In the end, Deran got the last laugh.

Smurf tried to ruin Deran's opening night on Animal Kingdom Season 2 Episode 4, but Deran dropped a huge secret and let her know he was onto her game.

Meanwhile, Pope took a chance on love, Baz tried to separate himself from Smurf, and J began learning the business side of the business.

Smurf is trying to maintain control, but it's not working out very well. At least not in Deran's world.

Deran wasn't able to set her off as he hoped when he told her about the bar, but he was able to make her pause when he told her he was gay.

It wasn't what she was expecting.

She came to opening night not to celebrate her son's achievements but to somehow destroy him. Forcing him to give a speech when he was clearly uncomfortable was just cruel. It became worse when she went up to talk and took away his spotlight.

The scene was powerful because we had no idea what Smurf was saying but we knew just from the silence and look on Deran's face that it wasn't anything good.

Deran had every right to be angry, but he should never have invited her in the first place. Still, his sense of empowerment came when he let her know that all her charms didn't and don't work on him.

It was also disturbing.

Smurf has always had an uncomfortably close relationship with her kids. Craig's paraded around naked in front of her. She's paraded around her kids half naked. And just recently, on Animal Kindgdom Season 1 Episode 3, she rolled around in bed with J after a diner heist.

It's not normal behavior, but now we know how she thinks. It's all about using her sex to control. If the boys have fantasies about her, she can use that to her advantage.

If we look back, we can see how it's true. Just look at her relationship with Pope on Animal Kingdom Season 1. At one point, I actually thought he might have been her boyfriend or husband with the way they were all over each other.

But Deran's always been the runt. Smurf said it herself. Deran never felt loved, only used. And when he blurted it out to her, it was like a huge slap in the face.

Deran just showed Smurf he doesn't need her, but he better watch his back.

Smurf isn't going to let this go. Somehow she's going to use his sexuality against him. She's going to try to destroy him and his bar.

But Deran is a strong guy and his brothers have his back, especially Craig.

Craig would do anything for his brother even if he doesn't share the same vision of running a clean business as Deran does.

Still, there's always the chance that Smurf might try to get her claws back into Craig and somehow manipulate him to do some dirty business for her.

But would he betray his brother if the price was right?

After that pep talk he gave to Deran it doesn't seem possible, and hopefully, it won't happen.

Deran deserves his time in the spotlight; he deserves a chance for a life outside of crime if that's what he really wants.

Pope took a chance on the lavender shirt and on love, and it paid off for him.

He picked the right woman with Amy because she is completely smitten with him.

I thought he was going to read her the riot act when he questioned her about her son, but he was just trying to understand.

The problem was with the way he said it. It almost sounded like he was attacking her, and it looked like she thought that too. But then he softened up and shared his own secret with her and it was a doozy. She didn't even bat an eye, just kissed him.

It's still unclear if he likes her or is doing this just for the job, but I'm guessing that he might actually like her since he didn't tell his brothers why he was wearing the lavender shirt.

How is he going to juggle the church job and Amy? Is he going to back out of the job because of his feelings for her?

I want Pope to find happiness. He deserves it. He's a good guy (as good as a bad guy can be) who cares about the people around him, and he'd do anything for them.

Just look at him and Lena. Granted, part of his devotion to Lena is because he killed her mother, but he could walk away. He doesn't have to take on the responsibility of caring for her because she has an idiot father.

Even if Baz was more involved with Lena, Pope would still spend time with her. That's just the type of guy he is.

Baz still hasn't spent any quality time with his daughter, and it's getting annoying. Jumping off of cranes with his brothers was cool, but how about jumping in the pool with his kid?

We could spend days on this point, but it's not going to change. Baz does not care about his daughter.

What he does care about is not turning into Smurf. It was like a slap in the face when Smurf told him he was just like her. He immediately changed his tune and tried to be different, but how long is it going to last?

He's not going to be happy when he finds out about Pope and Amy. And who knows how he's going to react to Deran being gay if he actually finds out, which he will (maybe via Smurf).

Baz's act isn't going to last long. One little hiccup and he'll be back to his old self. I'll place a bet and say he'll return to old Baz by the end of the next hour.

One can only hope that J learning the business isn't going to turn him into another Baz. If Smurf trained Baz, then I would imagine it would have been with everything, right?

Smurf has something up her sleeve with J, but J has something up his sleeve, too. He's been way too quiet, and he's starting to play both sides. Why bother telling Baz about the diner heist? Yep, J is up to something, but what?