Sideblog for Thomas and Jimjams

I know someone who kisses the way / a flower opens -Mary Oliver, from I know someone

A) Thomas' expression as he starts speaking in the first gif: he's talking about himself. When he says pathetic he means himself. When he says pining over a footman he means himself. I know the face of self-hatred when I see it (and given what I know happens later to him (and why I chose not to watch further) at this point he is already spiraling down a bit).

B) JAMES PICKS UP ON IT. In the first gif you can see it when he looks at Thomas. Then he immediately goes into Flirt Mode TM (the preferred mode for basically all his private interactions with Thomas) and even though he's propping himself up in here he's stealing quick looks at Thomas with a smile in gifs 2 and 3. It's the way he's constantly looking away from and at Thomas that gives it away as a flirt more than a conversation. (Why can't you hold Thomas' gaze, Jimmy??? Why??? Sus af).

C) They way it all falls down in the last gif?? Thomas' evident "I love you. I'm pathetic and I love you" look before he turns away. And Jimmy suddenly looking hella grim because this conversation is actually about Anstruther and not Thomas??

Listen. Listen. I know what the text of the series says. But the actors knew things we don't and that knowledge informed the way they built and portrayed their characters.

It's not normal to have such a disconnect between what is told and what is shown in a visual medium by accident. This is all created. It's art. Things mean things.

Jimmy always said he wasn't interested in Thomas but he didn't act like it. And the chemistry between him and Thomas was played up a LOT. And that was a purposeful choice made by both Rob and Ed to stretch the boundaries of the script through their body language, microexpressions and tone. And you can bet they had a reason for it!!

It's either that or they're both terrible actors who can't follow a script (spoiler alert: it's not that. They're both great at their craft) and the directors and editors were somehow ok with that.