people that say Arthur and John hated each other were not playing the same Red Dead i did. i don't think they even disliked each other.
like there’s concern on Arthur’s face when he hands John off to Javier once they find him. sure he's being a smart ass the whole time, but the second John's back is to him, he's got these damn puppy eyes.
at the start of Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall? Arthur's checking on John. the only people in the cabin are Swanson, John, and Arthur. they have a few lines of dialog before Dutch comes barging in,
A: "You're still here, then?"
J: "I owe you."
A: "And you'll pay me...but for the moment, just rest."
there was literally no venom in Arthur's greeting to John. like at all. was it sarcastic? sure. but that's all it was.
and the way Arthur says just rest is so damn soft. i would have loved more than three lines of dialog between them, but alas. Dutch.
just found it of note that Arthur will check up on John, but only when there's no one else around. can't let the others know he still cares about that dumbass.
some of their exchanges can be read as "mean-spirited", but i think Arthur is just...kind of mean.
every time Arthur takes a jab, John ignores it and continues their conversation like it's normal. i think that's just how John and Arthur interact. which honestly makes sense for two guys that have known each other for ~15 years.
Arthur is a grouchy bastard for the whole duration of Paying a Social Call, and John even comments to Kieran that if Arthur treats his friends like this, imagine how he treats his enemies. i think Arthur was acting like a banty and puffing out his chest to intimidate Kieran more than anything.
BUT (ok this may be a reach here) Arthur didn't deny him and John being friends, which is something Arthur has absolutely no issue correcting if he feels differently.
and here would have been an opportune moment to get one last jab in on John, but he didn't. it was almost like John and Arthur were playing off of each other in the moment: Arthur throws the initial punch, John brushes it off, instead of changing the subject/tone to more joking—Arthur keeps going, John does get a little heated but then makes the remark about friends and enemies. it felt like a show, ooh look how big and bad our enforcer is.
i think the best display of their relationship is the mission The Sheep and the Goats.
John could have gotten Javier, Bill, hell maybe even Hosea to rustle some sheep, but he chose Arthur.
there's a bit of a power play between them the whole time, John is being cagey and evasive about what exactly the plan is, and at the first opportunity Arthur is taking control over the job.
they argue, but it's short lived and neither seem to put much heart into it. Arthur even voices something that could be seen as doubt in Dutch's abilities to John.
J: "Dutch says that we—"
A: "Dutch says a lot. Now, that's his gift...saying things."
J: "Oh yeah? What do you mean by that?"
A: "I was the prize pony once, now I'm the workhorse. Listen. Dutch is...but...but, well...you was at that thing in Blackwater."
overall the job goes smoothly. they work well together. even when dealing with the man at the stockyards they work well together. Arthur tries to throw his weight around, and John shuts him down before Arthur can push a little too hard.
i've said it before, but the scene where Cornwall's men have Strauss and John, the way John looks to Arthur—gets me every time. there's irritation on John's face, but not panic. he trusts that Arthur won't let him die.
idk i think a lot of it is that Arthur is the ultimate grudge holder. and i think that John turning tail and running made Arthur face the fact that he isn't any better than John.
Arthur was a garbage father, that did pretty much the same thing. only Eliza and Isaac didn't have an entire gang to fall back on, it was probably just her providing and the few bucks Arthur would give her every couple of months.
with how comfortable Abigail is with asking Arthur for things with Jack, i would assume Arthur took on a role that could loosely be labeled "father" in John's absence (and i doubt any of the other men [except Hosea] would be willing to do that).
i never felt like their relationship or interactions were anything other than sarcastic banter between old friends. old friends that aren't as close as they used to be, but still they trust each other with their lives.
there might be a little rivalry between them, but i think it's mostly because they're both stubborn, arrogant bastards. and i'm sure Dutch helped fan the flame with their rivalry when it suited him, shifting his favor from Arthur to John.
there's a rift there, and Arthur doesn't let John forget it. John can hardly get a thank you out when Arthur helps him get Jack back, so something like an apology/heart to heart with Arthur is out of the realm of possibility. so they're stuck in this awkward in-between.
friends, but not really. close, but not too close. rivals, but only on the surface.
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