Poor Thomas. He’s the prototypical “evil queen,” mean and conniving, although his tender side does shine through from time to time. It’s hard to know exactly how to feel about the guy, other than not so good.
Imagine if he lived in a different time. A time when gay men could shack up and hug and kiss and whatnot without fear of reprisal. Well, there’d hardly be any drama to his story if that were the case, so his oppression certainly makes for good TV.
But a simple love interest or even lay humanize him. No more frustration, no more secrecy. He might just be a well-balanced, likable human being. Will the producers of Downton Abbey allow him to find love? The greatness of the show is the tension between the conservatism of the era and the liberation in wind. Why not Thomas, too?
See Thomas’s dilemma, a gay man born before his time in tonight in Downton Abbey on PBS Masterpiece.
If only Kemal Pamuk had received his advances more warmly, he might not have wound up disgracing poor Mary.
If only he’d gotten a little tail on the front lines, he might not have been so violently eager to go home.
At the Servant’s Ball, when he danced with the Dowager Countess, if only they could have whispered giggling gossip into each others’ ears about their mutual love for anal.
And then of course there’s James. Oh, what could have been.
http://youtu.be/9CMBp_wqS4g
That a couple they would have made. Can we hope for more love on the horizon for Thomas? Here’s Rob James-Collier giving us a taste of what to look forward to.
KDub
No “Looking” posts yet? You guys are slipping on your brainwashing…I mean “promoting”!
Tookietookie123
Aren’t you guys going to report on the massive twitter feud that occurred between Liam Payne and Tyler Oakley that left twitter a bloodbath between their fans?
Dev.C
Downton Abbey has massively failed at developing Thomas’s character beyond being completely one dimensional and a unnecessary villain of the show. At the this point its not worth talking about because the writers did nothing to better his character this season.
Tyler100
@Dev.C:
Dev. C, are you related to the troll Kev. C? Of course you are. JimBryant and his aliases are easy to spot.
Lazycrockett
The problem with Thomas is the audience has never been told why Thomas is such a schemer. Him and O’Brien are assholes just to be assholes. I was hoping after last season they would show a more softer side of Thomas but season 4 hes, when on screen, the same schemer for no purpose.
Plus hes smart enough to know that society is changing and moving up the downstairs staff isn’t going to hold the prestige it once offered. He should be looking for better opportunities. At least have him meet Scudder or something.
stranded
@Lazycrockett:
I thought Thomas and O’Brian were jerks because they hated being servants but saw no other option of employment. So they took joy in gossiping about the people they serve aka the Crawleys. Beyond that of course, Thomas is sexually frustrated as a gay man and probably has self hate, societal hate for it. O’Brian is a spinster who gets meaner by the year.
I agree, after Thomas returned from WWI, his story was very emotional and you felt for him. Even when when he got all stalkery over Jimmy, you felt bad for him and how the story ended you felt good for both Thomas and Jimmy’s friendship. It’s like they didn’t want to give Thomas a love interest, and didn’t know what to do with him, so they made him a dick again.
Oh and i think Thomas is sticking with being a servant because he tried venturing out on his own in season 1, where he paid for food, but found out it was all spoiled, thereby robbing him of his nest egg. The army didn’t work. So he’s kind of stuck and afraid to try anything else.
Dev.C
@Tyler100
That was a massive insult.
If you are fine with how the show depicts it’s only gay character that’s on you, but don’t expect everyone to agree. It doesn’t change the fact his character is one note and getting old. I have already watched this season, so I feel I have room to comment on what I found to be lacking from it.
