Will Fans See Emily Deschanel in Season 5 of TNT's Drama 'Animal Kingdom'?

During Season 4 of Animal Kingdom, actress Emily Deschanel was introduced to fans as the emotionally messy Angela, a recovering addict and a newly released convict. Angela was best friends with Julia Cody (Leila George). Emily is best known for portraying anthropologist Temperance Brennan on Fox's hit show Bones. After looking for a completely different role, she returned to the small screen with a recurring role alongside one of her idols, Ellen Barkin, who played the matriarch Smurf.

Since she was so close to Julia, Angela has known the Cody family for quite some time. They have all this money and are doing bad things, and she wants in. Angela sees the family as an opportunity but wasn’t welcomed with open arms when she lands on the Codys' doorstep. Smurf wasn’t too happy to see her, while Julia’s twin brother, Pope (Shawn Hatosy), seemed to get a bit attached to her because he saw his sister in her.

She instantly became very aunt-like when it came to J (Finn Cole), but he wanted nothing to with her. In Season 4, Episode 9, he even took her back to their old neighborhood in hopes of setting her up to use drugs again. Smurf never allowed Angela to get too close. However, after Smurf died, Angela managed to secure her spot by Pope’s side. But the last time viewers saw Angela was in the finale of Season 4. Will she come back before the end of the series?

So far, there have been four episodes of Animal Kingdom since Season 5 premiered in July of 2021. As the Codys have struggled to maintain their fragile alliance, viewers have wondered what happened to Angela. Since Smurf was no longer around breathing down her neck, it was a surprise not to see her trying to be a part of the Codys' world. Will we see her this season? TVLine asked Animal Kingdom's showrunner, Daniele Nathanson, about Emily's character coming back.

She said, "Her presence still looms large. And especially early on, it's felt by Pope." So there's no confirmation one way or another if she will be coming back this season. However, it does seem that she remains a crucial role on the show.

In an interview with Collider, Emily talked about Angela and was asked whether or not she realizes how dangerous the Codys are to be around when you're not an actual Cody.

Emily answered, "Yes and no. She knows this family very well, from the past. She’s grown up with them. She knows them intimately. She was around the family, so she saw what they did. She’s aware of what they do. She’s been around that kind of stuff. Maybe she’s dumb, in certain ways, but she pushes that. She has great confidence in her abilities to manipulate. She’s pretty bold and cocky."

As Season 5 unfolds, though we know Angela's impact will remain a part of the Codys' story, we'll have to wait and see if she actually makes an appearance.

Animal Kingdom airs Sundays on TNT at 9 p.m. EST.