Tom Quinn (Spooks)
| Tom Quinn | |
|---|---|
| Spooks character | |
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Quinn
|
|
| First appearance | "Thou Shalt Not Kill" |
| Last appearance | "Series 10, Episode 6" |
| Portrayed by | Matthew Macfadyen |
| Information | |
| Aliases | Matthew Archer Steve Wilkes Davy Crockett Mr Anderson John Steadman David Ghetty Jack Mike |
| Occupation | Former MI5 officer |
| Title | Former Chief of Section D |
| Spouse(s) | Christine Dale |
| Significant other(s) | Ellie Simm (former) |
| Nationality | British (Irish descent) |
Tom Quinn is a fictional character in the BBC espionage television series Spooks (called MI-5 in the United States), which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Matthew Macfadyen. In the first two series, Tom is the chief of Section D. The character was in the first and second episode of the third series but was decommissioned as a result of sabotaging an operation.
Series creator David Wolstencroft believed that writing Tom was the most fun, yet hardest to work on. During the second series, the producers were unsure whether Macfadyen would return for the third; because of this, Tom was originally killed in the second series finale. However, when Macfadyen decided to appear in the first two episodes of the third series, series writer Howard Brenton had to "unkill him." Reaction towards the character by fans were positive, though critics were mixed about Macfadyen's portrayal. Tom Quinn would later appear again as a cameo on the final episode of Spooks; his brief return was met with generally positive reactions.
Tom Quinn joined Section D in 1996, where he eventually became Head of Section D following the imprisonment of predecessor Lucas North (Richard Armitage) during an operation in Russia. Throughout the first series, Tom engages in a relationship with Ellie Simm (Esther Hall), who knows him as "Matthew Archer", a civil servant in IT. In the second episode, Tom performed an undercover operation with fellow officer Helen Flynn (Lisa Faulkner) to recruit the wife of right-wing businessman, Robert Osbourne, who was believed to incite race riots throughout the country. However, during the operation, Osbourne discovers they are spies and attempts to get his hands on information regarding MI5 operations. When Tom fails to cooperate Osbourne tortured Flynn with a deep fryer before killing her. Tom is able to escape and works with Harry to have Osbourne assassinated for retribution. When Tom is shot during a Turkish Consulate raid in the third episode, Tom is forced to admit his true identity and profession, which temporarily puts a strain on their relationship. In the series one finale, Tom has his home protected in order to keep Ellie and her daughter Maisie safe. However, in the end of the finale, he inadvertently brings home a laptop rigged with C4; Ellie and Maisie become trapped in the house with the bomb. The bomb fails to detonate. However, by the end of the second series premiere, Ellie leaves Tom, claiming that he will always choose his job over her.
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