If Jimmy was a woman,,,mildly spoilerish, but nothing we haven't seen in the promo for 3.07

[shino716]

I've been seeing some comments, on Tumblr and elsewhere, to the effect that if Thomas was straight and Jimmy a woman, then there would no question of sympathy for Thomas because his attentions would be seen as sexual harassment, pure and simple. It occurred to me that this a moot point. If Thomas was straight and Jimmy a woman, then he could just *

Comments

[alkow]

I've been feeling the same way. I worry that Thomas is going to come across as being incredibly creepy and the whole "outing" is going to be like a massive explosion. There is so much potential in this storyline, so many ways to make people come around to Thomas, for him to gain allies in the house (Mrs. Hughes being one of them is what I would like to see).

[teshara]

They have totally been making Thomas super!skeevy this season!

[tillytillytilly]

I don't think that is how the reactions will play out at all. If Robert hears of it I think he will be likely to see the difference between Thomas trying to kiss a man and Thomas trying to force himself on a man. He won't approve of homosexuality, but as a man of the world, he will see it as something that happens.

I also think he is likely to try and keep this reality from his wife and daughters, who belong in the heterosexual home-world, where he pretends that homosexuality and all sorts of other things don't exist.

[teshara]

It's true Thomas liked Jimmy before Sybil died, but he really started laying it on thick after.

I'm blaming it on 'everyone grieves in their own twisted way.'

Also, the teasers for the next episode have been tremendously misleading this season. He nearly hit us over the head with a 2X4 hinting at Thomas going after Jimmy.

If that's the way it really happens I'm going to be disappointed. I mean, why have a subplot where you tell everyone everything before it happens?

Unless Fellowes is indulging his own fanfic.

It could happen.

[shino716]

That's an excellent connection you've made about his grief for Sybil. When Thomas said "she wouldn't have noticed if I'd died", he didn't mean to be snarky and it was probably an attempt to regain some of his composure in front of Anna. But I can definitely imagine that he'd recognize some truth in the words with regard to his lack of meaningful connection to any other human being. Everyone in the house mourned Sybil's death. What a terrible thing it must be to think, as Thomas must, that no one would cry for him or even notice if he died. Such complete loneliness can drive people to make bad, even dangerous choices.

Unfortunately, I don't think most viewers delve much into Thomas' psychology the way we do, and for them, the way he's attempting to flirt with Jimmy will be just one more thing to file under "Evil Thomas". What a shame.

[silverducks]

I'm not Thomas' biggest fan, I've sort of always sat on the fence with him, but I definitely don't see Thomas' actions regarding Jimmy as evil or harrasment- regardless of the genders of each.

For me, the real stirrer is O'Brien - and I'm on the fence about her too!

He's just not got his gadar on properly, Thomas, he's reading Jimmy's lack of reaction as encouragement I think. I get the impression, with the duke and Pamuk, he's used to guessing pretty quickly and not being too shy!! So when Jimmy doesn't push him away-even when he's getting more and more familiar, he's taking it as a good sign. Not to mention Jimmy hasn't shown much interest in any of the maids...

And of course poor Jimmy has been led to think he HAS to put up with this to keep in Thomas' favour and therefore the Earl's, by O'Brien!!

So in this little subplot at least, I'd blame O'Brien - but then she isn't without her own reasons too!

[chelseagirl]

Agreed -- I think Jimmy would have asserted himself by now if it weren't for O'Brien's advice.

Oddly sad to see how far O'Brien and Thomas have come apart; they were always plotting against characters I cared about, but their friendship seemed so solid. And if there are ultimately negative consequences for Thomas re. this -- he's obviously going to be out of the valet's position when Bates gets back in any case, and if he's accused of making advances towards Jimmy, things could really spiral out of control for him. And he knows about O'Brien and the soap that caused Cora to fall and miscarry, doesn't he? This could get very ugly for both of them.

[shino716]

I don't think he knows about the soap. Remember how, back in S2, O'Brien was trying to persuade him to come back to run the convalescent home? She wanted an ally to help her make sure that Isobel wouldn't overrun Cora's prerogative as lady of the house. Thomas was puzzled that she was suddenly so protective of Cora, telling her that people don't change their tune without a reason; O'Brien conceded the point, but wouldn't tell him her reason.

O'Brien, on the other hand, knows all of Thomas' potentially damaging secrets, so she definitely has the upper hand in their feud.

[chelseagirl]

I thought she had confided in him when she was so upset about it; all the better for her if she hasn't, I suppose.

[celtic_flicka]

If Thomas was a more likeable character, I wonder if his attentions to Jimmy would make us go, "Aw, that poor guy, having to live in the closet like that." But because Thomas is often kind of a jackass, we're more inclined to see his actions as skeevy?

[ctrent29]

Who is "we"?

I've never had any problems with Thomas. Even when he was at his worst.

[maidenjedi]

I think it's reading as harassment - and I don't it would be different if Jimmy were a woman, because Thomas' character is someone lonely and feeling unloved who has been without a partner for a long time. If Jimmy was a woman, sure, Thomas could ask her out, but it doesn't follow that it would be welcome and not harassment. Maybe played different, with unwelcome familiarity in banter, stuff like that, but the point is that unwelcome attention is unwelcome, and Thomas has, I think, overstepped the line. Fellowes is writing this badly, I agree - there hasn't been a similarly creepy feeling in any other pairing (save the violent tendencies of one Sir Richard Carlisle). But whatever the struggles of homosexuals in the 20s, Thomas treading a thin line. After the extremely screwed-up way Fellowes handled the Irish situation, and the total lack of follow-through on any social issue brought up and left unresolved, it wouldn't surprise me to see him fumble this (and he has already). I wish homosexuality hadn't been used to illustrate

[chelseagirl]

Agreed.

[shino716]

"If Jimmy was a woman, sure, Thomas could ask her out, but it doesn't follow that it would be welcome and not harassment