doesn't end with a happy ending for all. In fact, the crime thriller doesn't really conclude with a happy ending for anyone.
Of Animal Kingdom's colorful cast, Pope has undoubtedly had the most treacherous journey. From the start of the series to "Fubar," Pope has always found himself under someone else's thumb. "Fubar" finally asks Pope to make decisions for himself and by doing so, Pope affirms that he has never truly forgiven himself for the choices he has made throughout his life. Pope's guilt has played a fundamental role in his journey throughout Animal Kingdom's final season. "Fubar" is no exception, but it does allow Pope to finally make peace with himself. For him, there is no better ending that his character could have received. Hatosy plays this role to absolute perfection one final time, as he brings a steady fragility to Pope that is far more tragic than it is daunting.
One of the Animal Kingdom finale's most striking moments is Pope's final act. On par with the rest of Animal Kingdom's sixth season, "Fubar" uses the culmination of its flashback sequences to create a meaningful environment for its remaining characters. What has become evident through these, is that Pope never turned his back on Smurf. Everything he had ever done, was for her, no matter the cost to himself. "Fubar" draws upon this flaw in Pope's character, allowing him to right the wrong that commenced Animal Kingdom. After failing to save J from the life he would soon endure with Julia following his birth, Pope uses his final act to rescue him when he has plenty of motives not to. The guilt Pope has harbored in choosing Smurf over Julia has clouded his character's mind, particularly in season 6. By burning the Cody house down, Pope has left Smurf's memory behind and righted that wrong.
As frustrating as it might be for some to accept, J's journey comes to a fitting conclusion. Not long ago, J and Craig reminisced on J's arrival at the Cody house where he nearly drowned. Suitably, J nearly meets his end in that manner in "Fubar." The reflection of J's journey also takes a heartbreaking twist in the Animal Kingdom finale. To save himself, J causes Penny to die of a drug overdose. In knowing his mother's fate, J's choice to kill Penny in the manner that he does takes a heavy toll on him, and it shows. Penny's death ultimately shatters the last piece of hope J held onto, allowing for his typical stoic expression to crack, revealing a humane side of J that was sparsely seen throughout the entirety of Animal Kingdom.
Another one of the series finale's memorable scenes is the moment Deran, Craig, and Pope are forced to realize they have been betrayed. As Deran, Craig, and Pope realize the end is near, it's impossible not to get swept up in the moment alongside them. The suffocating atmosphere that Animal Kingdom has created in so many of the Cody family's previous heists has led up to this one. For a family that has not always expressed how they felt toward one another, there is far too much left unsaid amongst them that Weary, Robson, and Hatosy all manage to convey with their last glances at one another. It's a gut-wrenching exchange between the three men and the audience, as everyone's aware of what's to come, though no one wants to say it.
"Fubar" provides a last-ditch glimpse at where J ends up, though it is quite vague. Animal Kingdom doesn't provide an update on Deran and where he ends up, though he does mutter a final promise to Craig: to take care of Nick and Renn. While there is no physical sight of that, nor any reunion with Adrian, Deran has often been a man of his word. So while Animal Kingdom doesn't spell out every final detail for these characters, there is enough for each one to feel complete. It's up for debate on whether this last Cody heist can be considered a success, but "Fubar" is the finale Animal Kingdom needed to have. In the end, the true heist was not springing Pope from prison, but freeing each one of them from what had been holding them back.
Season 1-5 of Animal Kingdom are now streaming on Amazon Prime.