Tom Branson: "I Don't See Types, I See People"

[Andorra]

My absolute favourite character.  Passionate, cheeky chauffeur falls head over heels in love with the youngest daughter of his employer. He waits six years for her. They cross the classes and loves conquers all. And then tragedy strikes and leaves him devastated with a little daugther to care for.

Edited March 31, 2014 by Andorra

[Andorra]

Hey! Nice to see you, too! I hope many posters from TWOP will find their way over here. I enjoyed our discussions there.

[Rhondinella]

Welcome to both of you!  And do feel free to use the "Small Talk" thread similarly to the way you used the "Meet Market" threads at TWoP--for off-topic discussion and community building.

[fifty8th]

Branson is my favorite, I hope he does not have a falling out with the family due to his new friend. I like the Mary and Tom as friend moments a lot.

[Peper81]

Branson is my favorite, I hope he does not have a falling out with the family due to his new friend. I like the Mary and Tom as friend moments a lot.

Me too because it really highlights how far they've both come. I think they are good influences on each other and I think they could both really use each other in their lives. I'm really hoping that Tom will stick around and that the family will accept his new friend. He does need to have people outside of the family and they need to accept that.

[Andorra]

Which "friend" are you talking about? You don't mean Sarah Bunting, do you? She hasn't been very "friendly" so far IMO. She has done nothing but insulting Tom on every possible opportunity. She seems to think he's  a sellout. And she hates the Crawleys without even knowing them.

Awful person. Prejudiced, rude, no manners, tactless and insensitive. I hope he gets rid off her ASAP, Should Fellows think of making them a couple, I am out. Her following classy, beautiful, gentle Sybil?? NO WAY!

[Mrsjumbo]

I like what they have done with Tom since the beginning. At first I didn't like his character & hoped Sybil would brush him off, but then he starting growing on me. So much so that I don't think that awful Sarah Bunting is worthy of him!

[ZulaMay]

I liked the bit of Tom/Edith bonding we saw in the CS and would like to see more of that, actually.  He and Mary are fine but Branson/Edith makes a good friendship pairing.  He seems far more tuned into her than her family does.

[Athena]

Tom can be friends with anyone except Sarah Bunting.

[helenamonster]

I really like Tom. I think he's sweet, intelligent, and caring. Even during the times when his only personality trait was "Irish socialist," I couldn't write him off. He's grown so much since Season 1. He deserves a happy ending (and I think it goes without saying at this point that said happy ending does not include Sarah Bunting).

 

I also love that he's kind of taken up Matthew's role in the show as the young male lead. I liked Matthew fine enough, and hate that Dan Stevens leaving thew such a wrench into Season 4, but if I had to choose, I'd take Tom over him any day. I love that he (along with Mary) is representing the progressive argument wrt the running of the estate, and that he has taken over Matthew's old role of defending Edith to her asshole family. I do wish he'd grow his spine back a little bit faster, but I understand he's in a tough spot. He's been thrown into this new world, and with his wife dead, he's had to navigate everything on his own. He can stand up to Robert just fine (and does so without coming off as disrespectful, imo), but Edna and now Sarah seem to just walk all over him. I really hope that changes soon.

 

It's also been great to see his interest in politics evolve. "I don't see types, I see people" is one of the best lines ever written for this show, because it marked such an important stage of development for Tom's character. I think he just wants to do the best he can for the estate and make decisions that benefit both the family and the people of Downton.

[Camera One]

He has grown on me.  I must say I really disliked his character in the first two seasons and felt he had no chemistry with Sybil at all.  I was much more interested in exploring Sybil's character than romantic hijinx with Branson.   I think I only began to really like Tom for the first time in Season 4, and now I'm glad he's on the show.

[ZulaMay]

I've aways liked Tom, although I thought the Sybil/Tom relationship really got short shrift on the show and was not written nearly as well as it should and could have been.

