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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Downton Abbey Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis Characters: Thomas Barrow, Richard Ellis (Downton Abbey) Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Tenderness, Bathing/Washing, Affection, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:

Richard wanted to take care of Thomas, in every way possible. Thomas couldn't complain.

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #Richard Ellis #myfanfic #127 views 6 kudos is what I call Waterloo #Things to learn from

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Opinion: It was not Thomas who seduced the Duke, master seducer that he is (not) but the Duke who seduced Thomas as is strongly suggested by canon.

“Don't be a bad loser, Thomas. Go to bed. Unless you want to stay.”

Plus he definitely used Thomas as a service top.

#Thomas Barrow

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I have giffed this (everyone has), but if it isn’t better with stills…

Is this a friend or is this a foe?

Does he want to help or to harm blackmail?

Thomas had a lousy night and now someone knows his secret (and things get bad when someone new knows his secret)

And he’s sad, and tired (most probably still a bit hazy from the alcohol)

and he tries to deflect.

but will it help?

Because the guy is aloof, and all too certain. And kinda intimidating

(until you realise, you - not Thomas who is a panic mood- that he’s holding his smile)

smoothing the pics made all (four of) cheekbones stand out more for some reason

Thomas’ cheekbones are like… prominent.

Still, he has no idea what is going on.

He’s a friend.

Apparently

like, it hadn’t even crossed his mind for reasons only he knows.

And maybe here is the essence of Richard Ellis.

In this smile, right here.

No longer aloof and stranger

Yeah, face bone structure A plus.

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow X Richard Ellis

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Through the prism of the late 20th/early 21st century

Downton Abbey is a beautiful tv series, lush scenery and outfits, beautiful, talented actors, witty dialogues, protagonists and antagonists. It's enjoyable. The audience is left satisfied.

It gave me one favourite fictional character. And I don't know why but I always feel my favourite character is not done justice in the end.  It may be the era's self-entitlement and I take full responsibility of it.

Reading a novel from the 1910s-1920s is how you get into the spirit of the time. Watching a tv series taking place in the same time, but being made a century later is fiction. Unless we talk about a historical tv series and even then the script writers has their own subjective opinions (see the Crown; it's fiction, not history, the fact people sent aggressive message to Camilla's IG is mind-boggling). But again, most authors from the early 20th century (and before, let's be honest here, no many poor people could writing as a hobby) are either rich or being patronaged by aristocrats. But, at the very least they lived in the era.

Downton Abbey presents in its entirety an idealised world that never existed, where everyone from kitchen maid to second footman is happy with their lot because the people at the top are such decent people. Both the staff grinding away downstairs and the toffs in ball gowns upstairs have been gifted with a peculiar sense of foresight, a tangible sense of their place in history and how things will never be the same again, once they’re off the screen. And then we get the movie, and things stay the same, strangely enough. Or not.

And we see this from the 21st century perspective. And the author writes the script from the same perspective. So, my 21st century, non English sensitivities are being offended by the fact I have to accept a person's subordination as "good for his character arc because think of the alternative"? It's fiction. I can think of many alternatives that lead towards a more or less unblurred equality between upstairs and downstairs without presented as if it happens because the toffs are such good human beings and give their beds to their servant to give birth so the latter is left filled with gratitude over the amazing generosity.

Whether people born in that era were satisfied being treated as second (or third) class citizens is open to interpretation (nothing would have changed if they did), but in the end, IMHO any person born the last 50 years should question it especially while watching it as light entertainment.

If you have a character who has questioned the status quo, if you have a character who even for one second wanted to throw the livery away and live as a free man, instead of a servant, who has questioned equality, then in the end, again IMO, you give that character (Thomas, I mean Thomas) exactly that. Because this is indeed the 21st century and this is a tv series where characters were written as trying and succeeding to break into smithereens the destiny put upon them by society and create something new, something closer to present.

My personal opinion is Thomas deserved it too.

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #my analysis tag

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I’m disappointed when no one leaves a comment in my fic.

