#Kin Season 1 Episode 5 Review: A Short-Lived Victory

For a family with so much love, the Kinsellas certainly can be awful to each other.

Their plans succeed on Kin Season 1 Episode 5, but the cost is steep, and now they’re in even more danger. 

Who will pay the ultimate price? Is it worth it?

Halfway through the season, we’re now seeing the endgame begin to take shape. This episode makes a point of showing us how the Kinsellas are spiraling and splintering.

Michael’s scene in the bathroom was well-handled — the fan, the warped and blurry vision —  giving us his point of view. He was not in the right state of mind to be wandering home, but everyone else was too high to notice his departure, except Amanda.

Michael can no longer use the indulgences of drugs and alcohol to numb the guilt of what he’s done, but he needs to find another way to reconcile his grief that doesn’t endanger his daughter. 

His decision to see Anna dance is difficult to justify. Michael had to know that he’d be leading Eamon’s men straight to her. This is the ONE person he promised he would never intentionally put in danger.

It may not have been intentional, but it showed an extreme lack of common sense. Now it may be too late for Anna. 

Amanda (Clare Dunne) is coming into her own and gaining confidence in every way. She knows she’s in the right to go to Frank and to demand Eric go down for what he did.

Jimmy feels emasculated by the newly empowered Amanda, but she’s having none of it. Instead of being proud of his wife, Jimmy complains that she’s getting “too smart.” Michael continues to defend Amanda, even when it’s just him and Jimmy in the room. 

I say we split it now and go our separate ways because, I’ve got to be honest, I never liked any of you anyway.
Jimmy

No wonder Amanda is making the moves on Michael again. 

Now, it’s never been clear exactly how it all went down with Michael and Amanda all those years ago, but there’s still something bubbling under the surface. Amanda sees the respect Michael affords her, and it is much more appealing than a husband who wants her to stay in her place. 

It will be interesting to see how this manifests.

At a time where the family needs to stick together, dissent is being sown at an alarming pace. 

Even Frank understands that Amanda is right. With the corner they’ve been backed into, someone in the family needs to go down. Frank loves Eric, but he knows he needs to have some comeuppance for his rash behavior, which is how the whole mess got started. 

Eric seems to be resigned to his fate, but with Nikki in his ear, he goes to Birdy to see if she can help. Watching Birdy put Eric in his place was so incredibly satisfying. (I’ll be honest, I rewatched that slap scene a few times). I hope she finally knocked some sense into him.

Once again, Maria Doyle Kennedy makes the most of her little screen time by being a force to be reckoned with.  

It’s time to talk about Ciaran Hinds.

This man has had a long and varied career. He’s extremely versatile, showing up in everything from children’s films (Harry Potter, Frozen) to HBO (Caesar in Rome).

As Eamon, Hinds has never been scarier. He’s almost like some other-worldly beast in human form — his posture, his constant ghoulish scowl, the way he speaks — it’s all just consistently terrifying.  

This is especially true in his scene with Amanda on the road. Even in the light of day, he is an imposing presence. 

Don’t look so worried. If you were being killed, I wouldn’t be here.
Eamon

Not much has been made of Keith McErlean’s portrayal of Con Doyle, but he does a fantastic job throughout this episode.

Up until now, Con has mostly just been a solid presence at Eamon’s side, but it was powerful to see the human side of him. It was riveting to watch him weighed his son’s life and his rage at the Kinsellas, all the while trying to foresee Eamon’s reaction.

Everyone one of these criminals is a human, which is where the drama comes from. 

As has been a recurring theme, the absolute worst thing you can do is mess with someone’s family. 

It started with Jamie’s death, but now the other Kinsella children are in danger.

Anthony’s reaction to his mother visited was surprising. As he’s young and it’s hard being away from his family, it’s understandable, but Amanda is doing what’s best for her only living son. He shouldn’t be making her feel guilty for trying to keep him safe.

Anthony knows gangsters shot his brother; would he rather risk his life by being at home? His attitude is reminiscent of Eric’s entitlement. Anthony was pleased when Caolan Moore was killed, saying he was glad they did it — he has to know that there are consequences for these actions.

Mark McKenna and Clare Dunne have always had a warm, genuine dynamic with each other, so Anthony’s attitude towards her here was a real blow. 

Eric: Life doesn’t get any sweeter than this. You have to savor it. Isn’t that right, Jimmy?

Birdy: It’d be sweeter if Jamie was here.

It wouldn’t be surprising if Frank’s penchant for hookups were to be his downfall.

It would be effortless for any of Eamon’s men to get Frank to meet up for a sexual encounter and then dispatch him. If Frank keeps the casual sex side of his life private from his family, he could easily vanish without anyone knowing where he’s gone.

He’s going to have to be very careful if he wants a little action. 

It seems like the Kinsellas are getting a bit stir-crazy, leading to some poorly thought-out decisions. 

Tessa Hoffe has taken over as director from Diarmuid Goggins. James Mather is still the director of photography, and as usual, there is a slew of evocative cinematic shots.

There are some supremely clever and visually captivating shots within this episode.

Notably: Michael’s reflection in the van’s side mirror as Con makes his decision; the three women’s legs walking in sync like some powerful, six-legged entity; the city within the circular window; and the sweeping vista of the green countryside that is so quintessentially Ireland. 

The Kinsellas are beginning to implode as their lackeys betray them (Kem! How could you?!), and they turn on each other.

Can they hold it together? Should they have just made a break for it? There’s no getting out of it now — they’ll need a miracle.

This is fucking ominous.
Eric

How do you think it will all go down? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Mary Littlejohn is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.