But isn't Thomas Barrow a sexual predator?

** Sorry if the title is a bit of a spoiler, but if you have not seen Downton Abbey season 3 stop reading now **

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That question came by email in reaction to my analysis of Thomas Barrow. Really? That is what you took away from my post?

No he is not. “Sexual predator” is fraught with all kinds of emotional connotations, but at its core is the assumption that the victim has been hunted and that the hunter has likely used guile and deception or a position of power to achieve his goal.

You cannot point to that in Thomas’s behavior. He was overly familiar with Jimmy in the way he touched him, but that was meant to test his reaction. Thomas himself said when confronted by Carson that no one could speak out and he had to read the signs that someone was like him. When Jimmy did not rebuke him it lead him to believe he might feel the same way.

What he missed, of course, were Jimmy’s facial expressions and that he in no way reciprocated. If Jimmy had said something or even gently moved his hand away that would have been the end of it. Thomas would never intentionally place himself in a position that might lead to his exposure and loss of his livelihood. I am not blaming Jimmy for any of this. He was manipulated into believing that rebuking Thomas could hinder his advancement or even lead to his dismissal, but it was not Thomas who did it.

And then there was the kiss. In Thomas’s scenes leading up to it you can see his agitation, his uncertainty and his hesitation. Even as he is about to lean in to kiss Jimmy he pauses in what could be seen as anticipation, but is just as easily trepidation. This is not the end of a hunt nor is it a well-thought-out plan. It is impulse fueled by desire, desperation and misunderstanding. Had Thomas thought to awaken Jimmy to ask him, to find out if what he sensed was real, there would have been some uncomfortable moments, but none of what followed would have happened. But then that would not make for a good story

I'm not foul

**If you haven't seen season 3 of Downton Abbey, you should stop reading now**

Downton Abbey season 3 was mostly disappointing, but Fellowes' decision to add some humanity to Thomas Barrow's otherwise unpleasant character proved a highlight. Barrow, portrayed by Rob James-Collier, is the main antagonist of the series. He is concerned for only one person - himself - and he will do anything to ensure he comes out ahead no matter whom he has to walk over in the process. And he is gay. Generally I have a problem with gay villains because the history of their portrayal is littered with stereotypes where their homosexuality is the root of their evil. To a certain extent that would appear to be the case here, but it is not that cut and dried.

Living a closeted existence in Edwardian England would have been grinding. The threat of jail, the potential loss of employment and never being able to work again, the social stigma and the isolation, all would have had an impact on him. But others managed without becoming as mean, conniving, and spiteful as Thomas. At his core, Thomas is insecure and is driven to overcome his insecurity by any means possible, to gain a measure of control. His insecurity is apparent when he says after Lady Sybil's death, "In my life, I can tell you, not many have been kind to me. She was one of the few." Putting aside the reasons why people have not been kind, it is his reaction to this lack of kindness that has shaped him. While the way society forces him to deal with his homosexuality feeds into that insecurity, his homosexuality is not its cause. It is, in fact, what shows he is more than what we see.

Prior to season 3 there were glimpses of this, most notably in his affair with the Duke of Crowborough. In that case it was not Thomas who took advantage but rather the Duke who reneged on his promise to take Thomas away with him. This type of rejection is difficult for anyone, but given Thomas's insecurity it only served to make him withdraw further and become more intent to come out on top no matter what the cost. To his credit, Fellowes does not appear to use Thomas's homosexuality as a crutch to explain what makes Thomas a villain. In fact, other than the Crowborough affair and a few other references, by the time season 2 rolled around Thomas might as well have been asexual.

