The gay character in 'Downton Abbey'

Season 3 of Downton Abbey comes to a close this evening. One thing I'll be looking for is how Thomas Barrow, the scheming gay footman-turned valet, handles his survival from last week's emotionally wrenching blackmail at the instigation of his onetime compatriot in evil, Miss O'Brien.

Thomas tries to seduce a sleeping James

Thomas constantly was trying to improve his station in life, yet always failing. He engaged in a mountainload of nasty actions to get ahead. He conspired with O'Brien to get rid of Mr. Bates, one of Downton's sympathic characters, and undercut William, another good soul. Thomas had his own hand shot during the war so he could escape the horror of trench warfare. Post-war Thomas tried to be his own man by setting up a black market in rationed goods. That failed, and having no other option, he had to beg to return to Downton as a servant. He hid Lord Grantham's dog so he could become the hero by retrieving it; Instead the dog was found by someone else.

Thomas, played by Rob-James Collier

Throughout Seasons 1 and 2 Thomas aligned himself with the spiteful Mrs. O'Brien. Their relationship fell apart in Season 3 when Mrs. O'Brien secured employment for her nephew, Alfred. O'Brien was more cunning than Thomas, and she punished him for his criticism of her nephew.


"With Thomas and O'Brien, you've got these two forces, and it's kind of a paradox--they work for this great house that keeps them off the streets and from starving, and yet they absolutely despise the system they're in, because there is no other option," Rob James-Collier, the actor who plays Thomas, explained in Out magazine. "In a weird way, Thomas wants to bring down the system, but if he did he'd be putting himself out of a job and a home."

Miss O'Brien, played by Siobhan Finneran

Thomas craved love with another man. His only dalliance was with the visiting Duke of Crowborough, who enjoyed the sex but would not hire him away from Downton. In Season 2, Thomas experienced unrequited love with a war-blinded soldier (the soldier committed suicide rather face relocation to another hospital where he would no longer be with Thomas).
Late in Season 3, Mrs. O'Brien schemed to place Thomas's homosexuality on center stage. In the 1920s in England, attitudes toward same-sex relationships were illegal and punishable with hard labor. Socially homosexuals were condemned harsher than prostitutes. 

O'Brien encouraged one of the new footmen, James, to become friendly with Thomas. Then she hinted to Thomas that James was keen on him. The result was disaster for Thomas. One night he entered James's bedroom and tried to kiss his him; James hollered and O'Brien's nephew, Alfred, witnessed the event. 

Footmen Alfred, left, and James

A pitiful Thomas was about to lose his job when Mr. Bates, of all people, intervened and, in the process, thwarted O'Brien's machinations. O'Brien was forced to yield, urging James to forget Thomas' indiscretion.

The final episode of Season 3 may leave many questions unanswered. Will Thomas, recovering after his brush with catastrophe, change his ways? Or will he try to punish O'Brien or the footmen who acted against him? Ironically Thomas, having survived, is promoted to under-butler, only because no other job at Downton happens to be available. Will he and Carson, the head butler, finally establish a cordial working relationship? Will Thomas move on to another estate where in the hope he finally has an opportunity to find love?

We may not know the answers to any of these questions. Other important plot twists must be resolved before the season ends. If you're like me, you're devoted to Downton Abbey and would love to see a Season 4.

The downstairs staff, left, and the upstairs family of Downtown Abbey. 

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