She knows that Thomas is the illegitimate son of O'Brien and Lord Grantham - and the rightful heir to the house. He tells Thomas that the latter shouldn't worry about Jimmy's romantic exploits, as one day he'll be a good boy and settle down and that's what they'll all do one day. Julian Fellowes relates that the character of Thomas is based on a dresser in his "theatrical past". He has a younger half-sister named Caroline Talbot . News arrives that threatens the future of Downton Abbey: Lord Grantham's (Robert Crawley) cousin, James Crawley, heir presumptive to the earldom, and his son Patrick have died in the RMS Titanic disaster. He asks Carson if this is true, and Carson's manner suggests that it is true, and tells the staff that "it is not something for the here and now". In the end, Thomas is his own worst enemy, acting how he does to survive the bigoted environment he lives in and pushing people away to protect himself. Though jilted, Baxter is happy as she now replaces Mrs Hughes as Downton Abbeys housekeeper. He doesnt even seem to like her. Thomas says he felt an attraction to Jimmy and thought Jimmy returned it, but he was wrong. After O'Brien's sudden departure in the middle of the night, Thomas seemingly forms a new partnership with her replacement, former house maid Edna Braithwaite, as they frame Anna for a mistake of Edna's. Thomas and Carson have refused to serve as valet to Tom Branson, so Alfred does it. He tells her how they worked together during the war, and she was one of the few people that ever cared about him. After going to Dr. Clarkson together when Thomas tried to cure his sexuality, Baxter commented that she thought he was very brave to put himself through all that pain just to get what he wants, and that he could achieve great things if he only set his mind to it. It allowed us to do these grand set pieces and it involves all the characters in this grand mission.". Mr. Carson calls Thomas "foul" because of his attraction to men, but despite everything, Thomas sticks up for himself saying "I'm not the same as you, but I'm not foul". Cora scolds him for having known about her past and concealed it. But if the Yorkshire aristos truly are facing the axe, what plot-clinching twists can we expect for the final episode, and what would you like to see happen? However, it is increasingly obvious that Lord Grantham expects Bates to return to the job. July 1865) is the patriarch of the Crawley family and the co-owner of Downton Abbey (along with his eldest daughter). => Read More. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, see Thomas carve out a smidge of romantic happiness for himself. He is not so fond of the family as they appear to be fairly boring, and is lonely with such a small number of staff who he doesn't know, and he hates it. But with the help of loving wife Mrs. Hughes, he faced his fears head on, securing a spot in the Downton household for as long as hed like. However, in between the two movies their relationship appears to have ended, as Thomas receives a letter saying that Richard will be getting married to a woman. Thomas and Sarah become bitter rivals when O'Brien's nephew Alfred Nugent comes to Downton to work as a footman. He competed on behalf of the Virgin Islands at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he participated in the one-person Laser-class . When he confronts her about it, she tells him to keep his histrionics to himself, and later when the shirts mysteriously are returned, she just tells him to go and get his lordship into his pajamas and dismisses Thomas's threats about if anything like this happens again (Thomas after this hides a couple so as not to be caught out again). The last episode of series five left a lot open; I will avoid alluding to this directly and other events in the season as US viewers wont have seen it yet. He is a very proud man, with a razor-sharp tongue, biting sarcasm and dry humour. Especially with footman Jimmy Kent, he shows a much softer side. He then calls Thomas a "stupid fool" for not giving him the regular entree. He even loses the will to fight for himself, as he later tells Bates, he feels as if he has been "well and truly beaten". Encouraged by his desire to be 'more like other people' and hoping this will make him happier, Thomas begins making a number of phone calls after seeing an ad in a magazine, inquiring about a service called "Choose your own path". ", Though this different ending was the most crucial cut they made, it wasn't the only one. It is rare for him to be sympathetic towards others or let his own emotions shine through, as a method to survive in the bigoted environment. Who is Lord Grantham's son? Barely visible next to the altar is the ghost of Lady Sybil, clad only in turquoise pantaloons and a suffragette sash. Despondent because of James's betrayal and that he will have no reference after 10 years service, Thomas considers immigrating to Bombay, where he has a cousin, and is more likely to get a job. She is fond of her nephew, and wants to see him succeed. Editor's note: For the benefit of American readers who haven't yet seen Season 3 of