Christopher Michael 'Chris' Gillhaney is the main character and the protagonist in the episode Smithereens. He is portrayed by Andrew Scott.
History[]
Prior to the events of the episode Smithereens, Chris was happily engaged to a woman called Tamsin. He was also an avid user of the social networking site Smithereen. One evening in 2015, when he was driving himself and Tamsin home from visiting his sick mother Eleanor Gillhaney in Ewelme, Oxfordshire he became momentarily distracted by a notification on his phone, causing him to take his eyes off the road. This resulted in a lethal car crash with an oncoming drunk driver, who died in the crash along with Tamsin. Due to the fact the other driver was intoxicated, he was blamed for the crash and Chris was viewed only as a victim.
Wrought with guilt and believing he was responsible for his fiance's death, Chris took it upon himself to orchestrate a situation where he would be able to speak directly with Smithereen CEO and founder Billy Bauer, and say his piece about how damaging and addictive the social media technology had become. He quit his job as an IT teacher, moved closer to London into his now deceased mothers house in Ewelme, Oxfordshire and purchased a valid account with rideshare company Hitcher from the dark web. Parking outside the Smithereen London office, he only accepted fares from people leaving the building in hopes he could kidnap someone high ranking enough to secure leverage to speak with Bauer. He also attends group therapy sessions in an attempt to control his guilt over the death of his fiance, where he meets and has sex with Hayley Blackwood in a one night stand.
In 2018 he kidnaps Jaden Tommins, after mistaking him for a higher ranking member of Smithereen due to his suit and the fact he is heading to the airport. However, it is revealed Jaden is actually merely an intern in his first week, and is only heading to the airport to provide Smithereen executive Vanessa Lampton with a change of clothes. Placing Tommins in the back seat of a secondary car with a bag over his head, he is spotted by Greater London Police officers PC Najma Haque and PC Damien Bullen who attempt to pull him over, but he leads them on a brief chase before crashing in a field. The two officer approach him, but he forces them to retreat when he draws a CZ 75B pistol and threatens to kill Jaden. He then demands that he speaks to the CEO of Smithereen, Billy Bauer, which is granted. He explains how he has contempt for social apps like Smithereen. Chris then attempts to kill himself by shooting himself, although Jaden stops him from doing so. The sniper misreads the situation as a struggle and fires two shots at the car, one of them killing Chris.
Relationships[]
Career[]
Notes and Trivia[]
- Chris is a man in his mid thirties with black hair, brown eyes and a slim build. He has a hectic and nervous disposition, possibly due to PTSD and depression.