Animal Kingdom season 5 is officially happening on TNT, but there are still a lot of uncertainties when it comes to its future. The release date, in particular, remains unknown as of this writing. Due to the current global health crisis, the arrival of the new installment has been delayed.

The wait for Animal Kingdom season 5 might be a little bit longer compared to the previous installments. Recently, series star Shawn Hatosy, who plays Pope, said that they're eventually coming back -- even though it's taking longer than expected.

He shared a throwback photo of himself alongside other cast members form the All-Star Game. Perhaps, the post is a reminder that a lot of people are asking regarding the official release of the TNT series. The Cody Boys will be back at some point, but the current situation should be considered first.

Filming in California may not start immediately, considering the real-life health crisis. The top priority at the moment is the health and safety of the cast and crew members. They could eventually go back working when the situation gets a little bit better.

The series airs in the summer, but that schedule won't be followed for Animal Kingdom season 5. Some episodes have already been filmed before the production was shut down midway. Although TNT could release the episodes that were already done, the network will likely choose to hold them off.

As for what we can expect in Animal Kingdom season 5, a new era is coming for the Cody Boys: J, Craig, Deran, and Pope. Now that Smurf is gone to lead the operation, they have to build their own empire from scratch. However, they recognized that doing this is not easy at all.

The Codys must do everything to make sure their operations stay afloat even after the death of Smurf. For J, he considers himself as the master strategist. However, Craig, Deran, and Pope may not be fine with him leading the operations.

Smurf is the one who facilitates all of their plans. But since she's not around now, they have to figure that out for themselves. Even though they are familiar with it and know how it works, conflicts between them could arise at some point.

Animal Kingdom season 5 could also explore the role of Angela in the lives of the Cody Boys. They may consider trusting her since she's experienced within the realm. The previous season didn't also give much detail about Angela, so her story may further be addressed.