Patrick Thomas

[aln1982]

Since I started a thread for Elizabeth, I thought I would also start a thread for the deadbeat who abandoned her. Anyone actually like Patrick? I can’t stand him and it makes me really angry (especially after reading Kristy’s Book) how he treated and treats his family. I think he’s the kind of guy who might be fun to hang out with but you can’t count on because he’s a big kid who refuses to grow up. He’s very irresponsible and selfish. My only question is why did Elizabeth continue to have children with him when they were obviously having problems. I admire her for trying to stick with the marriage (I think that divorce should be an abosolute last resort limited for a very small number of cases because it often ends up creating more problems than it solves – just my unsolicited opinion ;D) but can’t see bringing more children into the bad situation.
I sense a lot of resentment – and justifiable – from the kids towards their dad. I also see that he did contribute a lot to their development into such responsible people because they strive to NOT be like him (I really saw this in Mind Your Own Business Kristy). This easily could have gone the other way but I see the boys, especially, as working very hard to not be like the man who abandoned them. In this regard, I think Patrick’s bad parenting and terrible example should get almost as much credit (not using that word to mean praise or to compliment Patrick’s parenting in ANY way, especially because it could have had opposite results just as easily) as Elizabeth’s good parenting in making the kids responsible.
Just my thoughts on the situation. I always feel for Kristy where her dad is concerned and am really glad that she was able to develop a close relationship with Watson and doesn’t seem bitter against all men because of her father. He really could have messed his kids up but I think he really shaped their personalities (with major help from Elizabeth’s guidance in the right direction).
Don't want any of this to be taken wrong - as a compliment to Patrick or a slam to Elizabeth. I give her credit for picking the pieces (and eventually finding a much better guy after Patrick and not making the same mistake of finding another jerk like him - something that happens all too often in real life.

[mckay]

I still think he bailed on them because David Michael wasn't his. Just my theory, though. In which case, it's still a crappy thing to do, but it becomes a bit more understandable.

[sotypical42483]

Elizabeth doesn't seem like the cheating type and I don't believe DM isn't Patrick's. I think the reason Patrick isn't interested in DM is because he never actually KNEW him. He had close relationships with Kristy, Charlie and Sam because they were older. DM was an infant, it's possible they never bonded and Patrick, being the a-hole that he is, doesn't give a crap about that. I hate him with a passion. I hate him in whichever FF book it is that the kids go to his stupid wedding - he blames Sam for being angry at him. I hate him so so so much in that book and I think it'd be really hard to watch the dad that abandonded YOU and YOUR MOM find someone he suddenly thinks is worth sticking around for - assuming he sticks around for Zoe or Chloe or whatever her name is - who btw also really made me mad with all of her stupid excuses for Patrick.

[inge]

I really, really hate Patrick, too. He's my least favorite character (if you can call him that). I think it's really understandable that the kids dislike him. I think it would still be in their right to be more angry than they are. Personally, I don't buy the DM isn't Patricks, either

[aln1982]

Even though it is a good joke that DM isn't Patrick's, I don't believe it at all. I see him as a "save the marriage" baby more than anything and agree that I don't see Elizabeth as a cheater - Patrick maybe but not Elizabeth. As for his being closer with the older kids, it always seemed like more of a buddy/buddy relationship than parent/child (even though I totally believe that parents can be their kids' good friends - mine are . An example is in Kristy's Book where he doesn't think she should be punished at all for sneaking off to the Car Man movie and just kind of laughs about it, contradicting Elizabeth right in front of Kristy as she's trying to reprimand her. Real mature - yeah right.
Glad for agreement on my Patrick-hatred.

[mckay]

The idea of having DM to save their marriage is a good one. Never occurred to me!

As for Elizabeth not being a potential cheater, though, I disagree. She always seems to have a kind of martyred air about her that makes me think that she could have done something like that and rationalized it so that she didn't feel she did anything wrong.

[sotypical42483]

I have just never seen any evidence in any BSC book that would lead me to believe Elizabeth cheated. I don't see how she comes across as that type at all, and if she did cheat, why isn't she getting child support from DM's real dad? At least at the beginning of the series when it'd help her out?

Besides, even if Elizabeth DID cheat, that is still NO excuse to abandon your children! Abandon her? Sure. But your kids? No. He's still a jerk.

[secondhandshoes]

I still think that DM isn't Patrick's and that's why he bailed.

We don't know why he abandoned them, or why he never made contact. We've only heard one side of the story, and I don't exactly trust it. After all, a child will believe anything his mother says to a degree.

I actually wrote a story about a year ago about Patrick's take on the situation, and I somehow convinced myself that Elizabeth was an evil, evil, conniving witch.

Team Patrick!

[inge]

I just don't think the books have that kind of a double meaning. I think it's just the way things are in the books, logical or not, we shouldn't be reading too much in to them. I love the theories, but they're just for fun

[aln1982]

Good point and agreed about kids believing anything their mom tells them and there always being another viewpoint. This is what I was saying about perspective and Mrs. Barrett and Elizabeth in the Elizabeth thread. I also agree that Elizabeth has faults but won’t get into that here. I went into it too much already in her thread Though I am not the biggest Elizabeth fan, I agree with sotypical that I just don’t see any evidence that she cheated. Besides, even if she was a conniving awful witch, that didn’t give Patrick the right to abandon his family – children, especially. He had a responsibility and should have handled it in a mature way instead of just taking off. The ONLY situations that I can see doing this is if a spouse takes the kids away from an abuser. Abandonment is just not acceptable for any reason, in my opinion. And I see no excuse for Patrick’s not trying harder to contact the kids unless he wants to give up rights so Watson can adopt them because he thinks that’s in their best interest. But I am sure that Patrick’s perspective is certainly interesting. From any perspective, though, I still see him as immature and irresponsible – a fun buddy but not a real “adult” guy. I agree with Inge, too, that we read too much into this stuff but it’s good practice for our analytical skills ;D

[hitzpink]

sotypical42483 said:

Besides, even if Elizabeth DID cheat, that is still NO excuse to abandon your children! Abandon her? Sure. But your kids? No. He's still a jerk.

I TOTALLY agree with that. If she did cheat (which I don't think she did), Patrick should have divorced her and shared custody of the kids. I can't imagine somebody being cheated on and then deciding to completely abandon his four (well, three if DM wasn't his) kids because of it. No way. What he did is totally inexcusable, not matter what "reasons" he had for it. Ugh, I hate Patrick. I totally despised him in the movie, too.

[sotypical42483]

Team Patrick?!

Doesn't Kristy even say he never sends child support? What possible excuse could anyone come up with to make that okay?!

edit: and I totally agree with inge. I don't think AMM, etc have ever implied that DM wasn't Patricks and that they don't mean for us to read into it that way.

[lyricalangel]

^I agree sotypical.

[mckay]

I imagine AMM didn't mean for us to read anything into these books! I wonder what she'd think if she read these forums...hopefully she wouldn't be afraid of us I know I'd be flattered in her shoes, but then that's just me.

[icequeen]

I never liked Patrick for what he did, but maybe cos sort of he reminds me of my own father (although mine is worse).
But awhile ago I decided that Patrick Thomas was my favourite name for guy (this decision having nothing to do with the BSC) and I've always wanted to marry a chef. When I read FF:Kristy's Big News I was like OMG!! I mean I've always known Kristy's dad's name is Patrick but I never put 2 and 2 together. How strange...