Pandora Moon

Last updated
Pandora Moon
Skins character
Panda Moon.jpg
Lisa Backwell as Pandora Moon
First appearance"Effy" (episode 2.07)
Last appearance"Everyone" (episode 4.08)
Created by Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain
Portrayed byLisa Backwell
Seasons 2 - 4
Centric episode(s)"Pandora" (episode 3.04)
In-universe information
Occupation Student
FamilyAngela Moon (mother)
Elizabeth (aunt)
Professor Larbalestier (supposed father)

Pandora Moon is a fictional character in the E4 television series Skins , portrayed by Lisa Backwell. Pandora and Effy Stonem are the only "Second generation" characters to appear in series two, and she is prominent throughout the third and fourth series. She is known for being the sexually naive and immature friend of Effy Stonem from very early on in the series, and later for her troubled relationship with her boyfriend, Thomas Tomone.

Contents

Characterisation

Pandora starts off the series as Effy's polar opposite - while Effy is crafty and mature, Pandora is very childish and sexually naive. Despite this, they make unlikely friends, after Pandora shows Effy a circus trick she learned. Pandora's childish playfulness and sexual naivety are most likely linked to the old-fashioned views of her mother, Angela, who goes to great lengths to protect her from the world in which she eventually becomes embroiled. Her name may be a reference to the inner satellite of Saturn.

Pandora soon sheds her more childish side and matures after losing her virginity in her only centric episode. However, she then becomes involved in a troubled relationship with Thomas Tomone, a Congolese migrant new to the country, all the while living in the shadow of Effy, to whom she eventually stands up.

Character history

Series 2

Pandora, unlike most of the other "Second Generation" cast, makes her first appearance in Series 2, in which she joins Effy Stonem at the same school as Abigail Stock. Her childish naivety initially repulses Effy, but she eventually becomes her friend after Pandora shows off a circus trick that she learned. She later accompanies Effy to various nightclubs and raves, mostly on her quest to solve the relationship issues between Tony, Michelle, Sid and Cassie. When buying some spliff from Cassie, Pandora sees Cassie kissing another girl and is noticeably shocked, presumably having never encountered homosexuality before. After smoking the weed for the first time, she gets high very easily. Throughout the entire episode, her mother Angela continually rings her, and their conversation suggests that Angela is somewhat overprotective of her.

Effy, finally taking pity on Pandora, gives the art coursework Sid intended for her to Pandora, risking expulsion from the school.

Series 3

After joining Effy as a main character in the show, Pandora attends Roundview College. She is first seen within a swarm of blonde girls that take an interest in Katie Fitch's boyfriend Danny and immediately states that she is desperate to finally have sex (or "surf and turf") and lose her virginity. Later she walks out of her Hair & Beauty lesson (a course her mother forced her to take) and eventually finds and joins the Psychology class where she hopes to find Effy, who had just exited the lesson in order to have sex with Cook. In "Cook", Pandora throws up at Cook's birthday party, demonstrating low alcohol tolerance levels, but Cook insists on dragging them to a party not far away rather than allowing the girls to take her home.

In "Thomas", Pandora and Effy meet Thomas Tomone, a newly arrived migrant from the Congo as he is busy gorging himself on some free doughnuts he obtained from the local newsagent. Thomas offers her some, but she eats too much and is violently sick. As Thomas carries her home with Effy, they discover Effy's mother, Anthea is having an affair with her husband's boss. The next day, Pandora comes across Thomas after a dance class and invites him to her aunt's home for some tea and scones. There, they discover that the tea is made from cannabis, and share a kiss in the greenhouse. After Thomas manages to defeat Johnny White, the local gangster, Thomas enters his bedroom to discover Panda is sitting on his bed in her underwear, and she persuades him to take her virginity. However, before they can consummate, Thomas' mother arrives and, horrified by the presence of alcohol, drugs and sex in the apartment, drags him back to the Congo, breaking Pandora's heart.

In "Pandora, Pandora is still reeling from the loss of Thomas and attempts to console herself by organising a "girls only" birthday pyjama party with Effy, Katie, Emily, and Naomi, with the sole intention of playing Twister and learning about sexuality from her friends. Her mother, Angela, is revealed to be somewhat neurotic and old-fashioned, forcing the girls to throw away all of their cigarettes and alcohol, treating them like little children and trying to keep the party free of any boys. The girls are soon bored and drug Angela with MDMA in some brownies. The girls quietly express disgust over Pandora's behaviour behind her back.

When the party gets out of hand, after Katie's footballer boyfriend brings his friends over and JJ and Cook attempt to sneak in, Pandora retreats to the bathroom in tears, angry with Effy, whom she believes spiked the brownies, pining for her boyfriend. When she finally comes out, Cook is the only one left at the party and, seeing her distraught, he suggests they play Twister, cheering her up. After they finish, Cook offers to take her virginity, and they proceed to have sex. The next day, Effy sees Pandora with Cook and is hurt. When Effy confronts her, Pandora demonstrates a more empowered and mature side to herself and angrily informs Effy that Cook belongs to nobody. At that moment, Thomas returns and the two have a tearful reunion.

