Thomas Tomone
Encyclopedia
Thomas Tomone is a fictional character in the E4 television series Skins
. Thomas stands as being one of the only characters on the show who is not British-born, having originated from Sangha, Republic of the Congo
; with his first language being French
. He is a migrant who has recently arrived in Bristol, and is unused to the change in climate, and the British way of life. He is considerably kinder and more spiritual than most of the gang.
Thomas' family, like him, are not used to the British way of life, and find it difficult to fit their African upbringing into their new lifestyle. His mother, Kosoke, takes her role as a mother somewhat seriously, and constantly berates Thomas whenever he challenges her. This proves difficult, especially as Thomas' brother, Daniel suffers from Cystic fibrosis
, not helped by the damp and dusty apartment that they live in.
Thomas finds employment at Roundview College, where Pandora and the gang attend. He starts to show signs of homesickness when Pandora encounters him after a dance class, which centred around Africa. She invites him over to her aunt's for tea and scones. The two discover that the "tea" is, in fact, Cannabis
, and plan to sell it to pay off Thomas' rent. The two then share a kiss in the greenhouse. After selling the weed on Johnny's turf, he challenges Thomas to a chilli eating competition. Little does he know, however, that the chillis he challenges Thomas to eat are, in fact, Thomas' favourite type, and after Thomas eats a massive handful, he wins the challenge. While celebrating the victory, Thomas enters his room to discover Pandora sitting on his bed in her underwear, in the hope that he will take her virginity. Before they can consummate, however, Thomas' mother, Kosoke arrives early and, seeing the lifestyle he is now in contact with, drags him back to the Congo, breaking his and Pandora's hearts.
Thomas later returns to Britain in "Pandora," unaware that Pandora lost her virginity to Cook only the night before. He gets a job in a nightclub and continues to see Pandora. However, in "JJ," Cook, after taking JJ's medication, accidentally reveals that he is continuing an affair with Panda, and Thomas, enraged, breaks up with her.
In "Katie and Emily," Thomas meets a tearful Emily, who has been having sex with Naomi, but left angrily without taking her shoes or coat, at a bus stop. He consoles her and gives her his jacket and shoes. Later on, he reconciles with Panda at the school prom.
Thomas then proceeds to have sex with the daughter of the local Parish pastor. He feels guilty and reveals his infidelity to Pandora over a movie with JJ, and she breaks up with him. He does not pursue a relationship with the pastor's daughter, and instead resolves to use the bribe money to buy a new house and get a new job at a local confectionary store, which Kosoke appreciates. However, he continues to be rebuffed and ostracised by Pandora, who refuses to take him back.
In "Katie," Thomas attends a party at Emily and Naomi's house, and accidentally locks himself in the bathroom with a naked Katie in the bath. The two share a kiss, but do not pursue a relationship. Thomas consoles her after she admits to having had a premature menopause, and is no longer fertile. Katie leaves feeling angry at the way Pandora treats Thomas.
In "JJ," Thomas has replaced Freddie and Cook as a friend of JJ, who now works at the same confectionary store as Thomas. At Thomas' urging, JJ manages to win the affections of Lara Lloyd, a beautiful colleague, by threatening to ask her out himself. Thomas continues to offer JJ support after Lara breaks up with him, and helps him win her back.
In "Everyone," Thomas has taken up athletics, being a very fast runner. After his skill is spied on by a local trainer, Thomas is pushed into getting an athletics scholarship to Harvard University
in the United States (There is a flaw in the plot here as Ivy League
schools prohibit the granting of athletic scholarships). He and Katie work towards getting Pandora back by pretending to be in a relationship, when he is, in fact, helping her with her French (French being his first language). At the end, it is revealed that Pandora is also going to Harvard after getting exceptional grades in her exams, and the two finally reconcile.
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
. Thomas stands as being one of the only characters on the show who is not British-born, having originated from Sangha, Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
; with his first language being French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. He is a migrant who has recently arrived in Bristol, and is unused to the change in climate, and the British way of life. He is considerably kinder and more spiritual than most of the gang.
Characterisation
Thomas starts off the series being new to Britain and does not even make an appearance in the opening episode of Series 3. Unlike the rest of the gang, into which he integrated via Pandora Moon and Effy Stonem, he is very friendly, honest and spiritual. Initially, he proves instrumental in getting the local gangster, Johnny White off the gang's back. Furthermore, he is one of the more popular members of the gang, consoling Emily whenever Naomi upsets her, making friends with JJ and helping him get his first girlfriend, and consoling Katie after she receives some bad news about her fertility. Thomas spends most of the series as Pandora's boyfriend, and, due to his working in a nightclub, he is able to get them into many raves and nightclubs throughout the series. His relationship with Pandora is troubled, and fraught with infidelity on both sides, which causes tensions throughout the series.Thomas' family, like him, are not used to the British way of life, and find it difficult to fit their African upbringing into their new lifestyle. His mother, Kosoke, takes her role as a mother somewhat seriously, and constantly berates Thomas whenever he challenges her. This proves difficult, especially as Thomas' brother, Daniel suffers from Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...
