WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Animal Kingdom Season 5, Episode 11, "Trust the Process," which aired Sunday on TNT.
Animal Kingdom's "Trust the Process" sees the Codys deal with the aftermath of Chadwick's (Elliot Knight) triple cross and DEA Agent Livengood's (David DeSantos) shocking death. While their clean-up process is fairly procedural, the episode's real drama occurs in the flashback segments as a Young Smurf (Leila George) seeks revenge against Max (Jamie McShane) for his greed and threatening her twins, Andrew (Houston Towe) and Julia (Scarlett Abinante). In the process of taking Max down, Animal Kingdom features a subtle nod to actor Shawn Hatosy's inspiration for Andrew "Pope" Cody.
After failing to confront Max at the strip club, Young Smurf, aka Janine, returns home to find him waiting in her trailer. Once again, he's with her kids -- and the babysitter -- which is what pushed her over the edge in the first place. While Janine encourages Max to talk to her outside, he insists they do it inside with Andrew and Julia there. Janine begrudgingly agrees and sets the twins up in front of the TV. Although the kids seem absorbed in a nature documentary, they take notice when things escalate between their mother and Max. As Max takes Janine by the throat and pushes her up against the wall, Andrew intervenes, stabbing Max in the leg. It distracts him long enough for Janine to pick up a gun and shoot him multiple times, killing him in front of her kids.
The scene acts as a defining moment for the Cody trio, especially for Andrew. Max's death shows Janine's willingness to protect her kids and defend her humble but growing criminal empire. While it's traumatic for everyone involved, Julia is the most disturbed and seems to retreat inwards. In contrast, Andrew fails to look away when Janine shoots Max, spotlighting one of the many ways the innocent little boy turned into the capable killer and more unhinged Pope that Animal Kingdom fans know in the present day. To further emphasize Andrew's transition, the episode also sneaks in a clue with ties to Hatosy.
The nature program Pope and Julia watch as their mother and Max fight features wolves. Although it's not the only time animal shows have made an appearance in flashbacks, the spotlighted animal holds special significance. In a 2017 interview with Conan O'Brien, Hatosy and the titular host discussed Pope's trademark intimidating stare. Tasked with playing the show's "toughest character," Hatosy confessed he didn't feel tough, so he sought inspiration elsewhere, saying, "I thought, 'What is tough?' Like a wolf is tough. So if I could get the eyes right..." As Hatosy demonstrates his menacing star for the camera, Conan also confirms he looks like a wolf.
While the wolf on TV could be a coincidence, the fact that Hatosy directed the episode suggests it's likely an intentional nod to his animalistic inspiration. It's also highly symbolic. It's true when Hatosy says Pope is the toughest of the Cody boys; however, that trait didn't just develop overnight. While the flashbacks confirm Pope's always been a little quirky, "Trust the Process" spotlights the moment his childhood innocence is lost. In an effort to protect his mother, he used violence, something he would continue to do in the present day whenever Smurf (Ellen Barkin) was or felt threatened. As such, it seems only fitting that wolves appear in the moment, symbolizing Andrew's first steps in becoming more predator-like.
To see Andrew's physical and symbolic transition into Pope, check out new episodes of Animal Kingdom each Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.