In "JJ," it is revealed that, despite Pandora's relationship with Thomas, she is still continuing an affair with Cook, after JJ sees her leaving his apartment and hides. Cook later confesses to his affair with Pandora after JJ gives him some drugs that make him more honest. This prompts an angry breakup between Pandora and Thomas in Effy Stonem.

In "Effy," Effy offers some Magic mushrooms she picked to the gang. The camp-out is later interrupted by Cook attempting to scare the lot of them. Cook then reveals the affair he and Pandora shared, causing Thomas to run off into the woods and leave, ending their relationship. Pandora punches Cook in the face, ending her affair with him. After discovering what Effy did to Katie that night, Pandora joins the gang in shunning Effy.

In "Katie and Emily," Thomas and Pandora eventually reconcile at the school prom night and their relationship is rekindled.

Series 4

In "Thomas," Pandora is shaken after a girl commits suicide at Thomas' nightclub. Having nowhere to go, she stays at Thomas' apartment with his mother and siblings. They quietly have sex in Thomas' room when everyone is asleep. Not long after, Thomas has sex with a girl from the local church and confesses his infidelity to Pandora afterwards. She is horrified and breaks up with him. Under advice from Effy, she does not take him back after he sorts out his and his family's lives, and throughout the series, continues to cruelly reject him.

Pandora makes fewer appearances in the series, usually seen alongside Effy at parties or continually rebuffing Thomas' persistent advances. Near the end, after Effy attempts suicide, she regularly visits her at the mental hospital in which she is being interred.

In "Everyone," Pandora and Katie organise a musical recital to attempt to cheer Effy up. After she manages to achieve exceptionally high grades, she is accepted into Harvard University in the United States, and Thomas, who had achieved a running scholarship, joins her, implying another reunion.

In an unseen scene, Pandora is revising for history in a local library, when she gets tutored by an expert. She is caught 'doodling', and accused of not taking her much needed help seriously. However, Pandora tries harder and makes progress in history. The history expert in the library is strongly implied to be Pandora's father, after a deep conversation between the two.

Related Research Articles

<i>Skins</i> (British TV series) British television series (2007–2013)

Skins is a British teen comedy drama television series that follows the lives of a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of sixth form. Its controversial story-lines have explored issues like dysfunctional families, mental illness, adolescent sexuality, gender, substance abuse, death, and bullying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Stonem</span> Character in Skins

Anthony "Tony" Stonem is a fictional character from the British television series Skins. He is the protagonist of the first seasons. Portrayed by Nicholas Hoult, the character was created by Bryan Elsley; Tony was the series' central character in its first and second season, from 2007 to 2008. In the first series finale, he is hit by a bus, leading to a trauma-related subplot in the second series. The character is considered an antihero, and in some respects his actions are very antagonistic due to his antisocial tendencies. However, this changes in the second series after he becomes a victim of a subdural hematoma and, as a result, becomes more vulnerable. Hoult, along with the other starring actors of the first two series, departed the show after its second season. The character was subsequently alluded to in episodes of the third and fourth series, which centred on Tony's sister Effy, played by Kaya Scodelario. In the 2011 North American adaptation of the show, Tony is played by actor James Newman, and the character's surname is changed to Schneider.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sid Jenkins</span> Fictional character from Skins

Sidney "Sid" Jenkins is a fictional character in the television series Skins portrayed by Mike Bailey. In the first series, Sid is portrayed as a nice guy stereotype, an unlucky virgin who is nervous around girls, and has low self-esteem. Tony Stonem is his role model, whom he frequently looks up to. However, by the second series, Sid is more dependable and following Tony's accident, becomes more confident in his own skin, leading him to have sexual relationships with both Cassie Ainsworth and Michelle Richardson, as well as standing up for himself more often.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effy Stonem</span> Fictional character from Skins

Elizabeth "Effy" Stonem is a fictional character in the television series Skins, played by Kaya Scodelario. She appears in all of the first four series, as well as the seventh series, and appears in the most episodes (27). Kaya Scodelario was included in Entertainment Weekly's 2009 "Summer Must List", being named "Bad Girl" for her portrayal of Effy. She was included in AfterEllen.com's Top 50 Favorite Female TV Characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katie Fitch</span> Fictional character from Skins

Katherine "Katie" Fitch is a fictional character in the television series Skins, played by Megan "Meg" Prescott. She is introduced in the third series. Her twin sister Emily is played by Megan's real-life twin Kathryn "Kat" Prescott

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Fitch</span> Fictional character from Skins

Emily Fitch is a fictional character in the television series Skins, played by Kathryn Prescott. She is introduced in the third series as the show's "second generation" of characters. Her twin sister Katie is played by Kathryn's real-life twin Megan Prescott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Tomone</span> Fictional character from Skins

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 became romantically involved with Pandora Moon. He is considerably kinder and more spiritual than most of the gang.

"Katie and Emily" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, which first aired on 19 March 2009 on E4 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Malcolm Campbell and Bryan Elsley, and was directed by Charles Martin. The episode focuses on the characters of twins Katie and Emily Fitch as they prepare for their college's annual ball. Katie refuses to leave home, recovering from being hit in the head with a rock, and faces her weakening control over her sister. Emily, meanwhile, is heartbroken when her girlfriend, Naomi Campbell, turns down Emily's invitation to the ball, and comes out to her family about her sexuality.