, not helped by the damp and dusty apartment that they live in.
Series 3
Thomas' first appearance is in the third episode, "Thomas" wherein he has just arrived in Bristol from the Congo, with his family planning to join him in a few days. He is somewhat taken aback by the rudeness that meets him, and moves into a squalid and supposedly abandoned apartment in the city. After he fights off some boys who are terrorising a newsagent, he obtains some free doughnuts, and it is while he is eating them that he first meets Pandora and Effy, with whom he shares the doughnuts. After Pandora eats too many and is violently sick, he and Effy carry her home, to discover that Effy's mother is having an affair with her husband's boss. Later on, Thomas is woken in his apartment by Johnny White and his minions, who reveal that Thomas is, in fact, using their apartment without their permission. They demand that Thomas pay them back, or else risk eviction, with Johnny drinking some boiling pot noodles to threaten him.Thomas finds employment at Roundview College, where Pandora and the gang attend. He starts to show signs of homesickness when Pandora encounters him after a dance class, which centred around Africa. She invites him over to her aunt's for tea and scones. The two discover that the "tea" is, in fact, Cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
, and plan to sell it to pay off Thomas' rent. The two then share a kiss in the greenhouse. After selling the weed on Johnny's turf, he challenges Thomas to a chilli eating competition. Little does he know, however, that the chillis he challenges Thomas to eat are, in fact, Thomas' favourite type, and after Thomas eats a massive handful, he wins the challenge. While celebrating the victory, Thomas enters his room to discover Pandora sitting on his bed in her underwear, in the hope that he will take her virginity. Before they can consummate, however, Thomas' mother, Kosoke arrives early and, seeing the lifestyle he is now in contact with, drags him back to the Congo, breaking his and Pandora's hearts.
Thomas later returns to Britain in "Pandora," unaware that Pandora lost her virginity to Cook only the night before. He gets a job in a nightclub and continues to see Pandora. However, in "JJ," Cook, after taking JJ's medication, accidentally reveals that he is continuing an affair with Panda, and Thomas, enraged, breaks up with her.
In "Katie and Emily," Thomas meets a tearful Emily, who has been having sex with Naomi, but left angrily without taking her shoes or coat, at a bus stop. He consoles her and gives her his jacket and shoes. Later on, he reconciles with Panda at the school prom.
Series 4
Thomas's centric episode opens up the series when a local Army Cadet, Sophia, throws herself to her death at the nightclub in which Thomas works. Thomas suspects that she was high and that Cook sold her the drugs. In the aftermath, he is bribed to stay silent by the nightclub owner, although Kosoke is angry with him for accepting a bribe after such an event. After he is expelled from Roundview College and coming to blows with Cook, Thomas is depressed and distances himself from Panda, developing a close proximity to the local African church instead. After Daniel suffers from his cystic fibrosis, Thomas has an angry confrontation with his mother, after she berates him for challenging her parenting technique and mentions his deceased father.Thomas then proceeds to have sex with the daughter of the local Parish pastor. He feels guilty and reveals his infidelity to Pandora over a movie with JJ, and she breaks up with him. He does not pursue a relationship with the pastor's daughter, and instead resolves to use the bribe money to buy a new house and get a new job at a local confectionary store, which Kosoke appreciates. However, he continues to be rebuffed and ostracised by Pandora, who refuses to take him back.
In "Katie," Thomas attends a party at Emily and Naomi's house, and accidentally locks himself in the bathroom with a naked Katie in the bath. The two share a kiss, but do not pursue a relationship. Thomas consoles her after she admits to having had a premature menopause, and is no longer fertile. Katie leaves feeling angry at the way Pandora treats Thomas.
In "JJ," Thomas has replaced Freddie and Cook as a friend of JJ, who now works at the same confectionary store as Thomas. At Thomas' urging, JJ manages to win the affections of Lara Lloyd, a beautiful colleague, by threatening to ask her out himself. Thomas continues to offer JJ support after Lara breaks up with him, and helps him win her back.
In "Everyone," Thomas has taken up athletics, being a very fast runner. After his skill is spied on by a local trainer, Thomas is pushed into getting an athletics scholarship to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in the United States (There is a flaw in the plot here as Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
schools prohibit the granting of athletic scholarships). He and Katie work towards getting Pandora back by pretending to be in a relationship, when he is, in fact, helping her with her French (French being his first language). At the end, it is revealed that Pandora is also going to Harvard after getting exceptional grades in her exams, and the two finally reconcile.