Birdy, Amanda, and the Jack of Hearts
KIN – Season 1 Episode 5 – SPOILERS
In a well-organized heist, the Kinsellas nab $50 million worth of Eamon Cunningham’s drugs (pretty much all that he had). They can’t sell the stuff right away, so they stash it and stop supplying their dealers until the heat dies down. Meanwhile, in what seems suspiciously like the next phase of a grand plan, Amanda (Clare Dunne) prints out the route Viking (Sam Keeley) took in the original drive-by shooting that started all this, and explains to Frank (Aidan Gillen) that his son drove by no fewer than four traffic cameras on the way to that shooting. Frank, who should have asked for that information long before this, is reluctant to turn Viking in, but is also aware of the necessity of it. He tells Viking to say that the recently deceased Fudge did the shooting and he was just the driver. Viking is all right with that until his significant other, Nikki (Yasmin Seky), who has a sense of what Amanda is attempting to do, persuades him that he should talk to Frank’s sister Birdy (Maria Doyle Kennedy) about it. All of this raises serious questions about Frank’s leadership abilities.
After informing Frank of the Viking situation, Amanda tells her husband Jimmy (Emmett J Scanlan) about it. He’s less than thrilled to have been left out of the loop, but happy that he’s been told before Michael. Michael then learns about the problem from Jimmy.
Michael (Charlie Cox), with whom Amanda is clearly in love, joins the family in a drink to celebrate the successful robbery and the alcohol precipitates another seizure. He tells Amanda he probably has epilepsy though he has not had an official diagnosis, and asks her to keep his condition a secret. Whatever his medical difficulties might be, they clearly prevent him from using good judgement. He persuades his brother Jimmy to drive him to see his daughter Anna (Hannah Adeogun), and they are, of course, followed by two of Cunningham’s henchmen. He does not get shot, but they now know where his daughter is.

Jason Doyle (Karl Rice) eating what seems to be a bowl of noodles. He will be kidnapped and held hostage to persuade his father Con Doyle to assist in the Kinsellas’ heist. — Jason is watching a variety program on TV and we hear the names of two guests mentioned by the announcer: Victor Bayda, an Irish language officer in County Kerry, and actor Demi Isaac Oviawe
Eamon Cunningham (Ciarán Hinds) is out $50 million and is in trouble with his suppliers. He puts a $500K bounty on the heads of Jimmy, Michael, Viking, and Frank Kinsella. He also offers a $2 million bounty for the return of the stolen drugs. Then Kem (Ryan Lincoln) — the guy who was with Fudge when he was shot — informs one of Cunningham’s lieutenants (Con Doyle played by Keith McErlean) of the goings on in the Kinsella clan, specifically that Amanda now has an increased say in what happens there and in fact was behind the shooting of Caolon Moore (Episode 3). This more or less plays into the hands of Amanda and her (possible) grand plan. She goes to visit her remaining son Anthony (Mark Mckenna Jr) at boarding school (he hates it there) and on the way back is predictably intercepted in person by Cunningham, who warns her that if she does not inform him where his drugs are within three days, Anthony will be killed.
KIN is available on DVD and Blu-Ray.
* Last Updated 3 months ago ago


