10 Infuriating TV Characters We Couldn't Decide To Love Or Hate

6. Thomas - Downton Abbey

When we first meet Thomas on Downton Abbey, he's the arrogant footman who thinks he should be moving up the chain of command far more quickly than he is. He schemes with O'Brien, trying to figure out ways to screw over their fellow domestic servants and gain a tiny bit more power for themselves. He's a smarmy little jerk, and it's hard to feel much of anything for him other than loathing. But somehow, Rob James-Collier imbues the role with these little moments where you feel a jolt of compassion for him, almost against your better judgement. You have to feel bad for him when he's rejected by the duke pursuing Lady Mary, and the look of shock and betrayal that crosses his face after he's put himself out there in a rare moment of vulnerability. And while shooting yourself in the hand during World War One to get out of battle was considered treason and was dealt with by firing squads, you can certainly understand why he did it. He comes back from the war a character who is still manipulative and a bit rude, but without some of the bite he had in the first season. So there's that, at least.