 

I also prefer him to Matthew.  I admit that perhaps that's partly because he is not romantically paired with Mary.  I loved Sybil, so the fact that he loved her endears him to me even more.  He has good taste.

 

But like you I want him to get his backbone straight again.  It's not just Sarah, although that's the worst example.  It's Violet too.  I'd say in the CS he finally held his own with her, telling her she was wrong about those guests being "his people."  And she seemed to take note of it.  Before she was condescending even when supposedly being helpful.

[helenamonster]

I always figured we never got to see much of the Sybil/Tom romance because of Jessica Brown Findlay's other projects/conflicting schedule (they weren't in the Season 2 CS, and they might not have been in one or more Season 2 episodes, I can't remember). And then she left for good and Sybil was killed off before we really got to explore it. However, I totally believe that Tom loves/loved his wife. You can just see it in his face when he talks about her. And when she died...there were a lot of incredibly sad things about that episode but Tom holding her hand and crying, "Come on, love" was just a knife to the heart.

 

And it just boggles the mind that this show is trying to follow up Sybil--compassionate, smart, funny Sybil--with the horrid, closed-minded Sarah Bunting. I just can't believe that Tom would ever fall for someone like her when, had eclampsia not reared its ugly head, he'd still be with Sybil. I mean, I'm not saying his next love interest needs to be Sybil-lite (we see how well that's been going with Rose) but come on now.

[ZulaMay]

I don't think he's ever shown any attraction to Bunting or much interest in her at all.  She's always the one initiating conversations, inviting herself to the house, etc.  He never showed any initiative with her.  So IMO he is not "falling for her."

 

Her purpose isn't entirely clear, although it seems to be to contrast her views of the Crawleys with his and to highlight the various facets of his identity crisis. Because that is always the subject of their conversations:  Why will he not return to Ireland, is he a socialist or a liberal, how does he justify his position as estate agent, doesn't he feel out of place in that house, are they using him as a "beast of burden," etc.

 

Because she is the only woman outside the family (other than Edna) with whom he has spent time since Sybil died, people seem to assume she is a love interest.  Yet he has shown no romantic interest in her.  Anyone who remembers the way he behaved with his wife should recognize that his behavior toward her is completely different.  A lot of viewers (and members of the press) watch this show with one eye open.  So they are not paying enough attention to Tom to observe his apparent lack of romantic interest, or his discomfort when he interacts with her.

 

I've felt from the start that he would never show an interest in her, given who his first wife was and the nature of their relationship.  But she is kind of forcing him to address the question.  She hasn't taken a hint so far. 

Edited July 28, 2014 by ZulaMay

[Andorra]

I agree with the above. I don't think we're supposed to like her or assume that Tom is falling for her. He is interested in her in some way, but not enough to seek her company for months ("You're avoiding me." "No, I've just been busy these past months.").

It's always her who initiates contact. Most of the time Tom is the one who ends their talks. He never lingers, or tries to prolong the contact.

 

So I think, although she interests him and he likes her in a way, he's not romantically interested in her. He likes her politics and that she's direct and feisty. I think he feels reminded a bit of his old self, when he was young and passionate about his believes.

 

But at the same time we see that he is not the same man any more. And that she is far more prejudiced and narrow minded than he ever was. He didn't like the class system, but he could always distinguish between the system and the people and Sarah obviously can't. Tom said very early in one of his talks with Sybil, that her father was "a good man and a decent employer" while Sarah judges over Cora Crawley without having met her.

 

I think Sarah Bunting's role is to show, that Tom can't go back. He is a member of the family now and he won't turn his back on them any more. He will stay in Downton and I'm sure his new love interest will be a posh girl.

[helenamonster]

I don't think that Tom has necessarily been shown to be falling for her, but the show appears (to me) to be setting her up as a potential love interest, someone he will fall for eventually. And that rings false to me because unless one of them has a total personality transplant, it couldn't possibly work for the long term given who Tom's character is now.

