The character of Nicky Belmont on TNT’s crime drama Animal Kingdom stands out for a surprising reason. Unlike many characters in the Cody family‘s violent world, she did not meet a tragic end. Instead, her story is about survival and escape.
Nicky, played by actress Molly Gordon, was first introduced as the high school girlfriend of Joshua “J” Cody. She started as a relatively normal teenager but was gradually pulled into the dangerous orbit of the criminal Cody family. Her eventual exit from the series was quiet but carried significant weight, showing that sometimes walking away is the only way to survive.
Nicky’s Relationship with J and the Cody Family
Nicky’s life became intertwined with chaos through her relationship with J. After J’s mother died, he moved in with his grandmother, the ruthless matriarch Smurf Cody, and her sons. Nicky was by J’s side through this difficult transition, which immediately exposed her to a world of crime, money, and danger.
Her connection to the Codys went beyond just J. She developed complicated relationships with other family members, including a volatile romantic involvement with J’s uncle, Craig Cody. The Cody household was a pressure cooker of illegal activities and family dysfunction, and Nicky, as an outsider, struggled to find stability or a safe place within it.
“You didn’t tell me your uncle was psycho,” Nicky says to J in the series, highlighting her shock and gradual understanding of the family’s true nature.
The Downward Spiral and the Season 3 Shooting
Nicky’s story reached a crisis point in Season 3. As the Codys dealt with increasing internal and external threats, Nicky’s own life was unraveling. She was experimenting with drugs, influenced by people like Billy, a heroin addict connected to the family.
The breaking moment occurred in Season 3, Episode 6, titled “Broke From the Box.” Left alone and emotionally distressed at the Cody house, Nicky took heroin and, while under the influence, accidentally shot herself in the leg with a gun. J returned home to find her collapsed and bleeding in the garage. In a desperate move, he rushed her to the hospital but left her at the entrance before driving away, fearing connection to the crime.
Father’s Intervention and Exit from Oceanside
The shooting served as a final wake-up call. Nicky’s father, Paul Belmont, intervened decisively. He ordered J to stay away from his daughter and arranged for Nicky to leave Oceanside entirely to escape the toxic environment.
Nicky was sent to live with her father in Guam, effectively writing her character out of the series. This action by her father underscored a central theme: the immense human cost of being near the Cody family, even for those not directly involved in their crimes. Her departure was not a dramatic death but a realistic survival choice.
Later Update on Nicky’s Life
While Nicky never physically returned to the show, viewers did receive a brief update on her life years later. In Season 5, J bumps into an old classmate named Natalie. During their conversation, Natalie reveals that Nicky got married to a marine.
This small piece of information provided closure for her character arc. It confirmed that Nicky had built a new, stable life far away from the Codys. Her story ended not with tragedy, but with a sense of normalcy and peace that eluded almost everyone else connected to the family.
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Nicky’s Role and Legacy in Animal Kingdom
Nicky Belmont’s journey served as a crucial counterpoint to the main narrative. While the Cody brothers embraced or were trapped by their life of crime, Nicky represented the collateral damage—an innocent person chewed up by their world. Her arc highlighted the consequences of the Codys’ actions on the people around them.
Her ultimate fate—leaving and building a normal life—carries a powerful message in a show about a destructive family. It suggests that escaping a toxic environment, though difficult, is possible and can lead to a better future.
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