The sixth season of Stephen Knight’s hit crime drama Peaky Blinders is, unfortunately, set to be the last. While fans weren’t expecting to see it end for the Shelby brothers so soon, they cannot wait for the last installment. The fifth season of the show saw Thomas Shelby, uncharacteristically, lose in the season finale, leaving him baffled, and his brother, Arthur Shelby, scared.
Paul Anderson’s Arthur is one of the main characters on the show and a tough person to judge. He might be a fan-favorite, but that doesn’t exempt him from the horrendous acts he has committed throughout the series. Living in a world full of misery and death, Arthur has had a hard time dealing with his demons, and here are a few things that make no sense about his personality.
The Elder Brother
At the start of the series, the focus was on Arthur’s insecurities. Being the eldest of the Shelby brothers, he was supposed to be the leader but for one reason or another, Tommy took over the reins.
Arthur used to continuously mention thta he doesn’t know anything about the Shelby business, and yet, he wouldn’t do anything to act like an adult. It doesn’t make sense how the World War didn’t help in maturing Arthur, and, even now, he regularly throws his childish tantrums at Tommy.
Relationship With His Father
Arthur’s biggest problem is not learning from his past mistakes. He opens himself up to emotional trauma and betrayal, which is something he cannot afford to do in his line of business.
For example, when his not-so-caring father returned to Birmingham, Arthur wanted to impress him for no apparent reason. Tommy and Polly knew the disgusting ways of Arthur Shelby Senior, and, despite being a victim of his father’s abandonment himself, Arthur ignored the signs and got what was coming. His love for his father didn’t make sense.
Suicide Attempt
Arthur was shown suffering throughout the first season, and fans could see that it was building up to something unsavory. What anyone didn’t expect was for Arthur to attempt suicide just because his father didn’t care about him enough.
Moreover, it wasn’t a full-blown attempt to take his own life; it looked like more of a plea to himself to appreciate his life more. Tommy and John, his two brothers, never fail to remind him how he couldn’t even take his own life, compounding the already complicated situation.
Lack Of Guilt
Arthur and his anger problems have only worsened over the years. They reached a peak when he couldn’t deal with his father leaving once more. It didn’t take long for Arthur to let loose—only, this time, he killed a young boy during a practice session in the boxing ring.
It was brutal, as Arthur kept punching him until his face was unrecognizable. Nevertheless, Arthur didn’t feel the same guilt or disgust with a cold-blooded murder as he did with Tommy handling the Shelby business or his father running away. Funnily enough, he attempted suicide for the second reason, not the first, which makes his character even more complex and difficult to understand.
Calm And Composed
Linda Shelby brought a change for the good in Arthur’s life, although it felt like it was just a matter of time before he’d lose it again. For a time there, Arthur acted like a person who could survive the world without alcohol or drugs, but the problem was that he never committed to the act.
He’d still drink whiskey and snort cocaine without Linda knowing. Deep inside, he knew he needed the chaos around him, as it emulated the war he’d experienced. He was a mere actor trying to be something he wasn’t, and it certainly wasn’t working out for him.
Rejecting A Chance
Arthur had forgotten all about the criminal world after having a near-death experience in jail, but, when Luca Changreta’s Black Hand showed up, he had no choice but to return. The death of his brother, John, triggered something in him, and, even after getting revenge against Luca, Arthur decided to stay despite Tommy’s allowance to leave for good and Linda’s desperation. If the show was so committed to showing the good side of Arthur, then he should have simply left with his wife.
Relationship With Linda
Linda and Arthur are a very odd couple, to say the least. Their individual beliefs are drastically different, and it doesn’t make sense how they grew close to each other in the first place. The fans weren’t as attached to their relationship, either, seeing as their love story wasn’t shown.
In season five, particularly, the relationship took a dark turn when Arthur made some very questionable decisions. Even though Linda had Arthur’s well-being on her mind, she was only suffocating him with her intense emotions. The pairing was never going to last.
No Improvements
Arthur completely broke bad in the latest outing of the Peaky Blinders. At the start, he tried to make it work with Linda, but the flashes of his angrier version returning were visible. The problem here was the mental way in which Arthur was acting.
When he was first introduced, it looked like he did have a flicker of sanity, but, in season five, he lost himself in the violence. It made fans question as to why he took a detour down the good side, only to return to the place where he started.
Soldier
Thomas Shelby is a lovable character, but some of the things he has done with Arthur have been downright evil. Arthur knows he needs to handle his anger, and, whenever he strives towards getting better as an individual, there’s Tommy, giving him some speech about being a loyal soldier.
This is not the Great War anymore, so one would like to imagine that Arthur will break from the shackles of his little brother very soon, but that hasn’t happened yet. This is down to Arthur thinking about himself as a soldier, which has ruined his personal life completely. It would be good for him to stay as far away as possible from Tommy, but that’s easier said than done.
Shouldn’t Be Loved The Way He Is
Arthur Shelby is probably the most loved character in the series, but that has more to do with the chaotic stuff he does rather than the character itself. After all, Arthur has killed innocents and gotten away with it. He simply shouldn’t get the love he gets, but, as is the case with some characters, no matter what dirty deeds they do, the fans usually forgive and forget.