[ZulaMay]

You're right, that's how it appears.  But I don't see the same thing that happened with Blake and Mary, or Mary and Matthew. They clashed and such, but there was instant chemistry.  And it only took a few episodes for them to start clicking.  With Tom and Sarah, months passed between the end of the season and the CS but he had never sought her out at all.  They never progressed past the stage of him not showing any interest or attraction.

 

When a couple is meant to be, it doesn't take that long for them to start getting along better and showing interest.  Usually just a couple of episodes.  With Sarah four episodes went by and there was no progress at all.  If anything in the CS she seemed to make him even more uncomfortable than before.

 

I don't see him falling for her, ever.  But he might get into some relationship with her, for companionship or something.  He might be tempted to settle for her because he doesn't think he'll ever love anyone again anyway, the way he loved Sybil.  And she'd certainly make it easy for him.  She doesn't seem to care that he's not showing any initiative with her.

[kassygreene]

I think Tom's chief problem since Sybil's death in regard to women is that he is Just Too Polite.  Edna pushed and manipulated; Sara Bunting is bigoted and encroaching.  Tom would previously have had the protection of his marriage, and Sybil would have handled or when necessary discouraged such attentions perfectly.  Tom is polite to women and not terribly confrontational with men - at least not in an ugly way.  He is now, technically, aligned with the upper class while not entirely of it, and he doesn't have one crucial skill - he can't depress/discourage/deflect behavior that most aristocrats would put an end to instinctively.

[JCKA]

Which "friend" are you talking about? You don't mean Sarah Bunting, do you? She hasn't been very "friendly" so far IMO. She has done nothing but insulting Tom on every possible opportunity. She seems to think he's  a sellout. And she hates the Crawleys without even knowing them.

Awful person. Prejudiced, rude, no manners, tactless and insensitive. I hope he gets rid off her ASAP, Should Fellows think of making them a couple, I am out. Her following classy, beautiful, gentle Sybil?? NO WAY!

Oh my gosh, you said what I wanted to say! I dislike Sarah Bunting sooo much! She is not pretty, so rude, really bad attitude, especially when she demanded that Tom take her on a tour of the house and when she wanted to go upstairs to see the view, Tom was obviously uncomfortable with the idea, but she just sort of pushed him aside and walked straight upstairs! That is just so rude! I also dislike the way she consistently trying to insult Tom. Come on, writers, don't you think Tom deserve someone much better? I hope the writers get rid off her.

[JCKA]

I agree with the above. I don't think we're supposed to like her or assume that Tom is falling for her. He is interested in her in some way, but not enough to seek her company for months ("You're avoiding me." "No, I've just been busy these past months.").

It's always her who initiates contact. Most of the time Tom is the one who ends their talks. He never lingers, or tries to prolong the contact.

 

So I think, although she interests him and he likes her in a way, he's not romantically interested in her. He likes her politics and that she's direct and feisty. I think he feels reminded a bit of his old self, when he was young and passionate about his believes.

 

But at the same time we see that he is not the same man any more. And that she is far more prejudiced and narrow minded than he ever was. He didn't like the class system, but he could always distinguish between the system and the people and Sarah obviously can't. Tom said very early in one of his talks with Sybil, that her father was "a good man and a decent employer" while Sarah judges over Cora Crawley without having met her.

 

I think Sarah Bunting's role is to show, that Tom can't go back. He is a member of the family now and he won't turn his back on them any more. He will stay in Downton and I'm sure his new love interest will be a posh girl.

I hope you are right! I hope Tom will eventually realize she's not the right person for him anymore. He may think she is fiesty now, but she is more like rude and prejudice than fiesty... I really like the Tom, I think he's a good person, even though he is now one of the upper class, he doesn't let that change his attitude, he is humble, respectful to everyone, sensitive, caring, down to earth, and the family has truly embraced him as a family, it's quite nice to see that. :) 

[Andorra]

 I hope the writers get rid off her.

