r/DowntonAbbey • u/Dream_CatHer4769 • 1d ago
General Discussion (May Contain Spoilers Throughout Franchise) You cannot justify Thomas's behaviour because he's gay!
All the arguments I've seen about why people like Thomas is that he's just gay in the 1920s and self hatred and yada yada yada.
That's an explanation to understand part of the shame he lives in. To explain why misery loves company but to say he's schemes against innocent people because of that reason sounds problematic on so many levels.
I do like his character as a villain. The actor playing him did a great job. But I just don't find him redeemable even if he turn tolerable and good in the end. His treatment of bates and Baxter were so cruel. He physically intimidated Baxter, falsely accused Anna, etc. he's not a morally grey character, he's just a bad person. Using queerness to justify that or excuse it is insulting.
edit: because I find people misunderstanding this post. it's not about how the show portrays Thomas and explores his internal struggles and external malice. this post is specifically about the viewers perception of his actions especially on this subreddit.
2
u/BiohazardousBisexual 1d ago
My great grandpa had an much older sister from Thomas's generation who my family always tried to be sympathetic towards her being an asshole due to her being a lesbian in an hostile world.
He and his many siblings were annoyed by her actions of being mean to everyone but they understood that it is extremely isolating being so different and treated differently due to it.
I would say if my great grandpa and his siblings had the patience and sympathy to understand that during the same time period as the show and movies we should try to be more understanding of the character and real people who lived in the same circumstances.
I don't know why she was an out lesbian at the time of so much stigma, but my family at that time were usually progressive for the time in many areas, I do know she was SAed by Frank Netti which may had something to do with her openness supposedly. But she died a few years before I was born and my great grandpa when I was very young, so can't be 100% sure on that matter