Rachael Eyre's Blog - Posts Tagged "downton-abbey"
An Open Letter to Julian Fellowes: Please Don't Kill Off Thomas
I know what I'm about to say won't change matters one jot; filming finished months ago. But I think I speak for legions of Downton Abbey fans when I say: don't drive Thomas Barrow to suicide.
In the show's heyday Thomas was the servant viewers loved to hate. A kind of discount Iago, he and his equally reprehensible pal O'Brien used to skulk by the back door, sharing sneaky cigs and craftier schemes. We never learned the reason behind Sarah's motiveless malignity, but Thomas's secret torment was soon revealed: he's gay.
Normally I hate the "X is horrible because they're gay" hypothesis. It's cliched, lazy and smacks of homophobia. In this case, it's not only excusable, it's almost inevitable. Remember that Thomas lives in a world where most people believe the tenets of Christianity, and therefore Leviticus. Oscar Wilde's trial was within living memory; if someone with his fame and influence could be destroyed by the legal system, what chance does a friendless working class lad have? Thomas is forced to live at a time where he's considered mentally ill at best, a pervert and a sinner at worst. Otherwise likeable characters tell him his feelings are "foul", even while acknowledging he can't help who he is.
I know Thomas fan girls exist. I'm not one of them. I hate bullies, snobs and hypocrites, and he's all three. But over the past few seasons we've been made to appreciate the loneliness and emptiness of his life. How he hoards letters from a worthless ex; how he craves affection and will pursue men who aren't remotely interested; how at one point he started taking an abortive "cure", nearly poisoning himself in the process.
This past series has seen him suffer one humiliation after another. The staff don't bother to hide their dislike, he can't make friends with another young man without suspicion. He knows his job is on the line but has nowhere else to go. His future looks bleak - and, in the last few episodes he's reached breaking point. If this was a novel of the time there would be no path open to him but suicide.
That's the obvious direction to take. They'll probably try to justify it by saying "Thomas has always been a tragic figure" or "We've always had this arc in mind for him." I for one am sick of seeing gay characters as walking wounded or mere plot devices. In a cast of hundreds, why should the gay character be singled out for misery? We've seen other characters do appalling things - O'Brien, Rose's revolting mother, creator's favourite Lady Mary - but go unpunished.
Wouldn't it be great if Downton could break the mould? If, suddenly and wonderfully, Thomas finds love where he least expects it. If Bertie's cousin, currently painting boys in Tangiers, shows up and takes a shine to him. Or he gets a new situation and finds a likeminded friend. For all the men convicted for homosexuality, there must have been many more who had loving, fulfilled relationships - why should Thomas be cheated of a happy ending? Upstairs, Downstairs gave its gay character a sensitive, convincing love affair, so why can't Downton?
In the show's heyday Thomas was the servant viewers loved to hate. A kind of discount Iago, he and his equally reprehensible pal O'Brien used to skulk by the back door, sharing sneaky cigs and craftier schemes. We never learned the reason behind Sarah's motiveless malignity, but Thomas's secret torment was soon revealed: he's gay.
Normally I hate the "X is horrible because they're gay" hypothesis. It's cliched, lazy and smacks of homophobia. In this case, it's not only excusable, it's almost inevitable. Remember that Thomas lives in a world where most people believe the tenets of Christianity, and therefore Leviticus. Oscar Wilde's trial was within living memory; if someone with his fame and influence could be destroyed by the legal system, what chance does a friendless working class lad have? Thomas is forced to live at a time where he's considered mentally ill at best, a pervert and a sinner at worst. Otherwise likeable characters tell him his feelings are "foul", even while acknowledging he can't help who he is.
I know Thomas fan girls exist. I'm not one of them. I hate bullies, snobs and hypocrites, and he's all three. But over the past few seasons we've been made to appreciate the loneliness and emptiness of his life. How he hoards letters from a worthless ex; how he craves affection and will pursue men who aren't remotely interested; how at one point he started taking an abortive "cure", nearly poisoning himself in the process.
This past series has seen him suffer one humiliation after another. The staff don't bother to hide their dislike, he can't make friends with another young man without suspicion. He knows his job is on the line but has nowhere else to go. His future looks bleak - and, in the last few episodes he's reached breaking point. If this was a novel of the time there would be no path open to him but suicide.
That's the obvious direction to take. They'll probably try to justify it by saying "Thomas has always been a tragic figure" or "We've always had this arc in mind for him." I for one am sick of seeing gay characters as walking wounded or mere plot devices. In a cast of hundreds, why should the gay character be singled out for misery? We've seen other characters do appalling things - O'Brien, Rose's revolting mother, creator's favourite Lady Mary - but go unpunished.
Wouldn't it be great if Downton could break the mould? If, suddenly and wonderfully, Thomas finds love where he least expects it. If Bertie's cousin, currently painting boys in Tangiers, shows up and takes a shine to him. Or he gets a new situation and finds a likeminded friend. For all the men convicted for homosexuality, there must have been many more who had loving, fulfilled relationships - why should Thomas be cheated of a happy ending? Upstairs, Downstairs gave its gay character a sensitive, convincing love affair, so why can't Downton?
