i dont think we truly understand how tragic arthur's story is. first there was the ptsd and the rage, and that was all there was, cause that was all he ever knew, and the reluctance in his heart never had a name. then came the redemption. linda nurtured the good left in his heart, sure, with a little bit of religious manipulation, but that's really just what i think. with the redemption and the rage, came conflict. linda and tommy tugging at either sides of arthur's soul, leaving him with guilt and even more conflict, cause of course his wife would be caring about their family (in the most annoying way possible??? sybau linda???) and tommy would look over his own interests. arthur wants to be good, it's the ties that bind him to the lifestyle that keep him from it. yeah, no, actually, i can't even tell what arthur does want: his will and actions are always someone else's. in a way, the subtle desire of suicide seems fitting. it would be his very own decision to take his life, and nobody would get a say in that. i'm drifting from the point. arthur is condamned (???) to always pleasing someone else's orders, which may or may not be an accurate reflection of his will, and that only leads to his soul being quite literally in someone else's hands. when linda left him, that was it for him (i think, i have yet to start s6), all there is now in his heart is an insurmountable feeling of loss, and the rage and volatily brought by the snow and the alcohol and the sheer violence he witnesses on a daily basis. along with my passionate hatred towards tommy's megalomania and his overall very 12-year-old-boy-pleasing-evolution during ss3 through 5 (and 6, maybe?), i think the writers underestimated just how interesting it could've been to add a little more screentime for my man arthur, and i swear it isn't just the need for that old gypsy bastard to fucking rail me, but genuine curiosity to get into his head and maybe understand a little more about his character.