 

Don't worry. Sarah Bunting will not be the next Mrs Branson. Daisy Lewis left the show Midseason and has been doing other things since then. You can expect her to leave in Episode 3 or 4.

[JCKA]

Don't worry. Sarah Bunting will not be the next Mrs Branson. Daisy Lewis left the show Midseason and has been doing other things since then. You can expect her to leave in Episode 3 or 4.

 

Thank you

for the good news! I can sleep with a smile tonight :)

[mightycrone]

Tom, for me, falls under the ever-growing category of Characters I'm Supposed To Love, But Don't.  I never felt the supposed heat of his chemistry with Sybil, never felt the love he has for his daughter.  I don't hate or even dislike him, but the very quote which is supposed to make me swoon, "I don't see types.  I see people." just made me roll my eyes.  

 

All in all, I'm having a very hard time caring about the men (roughly) of his age group in DA.  Tom, Matthew, the many suitors of post-Matthew Mary, the jazz singer, the cartoonish, scheming Thomas, etc.  Maybe it's a sign of my age, or maybe it's the writing, but I'm just not feeling it.

[ShadowFacts]

I do like Tom a lot.  I can't see him being happy at Downton long-term, though.  I did like him with Sybil, and also like his relationship with Isobel.  Mary and he understand each other I guess and she has been supportive, but that's not enough to keep him there.  The womenfolk all like him, but Robert is an ass and always will be.  I feel like the only real reason for the incredibly annoying Ms. Bunting to keep appearing is to act as a catalyst for Tom to leave and go to America, or something.  He does not seem interested in her, he could pursue her if he wanted and he does not.  She doesn't even seem personally into him other than to be a provocateur.  I would be sad to see him go, however. 

[Constantinople]

Tom, for me, falls under the ever-growing category of Characters I'm Supposed To Love, But Don't.  I never felt the supposed heat of his chemistry with Sybil

I agree. I thought Tom & Sybil had as much chemistry Mary & Gillingham.

 

, never felt the love he has for his daughter.

I blame JF. If he writes a story line about how some obnoxious maid/teacher/ancient alien is making eyes at Tom, there's little time for a parent story line.

 

I don't hate or even dislike him, but the very quote which is supposed to make me swoon, "I don't see types.  I see people." just made me roll my eyes.

I don't dislike him either, but for the most part, he's just sort of there.

Probably my favorite scene with him was in the S2 opener when a couple of female concert goers were handing out flowers to able bodied men who weren't in uniform as a sign of cowardice. On the way out, they proffered a flower to Tom, still the driver, which led to the following exchange

Tom: I'm in uniform

Woman: Wrong kind

Tom: (Bemused look that says "This Irishman doesn't give a $%^! about your English war, or what you think about him, but thanks for the flower").

[ZoloftBlob]

I'm not terribly invested in Tom but a great deal of the problem is that character wise - Sarah Bunting, crass thing that she is, has a point. Tom is their kept boy. They say he's not a servant, he's one of them, etc etc etc, but when the chips are down - even though he's two years a *widow*, Robert is somehow appalled at the idea that Tom thinks its ok for Tom to show a woman around the house while they aren't there. Robert proved the point that Sarah was making - Tom isn't family, he does need to ask permission, its not his home. He's never going to be anything but a persona beneath Robert and as Sybbie (ugh I hate that name) gets older, she's going to see her father get run down verbally by her grandfather and get the sense that there's something less about her dad and herself. Why? Because Tom is just an Irish chauffer to Robert, and Sybbie is common compared to George, and Tom is theoretically clever enough to see the handrwriting on the wall. Sarah shouldn't have to point this out.

[Andorra]

I don't see Tom ever "run down verbally" by Robert in series 5. In the contrary, we see how their relationship changes more and more and how they more and more grow in their mutual fondness and respect for the other's point of view. If they have a political argument, it is always Tom who has the better arguments and the last word.

