Spoilers through the series finale, “FUBAR.” J betrays the Codys to avenge his mother, Julia, whom Smurf’s family cast out and abandoned. The motive is clear; the timing and emotional turn can still feel abrupt. Pope’s confession to killing Catherine forces J to move sooner than planned, while the finale shows how revenge, money and his attachment to Penny collide.
J’s betrayal is rooted in what happened to Julia
J’s grievance predates Season 6. Julia was expelled from Smurf’s home and left without support. Pope, who was close enough to intervene, did not defy Smurf when Julia needed help. In the finale, J makes that history explicit when Pope confronts him: the family’s treatment of his mother is the reason he has come for them. TVLine’s finale recap and What to Watch’s finale explainer describe the confrontation and Julia’s backstory.
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That motive does not mean J is acting only out of principle. He also wants the family’s money and a way out. His revenge is personal, but it is also bound up with taking control of the wealth the Codys built.
The betrayal unfolds in stages, not as one sudden decision
In “Exodus,” J pressures Penny to change a trust document so he can control the family’s money, then transfers the funds to his own account. The maneuver makes Penny’s law-firm position useful to him and signals that his break with the family is already under way. TVLine’s episode 12 recap details the trust transfer and the emerging double-cross.
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In the finale, J tips off police about his uncles’ stash and getaway vehicles while they try to rescue Pope. He is not merely walking away from the Codys: he is arranging for the law to close in on them as he secures his escape. The finale recap follows the double-cross and J’s eventual fate.
Pope’s confession changes the timetable
Pope’s confession to Catherine’s killing fractures the family and becomes the immediate trigger for J to act. The episode 9 recap records Pope’s confession and the family’s reaction; showrunner Daniele Nathanson later told TVLine that J had intended a longer con but was forced to move sooner once Pope confessed. In her words, he “had to” act. That distinction matters: J has been preparing to betray his uncles, but the series does not establish that every move was fixed from the beginning.
Read Nathanson’s explanation in TVLine’s interview, alongside the episode 9 recap. Pope’s confession accelerates the plan; it does not create J’s resentment.
Penny starts as part of the plan, but that may not be all she becomes
J initially targets Penny because her position at a law firm can help him gain control of the money. Yet the finale does not leave their relationship at simple manipulation. Nathanson said she believed J fell in love with Penny, describing the arc as “a classic tale of falling in love with the mark.” Her interpretation sits alongside her account of his instrumental approach: J can have real feelings and still continue a revenge plan that ultimately destroys the relationship.
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That helps explain why J’s final choice feels tragic rather than proof that he never cared. Penny refuses to go with him; he poisons her, then survives abroad with the money. The TVLine interview offers Nathanson’s reading of his feelings, while the finale recap recounts the ending.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the turn can still feel unearned
A coherent motive is not the same as a fully convincing transition. J’s anger over Julia gives the betrayal a foundation, and the trust maneuver shows the plot in motion before the finale. But Season 6 also gives him moments of apparent closeness with his uncles. Meanwhile, Penny shifts from a target useful to his scheme to someone Nathanson believes he genuinely loves—only for J to kill her when she will not join him.
The showrunner’s explanation makes those threads compatible: J can love Penny and remain committed to revenge, while Pope’s confession can explain why the plan suddenly advances. Still, compatibility is not the same as dramatic preparation. Viewers may reasonably find that the compressed reveal does not give enough time to feel the change from calculated long con to immediate betrayal, or from affection to murder. So the title’s “makes no sense” is best understood as a reaction to the execution, not a claim that J has no motive at all.
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