12 TV Villains That We Can’t Help But To Root For

8) Thomas Barrow – Downton Abbey

He’s a schemer. He’s a liar. He’s a coward. He’s a gay man who’s frowned upon for being attracted to other men on Downton Abbey. Even Mr. Carson once called Thomas “foul.”

It’s easy to despise Mr. Barrow for his devious ways, but it’s also easy to understand where he is coming from. He’s a misunderstood man living in judgmental times (unfortunately, we still are) wanting to be loved, but with all the rigid “rules” and moral standards, that’s almost impossible.

All that stress is bound to transform anyone into a hard person, who wants to make others feel as bad as he does. This doesn’t make his sometimes horrific actions forgivable, but it’s easy to see why some of us favor Thomas.