But, then I don’t like always asking the reader to leave a comment.

I’m confused about my feelings.

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Downton Abbey Rewatch + Christmas Special 2011

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #Violet Crawley

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Chapters: 4/? Fandom: Downton Abbey Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson Characters: Tom Branson, Thomas Barrow Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt, First Time, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:

Tom thinks he's found what he needs in Edna, only to be confronted by the truth facing Thomas's injuries.

#downton abbey #thomas barrow #tom branson #Thomas Barrow X Tom Branson #my fanfic tag

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The Hunt (2012) dir. Thomas Vinterberg | original ending vs alternate ending

#Jagten #The Hunt #Mads Mikkelsen

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#fanart #Downton Abbey #Charles Carson #Thomas Barrow

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My soundtrack for Atonement is Hooverphonic’s Mad About You

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson

Characters: Tom Branson & Thomas Barrow

Explicit Sexual Content

Work In Progress

#myfic #Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #Tom Branson #Thomas Barrow x Tom Branson #my fanfic tag

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I just saw that Andy was supposedly born in 1907, so if he was in the first episode of Downton Abbey he’d have been the same age as Sybbie was in the final episode.

#Downton Abbey

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I don’t know why but I think this moment from the last episode is really funny

#Downton Abbey #Tom Branson #Mary Crawley #Thomas Barrow #[feels accepted for the first time evar too bad he's leaving] #Charles Carson #Andy Parker

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I’m so inspired by old movies and books and songs when I write m/m fanfiction, but I don’t write Captain von Trapp/Maria, Rick Blaine/Ilsa Lund, Alfred Kralik/ Klara Novak, James Bond/Vesper Lynd, Charles Pike/Jean Harrington etc

I write Captain von Trapp/Rick Blaine, James Bond/Charles Pike etc...

and try to keep them as much in character as I can, or as much the character I see in canon regardless the absurd situations I put them in.

#my writing

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Thank you.

I agree with you. You are right.

But I do think he gives the "I'm not foul" moment to Thomas fully aware of what he's doing.

To add to everything already said, I believe sometime towards the end of season 2,  Fellowes starts seeing Thomas as how he could be as a fully fleshed out character.

TBH, it's not difficult to understand with so many characters to present in season 1 and with Thomas being expendable, he would be out by the end of the season, right? why give time to flesh him out? Why make him something more than one dimensional villain who’s also there for comic relief (and unless this is Austin Power it is just too obvious)? In this matter, for me it was a mistake to make him gay. If Thomas was out of the series in the end of season 1, what is left?

As the character progressed with the seasons, and Fellowes started giving more thought on him (even as his screentime became lesser) I believe things get better.

From the side of the fans, I get why they are/we're disappointed by some of the plots thrown at Thomas, but at the same time I do think he gives more thought over how to write him in order to have a three dimensional character, not always successfully. But the same applies to every character.

And IMHO it is double hard when it comes to Thomas because he has pushed himself against the wall with the way he has written him in season 1. It's more than a bit difficult to write a character when the only thing you have thought about him in the start was "he's nasty".  He's a coward. He's a thief. He blackmails his lover. Also, let's not forget the "he's not as clever as he thinks he is".

But again, the moment he stops thinking Thomas in those terms, he gives him some substance that in retrospect -and if the audience cares enough, and as you said, most don't- can apply it to season 1 and early season 2 as well. And come out with the conclusion that was always there. He’s not a coward! Regardless of what Fellowes thought at the time.

Manipulation of the audience Downton Abbey Style, part II

Rob James-Collier has said he didn’t like this acting in the first two seasons of Downton Abbey.

Well, he may be in a way right, you know? He gets better (in an almost perfect way) in the latter seasons, but I also have to add that,

it’s not as if there was an actor better than him in the first seasons

and

what did he have to be good at?

