Animal Kingdom: All the Questions About Smurf’s Family Answered

There are no clean lines in the Animal Kingdom family dynamics—often making you question, are these characters even related by blood? But what makes everything slightly more confusing is the ambiguous delivery of information.

Like, for example, most of Smurf’s kids are actually only half-siblings as they have different fathers. But the show doesn’t present this to us in a straightforward way, which can make it difficult to digest the plot or understand some important interactions.

So, down below is a list of queries you may have about Smurf’s family. Thankfully for you, I have all the answers. Read on!

1. What happened to Smurf’s mom?

Smurf’s mom, Miriam, died while trying to rob a store. While it is not confirmed, she may have gotten shot by the store owner. Isaiah, her then-boyfriend, fled with the car, leaving Smurf behind.

Miriam appears only in two episodes and doesn’t get all too many mentions otherwise, so it’s easy to miss out on this key detail.

2. Is Craig Smurf’s real son?

Yes, Craig is Smurf’s real son through her relationship with Jake Dunmore. He is the third child among the Cody siblings. He makes his first appearance in Animal Kingdom’s pilot episode.

While he’s big and burly, his addiction to drugs and his “fearless” disposition means that he doesn’t always think through the consequences of his actions.

3. Is Pope Smurf’s biological son?

Pope’s relationship with Smurf is so offbeat, that you can’t help but question if he’s really her son or not. While Smurf controls all her sons to the tune of a weird, incestuous power play, Pope being the eldest is the most influenced by it.

So yes, Pope is indeed Smurf’s biological son through her relationship with Colin. He also has a twin sister, Julia, who is J’s mom.

4. Why did Smurf adopt Baz?

Baz first comes into the picture when Smurf asks his mother for information on Max who was threatening her kids. Although the reason hasn’t been thoroughly confirmed, Smurf unofficially adopts Baz at the age of 12 to get him away from his abusive home.

Seeing how Smurf always has an agenda and with Baz ultimately becoming the business’ lieutenant, it’s possible that she adopted him with the intention of using him. She knew that Baz is quiet and level-headed and would grow up to be a great fit for her schemes.

5. Does Smurf have a daughter?

Smurf has only one daughter that we know of, which is Julia. As mentioned above, she’s also Pope’s twin. To clear any more doubts, yes, Julia and Baz (her adoptive brother) also have a son together, who you know as one of the show’s main characters, J.

For the first few seasons, Julia is completely left out since the Pilot premises with her death. However, since S5 and S6 have delved into the past, we see a lot more of her. Still, we’re yet to learn if she was ever part of the family’s criminal business and what may have led to her estrangement. 

6. About Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is an American drama television series developed by Jonathan Lisco. It is based on the 2010 Australian film of the same name directed by David Michôd, who is executive producer for the series, alongside Liz Watts, who also produced the 2010 film.

The series follows a 17-year-old boy, who, after the death of his mother, moves in with his estranged relatives, the Codys, a criminal family clan governed by the matriarch Smurf.

The crime drama stars Ellen Barkin, Shawn Hatosy, Ben Robson, Jake Weary, Finn Cole, Danielle Alonso, Molly Gordon, and Denis Leary. Season 6 will be the final season of the show.