 

To me Tom grows more and more into the "Sybil" of the family. He is loved by everyone and he loves everyone back. He has this innate kindness that Sybil had, too and he also has the rebellious side Sybil had. He has opinions and values, but he is a tolerant person. He is not shy to say what he thinks, but he is not on a mission.

.

Also I don't see where Robert makes any difference between Sybbie and George. In fact, as the series progresses, it becomes more and more clear that she is the apple of Robert's eye and that he adores her the most of his grandchildren. And at the end of the series he even calls Tom "my boy" as he did with Matthew.

[Avaleigh]

I definitely think that Sybbie is Robert's favorite. 

[RedHackle]

I like Branson quite a lot, as well.  Although, to be perfectly honest, at least some of that is remembering the hot, steamy love scenes with Octavia on "Rome", snicker.)  But yeah, while I'm happy for him to be friends with someone who is strong and outspoken, I hate the idea that the writers seem to think that has to mean the person also has no manners.  Yeah, from the scene where she coerced Tom into showing her Downton, I've been uncomfortable with Ms. Bunting's lack of respect for boundaries, just as I was with Edna.  I like that Tom is sweet and polite and doesn't want to be rude to people, but at some point he better learn to say no.  It'd be nice if he met a woman who knew how to take a hint. 

[Mrsjumbo]

I didn't really like Tom in the beginning. I'm fond of him now & would be sad to see him go. For a character to change my opinion of him, that's something.

[ZoloftBlob]

I don't see Tom ever "run down verbally" by Robert in series 5.

 

In fairness, season 4, where Robert was openly and verbally more pleased to see his damn dog than Tom wasn't that long ago in the story timeline. Or to take strictly from series five - Tom did nothing wrong with Sarah Bunting but Robert is clearly suspicious that Tom has literally been fucking around.

 

Tom is also being treated much differently than Mary. They're both young with the ability to marry again, and Mary is pretty actively encouraged to move on, while Tom isn't. He hasn't even done anything close to "I'm off on a sex vacay" with Sarah Bunting, heck, he frankly doesn't seem to like her much at all, and yet his father in law has pretty much declared Sarah not welcome. Tom is the estate manager and his ideas get routinely and publically dismissed by Robert while Mary at least gets listened to. My point is that while yes, Robert loves Sybbie, and I even say he loves Tom, the home Sybbie is currently being raised in is *Robert's* home and no one is going to get too shirty with Robert if he rolls his eyes at how stupid Tom is about something in front of Sybbie, or expresses his pleasure in knowing Tom was just competent enough to handle tending the dog.

 

In a real world setting, I could see someone in Tom's situation seriously considering moving simply because it's going to be too hard to walk that tightrope between being respectful because it's Robert's home and making sure his child sees him and not Robert as the main authority in her life.

[ShadowFacts]

 

My point is that while yes, Robert loves Sybbie, and I even say he loves Tom, the home Sybbie is currently being raised in is *Robert's* home and no one is going to get too shirty with Robert if he rolls his eyes at how stupid Tom is about something in front of Sybbie, or expresses his pleasure in knowing Tom was just competent enough to handle tending the dog.

 

Right on.  Tom has been trying hard for a couple years to be relevant and do the right thing for Sybbie, but he will always be lower on the totem pole than Robert, and eventually, Mary.  That's not going to work for him.  I don't think he has a real interest in Bunting either, but she is there as a catalyst to him moving forward.  He's got more in him than estate management for his father-in-law. 

[Andorra]

If you see it in a rational way, of course you're right, but the thing is: Everyone has to stay at the Abbey, because that's where the show takes place. And rationality is not a high priority in this show. Would Edith have come back immediately? After she hated it to live at Downton and had much better opportunities in London, running her publishin company? Would every man courting Mary be ready to live at Downton? Because we know they will even though it will make no sense at all.

