Animal Kingdom first appeared on television in 2016 as a crime series, not a movie remake, and it was built to last. It follows the Cody family, led by the secretive and protective criminal patriarch, and their reluctant young son, Nicky, who grows into his own version of the man he fears. The show is not a simple gangster story. It is a study in loyalty, fear, and the slow pull of violence into the lives of ordinary people.
Trailer, via TNT.
Nicky’s Quiet Descent
The show’s strength rests on Nicky Cody, played by an actor whose performance carries the whole series. He is not a natural fit for the family business. He is a writer, quiet, awkward, and deeply attached to his girlfriend, who becomes a frequent target of the Cody family’s wrath. His uncle, the volatile youngest member of the family, wants him to join the operation. Nicky refuses. He says no. He says no a second time. And a third. The show makes these refusals mean something, not just plot points.
The refusal structure gives the show its tension. Nicky knows what he is walking into, and he keeps saying no. The family does not accept his answer.
The Cody Family Machine
The Cody family operates as a well-oiled machine, but the machine is built on trust, fear, and the occasional betrayal. The family’s criminal empire is presented with a kind of grim efficiency. They plan heists, move money, and neutralize threats without ceremony. The show never romanticizes the violence. It shows the cost of it, and it shows the families that pay it.
The show also spends time on the Cody family’s relationships. The father’s cold control, the uncle’s rage, the mother’s fear, and Nicky’s desperate attempts to stay on his own path all collide in a way that keeps the audience engaged, even when the plot slows. The Cody household is a pressure cooker, and Nicky is the only one trying to get out.
A Slow Start Before It Finds Its Feet
The first season of Animal Kingdom is uneven. Not every episode hits the same mark, and some feel like padding before the show finds its rhythm in season two. The pilot, in particular, spends too much time establishing Nicky’s ordinary life before the family’s criminal world crashes into it. The wait for the show to find its footing is real, and it costs the overall grade.
Once the show commits to Nicky’s transformation, however, it becomes far more compelling. The second season is sharper, tighter, and more willing to let Nicky make choices and live with them.
The Show’s Repeated Formula
Animal Kingdom follows a familiar crime drama formula, and it does not always hide it. The show repeats its structures: Nicky is told to commit to the family business, he refuses, and the family forces him to choose. The formula works. It also limits the show’s ambition. The series never asks the audience to sit with the moral weight of Nicky’s choices in the same way it shows the consequences of them.
| Element | Season One | Season Two |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | Slow, establishing | Tighter, sharper |
| Nicky’s Refusals | Central but uneven | Central and effective |
| Overall Quality | Uneven | Sharper, more engaging |
What Works And What Doesn’t
The show’s strengths are its performances and its willingness to show the consequences of violence. Nicky’s journey is the center, and the show consistently brings the audience back to it. The show is also effective at building a sense of dread, particularly in the later seasons, when the family’s enemies start closing in.
The weaknesses come from structure. The first season spends too long before it commits to its own premise. The show also leans on its formula, and it does not always find new ways to surprise or challenge the audience. The Cody family’s crimes are serious, but the show’s tone can drift into the slick and the stylized, which undercuts the weight of its own events.
Animal Kingdom is a show that rewards patience. The first season asks for it, and the second season pays off that patience. The show’s central question — how far can a man go to protect his family, and what does it cost him — is handled with genuine feeling. The answer is not always satisfying, but it is honest.
Animal Kingdom earns its reputation as a crime series worth watching. It is not a perfect show, but it is a strong one, built on a performance that carries it through its weaker moments.
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