I know that not even Thomas’s fans want to see this –and am I making enemies here?- Thomas was a caricature of a villain, writing-wise. What saved him was Rob’s acting and the favour of the direction. Also, kind of Rob’s handsome looks. Because imagine if Kevin Doyle was playing Thomas and everything else was the same. As fantastic of an actor Mr. Doyle is, could he pull the young, naive fool who starves for affection with only one look?

Now, you may say then why are you calling him a caricature? I don’t. I call the writing of Thomas a caricature of a villain. He just roams around saying things that don’t help his case, doing things that help other people’s characters both their arcs and to earn the sympathy of the audience. And that’s season 1.

There’s no background. You get to see him wanting the job from the duke and look! Blackmail.

His motivation is ambition. And he’s willing to step on other people to succeed. But guess what? He never does! And the audience is happy with it because he’s, you know the bad guy. And Bates is the good guy.

However, when it’s Edith’s, Daisy’s or Molesley’s ambition, then ambition is a good thing.

And let’s move to season 2.

Thomas doesn’t have alternatives. He doesn’t want to go to war -not really- and we begin from there but he goes because what else can he do? He has lost/or he will lose his job because he stole the wine (don’t make me start!) and if there is a war, he is of age to get drafted so he finds a way to pass it easily. Among heroes, Thomas is a coward.

And it’s not that you don’t see it. You see Matthew’s life continuing as normal as if there was no war. He has moved on from Mary (rotfl) has met Lavinia and he’s a war hero. In the meantime, you see Thomas in the battlefield, you see Thomas experiencing death, blood, terror, for two long years no front or hide of UK for Thomas, and he’s a coward.

People see, but why do people see Thomas as a coward? Because that’s what is written. Because that is what Mr. Fellowes wrote.

“I don’t want to pretend that lots of people did this sort of thing, because I think what is always astonishing about any history of the First World War is how brave the majority of the men were. All ages, all types; they were brave as lions. But of course we need Thomas to come back to Downton to carry on being nasty.”

 J.F.

How can I blame the people who see Thomas a coward when that’s exactly what Julian wrote. All ages were brave, all types were brave, but he didn’t want Thomas to be brave. It’s right there in his words. Thomas has to carry on being nasty.  Thomas is the person who did “this sort of thing”. And he did it among heroes.

Thomas can be nasty, can be a villain and still be brave. But that doesn’t commute in Fellowes’s mind. Thomas has to be a coward. Despite the fact that he’s the one who wrote Thomas being two years among blood and death, and wrote Matthew being in London long enough to find a new fiancé.

Do you feel that you can pull your hair out one by one? Because I do!

PS. And that’s not even taking into consideration Thomas’s sexuality. That’s another can of worms.

#Thomas Barrow #what is even tenses?

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Manipulation of the audience Downton Abbey Style, part II

Rob James-Collier has said he didn’t like this acting in the first two seasons of Downton Abbey.

Well, he may be in a way right, you know? He gets better (in an almost perfect way) in the latter seasons, but I also have to add that,

 it’s not as if there was an actor better than him in the first seasons

and

what did he have to be good at?

I know that not even Thomas’s fans want to see this –and am I making enemies here?- Thomas was a caricature of a villain, writing-wise. What saved him was Rob’s acting and the favour of the direction. Also, kind of Rob’s handsome looks. Because imagine if Kevin Doyle was playing Thomas and everything else was the same. As fantastic of an actor Mr. Doyle is, could he pull the young, naive fool who starves for affection with only one look?

Now, you may say then why are you calling him a caricature? I don’t. I call the writing of Thomas a caricature of a villain. He just roams around saying things that don’t help his case, doing things that help other people’s characters both their arcs and to earn the sympathy of the audience. And that’s season 1.

There’s no background. You get to see him wanting the job from the duke and look! Blackmail.

His motivation is ambition. And he’s willing to step on other people to succeed. But guess what? He never does! And the audience is happy with it because he’s, you know the bad guy. And Bates is the good guy.

However, when it’s Edith’s, Daisy’s or Molesley’s ambition, then ambition is a good thing.

