Okay, this answers the question in my comment. You would feel some genuine dislike for Thomas if you saw the first season, where he was just Mr. Nasty. In the episode you just saw, he's actually gone a way to redeeming himself (working with the blinded soldier). One thing I **don't* like is how his nastiness and ambition seem, in the writers' eyes, to be tied up with his sexual identity. But maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Hmm. I'll have to think on it more.

Mr. Bates was as annoyingly self-sacrificing in the first season, but it built gradually, and you also saw him trying to overcome a handicap and prove himself, so he was more likable (imo).