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"We acquire more knowledge." This article or section needs to be updated. Info from Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus needs to be added.
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Tommy H, portrayed by Chester Rushing, is a recurring character from the first and second seasons of Stranger Things; he also appears in the novel, Stranger Things: Flight of Icarus.
Tommy was a student at Hawkins High School who dated Carol Perkins in 1983. Though Tommy and Carol were friends with Steve Harrington, the friend group fell apart due to the situation with Steve's then-girlfriend, Nancy Wheeler. By 1984, the status of Tommy and Carol's relationship was unclear, though both apparently befriended Billy Hargrove.
Quick Answers
Who portrays the character Tommy H in Stranger Things?
What is the relationship between Tommy H and Carol Perkins in Stranger Things?
How did Tommy H's friendship with Steve Harrington change over the course of Stranger Things?
What happened to Tommy H and Carol's relationship in Stranger Things season 2?
How does Tommy H's character contribute to the overall plot of Stranger Things?
History[]
Background[]
Tommy was a student at Hawkins High. He dated Carol Perkins, and was a best friend of Steve Harrington and Nicole. According to classmate Barbara Holland, Carol and Tommy had been "having sex since, like, seventh grade".
1983[]
On November 8, 1983, Carol and Tommy went to a pool party at Steve's house, with Steve, Steve's new girlfriend Nancy Wheeler, and Barbara Holland, Nancy's best friend.
The same group of teens - minus Barb, who had mysteriously vanished - hung out together at school in the days after the party. Nancy, however, became concerned about Barb's disappearance, and gradually became less active in the group.
When Jonathan Byers was revealed to have been at the scene of the party, hiding in the foliage and taking photographs, Tommy, Steve, and Carol broke his camera and tore up his photographs.
When Steve decided to check up on Nancy after the camera incident, Tommy and Carol teased him for caring about Nancy. They drove to the Wheeler's house, where Steve got out and climbed up the roof, aiming to enter Nancy's bedroom via the window. Steve saw Nancy and Jonathan together, and mistakenly came to the conclusion that they were sleeping together.
The next day, Steve, Tommy, Carol, and Nicole graffitied abusive, obscene slurs against the walls of the Hawk Theater. This led to a fist-fight between Jonathan and Steve, which left Steve with a black eye and a bloody face. The police came to the scene to stop the fight, but Steve, Tommy, Carol, and Nicole escaped.
While outside a gas station, Steve decided to turn his back on Tommy and Carol, deeming them to be "assholes" and regretted letting them spray-paint the marquee. After Tommy threatened to fight him, Steve got in his car and drove off to apologize to Nancy and Jonathan.
1984[]
After the arrival of Billy Hargrove, Tommy quickly became friends with him, as Billy outdid Steve in terms of popularity. At Tina's Halloween Party, he dressed up as Johnny Lawrence from The Karate Kid.
Two days later, Tommy belittled and ridiculed Steve after Nancy dumped him, laughing when Steve suddenly became aware that Nancy had gone off with Jonathan.
1985[]
In 1985, Steve told Robin that Tommy H would have made fun of Steve and Steve would not be prom king if he had dated her in High School.
Personality[]
Tommy, like his girlfriend, Carol, is shown to be very shallow and mean-spirited, never missing an opportunity to ridicule Steve about his relationship with Nancy, ultimately resulting in Steve falling out with him.
He is particularly nasty to Jonathan Byers, making rude comments about his missing brother Will, speculating that Jonathan may have killed him. There seems to be no redeeming qualities about Tommy, being depicted as a one-dimensional bully. He is shown to be completely indifferent and unsympathetic about the disappearance of Barbara Holland.
The only thing that Tommy did that could amount to an act of decency was during the fight between Jonathan and Steve. After initially goading Steve on to beat up Jonathan, Tommy soon realized that Steve was losing the fight badly, and was taking a severe beating from Jonathan. This prompted Tommy to attempt to intervene on Steve’s behalf, trying to pull Jonathan away and even plead with Jonathan to ease up as “[Steve] has had enough”. This act of decency, however, was quickly undone mere hours later. Although Tommy bought Steve painkillers and soda to ease the latter’s injuries, Tommy reminded him that Steve owed him money for this. Then when Steve called his friends out for being jerks, Tommy instantly turns on Steve, threatening to beat him up worse than what Jonathan did.
It can be inferred that despite Tommy’s hatred of Jonathan Byers, he still acknowledged that Jonathan was a dangerous fighter and hence, it is unlikely that Tommy would ever have considered fighting Jonathan. Thus, despite Tommy accusing Steve of running away, it proves that ironically, Tommy is truly a coward in contrast to Steve who proved himself to be brave after all.
Relationships[]
- Carol Perkins – Girlfriend
- Steve Harrington – Former best friend; enemy
- Nancy Wheeler – Former friend; enemy
- Jonathan Byers – Enemy
- Billy Hargrove † - Acquaintance
Appearances[]
| Season One appearances | |||
| The Weirdo on Maple Street | Holly, Jolly | ||
| The Monster | The Bathtub | ||
| Season Two appearances | |||
| Trick or Treat, Freak | The Pollywog | ||
| Will the Wise | |||
Gallery[]
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For this subject's gallery, see Tommy H/Gallery. |
Trivia[]
Tommy's surname[]
- Tommy's surname is a point of contention:
- In the first three seasons, Tommy is often called "Tommy H" (implying there's another Tommy with different initials at Hawkins High).
- In the Hawkins High School Yearbook, Tommy is listed as "Tommy Hagan".
- Likewise, in Rebel Robin: Surviving Hawkins, Mr. Hauser calls Tommy "Mr. Hagan".
- In the novel Flight of Icarus, Tommy is called "Tommy Hayes".
- If taken to be canon, this could mean Tommy is related to Jennifer Hayes.
- Due to the wiki's rules surrounding canonicity, Tommy is simply listed as "Tommy H".[canon-rationale 1]
General[]
- In the Hawkins High School Yearbook, Tommy declines to name a favorite subject, saying "they're all equally good for sleeping". His career goal is to be Mayor. He is shown to be a "Class Clown".
- According to Chester Rushing on social media, he played Tommy as having had romantic feelings for Steve, which played into Tommy’s anger and resentment when Steve cut ties with him.[1]
- Tommy and Carol are the first couple on the show to be bullies; the second being Angela and Jake.
References
Canon hierarchy[]
- ↑ Multiple Tier 3 sources give Tommy two different surnames. Since these sources are equally weighted, the page has been renamed "Tommy H", for simplicity's sake.