“Kin” is a crime drama series that premiered on AMC+ in 2021. The series is set in Dublin, Ireland, and follows the lives of a close-knit family involved in organized crime. The series revolves around the Kinsella family, who are trying to protect their business and their family members from rival gangs and law enforcement. The struggle is not different from the ones we have seen in “Peaky Blinders” or other stories that involve criminal families. The urge to protect their own is the basic plotline that you may find familiar. Anyway, let’s not dwell on the uniqueness of the series, and let’s get on with the recap of season 1.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Kin’ Season 1: Story
The Whole of Dublin knows Eamon Cunningham runs the city. So, right after the shootout shown in the opening scenes, Frank Kinsella went to have a chat with Eamon. Since Eamon’s men were interfering with Kinsella’s business region, Frank thought it would be best for him to sort out the whole matter by talking. It went well, if not in Frank’s favor, but Eamon had told him that Frank should know that it is not wise to cross Eamon as he controls everything in the city. Back at home, the Kinsellas were celebrating the return of their beloved family member Michael, who was recently released from jail. Michael accidentally killed his wife and lost custody of his daughter, Anna. So, he wanted to make a fresh start and have a shot at getting back Anna’s custody. Meanwhile, Frank told Eric, his son, about his meeting with Eamon and told him to forget about the shootout. Eric was not one of the cool heads in the family. He took it personally, and while returning to his place, he crossed a line. He shot at one of Eamon’s men. This did not sit well with Eamon, as he had a reputation to maintain. He gave permission to his men to seek revenge. This made things worse. The men that came to kill Eric that night somehow managed to injure him with one bullet. But the other bullet went straight into the head of Jamie Kinsella, the son of Jimmy and Amanda. He died on the spot at the end of episode 1.
From the beginning of episode 2, we can see the Kinsella family falling apart. Frank again went to talk to Eamon, and he told him about Eric’s involvement. Frank learned that it was Eric who started everything that led to the death of Jamie. He hid this fact from the family as he knew that, sooner or later, everyone would turn against Eric in this matter. But this gradually worsened the situation as Amanda was fuming with revenge. No one in Kinsella’s family goes against Frank’s decisions. But, as the rage was budding inside the mother, it started to shift to a whole new level. Amanda knew that if she wanted revenge, she must have the whole family, or at least most of them, on her side. Her husband, Jimmy, would sooner or later take her side. The main person who could do everything for her was Michael. But manipulating Michael into this criminal work was not easy. As he was trying hard to get in touch with Anna, he decided to wash the cars instead of counting drug money. However, soon his lawyer told him that even if he carried on earning money through hard work, the law wouldn’t allow him to see his daughter. Also, there is a big reveal in episode 3 that Jamie was, in reality, Michael’s son. So, deep inside, Michael, too, wanted to take revenge for the death of his son. So, one night, Michael shot the person responsible for Jamie’s death. However, the police hadn’t had much on him to imprison him. But Eamon declared a bounty on killing male members of the Kinsella family.
The Kinsellas started hiding and staying together, as everyone had a fear of death. Michael started to meet with Anna, as she, too, wanted to meet with her father. But they had to meet in a very discreet manner, as Michael had a bounty on his head. This could not go on forever, so Amanda came up with a huge plan. She told Frank to pillage Eamon’s drugs. They all knew that it was the last line they were about to cross, but it was worth a shot. So, the Kinsellas stole Eamon’s drugs, worth 50 million dollars. This made Eamon furious and answerable to his clients at the same time. The brawl took on a whole new level, and the Kinsellas now realized that this was something beyond their capacity to control. People close to the family started to get killed. Law enforcement started questioning the death of Jamie, and they found out about Eric’s shootout. Eric ends up in jail, the Kinsella dealership is shut down due to a money laundering case, and Eamon’s pressure starts growing. Amanda’s younger son Anthony and Michael’s daughter Anna were threatened too. It was at this moment that they knew they had to do something about Eamon. They thought that hiding from the threat outside would only increase the pressure inside.
‘Kin’ Season 1: The Ending
At the end of episode 8, we see that Eamon was received by his clients at the airport. In the parking lot, Michael confronts them and kills them all. He shot Eamon in the eye to make the statement “an eye for an eye’. Meanwhile, Jimmie, with the help of ‘Kem,’ one of Eric’s men, killed Con Doyle, Eamon’s right-hand man. Everything was done as planned, and the plan was made by Amanda herself. The woman had learned the ways of Kinsella’s and executed them all precisely so as to save the family once and for all. We see Frank suffering from a drug overdose, and Eric struggling in jail. Frank knew that Amanda could take control of the family from him, but his love for Eric maid him try to stop her from doing so. He lost control over himself and finally, perhaps, chose the simplest way to end his life. On the other hand, Amanda started seeing herself as more Kinsella now than anyone else.
What To Expect From Season 2?
In season 2, Frank and Eric might come back. Kem is helping Eric’s girlfriend with a job she needs to do. Eric had told her about the plan to kill the witness. So, we can only assume that it goes well, and Eric will find a way to come out of jail. If they both make it, the family will get back together to fight a bigger mob the next time. Other than Eamon, do you remember the people Michael shot in the parking lot? Well, they could be Russians. So we can guess how the story will end. We’ll just have to see how far the Kinsellas go and how well they protect each other as a family.