And let’s move to season 2.

Thomas doesn’t have alternatives. He doesn’t want to go to war -not really- and we begin from there but he goes because what else can he do? He has lost/or he will lose his job because he stole the wine (don’t make me start!) and if there is a war, he is of age to get drafted so he finds a way to pass it easily. Among heroes, Thomas is a coward.

And it’s not that you don’t see it. You see Matthew’s life continuing as normal as if there was no war. He has moved on from Mary (rotfl) has met Lavinia and he’s a war hero. In the meantime, you see Thomas in the battlefield, you see Thomas experiencing death, blood, terror, for two long years no front or hide of UK for Thomas, and he’s a coward.

People see, but why do people see Thomas as a coward? Because that’s what is written. Because that is what Mr. Fellowes wrote.

 "I don't want to pretend that lots of people did this sort of thing, because I think what is always astonishing about any history of the First World War is how brave the majority of the men were. All ages, all types; they were brave as lions. But of course we need Thomas to come back to Downton to carry on being nasty."

 J.F.

How can I blame the people who see Thomas a coward when that’s exactly what Julian wrote. All ages were brave, all types were brave, but he didn’t want Thomas to be brave. It’s right there in his words. Thomas has to carry on being nasty.  Thomas is the person who did “this sort of thing”. And he did it among heroes.

Thomas can be nasty, can be a villain and still be brave. But that doesn’t commute in Fellowes’s mind. Thomas has to be a coward. Despite the fact that he’s the one who wrote Thomas being two years among blood and death, and wrote Matthew being in London long enough to find a new fiancé.

Do you feel that you can pull your hair out one by one? Because I do!

PS. And that’s not even taking into consideration Thomas’s sexuality. That’s another can of worms.

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #I'm writing Thomas's pov of Atonement and this came to mind #my analysis tag

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The manipulation of the audience is high in Downton Abbey.

I certainly won’t go as far as say it was responsible for Brexit (do people really get paid to write these things and if so how does one apply?). But other than that, it’s there, manipulating the vict... ahem the audience that Aristocracy is the good thing and the only good servants are those who have accepted their role in the hierarchy of things. They are decent, they are the good guys and their actions can be seen as extention of their decency thus the audience understands them.

But the same does not apply say to Thomas who is evil and villain even if his acts are not really any worse than the ones commited by the good guys. He’s conniving, he’s a thief, he’s a coward. He’s a coward. While the audience sees the truth, the story is framed in such a way he’s labelled a coward while others are heroes.

Yes, Carson stole food but he HAD his reasons.An episode what dedicated to the reasons.

Thomas stole wine and he’s not given the decency of any reason.

It’s just the plot to show him being evil (against Bates) and plan his departure in the end.

Mary has the luxury of being mean.

Thomas doesn’t.

Why?

The difference is that of a protagonist vs a supporting character.

The difference is the audience doesn’t get to know (guess? sure! assume? certainly) but know? Hell no! Thomas’s reasoning of doing or saying things? The only members of the audience who get them are the ones who for x or y reasons can sympathise or empathise with him to begin with. We don’t all end up to the same conclusion because we sympathise/empathise for different reasons.

However,

That doesn’t make Thomas endearing to those who are not ready to sympathise or empathise with him. On the contrary. The way Thomas is written supports and reinforces their opinions.

And for a character like Thomas being understood should have been a priority. He’s not Hannibal Lecter.

Maybe that’s why Rob James-Collier repeatedly said “misunderstood”.

#Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #my analysis tag

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My fanfiction

My recent writing endeavor is to write love scenes avoiding using crude words of body parts.

So far I have done well, I think. 

Atonement

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Thomas Barrow/Tom Branson

Let the food get cold

Not rated (mature)

Pairing: Thomas Barrow/Richard Ellis

#fanfiction #Downton Abbey #Thomas Barrow #Thomas Barrow x Tom Branson #Thomas Barrow x Richard Ellis #myfic #my fanfic tag