#WHY DIDNT ANY OF YOU STOP ME FROM WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY

[minhosimthings]

*gets emotionally wrecked by a tv show and cannot move or speak* Anyway

[ierotits]

after a 2nd watching, heres my current view on the barris/guy dexter situation (spoilers below cut)

I love barris! i love richard ellis! i would have been happy to have them stay together! but i completely understand how it was cut off. to me, it seemed like richard saw the risks that come with their life with the gay club situation in the first movie, and decided he didnt want to risk that. which i feel is perfectly reasonable. i like to think he found a girl who understood, and was happy to marry him as he is. richard gave thomas the option of staying together while hes married, but i think thomas has almost grown up since season 1 with the duke, and since then hes decided for himself that isnt what he wants. like he said at the end, he wants a life thats as honest as someone like him can get. i think richard would respect that, they dont part on bad terms, and i like to think they continue to write to eachother as friends, that richard and thomas are both good influences on eachother for years to come, and totally respect eachothers views on life

i also really like guy! hes one of the few people who really seem to respect thomas' feelings and wishes, he instantly changes the way hes speaking to thomas when he realises its making thomas uncomfortable in any way. he put them both on the same level, doesnt want to elevate himself above thomas at all. as everyone else said, hes a really nice person in general. him and thomas seemed to lift eachother up and encourage eachother in the few scenes they had. it was also nice the way guy specifically said "we'd have to work it out" or whatever it was when talking about what would happen if he couldnt act, he wouldnt leave thomas in the lurch, they'd figure it out together. he also makes it clear that its totally up to thomas if they make any sort of romantic/sexual relationship, he'll respect those boundaries. so if you personally dont like the idea of them being in a relationship, just imagine them as friends in the future! its an open ending, it can be whatever you want!

in terms of thomas, i think it was made clear from the start of the movie that what guy is offering is exactly what he wants. he expressed wanting to live as honest a life as possible, he talked about wanting to travel, and those things are completely consistent with his previous characterisation. he did well in america previously, hes really always wanted to get away from the abbey too. he might have had a few happier years, but downton is still a place with some awful memories for him, with people who will never really respect him the same way they did carson. it makes sense for him to want to leave. however you look at it, guy is offering him a stable future, the opportunity to travel, relative safety, and as close to a marriage as they can get if he wants that. it seems as hopeful a future as possible.

im glad barris got some time together, and i do think it made thomas happier, showed him that he does have a chance at happiness. they had a good run of it too, anywhere between a year and 2 years i reckon, and at any rate their relationship was just as long as tom and lucy were together before the wedding.

i also think thomas did have time to get to know guy, even if it was off screen. the actors were there for at least a month, and guy made a point from the start to get to know thomas. to compare that to upstairs couples, it wouldnt seem out of the ordinary for any of them to know someone for a month and do no more than glance at eachother suggestively for them to get engaged. i dont see why the same cant be said for thomas and guy.

tldr, i think both couples are good, and you can imagine the future for both however you want, so long as you arent pulling other people's ships down. thomas can be with guy and still be friends with richard. he can be friends with guy and start up with richard again if you really want. just stop being so fucking pessimistic about with, and definitely stop being a dick about it in the thomas barrow tag. write fics and be nice about it all to everyone. as far as i care, all that matters is thomas' happiness