The Cody Family (White, 2016)
NURS 480 Family Assessment Megan Calabrese (WarnerMedia, 2021)
Meet the Family (Shawn, n.d.)
Andrew Cody - 40
Deran Cody - 28
Developmental Stage: Generativity vs. Stagnation
Developmental Stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation
Andrew, also known as Pope, is the oldest of the Cody brothers. He is a cold blooded murderer and ruthlessly unpredictable. His extremely violent behavior is tied to his willingness to obey whatever command necessary to keep the family’s criminal activity successfully going. His life is haunted by bad choices, codependency issues with his mom, and not getting the proper treatment for his mental illness. His life began spiraling downward as a young boy when he was sentenced to state prison for three years after he was convicted of a robbery gone wrong.
(Jake, n.d.)
Deran is the sharp-witted baby brother with major emotional fluctuations. He is a former competative surfer that always has to prove himself worthy because of his hidden identity as a gay man. Although he is also a cold blooded murder, his loyalty to his family waviers as he doesn’t enjoy living a criminal lifestyle and wants to settle down and open his own legitimate full-time business. Somehow he always falls short of ending his unlawful ways, and falls back into the same repeated crimes he is used to committing.
Meet the Family (Ben, n.d.)
Craig Cody - 30
Joshua Cody - 17
Development Stage: Intimacy vs. Isolation
Developmental Stage: Identity vs. Role Confusion
Craig is the striking middle brother who is governed by his own desires. He is a disordered adrenaline junkie with an addiction to recreational drugs. Although his importance to the family business is seen through his fearless ations, he is known to impulsively react and then forced to deal with the consequences of his choices. Because of his flaws and dependence to get him out of situations, he is the easiest of the boys to control. Craig has a constant struggle to find balance in his life as he deals with his own conflicting demons, and now the reality of having a son.
Joshua, also known as J, is the nephew of the Cody brothers. He is introduced to the family business after his mother dies of a Heroin overdose. J is not yet completely trusted by the rest of the family and must prove is loyalty one scandal at a time. At first, J is an innocent high school boy, but quickly learns to survive in the world of the Cody brothers. He adopts their criminal and lawless behavior and harbors his own plans to avenge all the trauma he has faced in his young life. His goal is to eventually assert himself as the mastermind behind the Cody’s success.
(Finn, n.d.)
- They have their own unique set of rules: family first, don’t talk about “work,” don’t kill unless you have to, and no guilt allowed; if you break these rules, betrayal is expected - The family is wildly inappropriate: nudity, sex, drugs, and alcohol are openly welcomed around the house - There are disturbingly leaky boundaries: familial relations and significant other relational lines are always crossed - The brothers are hyper-masculine: prestige brotherly competition is encouraged - There is a nihilistic family dynamic: drug-runners, arms-dealers, big-time thieves under the rule of a tyrannical older woman - The boys are brainwashed: Smurf is matronly affectionate and unsparing cruel, the boys believe everything she says - Duvall’s developmental stage: leaving home as single young adults; the boys still listen to Smurf but are independent men and responsible for themselves (Denham et al., 2016) - Religious views are never mentioned: crime is their holy grail and money is their god
Culture/Religion
- No one can be trusted outside of the Cody family, witch is led by a matriarch named, Janine, also known as "Smurf.” Not one move in the family crime business is done without her knowing and approval. The boys are faithful to Smurf and willingly loyal, telling her every detail of their personal life and the lives of each other. She tracks everyone’s move and expects the boys to be honest with her. If there is a secret, Smurf will find out because no communication is held from her. - The boys inherently speak to others in a skillfully, manipulative manner. They are able to fool their prey with mendacious communication and are always deceitful. Their trust and family bond, upon J’s arrival, grows with each successful crime they commit. - Verbal: only face-to-face communication or phone calls - there can be no trace of evidence; if a text is sent it, is written in code - Nonverbal: hand signals, eye movements, flashing car headlights, and marked targets - the boys say a lot without saying a word
Communication
- Team-oriented: everyone in the family is on board to partake in criminal activity and achieve victory over their enemies/targets
- Conflicting struggles: varying personalities cause family disputes and outside dilemmas
- Faithful till death: once a Cody, always a Cody and never turn your back on one another or cross your own blood
- An overbearing mother: the boys still listen to everything Smurf says, which can sometimes put a damper on their masculinity
- Skillful and stealthy: their crimes are precise, flawless, and leave no trace of evidence because their practice together is perfect
- Internalized pressure: if one of the Cody boy’s is making all the moves, the others feel the need to outperform him
- Shared wealth: their money buys them equipment, people, and time to perform whatever task is written in the plan, plus they enjoy the fame together that comes with the pleasures they can purchase
- Need for perfection and free from blemish: no one can be aware of their secret criminal activity, innocent lives may be at risk if that is what it takes
- Resilience and mental toughness: their similar harsh upbringings allow them to bond and quickly recover from heated controversies
- Do not show emotion: emotional issues must be shoved deep down and never to be exposed
- Physically strong: the boys can manhandle any power trying to override them
- Selfish: their love for money is stronger than their love for each other
Strengths
Challenges
Condition Borderline Personality Disorder (Andrew Cody, n.d.)