 

And since it looks very much like Allen Leech still will be on Downton (he has given enough clues these past weeks that he will be back), I think Tom will come back very quickly. I don't think he will be the agent anymore, but have some new profession outside the house (maybe his cousin's car business will open a branch in York?), but that he will stay at least close to the Abbey to be in the show on a regular basis.

[ZoloftBlob]

If you see it in a rational way, of course you're right, but the thing is: Everyone has to stay at the Abbey, because that's where the show takes place. And rationality is not a high priority in this show.

 

Right, but my original point is that Tom is not treated by Robert as an *equal* member of the family and there's evidence of that even in season five. Because it IS Downton, Tom will never win as long as he lives in Downton Abbey essentially on Robert's dime - no matter how much work he actually does and no matter how much more competent he is at running the place, he's always going to be the fuck up lower class son in law who had to be given a job so that the grandchild didn't live in the gutter.

 

That Downton Abbey is completely irrational is merely a sideline. The pity of it is that it wasn't irrational to start.

[Andorra]

Well, after all the praise Tom receives from Robert "I've grown very fond of you", "I hope you will always see Downton as your home", "my boy" etc, I don't see "evidence" of Robert seeing Tom as the "fuck up lower class son in law who had to be given a job".

[ZoloftBlob]

I'd cite Robert's complete unwillingness to consider Tom's ideas *unless Mary also backs them* as a sign. I also consider the fact that Robert immediately assumed that something inappropriate occurred when Thomas told him he'd seen Tom with Sarah on the stairwell as an indicator he doesn't have complete trust in Tom. And please do understand - I do think Robert likes Tom a lot more than he used to, and has developed a friendship, but I do think Robert doesn't see Tom as an equal at all.

[SusanSunflower]

I think Bunting could be a very good match for Tom and she's independent and has a skill -- teaching -- that could serve them both well in settling elsewhere, anywhere. He's still got his motor mechanic skills.  I suspect she's lively and opinionated wherever she goes, but probably not antagonistic except towards people she, in fact, dislikes and doesn't care about.

She can see how Tom is treated, even if he can't, how he holds his tongue and is so very polite when he does talk, acts subserviently towards "the family" and ever so slightly awkward with the servants (and they with him). How long was he their chauffeur? How long have they had to get over that? 
I'd have to rewatch past episodes but I think she also registers the "shock and surprise" that just her presence upstairs generates -- every single time -- as in "What is SHE doing up here?"  Even without Robert's bad manners.  "What is that middle-class ordinary person doing in our midst?" 

We really didn't see any development of a relationship between the two that I remember (nothing comparable to the endless pointless, content-free garage interludes with Sybil) and so we saw no meeting of minds platonic and/or intellectual, but they've been somehow "linked" for a couple of years I think.

I'm always shocked at how very tiny she is. (She was written to be abhorrent, but I think even that's been exaggerated by our identification with Robert, and Cora and Downton). Run Tom Run. 

Edited February 2, 2015 by SusanSunflower

[Andorra]

I haven't seen any interest in Bunting from Tom at all on screen. Actually I think Allen Leech was particularly careful not to create the slightest chemistry between them, because they were not supposed to be shipped. Therefor I thought the sudden emotional goodbye scene way over the top. So Sarah Bunting "loved" Tom? Weird way of showing that had she?

 

I think we have seen enough development of the relationship between the Crawleys and Tom. They accept him as a full family member, they tell him they love him, they tell him he will always have a home at Downton etc.

 

We see that Tom and Robert can talk politics now without being at each other's throats, they even are able to have a sense of humor about their different views. To me their relationship moved into a classical father/son relationship. Robert calls Tom "my boy", like he did with Matthew. Matthew was his favourite son and Tom is the rebellious one, but I do think that there's enough feeling and trust on both sides by now that their relationship would survive more challenges than Bunting.

