#and that initially arthur still tries to enforce that authority with tommy during their first scene | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

normalbrothers · 1 year ago

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tommy's faith and trust in arthur's ability to take charge/take responsibility/be The Man is so astounding and bitter sweet, both in terms of how much the war broke arthur but also tommy's own sentimentality when it comes to him. and it's not a belief based on nothing at all either! it's knowledge and experience, and it's sort of the core problem when it comes to the frustration and resentment they feel towards each other; the constant back and forth and never seeing eye-to-eye despite craving that very thing and wanting something from the other that is impossible to give, because they are both so damaged in such irreparable ways

#fandom doesn't really consider that arthur was nominally the head of the family in s1 ie tommy didn't challenge it in those ten or so years #after their father left (minus the years lost to the war of course)#and that initially arthur still tries to enforce that authority with tommy during their first scene #but he and tommy aren't the same men anymore #tommy telling arthur this in the cellar scene and it visibly *hurts* arthur because he thinks he's just not able to be that person anymore #in any way #and tommy doesn't say these things out of cruelty but because he wants his brother back #they did set up a kind of reversal between them in s6; i don't know how far the film would go but it's something that could be interesting #so much happened between s1 and s6; 15 years later they aren't the same guys they were in 1919 either #*also the way polly and arthur sr and arthur himself react to tommy in s1 is pretty telling #he never was a timid person i'm sure but certainly less assertive and interested in being a leading figure in his family #though still bound by duty and love #given that everyone sort of seems to come to him with Their Issues even when not yet head of the family #it's an odd thing that people tend to miss about them idk. it's sort of obvious #i think the show is conscious of the fact that arthur IS the older brother #not such a set in stone hierarchy given that he's only three years older but it's not unimportant for either of them but esp #tommy

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