Downton Abbey, please do your best to avoid spoilers when commenting.. June Thomas: Seth, you look so . He is a homosexual, and once had an affair with the Duke of Crowborough, while the Crawleys were in London. But the shows finale took a delightfully happy turn, with an ending that even left the Dowager Countess smiling. Fellowes says there was a possibility of uniting all the characters around a central 'disaster,' but that felt tonally off from what they hoped to accomplish with the film. Thus Thomas is given his current position of under-butler. It strikes me that rumours of Downton Abbeys demise are much exaggerated. She had her happy ending as well, of course, announcing her first pregnancy with new husband Henry Talbot. Is Thomas Barrow Lord Grantham's son? It is only the intervention of John Bates who not only takes the matter to Lord Grantham, but also uses information he gets from Thomas to force Sarah O'Brien to make Jimmy take back his threat, that allows Thomas to keep his job. Daisy has a crush on Thomas, and Mrs Patmore tries to tell her that Thomas isn't a ladies man, but naive Daisy does not understand why that isn't a good thing. Though we didnt see Mrs. Patmore officially take up with Mr. Mason, subtle hints showed the two might end up happily evermuch like the rest of the characters. Due to Anna's arrest, Bates wants to stay at Downton to be close to her so Thomas acts as temporary valet to Lord Grantham when 0 the family travel to Brancaster Castle in Northumberland for a shooting party during the grouse season and to visit Lord Sinderby and Lady Sinderby, Rose and Atticus. Thomas Barrow is the former butler of Downton Abbey, having previously worked there as junior footman, first footman, head valet, and under-butler, as well as serving in the army as a Corporal and later Lance Sergeant. Reality check: is this the end for Downton Abbey? Thomas impulsively says, "Well, I love you.". After a period of separation, in which Andy also avoids to stay too long in the same room with Thomas when possible, the young footman is helped by none other than Thomas when he offers to teach Andy to read and write, having discovered the secret Andy was hiding in shame. Thomas Barrow (pirate) (died 1726), English pirate based in New Providence Thomas Barrow (Jesuit) (1747-1813), British Jesuit Thomas Barrow (politician) (1916-1982), politician in Manitoba, Canada Thomas Barrow (artist) (born 1938), American artist Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey), character on the television show Downton Abbey . In 1922, he brought his acquaintance Phyllis Baxter into the house to serve as a lady's maid to Lady Grantham. "We decided this was the right thing," he notes. Thomas absolutely refuses. It has been pointed out that his tendency to taunt Bates and bring out the aggressive side of him, especially while he was still a footman, is typical of abuse victims. Thomas tightens his grip over Baxter, threatening to go to Lady Grantham and reveal her secret. April 1912. He reveals that he had been following Jimmy that day as he had seen that Jimmy had had too much to drink. Lady Grantham poisons Lord Grantham (already nearly dead anyway after contracting a rare form of slow-acting rabies from Isis) and on his deathbed he acknowledges Thomas as his son. She asks Thomas to teach Alfred to be a valet to Matthew Crawley. Sobbing, Thomas opens the door and states that there's isn't a man in the house who'd help him. After Jimmy is dismissed by Lord Grantham, he and Thomas have an emotional farewell. Not to mention, he was inspired by real history. and says that Thomas and O'Brien met through the common bond of smoking together outside to avoid Mr Carson. Thomas's age and year of birth are unknown. Upon returning from London, he continues to show an unhealthy interest in what's going on with Mr. Bates and Anna regarding the murder of Mr. Green. Sarah tells Thomas that Jimmy has a crush on him and that he won't stop gushing to Alfred about Thomas. and our Thomas, in a rare display of friendship and loyalty, helps Andy avoid Denker's schemes and get the money back that Andy lost. Edith is forced to choose between the Traitor Ginger Impostor Child and her burgeoning career as the next Rupert Murdoch (a job for which she never does any work but occasionally mentions over breakfast). A local man, Molesley, is hired to serve as butler and also as valet to Matthew. However, his schemes rarely work out the way he planned, such as when he tried his hand at the black market after World War I. Andy gets Mrs Hughes and they move him to a bed where Dr. Clarkson later lets them know that Thomas will be fine as they got to him just in time. And Lady Mary has an exciting new haircut (potential spin-off series: Marys Bangs). Downton Abbey Recap as Thomas Barrow apparently . Mr. Carson tells Lord Grantham the news concerning Thomas and Lord Grantham suggests letting him stay on working at Downton. In my life, not many have been kind to me. In 1920, a handsome new footman, James, is hired. Jimmy tells Thomas he sincerely appreciates his friendship, indicating how far they've come since their