I think this season has been good...Have we seen the last of Dennis Leary? Mega unexpected turn by J in this week's episode. For a long time, I've thought that the Pope character in Animal Kingdom reminds me a lot of the Danny Rayburn character in Bloodlands. (The sensitive, hurt, broken soul who is a product of his upbringing). I was surprised to discover that the guy who played Danny Rayburn in Bloodlands (Ben Mendelsohn) is actually the same guy who played the Pope character in the original Animal Kingdom movie upon which this TV show is based.
This thread should probably be merged with the other, not much activity in either so maybe it's not worth the mod's time (?). Anyways, just read an article in TV Line citing Barkin's performance last week to be the best of three standout showings by three standout actors. The other two were Rhea Seehorn (BCS) and Ruth Wilson (the Affair). What an outstanding week of television!
Yes, what a week for crime drama tv! I’d add fourth for last week: Lela Loren from Power. Another awesome crime drama never mentioned here!
The only thing that kept me coming back through the first two seasons was Ellen Barkin's performance. Man, she is good. I've always liked her. But none of the characters (including J after the first season) is at all relatable. I'm in no rush to start season 3 as I am sure I know what will happen based on how season 2 ended. Better writers would have left it more open ended.
This show must set the record for most inter-family sexual relationships. No big deal to date your brother or dads ex girlfriend.
I saw the Australian film. Now, I'm about halfway through season 1 of the TV series. This is like a Jim Thompson novel set in present-day California. As a I watch it, I imagine how it would play if it were set in the middle of nowhere in the early 1950s.
In the US, TNT is part of cable or satellite packages and can't be bought separately like HBO, Showtime, etc.
Thanks for the info. Here it’s only on the Bravo channel that costs another $8/month on top of cable.
When this show 1st premiered it was seriously good and Barkin especially was getting rave reviews. With each subsequent season the focus has softened and lightened up so much it's seriously approaching 'All About Eve' status for me! The show started out as a 1st-rate crime drama but once it found its fan base it diluted the project because its fan base is primarily female! So now we get more torso shots, and dopey haircuts. I mean, how do you blow having Denis Leary as a co-star, and make no bones about it, he truly sucked. As a rabid Rescue Me fan, that was a major fail! Barkin's role was diminished last season and so far, its been diminished even more this season. Have they forgotten who's the star!? Hey, but the girls love it!
seriously why are they doing this? shes my favorite part of the show and with this new development....
The fan base is primarily female? Is that a fact? If so I’ll have to start seeking out crime dramas that females watch because I still find this is one of the top current shows. As far as Barkin goes, this season they’ve been incorporating about 10 minutes per episode (1/6th of the total time) on flashbacks to her 30 years ago with background on her, the boy’s fathers, and how their crew originated.
I hope those flashbacks go somewhere because they’re advancing things very little so far. I haven’t seen this week’s episide yet but nothing from her past has been particularly surprising or illuminating.
If the flashbacks are indeed eating 10 min. per episode, and telling us nothing, after 6 episodes we'll have a full episode's worth of, what exactly? Wait, I know, I figured it out as I was typing, I bet the cop from the past was in the original crew! Hope I'm wrong. Does anyone else wonder what the writers are taking when they write about J's little chola girlfriend? Wasn't she supposed to be working for the older gangster who ran the chop shop, she was told to stay close and report back to him about what Smurf & Co. were up to, what happened to all that? So she becomes J's trusted confidant, why he trusted her is anyone's guess, for a supposed smart guy that was pretty stupid. That was last season, this season, J inexplicably started treating her like the hired help. Huh? Doesn't he realize exactly what a threat she is? When she finally hinted at it this past episode, it felt like a true 'duh' moment for J. Again, sloppy writing, the girl-friend obviously has got to go. She'll probably die a heroic death taking a bullet for J from her cholo boyfriend! And don't get me started on the OTHER time-wasting story line; the gay dope smuggling boy friend, what an annoying character! The best part of this last episode was seeing Barkin/Smurf flex her muscles again at the dinner table. Felt just like the old days!
I’m not finding the flash back Smurf stuff very interesting. I’m wondering how much more legs this show has? One or two more seasons? I’d say that’s tops.
The problem for me is she doesn’t really look like what Smurf would have looked like - and doesn’t remotely have same gait. I didn’t even consider what Ellen Barkin looked like 30+ years ago..
well that too. i think some shows just do the flashbacks after a few seasons as filler. but maybe it might lead somehere? I still like the show....although its a little improbable them being able to do all these jobs and get away with it in the days of total surveillance
I find the flashbacks boring. I’m thinking who the boy’s fathers are will be revealed or some secret Smurf has been keeping.