In season 3 that changes. Jimmy Kent, the new footman, appears out of nowhere in the kitchen and you can immediately see his effect on Thomas. What follows is not really Thomas's fault. Thanks to O'Brien's plotting and his own surprising naïveté he begins to hope that he has finally found someone, but that all comes to an end when egged on by O'Brien's comments about how Jimmy has a crush on him and throwing caution to the wind, he gathers his nerve to go to Jimmy's room one night and kisses him as he sleeps. That is not the smartest move when all he really has to go on is what O'Brien has told him, but suppressed desire that seems about to be fulfilled can override good judgment no matter what your sexuality. Jimmy is outraged and to make matters worse Alfred Nugent, the other footman, witnessed the entire scene. Jimmy's rejection devastates Thomas, but that is only the beginning.

When Thomas is finally outed to the butler Carson, it would appear that his time at Downton is over. His homosexuality has lead to his downfall, but surprisingly this is where the change begins. To Carson's accusation that he is foul, Thomas replies, "I'm not foul, Mr. Carson. I'm not the same as you, but I'm not foul." Thomas does not see his homosexuality as a curse. It is something he must hide, but not something he is ashamed of. I believe this is the point where Fellowes completely backs away from homosexuality as the cause of Thomas's dysfunction.

This is further supported when Thomas prevents two men from robbing and beating Jimmy by stepping in an taking the beating himself. Given what has occurred between them, including Jimmy's insistence that Thomas be sent away from Downton with a bad reference, essentially ensuring he would never work again, the old Thomas would have relished letting that happen to him. But he still has feelings for Jimmy and it is those, in other words his homosexuality, that spur his unselfish act; unselfish in so far as he knows that his actions will not change Jimmy. Ultimately Thomas's gayness is what proves to make him human and to show he is capable of kindness. And ultimately it is what makes Jimmy his friend, putting an end to his isolation.

What remains to be seen is how this plays out in season 4. Will there be a softer, kinder Thomas or will he completely revert to his old ways? Will his friendship with Jimmy flourish? How will Fellowes deal with a villain who is more than just a villain? The answers to these, assuming they are in fact answered, may be what will make season 4 worth watching.

A tug at your heartstrings

And the ship keeps sailing

And Colton who is just sitting there witnessing this all

I haven't seen the interview so I can't be sure if this is what was said or if it was just added by the GIF creator. However if it's real, a further nod to Sterek. Intentional or not, these guys know how to fan a fanfic fantasy. (Sorry, the alliteration just seemed to pour out.)

Source So I may have some unresolved Sterek Feelings

Will and Sonny

From smuchshypush. Source NBC Days of Our Lives

Pic of the day

Stephen Arnell currently starring in Arrow

Burn

From Unfriendly Black Hottie

That's more like it.

We've always been impressed by 'Teen Wolf's' frank and inclusive approach to sexuality, and that'll continue in Season 3. This season, we'll even see at least one gay sex scene on the show, which is a rarity in teen dramas. Don't get too prematurely excited though, Sterek fans -- this particular hookup involves Danny, who we're hearing has a pretty significant role in Season 3 even though his BFF Jackson left Beacon Hills. Source ZAP 2 it

In an earlier post I mused about the possibility of an increased presence for Keahu Kahuanui's character now that Colton Haynes has left Teen Wolf. If the information from ZAP 2 it is correct then not only will Danny appear more frequently, but also we'll get a level of gay intimacy that hopefully will be on a par with that of the straight characters.

Sterek

If you follow Teen Wolf you are probably aware of the amount of fan fic written about it and in particular Stiles Stilinski (Dylan O'Brien) and Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin) or as they are better known, Sterek. Fans have picked up on a connection between the two characters and have turned it into a cause célèbre. Of course it is fuelled by photos like this and the comments of the actors themselves when out of character.

Shipping¹ of characters is nothing new, but there is a concerted online campaign, of which he is aware, to have executive producer and head writer Jeff Davis incorporate this into the story line.

I'm of two minds on this. As a gay man, who wouldn't want to see something happen between these two? There is a chemistry, often shrouded in apparent dislike, but obvious when Derek turns to Stiles for something or when Stiles actually rescues Derek. But is that just part of a good story, where even characters who only tolerate one another are thrown into situations where they must work together?

