5. Thomas' Conniving Tricks
Thomas is ever the crafty man and of course Series 4 will be no different. It is ironic the importance he has played throughout the show when considering his humble beginnings as a footman. The rapport between himself and Mrs O'Brien was fascinating in earlier series and certainly added to the plot. Especially when considering his deviant nature, it is obvious that he will play an important role in the coming series and indeed he already has. In an early episode of Season 4 he has already caused a lot of trouble for Anna by encouraging the new lady's maid to blame her for a mistake. He obviously hasn't changed and the fact that he knows Mrs O'Brien's secret regarding "Her Ladyship's soap" might just come into play again. It seems strange that it would be mentioned at the end of Series 3 as a manipulative tool to ensure he could stay and then be cast off, never to be dealt with again. Now that his old ally has left Downton Abbey, it is clear that Thomas is on his own. This could lead him to resort to further exploiting his sly nature or instead deciding to 'lay low' and suppress his cunning in order to keep his job in this changing world.