The tickling scene between Niall and Maura made me wonder if she's actually the perpetrator of Reuben's childhood abuse rather than his dad... and the implications of that... Reuben feeling a sense of obligation and devotion to Maura while still being revealed to abuse her in turn as an adult... Perhaps he holds so much hatred towards his father not because he's the one who abused him, but because he can't get himself to hate Maura for the abuse so he hates his father for letting it happen. I find it's very common for children to grow up with a parent who abuses them and find it difficult to hate them (especially mothers) because they're taught that the abuse is love. I wonder if Maura was the one who did this to Reuben and despite him knowing he was abused and the resentment bubbling up (beating on Maura) he was still very close with her and devoted to her even more so after she lost any capacity to do anything (another thought there..) and redirects his anger to his father because its easier to face than confronting his true feelings towards his mother and maybe the reason he's so angry when he learns his father is having another kid isn't because he's scared he will abuse that child, but that he'd let it happen again. Also makes me wonder about the scene of his dad outside the window yelling. If that's why it's so difficult for Reuben to hear and why his dad was so torn up about it. Thinking thinking thinking...
