On Animal Kingdom Season 2 Episode 1, after a heist goes bad, the boys want to make changes to the way the team operates, but Smurf isn't too thrilled about the prospect and things get more than a little tense.

But there seems to be lots more hiding under the surface than everyone wants to admit.

You have to wonder what exactly is going on in J's mind. Right now he's caught in the middle of the fight between Smurf and his uncles. Baz and Pope don't trust him and Deran and Craig want him on their side. 

The lines are being drawn, but which side will J choose? 

Pope warned J to be careful. Whether that meant to watch out for Smurf or watch out for him was unclear, but it's good advice either way.

It does seem like Smurf is trying to manipulate J. She gave him a credit card with no limit (must be nice). This happened after she canceled Craig's card probably out of anger because they wanted more say so in the jobs they were doing and it didn't go well.

It's sort of funny how these boys want to be so independent yet they're so dependent on Smurf. It's because she's manipulative and she's good at it.

Which is why J does need to watch out for himself. But the kid is smart and it's not going to be easy for Smurf to work her magic on him the way she has with Pope and the others.

J's got something up his sleeve. You can see it behind his eyes. It just might be survival for the moment, but there's something else brewing in him. 

Remember on Animal Kingdom Season 1 when it was his mother's birthday and Smurf chose to ignore it? He wasn't too happy about that.

And while he might have protected the family when it came down to it at the end of last season, it wasn't because he felt any loyalty to them.

He just hated the cops more than he hated his family. 

J has a plan and the Codys better watch themselves. Especially Baz. Why is he such a bastard to J?

Is it because J is his son and he can't deal with the idea of it?

He certainly can't handle being Lena's dad so what is he going to do with a 17 year old?

He's also very lonely. He deserved every blow off he got from Luci and the chick he banged from the bar.

Smurf: Pope alright?
Baz: Yeah, he's alright. He's justs doing up his place. I think he's buying a lamp or something.
Smurf: Hmm. First a rug, now a lamp, if he's not careful it won't look like a prison cell anymore.

• Permalink: Hmm. First a rug, now a lamp, if he's not careful it won't look like a prison cell anymore.

He looked so dejected both times. I got the feeling he wasn't really looking for companionship but for someone to take over parental duties.

Baz only cares about himself and he deserves every slap in the face he gets. I can't believe he lied to Luci. His pride is what prevented him from telling her the truth about Catherine. 

He still thinks she left him, but how stupid is that. As he said before, she'd never leave Lena behind. The guy may be good looking, but he has no brains.

Can you believe he actually forgot Pope had his kid? What an idiot.

Pope has got his own issues. He and Smurf aren't getting along and the guilt of murdering Catherine is weighing on him. He probably realizes he did a disservice to his niece, but what's done is done. His only salvation is that he can be a good uncle. 

But it seems like Pope is going to pop and it's going to happen very soon. 

Deran and Craig are teaming up. I like that Deran is trying to act like an adult by buying a bar even though he doesn't have enough cash yet to do it. And I really liked that he called out Craig for being so irresponsible.  

Once Deran gets the money for the bar, will he step away from the family completely? Baz had said something about Deran disappearing for weeks before coming back home.

It probably was because he needed money. Once he's able to make his own money, he might turn away from the family forever. Good for Deran. I hope it works out for him.

Deran: I never went to school.
J: I can tell, man.

• Permalink: I can tell, man.

Smurf has got even more secrets than we thought. Who's Javier and why is she paying for Manny's care? And why did Manny have all those audio tapes? 

I'm looking forward to find out where that story leads.

The season 2 premiere of Animal Kingdom was sedate yet it laid down groundwork for some of the upcoming season's storylines rather effectively. I'm certainly intrigued about what's happening with the family. 

How long will the brawl last? Whose side will J take? Will Baz find out what happened to Catherine? What will happen to Lena? 

There are so many questions!

What did you think of the season premiere? Will Smurf and the boys kiss and makeup? Is J to be trusted?

Hit the comments and share your thoughts.

If you need to catch up, you can watch Animal Kingdom online right here via TV Fanatic!