On the other hand, I'm uncomfortable with fans of a show trying to write it. They don't have the all-encompassing vision of the person who created it. They aren't aware of what plans lay ahead for the show or the characters. Jeff Davis himself has said that the unintentional connection between the two preceded the push for something more. This makes sense because the stories are written and filmed well before they appear on television where the fans can begin to fantasize.

I'm more in favour of leaving it up to Davis to do with his characters as he plans. If he chooses to incorporate the fan input that's his decision, but he shouldn't cave to the pressure if it's not where he sees them going. And fans really should accept his decision. The reason you watch any show shouldn't be because you want to change its direction; you should watch it because it entertains you, holds your interest and, if you're lucky, even challenges you². You don't have to agree with the writer or his decisions for that to happen. In fact, sometimes it's better if you don't.

In the meantime, all this is great for fuelling and maintaining interest in the series. Something of which I'm sure Davis and the actors are aware and can continue to use to their advantage with teases and hints that may or may not be real.

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1 Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two characters, fictional or non-fictional, are (or will be, or should be) in a romantic relationship. From Wikipedia
2 While I watch the show, I'm fully aware that I'm well outside its intended fan demographic and that, while it has its moments and is generally entertaining, it's not great television. But then again very little currently is.

Photos from Mememe, Old Times

Playmakers: Down and Distance - Thad Guerwitcz

Continuing the videos from Playmakers. You can watch the videos in sequence by clicking the "Playmakers" tab at the top of the page.

Playmakers: Talk Radio I - Thad Guerwitcz

Continuing the videos from Playmakers. You can watch the videos in sequence by clicking the "Playmakers" tab at the top of the page.

Playmakers: Talk Radio II - Thad Guerwitcz

Continuing the videos from Playmakers. You can watch the videos in sequence by clicking the "Playmakers" tab at the top of the page.

Will and Sonny

From smuchshypush. Source NBC Days of Our Lives

He's a gay man now

You may recognise Catherine Tate (Donna Noble on Doctor Who) and Colin Morgan (Merlin on Merlin. This is from Catherine's 2007 Christmas show, but Mrs. Murphy and her family were characters that appeared several timse during the run of her series.

I find Catherine's accent overdone, but there is a ring of authenticity, remembering that Belfast accents can be area specific. In this case it's a working class Catholic housing estate. My Irish relatives maintain they can usually tell roughly where in Belfast someone comes from just by listening to his speech.

Probably NSFW

Cold Case: Forever Blue

"Forever Blue", which is set in the 1968, follows the current day investigation into the murder of police officer Sean "Coop" Cooper (Shane Johnson.) It uncovers the relationship between Coop and his partner Jimmy Bruno (Brian Hallisay.) When it first aired there was no indication this would be a gay story line. It wasn't until about 20 minutes into the episode that it was revealed.

Cold Case as a series explored gay ("A Time to Hate", "Forever Blue", It's Raining Men), lesbian ("Best Friends"), and transgendered/transexual ("Boy Crazy", "Daniela") themes and did so very well.

Excerpts leading up to the final 10 minutes


The final 10 minutes

While the first two are my videos, if you have the time (45 minutes) someone has added the entire episode to Youtube. Use full screen to get the best picture.

Playmakers: Halftime - Thad Guerwitcz

Continuing the videos from Playmakers. You can watch the videos in sequence by clicking the "Playmakers" tab at the top of the page.

All this needs

is a caption that says."Oh, Mary." ¹ The rumours about Colton Haynes persist, despite or perhaps because of his lawyer having tried to pull the shoot he did in 2006 for XY Magazine from every site it showed up on. Where there's smoke, is there fire? Or in this case a cigarette held and a hand gesture made with all the aplomb of Mr. Humphries of Are You Being Served.

I realise that even these days coming out as gay can be a problem in Hollywood when you're trying to get your career off the ground. It may very well limit the roles that he's offered. If he is gay, I feel sorry for his being unable to be truthful; even though I'm posting this, I'm not going to sit in judgment. But again if he is gay and wants or needs to maintain the façade, he really must watch those unguarded moments.

