Tom Quinn

This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (October 2009)

Tom Quinn
Spooks character
First appearance	Series 1, Episode 1
Last appearance	Series 3, Episode 2[1]
Portrayed by	Matthew Macfadyen
Information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Trans Atlantic Security Co-Founder & Co-Head, Former: Chief of Section & Senior Case Officer, Section D

Tom Quinn was the fictional Section Chief in Section D, MI5's Counter-Terrorism Department, as seen in BBC spy drama Spooks (also known as MI-5 in the USA). He was portrayed by actor Matthew Macfadyen until his departure in the third season.

Overview

Tom was intelligent, dedicated and focused with impeccable instincts when it came to his job, making him an exceptional intelligence officer. He had natural leadership instincts and could relate to all of his staff. Having joined Section D directly from his training in June 1996^[2], Quinn was particularly close to his boss Harry Pearce and the two ran Section D effectively. He helped both Zoe Reynolds and Danny Hunter (who were his junior officers) in their careers and training.

At the start of the first series Tom Quinn's girlfriend was Ellie Simm who knew him under the alias Matthew Archer. When later in the series she found out that he worked for MI-5 and had not even told her his real name, she was not happy. However she began to accept his career and all appeared well. However, during finale of season one their house almost got blown up when Tom unknowingly took a hidden bomb home with him. When Ellie and her daughter were nearly killed in the resulting explosion she made Tom choose between her and his job; he chose his job and she left him at the beginning of season two.

During series two, the character developed more. Upon realizing Ruth Evershed was a mole, he managed to turn her and she had a faultless career since. In the fifth episode of the series (during an EERIE exercise) the team believed that a bomb had gone off in London and they were all going to die; however Tom (with the help of Ruth and Zoe) managed to keep the team together and he was congratulated on a 'superb display of leadership'. Towards the end of the series, Tom's conscience started to interfere with his work. After a difficult operation where he had gone undercover and an army officer was killed whilst trying to help better the army, he started to question the job. This was only made worse after he and Zoe lost a young woman in the next episode unnecessarily.

Tom's CIA girlfriend, Christine Dale, proved to be Tom's downfall as she unknowingly fed him a false telegram about an American hitman coming to the UK (during the second season finale). It was actually Herman Joyce, looking for revenge after Tom ruined the life of his daughter. Tom was framed for murder and shot Harry Pearce in the left shoulder while escaping with the intention of proving his innocence. The rest of the team believed Tom was a traitor and the last shot of Tom during the second series saw him swimming out into the North Sea.

Eventually, with the help of Adam Carter, the team was saved and Oliver Mace, who was using Tom's "treachery" to destroy MI5, was forced to back down. Tom was proved innocent and returned to Section D. However in the following episode, Tom was tasked to use a scientist and his family in a fly trap operation to try and capture terrorists. Tom got a rush of morality and almost ruined an operation, forcing Harry to decommission him from the Service; ending his career at MI5. Tom was escorted back to Thames House by Adam, and later, after finalizing his dismissal, said his final goodbye to Harry (Danny and Zoe refusing to speak to him). Harry revealed he made sure Tom would not be disciplined, and will also receive the extra-large and very generous special pension (a "pay-off" for rogue officers), as well as admitting that, if it is true the job is slowly destroying them, then Harry is envious of Tom leaving while he still could. Tom then left The Grid and departed Thames House. With one more look towards the camera over the entrance, with Harry seeing him from the other end, Tom turned away and walked away for good.

The team were severely affected by Tom's departure, especially Danny (despite giving him the cold shoulder before his departure). Adam succeeded Tom as Section Chief, and later motivated the team back into action by speaking for Tom; Adam does no diservice to Tom - calling him an outstanding case officer and that his record spoke for itself, but was nevertheless gone and now Adam needed the team on his side. Adam would later use Tom's tapes for guidance during his early days as a Section Chief.

In Season 7, Episode 1 Lucas North, Tom's predecessor, was returned home to Britain from imprisonment by the Russians, and at one point he asks Harry 'How did Tom Quinn work out' and Harry replies 'He took early retirement'.

In the books Spooks: The Personnel Files (2007) and Spooks: Harry's Diary (which is canonical within the Spooks continuity); more detail on Tom's history and past operations before the events of the series are detailed, as well as his friendship with Harry, and more reasons surrounding his motivation to end his career. Tom was revealed to have given an exit interview after being decommissioned, and, after reuniting with Christine Dale (the CIA operative who resigned in Season 3, Episode 1 and previously had an affair with Tom despite his being ordered to stop seeing her by Harry), went on a round-the-world trip, and, in 2005, later co-founded "Trans Atlantic Security", a private security firm, and married Christine. A footnote from Harry states that this info should be added to Tom's MI5 file and Harry is delighted to see it; pleased for Tom to have finally found peace in his love life.

• Section Chief, Section D, MI5
• 2000 - 2004
• Preceded by: Lucas North
• Succeeded by: Adam Carter

References

1. ^ Matthew Macfadyen - Filmography by TV series
2. ^ Harry's Diary. London: Headline Publishing. pp. 181 & 188. ISBN 978-0-7553-3398-1.