Ralph and May agreed that he would be the provider, and he not only failed at that materially, but he also created a nightmare world. He passed out everyday. While working. When he was awake, he was slurring and screaming. He was unpredictable, belligerent, embarrassing, and unreliable. They couldn't pay bills or buy clothes, but he was knee-deep in bottles. Everything about the life he created was unstable, filthy, and full of tension and strife. Fortunately, it wasn't for long - because May left. He didn't wake up and decide to do better; she did. She limited the damage, not him. Had she not, it likely would have continued indefinitely.
You don't get redemption for failing your family like that. It's unforgiveable. Even if May gets over the psychological damage from their speed run into squalor of all sorts and forgives him and has a nice life with Rozy, and even if he patches up some internet friendships by making apologies, he should never forgive himself. Ever. He should feel immense, tragic guilt that he has cluttered and agitated and destabilized the lives of people dependent on him, and that he fundamentally failed to provide for the children he chose to create. He should feel chagrin that he has been petty and antagonistic. He should also be deeply embarrassed to see himself in the months before May left. But mostly he should feel shame and guilt that he did not put his children first. He should recognize that his priorities have been selfish and entirely backward - that's the lack of a lodestar I meant months ago - and he should spend some real time figuring out how to be authentically better as a human. I haven't seen him talk about that, so any real redemption isn't on the horizon, even if the internet arc may be.
Living like a pig in slop is one thing if you're alone; putting your child in it because you care more about being some persona and about being drunk than you do about giving your wife and your children a safe living environment is unconscionable. Maybe he's reflected on this, but nothing he has said that I have heard or read has been, "I failed in my most essential duties to these people, and I am ashamed of myself and need to understand how I could have done this or let my family suffer.". It's all been about,"I'm better, I'm sober, I'm back, I've lost weight, I'm killing it.". And that's great. But it doesn't get to the route of the issue, and no real personal redemption is possible without thato.
And even if he were to find some worthy principles and be a better person, it will never undo the fact that he let his life fall apart and took others down with him. It won't undo the reality that he neglected his child's safety and health and well-being, or that he made his wife's life a living hell for a bit.
And yes, May enabled him, and yes, she was negligent as well. And she got her and their child out and away from him and that degraded life. But I'm talking about Ethan, and it was his job (they clearly had agreed that he was supposed to be a trad head of the family, and he liked to boast about it) to put a liveable roof over their heads - and be a stable provider, husband, and father. He failed them, and that failure and harm to others he was supposed to protect can never be truly undone.