misunderstandings of season 3. She warns him that his job, as well as Baxter's, is now in question, especially now that Cora knows he has been using this knowledge for his own benefit. Thomas then sabotages Alfred's efforts to clean a spot off of Matthew's tailcoat, resulting in a hole being burned through it. Later on that night, Thomas is arrested and Richard, using his position within the Royal Household, manages to get him released from prison before telling Thomas to be a bit more circumspect in future. Mrs. Patmore The reputation of Mrs. Patmore's bed and breakfast is. Thomas leaves as the staff all recognize that he is a better person now. Following the success of the 2019 Downton Abbey film, the beloved franchise has made its anticipated return to theaters. It is this incident which prompts Isobel Crawley to persuade Cora to turn Downton Abbey into a convalescence hospital for the duration of the war. The last image before fade out? Thomas frequently touches Jimmy, who is uncomfortable with Thomas's actions, but he goes along with it, as Sarah leads him to believe his position could be in jeopardy if he makes a fuss about it and that it is a good thing that Thomas likes him. As a result, he apparently has a natural affinity with clocks, saying that he grew up with them and "understands" them. Jimmy awakes and is very angry, reacting violently and indicating that he feels nothing for Thomas. They go to run a rival B&B in Dawlish. He often gets people in trouble, usually by presenting his own intentions as good and implying the worst while not knowing for certain the truth. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. He was eager for the position of Lord Grantham's valet, but was passed over by Long John Silver. "I can't really remember why he had to do that, but he did," he explains. After discovering the article in the London Magazine advertising 'Choose Your Own Path', Baxter tells Thomas that she feels sorry for what he's put himself through, indicating that she realizes he's taking some treatment to 'cure' his homosexuality. He claims to Carson that he has to go see his father who is ill, but instead uses his time off to go to London to receive what is later revealed to be electroconvulsive therapy in order to change his sexuality. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital He is extraordinarily ambitious and doesnt let anything or anyone stand in the way of achieving his goals, even if this means lying, stealing, and blackmailing people. Jimmy is unsure about Thomas staying, but Robert tells him at the same time that he has been promoted to the job of the first footman. When the staff and the family travel to London for Lady Rose's wedding to Atticus Aldridge, Carson hires a temporary footman, Andrew. There is a revelation that he has been injecting an expensive saline placebo while using unsterilised needles, making him ill. In Series 3, Thomas still feels animosity toward Bates. Thomas just takes it and doesn't flinch, another sign that he may be used to physical abuse. He was the son of Thomas Barlow (1772-1840) and Mary (Clark) Barlow (1772-1860). Thomas had been close friends with O'Brien, "thick as thieves", as Lord Grantham calls them, who is surprised when he learns they have had a falling out. Andy and Thomas seem to have established a good friendship, but Mrs Hughes and Mrs Patmore don't look favourably the relationship between the two men. She has considered Thomas a friend and he even knew her darkest secret. During the second series, the animosity between Thomas and Bates is not seen much, due to many reasons, one being that Thomas was in the Army Medical Corps for a short time and then Bates is arrested, tried, and sentenced to hang, for the murder of his ex-wife Vera. To Anna, he confided after hearing of Lady Sybils death that in [his] life, not many have been kind to [him]. "The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era" by Jessica Fellowes, Matthew Sturgis. Since the departure of Miss O'Brien to India (curiously implying she had an enormous bad influence over him.) While Ellis is visiting his parents, Thomas is approached by a man in the pub named Chris Webster, who brings him to Turton's, an underground gay club. That kiss holds the promise of something more, and we end this story on a hopeful note (as in, the ones they write each other) that perhaps these two men will cross paths again. O'Brien has Jimmy go to Thomas to show him how to wind the clocks. All good things must come to an end. They work together in order to get the royal footmen out of the way, and Thomas accepts Ellis's invitation to have a drink in York. A possible explanation for this was given by himself when talking to Edward Courtenay. She will test it to judge the quality of Thomas's goods before they place orders with him, but the results are disastrous, as the goods turn out to be fake or adulterated. She is told by Thomas to mind her own business. Reports are rife that the end is nigh for the Crawleys and chums. Being a closeted gay man in the early 1900s is difficult, but Thomas manages to cheat on his lovers with ease. From 1927 