Animal Kingdom season 5 episode 2 spoilers: Is Pope free of his demons?

As we prepare ourselves now for Animal Kingdom season 5 episode 2 this weekend, there is a big question to ponder with Pope. Is this a character who is actually, totally free? Or, will he contained to be imprisoned in some way by his past with Smurf?

One of the things that we’ve come to know about Smurf over the years (and in flashbacks) is that she is incredibly controlling and manipulative. She made Pope into her personal wind-up toy for the majority of his life; him opting to not kill his cousin could be seen as a significant step forward. It’s him doing something that his mother would never approve of!

If you haven’t watched our review yet for the Animal Kingdom season 5 premiere, be sure to watch that below! We’re going to be covering the show every Sunday for the rest of the season, so remember to SUBSCRIBE to Matt & Jess on YouTube! You don’t want to miss out…

Speaking in a new interview with TVLine, showrunner Daniele Nathanson makes it clear that while you can celebrate Pope’s victory over his past, it doesn’t leave him in a spot where he is effectively out of the woods:

It’s not like, “Whoo! Thank goodness they’re gone!” You feel conflicted even though you’d think it would be clear. And that’s where Pope is, because he and Smurf have been so, so entwined his entire life.

In the end, this is going to take Pope a long time — yet what is clear is that this is a man who wants to free himself of the influence that his mother has over him, and also wants to showcase more of his individual humanity. We have to be prepared for all of this to be a process, but there could be a good outcome at the end of it.

Related – Get some other insight on the future of Pope on Animal Kingdom

How do you think Pope’s journey is going to go on Animal Kingdom season 5?

Be sure to share right now in the comments! Once you do just that, remember to stick around for some other updates. (Photo: TNT.)