Sumith Prasad
The sixth episode of Paramount+’s Western series ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ depicts a turning point in Sally Reeves and Arthur Mayberry’s relationship. Sally and Arthur get into trouble when the former talks angrily to a white girl while attending the carnival. The girl’s brother and his friends then target the duo, forcing Sally to fight them when Arthur doesn’t. Although the white boys run away from them after a while, Arthur loses sleep over the same, which leads him to a decision concerning his future. He gets ready to run away from the place to avoid the wrath of the white boys, threatening his relationship with Sally! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Arthur’s Absence and Sally’s Intolerance
Arthur decides to leave his home in the sixth episode of the period drama, fearing that the white boys will retaliate against him and Sally. Upon getting immersed in fear, he asks Sally to accompany him so that they can remain together somewhere else, without being concerned about getting targeted. Sally, on the other hand, is not scared of the boys who will come after her. Nor does she want to run away disgracefully when she believes that she hasn’t done anything wrong. Despite Sally’s decision to stay, Arthur moves forward with his plan to potentially disappear from her life.
Even while preparing to run away, Arthur reaffirms to Sally that he will not stop loving her. He promises to write poems to her to keep their togetherness ignited. However, Sally may not tolerate Arthur’s lack of courage to remain in a relationship with him. His decision to abandon her may convince Sally that Arthur cannot be relied on. She may not want to remain hopeful about a relationship with someone who cannot even stand straight against people who threaten him. Therefore, Sally may decide to forget Arthur irrespective of his undying love for her.
When Sally makes it clear that she is not scared of the white boys who want to harm her, Arthur thinks that his partner is courageous because she is the daughter of a deputy marshal. What he doesn’t realize is that Sally is a brave girl irrespective of her father’s job or position. Since he fails to see Sally’s true self, the latter may realize that the boy is not the right fit for her. She may consider his promises to love and write to her ungenuine. If Arthur really vanishes from Van Buren, he may not even get an opportunity to prove to Sally that he can be a better partner, which may make their break up an inevitability.
Lonnie Chavis’ Exit From Lawmen: Bass Reeves
Arthur’s decision to disappear from Sally’s life and Van Buren indicate the potential conclusion of the character’s arc, paving the way for Lonnie Chavis’ departure from ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves.’ The show is unlikely to depict his individual life journey, away from Sally, which leaves him no scope in the principal narrative of the period drama. Thus, Arthur may only appear in the show as long as he remains close to Sally. If he moves forward with his plan to vanish from his threats, we may have seen the last of Chavis in the series.
Having said that, neither Paramount+ nor Chavis has announced the actor’s exit from the series officially yet. Even though Arthur wants to disappear from the city, he may fail to do so, especially when a group of white boys are still waiting for an opportunity to get back at Sally. Arthur can end up on their hands while trying to disappear to safety. Otherwise, he may even reconsider his decision to part ways with Sally to not lose her after starting his journey. If that’s the case, we may see Chavis again in the Western drama. Although the chances of him reuniting with Sally are less, Arthur may still appear in the final two episodes of the series.
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