until 1946, he was director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ) founded in 1859 by Louis Agassiz at Harvard University in Cambridge , Massachusetts . He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1831, and commenced practice in Canastota. It was reported today that series six due to air in the UK in September (series five is currently on PBS in the US) will be the last gasp of the Crawley dynasty. This is also the first mention of Thomas having a sister, thereby shedding some more light on his background. Working through Cora, O'Brien gets her nephew Alfred Nugent hired at Downton to work as a footman. "They made the decision, even though it was a great scene, to remove that and it was the wise decision. One evening, Mrs. Hughes notes that he looks upset, and he confides to her that he's received a letter from Richard Ellis, who will be getting married soon. She tells Jimmy that he must insist that Thomas be made to leave without a reference, otherwise, he is to threaten to tell the police of what Thomas has done. Thomas tells him to repeat the phrase "her ladyship's soap". Thomas goes to where he is keeping the goods and destroys them in a fit of rage. Andy admits to Thomas that he cannot read or write anything but his own name, which was all he needed to get into service. He had an affair with the Duke of Crowborough, who then refused to hire him as his personal valet, telling him that one swallow does not make a summer. He is immediately disliked by the Sinderby's butler, Stowell, who is also rude to Baxter and mocks Branson's background for being Irish and a chauffeur. Thomas Barrow is the main antagonist of the UK-US produced period drama, Downton Abbey, serving as one of the two main antagonists (alongside Miss O'Brien) in Series 1-3 and the main antagonist in Series 4-6. Can't have you wobbly at both ends. She was infatuated with him, blatantly smitten, but he only bothers with her to annoy the other footman, William Mason. He can also be extremely brave when his loved ones are at stake, such as when he took a beating for Jimmy at the Thirsk fair. The next day, before Richard is due to leave, he kisses Thomas however they are interrupted by Andrew Parker who informs them the King and Queen are leaving. Robert and Cora, whove had their own marital struggles, saw both their surviving daughters happy. Barrow and Ellis became friends but, in A New Era, Thomas received the sad news that the King's Valet got married. Shes alive. But I do know you have to fight back. Thomas starts job hunting thinking he will be fired soon, and visits Ripon for a job interview, and later to Dryden Park for another interview. Later on, Thomas talks to Anna and expresses a desire to be more likeable, and she expresses sympathy with him. Sarah O'Brien is fond of her nephew, and wants to see him succeed. They also learned to appreciate the modern direction their life was headed, with Cora modernizing her Lady Grantham title by running the hospital. In defense of his kissing Jimmy in his sleep, he told Carson after the incident that when one is like him, they must read the signs as best as they can, as no-one dares to speak aloud about it. "So you had Robert with the plumber, bonding, and it was quite nice material but we had to cut the script back a bit, it was just too long, and that was an easy bit to take out. Thomas Barrow is perhaps the one character in the series who undergoes the greatest personality change. Andy also gambles at the club and has to spend his savings in order to pay for his losses. The Crawleys are a wealthy aristocratic family who live in and hold rights to the Downton Abbey estate (which they have held since at least 1772, when the 1st Earl of Grantham was raised to the earldom). "We felt that Thomas had earned a degree of happiness over the years, and we didn't want to take it away from him," he tells EW. If you google who is Thomas barrows parents it says he is the illegitimate son of O'Brien and Robert . Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! They are as "thick as thieves" according to Lord Grantham. Thomas and O'Brien attempt to get him fired for theft by planting one of Robert's snuff boxes in his room, but Anna warns him, and he replaces it without informing them. He wants the job of the first footman, but thinks that Mr. Carson favours Alfred. Edith finally told Berties mother the truth about Marigold (that she is, in fact, her own daughter with her late lover Michael Gregson). Sarah also tricks Thomas into believing James has feelings for him, telling him that he won't stop talking to Alfred about him. She tells James that unless he insists, that someone like Thomas cannot be allowed to go to another respectable position, people will think that he is a homosexual too, and that they might suspect him of encouraging Thomas's advances. Thomas is not affected by Edna's words, and calls her a "manipulative little witch" and expresses his happiness that her schemes have come to nothing. Thomas holds Jimmy's hand while standing behind him with his other hand on Jimmy's shoulder. Most likely, this is his way of dealing with his