Airing on the TNT cable channel, the Animal Kingdom TV show stars Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, and Leila George.
The story revolves around the Cody crime family who has now lost its matriarch. In the sixth season, the Cody boys discover that they can’t outrun their past. With their empire expanding, a cold case investigation sets off a series of events that puts the entire family in jeopardy. Revenge, betrayal, and a reckoning with long-forgotten violence leads to an explosive conclusion.
Some people had never heard of Animal Kingdom until they tuned in for episode 1 in 2016. Others had seen the 2010 David Michôd movie of the same name it was based on – impressed by the filmmaker’s gritty, unrestrained approach and terrific performances from the central ensemble.
Fortunately, the American drama series on TNT developed by Jonathan Lisco took a similar approach, enveloping audiences in the dark but nevertheless immersive world of Janine “Smurf” Cody. It took little time at all to develop a passionate following that has stuck with it for an impressive six seasons now.
However, Animal Kingdom 7 won’t be happening. And, the question is why not? TVLine broke the news in January 2021, so the writers had plenty of time to strategically open the final season and offer audiences a satisfying conclusion. So, it’s at least encouraging to learn the show wasn’t pulled before it could finish wrapping up character arcs.
The sixth season consists of 13 episodes – so, at the time of writing, fans still have a fair amount of instalments to look forward to before saying goodbye. If there are no hiatuses, the series will conclude on Sunday, August 28, 2022.
Who stars in the show, Animal Kingdom?
The TV show, Animal Kingdom, has many main characters that appear in most episodes. It also has several recurring characters.
- Ellen Barkin stars as Janine “Smurf” Cody
- Scott Speedman plays Barry “Baz” Blackwell
- Shawn Hatosy is Andrew “Pope” Cody
- Ben Robson appears as Craig Cody
- Jake Weary plays Deran Cody
- Finn Cole stars as Joshua “J” Cody
- Daniella Alonso appears as Catherine Belen
- Carolina Guerra is Lucy
- Sohvi Rodriguez plays Mia Benitez
- Jon Beavers is Jake Dunmore
Fans Will Wonder Why Animal Kingdom Is Ending
Looking at the reason for the series ending with season 6, nobody from TNT nor the creators have offered audiences a concrete answer. However, reports suggest it may be due to an apparent shift towards more unscripted content on TNT in recent years.
This is a potential reason. On the other hand, it could be the series has simply run its course and the crew would rather go out on a high than go on too long. After all, six seasons is a darn good run and plenty of other great shows have ended with fewer.
The show creator said, “I think season 6 is the amalgamation of all the choices, risks and punts they took and in season 6 they get pinned into their most difficult corner as to how they’re going to escape. So I think what you’re looking at is the real high octane, big decision-making, all on the line, all-in sort of problems they have to resolve.”
He added: “It’s all somehow topped in [season] 6 because you have the whole history of the last five years that informs the problems that will arise in the season. It makes for some pretty compelling watching.”