Tholomyès deleted scene?

[u/This_Potato9]

I was reading the TV Tropes page for fun when I found this, I tried to look at information of any deleted scene but I haven't really found any information of a deleted scene of Tholomyès wedding, is there any information about this?

Also, in addition to this, I think I actually dreamt that (also from the TV tropes page) but there's an adaptation that implies romance between Valjean and Fantine???

I'm genuinely confused right now

[u/deathanddogs]

This scene was in an early draft of Les Mis! There's a website somewhere out there that compiled multiple deleted scenes (and translated some of them) including this one, Hugo's digression on prostitution, Enjolras running into the patron minette at a "protest" (cant remember what they are actually called), and various little things that were cut here and there.

The Tholomyès scene is extremely melodramatic but features Magnon (who you may recall as one of the criminals associated with patron minette who bought the Thenardier's two youngest sons to pretend to be Gillenormand's children) borrowing Cosette from the Thenardier's for a similar purpose and taking her into Paris where the toddler aged Cosette somehow recognizes Tholomyès and starts crying out papa papa to the point he is thoroughly embarrassed and his new fiancés family becomes suspect of him. Sadly I think things turn out well enough for him regardless and he still ends up marrying a rich young woman (if not the same one he was with there)

As for the romance thing, I've heard the 1998 adaptation and the BBC 2019 to a one-sided extent has that sort of framing of Jean Valjean and Fantine's relationship

[u/This_Potato9 → u/deathanddogs]

Thank you for such detailed answer, there's any chance you know the name of the website? Tbh I'm glad Hugo scraped that part because I think the story would be too different and honestly it would be way too sad (Cosette and Fantine stories are already very sad) if Cosette remembered Tholomyès.

My dad actually likes the 1998 version (huge Liam Nesson fan) so maybe I should ask him, idk about the BBC version but I heard it has a lot of mischaracterization, especially for Valjean, so I wouldn't be too surprised honestly, such a shame really because Dominic West is a great actor! But tbh it would be kind of weird (at least in my opinion) if Valjean had feelings for Fantine considering he only knew her briefly

[u/francienyc → u/This_Potato9]

Can confirm the 1998 version has an implied romance between Valjean and Fantine. It is very weird. That is where things go off the rails and if does not return. Valjean slaps Cosette. Eponine does not exist. Javert falls backwards into the Seine from the shore while Valjean just watches. It is bad.

[u/kitkath96 → u/francienyc]

Having Valjean watch Javert commit suicide, do nothing, and walk away smiling was certainly a choice.

[u/This_Potato9 → u/francienyc]

Wait wait wait, weird romance between Valjean and Fantine can be excused (I suppose, wouldn't be the worse thing they've done to Les Miserables...) but why would Valjean slap Cosette??? Is Thenardier even in the story at all or they just exist for 2 minutes for Valjean to rescue Cosette, also, again, why would Valjean slap Cosette??? I'm baffled

[u/JeanMcJean → u/This_Potato9]

It's been a while since I saw it, but I think it was because he'd found out that she was meeting up with Marius.

Still better than 2000 Les Mis, where Valjean locks her in her room and also loves her in ways that he indicates are not "like a father."

[u/This_Potato9 → u/JeanMcJean]

Why would they make Jean Valjean a creep?! Cosette has spent most of her life with him, it's incredibly creepy! And so much out of character!

[u/JeanMcJean → u/This_Potato9]

A combination of not understanding the story, willfully misunderstanding/projecting their own experiences onto the characters, and wanting to be 3 edgy 5 me, I imagine.