Right you are Mr. Barrow, If that's all I think I can manage that.
Thank you, Jimmy, Thank you.
An interesting conclusion to season 3 for Thomas Barrow. Redemption of a sort and finally being able to show that he is vulnerable underneath the villainy. Jimmy Kent's capacity to forgive takes him by surprise, even though it was what he dared to hope for. He finally has a friend who perhaps will become a confidante who may take him out of his loneliness and despair. Jimmy knows that he is homosexual, but puts that and what has happened between them to one side. Something, I believe, Thomas feared no one would be able to in order to become a friend.
** Sorry if the title is a bit of a spoiler, but if you have not seen Downton Abbey season 3 stop reading now **
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
**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.
**If you haven't seen season 3, you should stop reading now**
What the hell happened? Seasons one and two were basically good. At its core the series was another Upstairs, Downstairs and while it lacked the strengths of that series, it was an enjoyable way to pass an hour. But season 3 is another matter.
Too many of the characters have become mere caricatures - Robert, Earl of Grantham, the dolt, Lady Mary the bitch, Tom Branson the emasculated revolutionary, Matthew Crawley the henpecked husband, Cora, Countess of Grantham, - well, she was always two dimensional. Even Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham, only shines on occasion before settling back into one-line witticisms. There are exceptions of course, but, for instance, the decision to develop Thomas Barrow's1 character beyond a mean, conniving, thieving, unpleasant man and to show a softer, more emotional side (hints of which were in earlier episodes but soon ignored) isn't enough. On the whole, belowstairs comes off a little better, but they are treading water. The introduction of Alfred Nugent and Jimmy Kent as the new footmen seemed promising, but they have become like two little boys set loose among the china.
Julian Fellowes seems to have lost his way. Perhaps all the characters have become too much for him because they seem to have stretched his creativity beyond his ability. Fellowes is promising new characters for season 4, I assume in hopes of invigorating the story lines and filling the gaps left by deaths this season, but he would be better to spend more time invigorating the existing characters and developing their interactions. He has actors who are more than capable if given the right material. In a story that is character driven, if the characters don't grow the story withers. It may seem I'm being harsh, but it will be interesting to see if season 4 can redeem its quality or send it, like the Titanic of its first episode, to the bottom.
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.)
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
If you are Canadian and old enough, you should remember the 60's CBC programme This Hour Has Seven Days. Controversial, a combination of news, interviews and satire. It tilted an the stodgy Canadian windmills, refusing to back down from the difficult stories. You may not have agreed with all it had to say, but it was never dull.
Laurier LaPierre, along with Patrick Watson, hosted the programmme and brought to it a passion that hadn't been seen on CBC. He didn't just report, he tended to become involved in the stories. Perhaps he should have maintained more distance, been more objective, and he managed that on many occasions, but not all.
Unknown at the time, at least publicly, LaPierre was gay. In later life he came out and was actively involved in LGBT causes.
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.
(1) He may of course be telling some story that requires exaggerated gestures. Uh, yeah.
Downton Abbey season 3 was 
