WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Animal Kingdom season 3 and 4 that may influence your enjoyment in discovering the plotlines. Read at your own risk.
Pope (played by Shawn Hatosy) is channeling his anger into a new outlet in Animal Kingdom season 4. However, this new hobby could end up killing him if he's not too careful.
In an exclusive preview for the premiere episode of Animal Kingdom season 4 via TV Line, Pope is seen getting battered inside a cage fight. Not very far is Smurf, also known as Janine Cody (played by Ellen Barkin), who is sitting among the spectators.
Smurf looks concerned, but she's hardly affected by her son getting beaten up. When someone asks her about Pope, Smurf replies that her son will not stop unless he comes out the winner.
According to the episode synopsis of Animal Kingdom season 4 episode 1, Pope's relationship with his mom will still be quite rocky. Viewers will recall that Pope found out in Animal Kingdom season 3 that it was his mother who had his friend, Baz, murdered.
Meanwhile, following the premiere, Animal Kingdom season 4 will feature a new criminal who has solid connections to this crime family. While the episode synopsis did not name this character, it has been announced that the show will feature the return of Bones actress Emily Deschanel to television.
Deschanel will play Angela, an old friend of Julia, Smurf's dead daughter. She's described as a hustler who does her best to survive her hard life, including turning into a petty criminal.
Angela has just been released from prison when she's introduced in Animal Kingdom season 4 episode 2. Deschanel told Parade that she would be in most of the 13-episode run of the new installment, but she hasn't signed up to be a series regular.
Deschanel also said that her character would have conflicts with Smurf. The Cody family matriarch will feel quite territorial when Angela is also close to Julia's son.
"She decides to seduce one of the brothers to get in there. She has a lot of affection for J because he was Angela's best friend's son and, in her mind, she helped raise him," Deschanel shared about her character in Animal Kingdom season 4. "She was his auntie, so to speak, because his mother had been estranged from the family for many years when she died."
Animal Kingdom season 4 will begin airing on Tuesday, May 28, at 9:00 p.m. on TNT.