own unhappiness due to not being able to freely love and be himself. He realises that happiness can come from friendship and promises to be kinder in his new job and make new friends. Carson allows Thomas to stay a few days so he can work out his situation and later that evening is found outside by Mrs. Hughes, crying. Thomas is a closeted homosexual man, by necessity as a homosexual act was a criminal offence at the time, punishable by imprisonment. She knows it will kill. However Queen Mary convinced him to release Bertie from this duty. Most of Marys melodrama took place early on in the season, so the finale showed her as a contented wife. He still believes that Jimmy himself would not be capable of this and that someone has put him up to it. He shows her how to do the latest dances. Thomas is furious that he was not offered the job. Thomas Barlow (March 14, 1805 Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York - September 18, 1896 Canastota, Madison County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.. Life. Thomas Barrow poisoned Kemal Pamuk. Later, he spies Edna talking to Tom Branson, and later finds her singing in the boot room. Lady Mary comes down with George and Sybbie to say a final goodbye, with George begging Thomas not to go, but Thomas tearfully insisting that he must. And, of course, the Dowager delivered one final memorable quip during Ediths wedding, telling Isobel that theres a lot of risk, but with any luck, theyll be happy enough., Laura Carmichael as Lady Edith and Harry Hadden-Paton as Bertie Pelham on 'Downton Abbey', Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary and Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham, Nick BriggsCarnival Film & Television Ltd/PBS, Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Hughes and Jim Carter as Mr. Carson on 'Downton Abbey', Robert James-Collier as Thomas (far left) on Downton Abbey, Sophie McShera as Daisy on 'Downton Abbey', Brendan Coyle as Mr. Bates and Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates, Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess Grantham in "Downton Abbey. Bates, however, had only thought to get him a reference, and he is not entirely pleased when Lord Grantham decides to let Thomas stay. When Bates is released from his wrongful conviction, Thomas is bitter that his former rival has returned. Thomas, along with the rest of the staff who remain at the house, prepares to welcome the film crew to Downton, although he comments that he would have preferred to visit France. Mary slyly arranged for Edith to have dinner at the Ritz with Bertie, who professed his love for the unlucky sister. And yes, I'm still here, and busy as a bee." Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Whilst at Thirsk fair, which most of the staff attends, Jimmy wins some money in a bet on a tug of war match that both Jimmy and Thomas take part in. Lady Grantham (Cora) knows they are both there because she put them there. She tells Jimmy that unless he insists that someone like Thomas cannot be allowed to go to another respectable position, people will think that he is sympathetic and then they might suspect him of encouraging Thomas's advances. After the war, Thomas tries to make it as a black market businessman, but he foolishly spends all of the money he had saved buying from a man he had only briefly met in a bar. Over the years, the characters have struggled through death, disease, war and imprisonment and the audience has been right there with them. Also, Mr. Carson regrets not crediting Thomas with a heart. Thomas is still in love with Jimmy, despite everything that has occurred. Thomas then sabotages Alfred's efforts to clean a spot off of Matthew's tailcoat, resulting in a hole being burned through it. When Sybil dies in childbirth, Thomas is reduced to tears, and Anna comforts him outside. As the film stands now, after being rounded up by police for dancing at a secret underground gay jazz club, Thomas is bailed out of jail by the King's valet, Richard (Max Brown) and the two share a brief surprise kiss back at Downton. Thomas offers to teach him how to read and write. Mr. Carson introduces the new footman as James so that is the name used upstairs while downstairs, his coworkers call him by Jimmy, the name he prefers. The family receives a visit from the impoverished . He does later tell Baxter's secret to Molesley, who refuses to believe she could be a thief. The shows final shots saw Edith exchange vows with Bertie, making her the Marchioness of Hexham. Thomas disagrees and says that he should have run, if he didn't get away what was the point of Thomas doing any of it. Little is known of Thomas's family, but he does tell Sarah O'Brien and later Jimmy Kent that his father was a clockmaker. Thomas instigates Daisy to go on strike over the fact that a new kitchen maid hasn't been hired, but tells her not to say that he put her up to it. Thomas remains extremely annoyed that he had been passed up for the position of Lord Grantham's valet by "Long John Silver", which is what he calls John Bates when talking with Miss O'Brien about the new valet.