 

I think now that we know, that

we know that Tom will go to America

we can assume that Tom's identity crisis is over.

It looks as if he will return early in the season

and I think we will see Robert rely on him. My prediction for series 6 is, that Robert is going to be ill and then will die, so that Mary will take over and become the mistress of Downton. I'm sure Tom will help her and I'm also sure Robert and Sybbie's close relationship in series 5 wasn't developed for nothing. She is the apple of his eye, so IMO

Tom will come back because of Sybbie. If Robert's ulcer is more than it seemed, I can see him wishing for Tom to return, because he wants to see Sybbie before he dies.

[lottiedottie]

I haven't seen any interest in Bunting from Tom at all on screen. Actually I think Allen Leech was particularly careful not to create the slightest chemistry between them, because they were not supposed to be shipped. Therefor I thought the sudden emotional goodbye scene way over the top. So Sarah Bunting "loved" Tom? Weird way of showing that had she?

I always thought that when you liked someone and were invited to hang out with them/meet the family, you have manners. Bunting was rude, pushy and obnoxious. Tom never seemed remotely attracted to her--at best he seemed to tolerate her because other people kept inviting her over! I have to laugh at the idea that Bunting loved Tom given the way she acted around the Crawleys.

[SusanSunflower]

Tom wasn't the one who kept inviting Bunting ... it was the women folk, upstairs and downstairs, looking after his interests ... since god knows he's not going to find a lady friend UPSTAIRS at Downton.  Robert has tutored Tom to be a right-little-gentleman he can take places without being embarrassed too often -- except Tom is 30 year old, a grown man, an Irish man, a Socialist and an ex-chauffeur and the widower of a fine lady and the proud father of their child.  Robert "treats Tom like a son"  and praises him for losing his rough edges, gaining good manners (most importantly), for being tamed, for being neutered.  Robert never had a son.  Lucky Tom. Sarah could see the contradictions. She believed what Tom said about himself and saw how much he clung to who he was, rather than who he has become. She believe he could be saved.  Oh well, Tom (and the audience) can live happily ever after now ... not that any upstairs ladies are likely to be interested in him ...and we can all hope he's learned his lesson about those radical socialist types. 

[Andorra]

I don't think Tom needs to be "saved". I think he has matured and learned a bit and I think Robert also has learned a bit in the process. They both grew and Tom has not "lost" anything.

 

He never was as radical as Sarah in the first place. He was a radical socialist in theory, but he never had the stomach to really BE one. Even in series 1 he saw the good in Robert as "a good man and a decent employer". Sarah doesn't see any good in them and still thinks he must despise the family after they gave him a home, a job and their affection when Sybil died.

 

He wanted to "humiliate" the British Army, but his attempt to do so was boyish. It turned out real violence never crossed his mind (he could not hurt a fly) instead he thought of a cow pad and sour milk.

 

Tom thought he was a radical fighter for freedom in Ireland, too, but faced with the reality of that fight, he cried and couldn't bear what he had done, even though it was "only" property and not people who got destroyed.

 

I have no doubt Sarah Bunting would have acted without regret on those two occasions and would have had no problem at all to see the Crawley's lose everything or even worse their life. She "despises" them and Tom doesn't and never did.

 

I think his views do matter to him and he needs a way to live his own life outside the Abbey. But that doesn't mean he has to cut all connections to the family. Sybbie is their granddaughter and she always will be. But Tom is not a member ofthe landed gentry and he doesn't need to apologize for that, Finding a wife IN the Abbey will be impossible, but I don't see why he can't find someone who is at least friendly towards them and still shares his "middleclass" views. Isobel does for example. A young Isobel can't be so hard to find.

[Mumbles]

These last few episodes this character has really bugged me. He seems to have assumed a "magical Irishman" (a la the "Magical Negro" trope) who exists only to help the rich/white characters. Like in Season 6, episode 7 where comforts Mary about Talbot. Or how he's become Lord Grantham's son he never had.