JJ (<i>Skins</i> series 3) 7th episode of the 3rd season of Skins

"JJ" is the seventh episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, which first aired on 5 March 2009 on E4 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The episode was written by the series' co-creator, Bryan Elsley, and was directed by Charles Martin. The episode focuses on the character of JJ Jones, who has Asperger syndrome, and his confusion about his life and his desire to be normal. He strikes up a friendship with Emily Fitch and attempts to solve the dispute between his friends James Cook and Freddie McClair over their shared love interest, Effy Stonem.

Pandora (<i>Skins</i>) 4th episode of the 3rd season of Skins

"Pandora" is the fourth episode of the third series of the British teen drama Skins, which first aired on 12 February 2009 on E4 in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The episode was written by Bryan Elsley and Georgia Lester, and was directed by Simon Massey. The episode focuses on the character of Pandora Moon, who is miserable after her boyfriend, Thomas Tomone, recently returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She holds a small pyjama party for her friends, but it descends into chaos when uninvited guests arrive and the food is spiked with drugs. Pandora and Effy get into an argument after both girls have sex with James Cook, but the argument is interrupted when Thomas unexpectedly returns.

James Cook (<i>Skins</i>) Fictional character from Skins

James Cook, known as Cook, to his friends, is a fictional character in the British teen drama Skins. He is portrayed by Jack O'Connell. In the third series, his true emotions are explored and it is revealed that his womanizing violent lifestyle is in fact a smoke screen to cover up his real emotions. His actions often cause trouble and create havoc, affecting those around him. However, in the fourth series, he begins to change his ways after a conversation with his solicitor and when he begins to realize the consequences of his actions, most notably witnessing his younger brother beginning to follow in his footsteps. His life is then taken in a wholly other direction when he investigates the disappearance of his best friend in series four's final episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freddie McClair</span> Fictional character

Frederick "Freddie" McClair is a fictional character from the British television series Skins. He is portrayed by Luke Pasqualino. In the third series, he is involved in a love triangle with Effy Stonem and his best friend James Cook. This causes a conflict between him and Cook, as well as their other best friend JJ. In the fourth series he continues his relationship with Effy and attempts to help her through her depression.

"Tony" is the first episode of British drama series, Skins. It was written by Bryan Elsley and directed by Paul Gay. It is told from the point of view of main character Tony Stonem. It aired on E4 on 25 January 2007.

"Effy" is the eighth and penultimate episode of the first series of the British teen drama Skins. It was written by Jack Thorne and directed by Adam Smith. It aired on E4 on 15 March 2007. It is told from the point of view of recurring character Effy Stonem and her brother, main character Tony Stonem.

Naomi Campbell is a fictional character in the British television teen drama Skins, played by Lily Loveless. Naomi was a main character in the third and fourth series of the programme, as part of the show's second set of characters. Her story lines focused mainly on her romantic relationship with Emily Fitch and identifying her sexuality, and were warmly received by critics. Loveless reprises the role for the seventh series, in the feature-length Skins Fire, which catches up with Effy as she struggles to cope with adult life and Naomi struggles with a diagnosis of cancer.

<i>Skins</i> (series 3) 3rd series of the British television show Skins

Skins is a British teen drama created by father-and-son television writers Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Company Pictures. The third series began airing on E4 on 22 January 2009 and ended on 26 March 2009. This series sees the introduction of a new cast; it follows the lives of the second generation of sixth form students Effy Stonem, Pandora Moon, Thomas Tomone, James Cook, Freddie McClair, JJ Jones, Naomi Campbell and twin sisters Emily and Katie Fitch.

<i>Skins</i> (series 4) 4th series of the British television show Skins

Skins is a British teen drama created by father-and-son television writers Bryan Elsley and Jamie Brittain for Company Pictures. The fourth series began airing on E4 on 28 January 2010 and ended on 18 March 2010. Like the previous series, this series follows the lives of the second generation, which consists of Effy Stonem, Pandora Moon, Thomas Tomone, James Cook, Freddie McClair, JJ Jones, Naomi Campbell, and twin sisters Emily and Katie Fitch.

JJ Jones (<i>Skins</i>) Fictional character from Skins

Jonah Jeremiah "JJ" Jones is a fictional character in the British teen drama Skins and is portrayed by Ollie Barbieri. He was introduced in the third series as a socially inept teenager who was a long-time friend of both Freddie McClair and James Cook. JJ is notable for being autistic and was a virgin when the series started. However, as series three and four progress, JJ becomes more socially confident. He is the only character in the third and fourth series to appear in every episode.

"Everyone" is the eighth and final episode of fourth series of the British teen drama Skins, and the 37th overall. It was first aired on 18 March 2010. It was written by Bryan Elsley and directed by Daniel O'Hara. It does not focus on any particular character. The main plot sees the gang investigate Freddie McClair's disappearance, upon being murdered by his girlfriend Effy Stonem's psychiatrist Dr. John Foster.