What Happened to Molly Gordon's Character, Nicky, in 'Animal Kingdom'?

TNT drama Animal Kingdom introduced audiences to a criminal family that lives in Oceanside, Calif. The series featured plenty of interesting characters, but no one compared to Molly Gordon's Nicky. Introduced as J's (Finn Cole) girlfriend, the young woman quickly became involved with the dangerous family business. The fact that a teenager was accidentally placed in the middle of a criminal business was depicted as a tragedy.

Every main character from Animal Kingdom was well aware of the danger being affiliated with the Cody family represented. Nevertheless, the family stuck together to expand their empire. Robbing banks to make some money is a risky career path, and that is something Molly Gordon's character had to learn the hard way. What happened to Nicky, and why was it important for the other characters of the series?

Nicky was initially involved in the Codys' criminal activities because she was J's girlfriend. The third season of the series depicted the family dealing with the aftermath of Baz's (Scott Speedman) death. The event marked the start of a problematic time for the Codys, with the main characters not knowing how to deal with the loss of the former heist leader. Baz's death wouldn't be the end of the family's problems, considering what happened next to Nicky.

The third season of Animal Kingdom was the breaking point for Nicky. After consuming dangerous substances, the character accidentally shoots herself in the leg. The injury doesn't kill her, but it does show Nicky that it is time for a major change.

After the young woman recovered from the accident, Paul (C. Thomas Howell) orders J to stay away from her. The accident forced the character to be written out of the series. Fortunately, Nicky's leg injury wasn't the end of the road for her.

The accident left the door open in case J and Nicky wanted to get back together. Unfortunately for them, J's lifestyle was never going to make that possible. Smurf's (Ellen Barkin) grandson had to fulfill his destiny as a criminal, leaving little time to take care of a young woman like Nicky. However, the fans did get to find out what happened to Molly Gordon's character in the end.

During the final season of Animal Kingdom, J bumps into Natalie (Adriana Santos), one of his former classmates. When catching up with each other, Natalie informs J that Nicky eventually got married to a marine.

In the end, the romance between Nicky and J was never meant to be. Years after Animal Kingdom came to a close, Molly Gordon continues to find success on television thanks to The Bear.