Plus he's a massive sellout. A move to Boston to start a new life would have been an expected decision from the character as we first met him. A return because he missed his extremely wealthy in-laws and their massive extravagant home is not.

[Andorra]

The development of his character has been the most disappointing in the whole show. He mutated into a happy Eunuch, who's only interest is the Crawley family. He forgot that he ever lived in Ireland, ever had ideals and dreams. 

I would have wished him to become involved in politics or writing again. I also would have wished him to find love again. 

But nothing. His only achievement is to be the much beloved dog in the family, it is very disappointing. 

He was a character from the very first season, with a talented and much liked actor and Julian Fellowes did nothing with him. Poor Allen Leech and poor Tom Branson fans. The show has been one huge disappointment. 

[Constantinople]

Too bad the series didn't make it to the General Strike in May of 1926. It would have been interesting to have seen Tom's reaction (assuming he had one and wasn't too busy with running AristoHarmony).

[Roseanna]

The development of his character has been the most disappointing in the whole show. He mutated into a happy Eunuch, who's only interest is the Crawley family. He forgot that he ever lived in Ireland, ever had ideals and dreams. 

I would have wished him to become involved in politics or writing again. I also would have wished him to find love again. 

But nothing. His only achievement is to be the much beloved dog in the family, it is very disappointing. 

He was a character from the very first season, with a talented and much liked actor and Julian Fellowes did nothing with him. Poor Allen Leech and poor Tom Branson fans. The show has been one huge disappointment. 

 

I completely agree in this.

 

However, I believe that the basic reason was that Fellowes didn't want genuinely to deal with the social differences although just they would have made a good base to a drama.

[Andorra]

I think the basic reason is just that Fellowes is a bad and lazy writer. It's no surprise the writing of the show never got one single nomination. It has always been it's weakest point. 

[AndySmith]

Well...it actually did. It received 3 Emmy noms for writing, and one once. It also won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award for it's writing.

 

Of course, this was all during the first 3 seasons, which were much better structured.

[Mumbles]

Agree re the quality of the writing. I remember around season 4 getting completely flabbergasted by the writing. The only way I've gotten through the last few seasons is treating this show like an arch satire. I mean, how else to treat the fact that the three Crowley women ran tours of the home a few eps ago and none of them had barely any knowledge of the place and couldn't answer questions? And the repeated murder charges faced by the staff?

That said I just wish they had gotten rid of Branson a character instead of some sort of "I'm here to help these rich idiots be even more happy" eunuch.

[skyways]

That said I just wish they had gotten rid of Branson a character instead of some sort of "I'm here to help these rich idiots be even more happy" eunuch

 

Completely agree.

[Andorra]

That said I just wish they had gotten rid of Branson a character instead of some sort of "I'm here to help these rich idiots be even more happy" eunuch.

 

They didn't want to get rid of him, because he has a huge fanbase and a lot of fans (myself included) would have stopped watching. Now in retrospect, of course I wish I would have stopped watching anyway despite him still being in the show. 

 

I don't see any reason though, why Julian Fellowes didn't write a storyline for him. Heck, Denker and Spratt got one and who cares about them??! It really wasn't that difficult to come up with ideas for a storyline for Tom that would have made sense and contributed to the show overall. Ask on this board and no viewer will have a problem to find potential storylines. Yet Julian Fellowes was unable to find something? What kind of writer is he then??

 

I just listened to Allen Leech's podcast on Masterpiece: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1067068502&mt=2&ls=1&app=itunes

 

What an interesting, friendly and thoughtful man Allen Leech is. Julian Fellowes should have asked the actor if he was that unable to come up with ideas for Tom's storyline. I'm sure he would have found something that would have been a 1000 times better than what Julian Fellowes wrote for him. 

Edited February 25, 2016 by Andorra