Pope’s condition is mildly vague, but clearly seen from his erratic behavior. Sometimes it is unclear if his benevolence is authentic or a subtle calmness before he blows. One minute he is your best friend, then the next he is ready to turn on you. He creates within the family a familiar feeling of “walking on eggshells” because no one can predict his motives or intentions. The National Institute of Mental Health defines BPD as, “a mental illness where individuals have extreme reactions to perceived rejection that results in relationships vacillating between dependency and hatred” (2017). Pope essentially has three relationships that promote such a conflict: his selfish mother, ex-lover/brother’s new girlfriend, and new lover’s law enforcement father. These relationships hit so many raw wounds for Pope that build upon each other, creating the monster that he is. He is aware of his mental issue but does not agree with the standard way to manage the diagnosis. Instead of walking around feeling sorry for himself, he lets other treat him with pity to have a “one up” on their own emotional quotient. What Pope doesn’t know, is that his mother has been secretly medicating him with stolen prescription medicine for many years.
Bioecological Systems Theory This theory is grounded on how direct and indirect relationships with significant influencers impact the development of a child. There are five levels in which the system interconnects to operate, ultimately affecting one’s school, work, and community settings, which then determine a broader scope of one’s social, cultural, and policy engagement. The combination of these factors shape the child’s development over time (Graves & Sheldon, 2018). 1. Microsystem: Pope is surrounded by his mother, Smurf, and various older men who Smurf sleeps with. This is the beginning of his twisted personalities. None of the men stick around and most are convicted felons. Eventually Pope becomes the eldest brother to his bastard brothers, Craig and Deran, in their Oceanside beach house. 2. Mesosystem: Pope’s fatherless childhood leads to an experience of disequilibrium and conflicting emotions with his mom and dominant men. He associates himself with the wrong crowd to have a sense of family and unity over dangerous activities that he was exposed to growing up. He also meets a woman who brings out his charismatic but also boorish personalities. 3. Exosystem: The police and military personnel near Camp Pendleton have a considerable effect of Pope’s whereabouts and decisions. He must be careful not to trigger unwanted attention or tip off the wrong guys in his community regarding his occupation as a criminal. This is where Pope finds himself having yet another personality change to “keep the peace” that he is disturbing. 4. Macrosystem: Pope has now developed a sense of his own meaning of purpose. He disregards the law and pays no attention to real world rules. His economic status is simply whatever he can get his hands on: expensive cars, luxury items, and loads and loads of cash. He pities young men who are sucked into educational norms, thinking school is useless and a waste of time. He develops his own cynical culture with his family, not connected to any outside customs whatsoever. 5. Chronosystem: Since Pope has been released from prison, he comes back to Smurf’s house and works along with the family operation. He is no longer affiliated with outsiders and seeks to avenge anyone who previously crossed his mother or brothers. He buys a new house, changes his look, and “gets rid of” people or obstacles that could jeopardize his family’s potential, even if that person used to be someone he loved. Pope is completely oriented to his family allegiance.
Outcomes Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Pope will identify 1 altered personal behavior for each of the 3 relationships that are responsible for the difficulties he faces.
Pope will verbalize one specific area that requires change in his behavior each day.
Pope will demonstrate a weekly decrease in violent behaviors as evidenced by reduction in reported outburst and wrong-doings.
Interventions Number 1
Number 2
Number 3
Ascertain from family how Pope interacts with significant people. Then, encourage social skills that help obtain needs effectively and appropriately with significant people.
Explain expected behaviors, limits, and responsibilities by clearly stating rules and regulations, and consequences when these rules are not adhered to.
Set limits on manipulative behaviors such as, frequently disregarding rules, constant engagement in power struggles, and angry/demanding aggression.
(Ackley et al., 2017)
References Ackley, B. J., Ladwig, G. B., & Flynn Makic, M. B. (2017). Nursing diagnosis handbook: An evidence based-guide to planning care (11th ed.). Elsevier. Denham, S. A., Eggenberger, S., Young, P., & Krumwiede, N. (2016). Family-focused nursing care. F.A. Davis Company. Graves, D. & Sheldon, J. P. (2018). Recruiting African American children for research: An Ecological Systems Theory approach. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 40(10), 1489-1521. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csusm.edu/10.1177/0193945917704856 National Institute of Mental Health (2017). Borderline Personality Disorder. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder#part_145389
References Images Andrew Cody [Online image]. (n.d.). Fandom. https://tntanimalkingdom.fandom.com/wiki/Andrew_Cody Ben Robson as Craig Cody [Online image]. (n.d.). TNT. https://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom/meet-the-cast Finn Cole as Joshua “J” Cody [Online image]. (n.d.). TNT. https://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom/meet-the-cast Jake Weary as Deran Cody [Online image]. (n.d.). TNT. https://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom/meet-the-cast Shawn Hatosy as Andrew “Pope” Cody [Online image]. (n.d.). TNT. https://www.tntdrama.com/shows/animal-kingdom/meet-the-cast TNT renews hit series “Animal Kingdom” for a sixth and final season [Online image]. (2021). WarnerMedia. https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/na/media-release/tnt-north-america/animal-kingdom/tnt-renews-hit-series-animal-kingdom-sixth-and-final-season White, J. (2016). Animal Kingdom: ‘Splinter’ teases Craig’s downfall [Online image]. CBR. https://www.cbr.com/animal-kingdom-season-5-splinter-craig-downfall/