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(1) He may of course be telling some story that requires exaggerated gestures. Uh, yeah.

GIF from I do still love you

I think we're in a gay club

Tyler Posey (Scott), Dylan O'Brien (Stiles) - Teen Wolf

Playmakers: Man in Motion - Thad Guerwitcz

This is the first in a series of videos from Playmakers the 2003 series on ESPN. They will feature scenes of Thad Guerwitcz, the gay character played by Canadian actor Daniel Petronijevic.

You can watch the videos in sequence by clicking the "Playmakers" tab at the top of the page.

The incredible hunk

Daniel Petronijevic stars as a pro football player coming out of the closet on ESPN’s Playmakers

The Advocate October 14, 2003

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Daniel Petronijevic spent last summer surrounded by drag queens when he played a macho infantryman in Showtime's groundbreaking film Soldier's Girl, and this year he's surrounded by football players. The rugged 22-year-old actor will be breaking ground as about-to-be-outed gay football player Thad Guerwitcz on ESPN's first-ever dramatic series, Playmakers. The show bills itself as a gritty ensemble drama exploring the off-the-field lives and fortunes of players on a fictional football team, and now one of those players is about to tackle life on the opposite end of the Kinsey continuum.

During a break in shooting on the Toronto set, Petronijevic eases his sinewy frame into a swivel chair that seems almost too small to accommodate the bulk he packed on to play Thad. The actor notes that the evolution of his character into a closeted gay man initially came as a surprise: Thad was originally written as a devout Christian with no hint of a gay back story. "When [the producers] approached me on [Thad's gay storyline] I was skeptical," Petronijevic says candidly. "I didn't know if I had enough faith in my own abilities as an actor to do it justice." Honoring the integrity of Thad's character as it was originally conceived, Petronijevic elaborates, "I wanted to play a guy who wasn't stereotypical. I didn't want it to be, 'He's gay, and he plays football.' I wanted to play a guy who is a football player and who is gay."

According to executive producer Orly Adelson, there was never any thought that he couldn't handle it. "When we started casting, we didn't have this plot," she says. "As the series evolved, we slowly felt that this was the right direction, given the character. I came to him and told him, 'You're going to be changing a bit,' " she recalls, laughing, " 'and how do you feel about it?' He said, 'Great! I'm an actor.' It's a sensitive issue. With some actors you never know. But with Daniel, not a flinch. He said, 'This is great!' "

Knowing that football remains a temple of traditional machismo, Adelson is cautiously optimistic regarding the effect this gay storyline will have on the army of armchair tight ends—mainly straight, mainly male—who comprise ESPN's primary audience. "You do care," Adelson admits, "because at the end of the day, you want people to watch it. If they don't, you don't have a show next year. Knowing that, and knowing it could be a problem, the network opted to tackle the subject anyway. I give a lot of credit to [ESPN executive vice president of programming and production] Mark Shapiro, because he said 'Go ahead,' knowing that reactions could be mixed."

"In my father's time, this would be groundbreaking stuff," says Petronijevic, noting that attitudes among his 20-something peer group have changed significantly from generations past. "Nowadays, it's about time we started dealing with this." His gay friends have given him the thumbs up, but he admits he's flying nearly solo. "I don't have enough gay friends around me to get sufficient input," he says, laughing heartily, "but whatever. My gay friends are guys like any other guys. They like watching football and driving around in nice cars and shit like that. It's not like they're sitting around doing each other's nails. They're like, 'Yeah, do what you have to do! Go with it!' "

You swing for a different team

Bear with the poor quality; it looks to be videoed directly from the TV. Danny is the underused gay character in the MTV series. Perhaps with the departure of Colton Haynes and the resultant gap in the story line, we may see more of him next year.

Tyler Hoechlin (Derek or Miquel here), Dylan O'Brien (Stiles) and Keahu Kahuanui (Danny) - Teen Wolf

Torchwood

From Torchwood Gifs