‘Kin’ Recap: ‘Episode 6’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Six of ‘Kin’.
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It has often been said that pride comes before the fall and that particular phrase is repeated often, because it is completely and utterly true. For time and time again, we’ve seen prideful men stick to their path over anything else, out of the belief that they know what is right… only to fall flat upon their faces in a disastrous manner. But thankfully, when that happens, most folks can quickly recover and learn a valuable lesson in humility and inclusion going forward, but in some parts of our world… pride can be deadly and it can cost people so much, and this is especially true in the crime world. Since one wrong and prideful move can change everything, as evidenced by the next episode of Kin on AMC+.

For when we catch up with the Kinsella family here, pride and arrogance is running rampant through the family and understandably so. After all, they just pulled off the heist of the century, Eamon’s boys haven’t hurt anyone else within the inner circle, so why not celebrate a huge win and gloat about it? But the only problem with that mantra, is that it leads to dangerously prideful and equally as arrogant behaviors. Such as Michael once again going out to see his daughter in plain sight and it also motivates Frank… to run the family business as though nothing as changed. Which in turn helps Frank to decide that Eric should stay out of jail and that there’s little to worry about in regard to what the police want. In fact, he's so certain of these paths, that he tosses off any of Amanda’s concerns and unsettling observations, and well… being prideful in this manner and believing as though no one can touch the family, leads to some quick falls.

Because Eamon’s boys come to discover that Michael is spending time with his daughter and are quick to go after them and it is a quirk of fate that allows for Michael and Anna escape death, but others are not so lucky. Since Frank loses his right-hand man during a late-night quest for a hookup, and Eric is taken to jail and the police seize the business… all because Frank wouldn’t listen or change course because he thought he knew best. And if by chance, he listened to Amanda about her worries in regard to Eric and if Michael had taken what Amanda had to say about there being a rat in their operation more seriously… perhaps all these tragedies could have been avoided. But alas, they were not, and the family is now left reeling and uncertain as to what comes next, leaving their story in a very dark place.

But while that harrowing storyline could have carried his episode from beginning to end, as this series is wont to do, it had more surprises in store for us. Because while the family was indulging in ego and pride… Eamon Cunningham was on quite the sabbatical. For he promised his wife he would attend a harmony themed ceremony, one designed to give his love peace with her impending, cancer related fate and to also perhaps give Eamon some clarity as well. Which it seemingly did. For a drug fueled trip into what is clearly a tragic past for the man, rattled him like never before. To the point where he is left shaking and lost when he comes out of that trip and that’s a huge deal. In part because we’ve never seen Eamon Cunningham in such a state. But also, because, he’s clearly had some kind of epiphany by the end of that wild journey, one that will either spell doom for the Kinsellas… or hope.

Because it is entirely possible, that such a trip down memory lane inspired Eamon to perhaps change the course of his life and it will be quite interesting to see where that plot thread takes us in the next episode. But while we wait to see how that pans out, we can offer up a round of applause for another brilliant tale. One that once again dug deep in regard to the darkest recesses of the human condition, to offer up a fascinating morality tale. The kind that will indeed have a lasting impact on the Kinsella family since one of their own is in jail and because, quite frankly… their small but proud empire is falling to pieces right before their eyes and there might not be any hope for a solid future for them. Which means they too have hard choices to make and that really is going to make the wait for next week’s episode as painful as it gets. For we too are beyond eager to know what comes next for this now broken and listless and once proud, family. Until next time.  

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