Lazycrockett
@standed:
I agree with the frustrated gay except that at the end of last season both upstairs and downstairs were pretty accepting of his sexuality,I mean even Lord Grantham put the kabash on the police arresting Thomas. Yet this season hes back to being the same one note character. He’s just boring.
bobbyjoe
It feels like Julian Fellowes doesn’t know what to do with Thomas this season, which is really strange. Thomas pretty much has no real storyline this year, and as others have said, the scenes he does have act as if the events of the previous season and the deepening of Thomas’ character never happened. There was so much potential from the end of last season to do something more interesting with Thomas but for some reason Fellowes seems to think we’re all clammering to see much more of third-tier characters like Moseley, Rose, and Alfred instead. It’s an odd way to run a show.
suzannemurphy
as Gladys answered I’m alarmed that anybody able to profit $9585 in a few weeks on the computer. you could look here>>> http://gg.gg/zsdv
hudson
@Lazycrockett: ahhhhhhhhh, the lovely Scudder. I had such a crush on him (Rupert Graves). Maurice should be mandatory for watching for all wee gays entering the world.
bi-lady
Love Downton Abbey, and the new season is shaping up nicely….poor Anna! but, Thomas??? He used his intuition and helped the late Lady Sybil’s baby and got rid of that horrid abusive nanny, he’s my hero!
I like thomas, I do, he does have good qualities and I’d like to Fellowes humanize him more. Yes, Thomas needs a good romantic interest. Maybe someone he could compete with….maybe one of Lady Mary’s or Lady Rose’s new suitors? Absolutely! Give Thomas Barrow a real romance!
sailingsam
Poor guy…give him so good loving…
balehead
Why can’ Thomas sneak off to London or go with one of the Family on one of their visits and have some fun?…It’s not that hard to write this, Julien….
balehead
Oh, Scudder, you had me at “I know Sir”….
LadyL
@bobbyjoe: Completely agree. Perhaps Julian Fellowes and company have something in mind for Thomas, but for now it is disappointing to watch him being his usual ascerbic and scheming self. If nothing else I would have thought he’d get more credit for alerting Lady Cora about Nanny West…
Given his circumstances I have lots of sympathy for Thomas. He was very touching and vulnerable in his hopeless infatuation with Jimmy (who is a self-impressed little twit and should be the new below-stairs villain).
I’d love to see Thomas fall in love with someone who returned his affections. I can’t help but wonder if maybe Fellowes hasn’t allowed that kind of storyline because he knows the Downton household would not be as accepting of Thomas if he was partnered and happy. Maybe they’re prepared to tolerate his sexual difference only if it remains an abstract. (And maybe Thomas remains an angry outsider because he knows that.)
robho3
Yes they should do more with Thomas’ storyline although I people need to understand that during that time most gay people had to hide their true feelings as it was not something that was accepted or talked about. It would be nice to know Thomas’ history- where he came from and why he is so evil. A scandal would be good. Over the past few seasons he’s kinda just really floundered.
blkluvla
I agree with many of the comments regarding Thomas. There is nothing HAPPENING with him, although I don’t know if there’s something planned for him in Season 4, which is altogether possible. I haven’t seen any spoilers from the UK, so I don’t know.
TrekBear
A couple of seasons ago, Thomas was seen coming out of a pub and tugging at his pants. I commented to my partner that he (Thomas) looked freshly fucked.
blkluvla
@hudson: I agree: Maurice, what a lovely film
DShucking
@blkluvla: Haven’t seen this but yes, Maurice. I’m also partial to Making Love. I was so young and didn’t understand the concept of why he was taken medication so I assumed that meant that I was going to have to take pills all my life because I’m gay. Silly children.
stranded
@hudson: OMG Rupert Graves was so hot in Maurice. I loved him in “A room with a view” too.
nevereclipsed81
He’s my favorite character now that Dan Stevens left.. he smokes one hell of a non filtered cigarette, but we need to see exactly what’s brewing in his mind, not just stupid stuff about trying to get rich and failing. They need to bring his story line out.
Texan78730
@Lazycrockett: You might like to touch up your syntax. It is not “Him and O’Brien”, it’s “HE and O’Brien”. And it is not “hes”, it’s “he’s” It is a contraction of he is. Oh, and by the way, we can do without the potty mouth as well.
Dawson
Who cares about him. What about Tom (Alan Leech? Does anyone have any info on him.
stranded
@Texan78730: Die in a fire. We’re writing comments on a blog. Grammar mistakes be damned. His point was clear and contributed to a discussion between myself and other posters.