Malcolm Wynn-Jones
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Wynn-Jones was the fictional MI5 analyst, featured in the British television series Spooks
, also known as MI5
in the United States
. Malcolm was played by Hugh Simon
from the start of Spooks in 2002 until the character was retired at the start of Series 8 in 2009. The character however, made a return in the latter stages of Series 9 in 2010.
brother "Giles" when she falls for someone the team are watching, and we know from Series 5 Episode 6 that he is a collector of old 1970s bugs
. His mother is still alive, as mentioned by him in episode 8 of series 7, and seen on-screen in episode 6 of series 9. In the officially-licensed tie-in book, "Harry's Diary", it is revealed that Malcolm joined Section D in January 1990.
He is also adept at quoting from great literature, for example:
He is a hard, devoted worker, and MI5 training assessments show him as an excellent surveillance officer, linguist and marksman
. He is also very good in technical
matters, as well as teamwork
. He attained an above-average score on the training exam of 3.1. Due to his asthma
, he is not physically fit
, and has a tendency to panic
under pressure
. He almost lives at Thames House
- in 2005 a Section X report stated that Malcolm 'continued to take more than 90% of his meals in the office canteen'.
Malcolm is distraught when his best friend and colleague Colin Wells
is executed in Series 5, Episode 1. Senior Case Officer Adam Carter
persuades Malcolm to stay on the job after Malcolm says that he can't pretend that nothing happened to Colin.
Another moment where Malcolm appears to be weaker than his colleagues is in the episode Diana when he is faced with a bomb and has to cut a wire to stop it from going off, killing him and Adam. He freezes, not knowing which wire to cut. He later reveals to Ruth that "bravery terrifies me".
However in the first episode of Series 8, Malcolm formed a bond with Ruth's step-son Nico and had him and Ruth's husband moved to a better safehouse after Ruth's return from Cyprus. Rogue elements within the CIA and MI6 kidnapped Nico and Ruth's husband, holding them hostage without their knowledge. Malcolm discovered their location after the execution of Ruth's husband and offered himself to the lead kidnapper to be shot instead of Nico. Malcolm managed to calm Nico by telling him a story about a dog. He persuaded the kidnapper not to execute him, offering his own life instead. The kidnapper decided not to shoot.
Not long after the incident, Malcolm told Harry that he wanted to retire from MI5, believing he was too old to continue. Harry grudgingly agreed and Malcolm subsequently left the Grid.
Malcolm was then replaced by the much younger Tariq Masood who began in Season 8 Episode 2.
Malcolm was one of two characters who returned in series 9 along with Nicholas Blake
. He appeared in the 6th episode of the 9th series, where Lucas shows up at his house, asking for the Albany file, so he could give it to Vaughn Edwards, a mysterious figure from Lucas's past. Malcolm gave it to him, but appeared to know of Lucas's illicit intentions and murky past, as the file was a fake. Upon learning this, Lucas stormed Malcolm's home, but it had been completely cleared out.
It was also in this episode that Malcolm's mother, only mentioned before, appeared.
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
, also known as MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Malcolm was played by Hugh Simon
Hugh Simon
Hugh Simon is a British actor, best known for his portrayal of the character Malcolm Wynn-Jones in the television series Spooks. His other TV credits include Shackleton, Attachments, Cold Feet, North Square, Big Bad World, and "Unusual Suspects" .He has also appeared onstage, as in the 2005 London...
from the start of Spooks in 2002 until the character was retired at the start of Series 8 in 2009. The character however, made a return in the latter stages of Series 9 in 2010.
Spooks profile
Malcolm started out at the very beginning, as an analyst. In the script for one of his first episodes, he is described as being "an odd-looking man in a bow-tie. He sounds almost autistic--a walking intelligence encyclopaedia." Nothing about his private life works its way into any storyline, but he does pose as Ruth'sRuth Evershed
Ruth Evershed was a fictional Senior Intelligence Analyst seconded from GCHQ to MI5, featured in the British Television Series Spooks, also known as MI-5 in the United States. Ruth was played by Nicola Walker from the time the character joined the show in 2003, until Walker left to have a baby in...
brother "Giles" when she falls for someone the team are watching, and we know from Series 5 Episode 6 that he is a collector of old 1970s bugs
Covert listening device
A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and in police investigations.A bug does not have to be a device...
. His mother is still alive, as mentioned by him in episode 8 of series 7, and seen on-screen in episode 6 of series 9. In the officially-licensed tie-in book, "Harry's Diary", it is revealed that Malcolm joined Section D in January 1990.
He is also adept at quoting from great literature, for example:
He is a hard, devoted worker, and MI5 training assessments show him as an excellent surveillance officer, linguist and marksman
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
. He is also very good in technical
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
matters, as well as teamwork
Teamwork
Teamwork is action performed by a team towards a common goal. A team consists of more than one person, each of whom typically has different responsibilities....
. He attained an above-average score on the training exam of 3.1. Due to his asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
, he is not physically fit
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
, and has a tendency to panic
Panic
Panic is a sudden sensation of fear which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and frantic agitation consistent with an animalistic fight-or-flight reaction...
under pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
. He almost lives at Thames House
Thames House
Thames House is an office development in Millbank, London, on the north bank of the River Thames adjacent to Lambeth Bridge, designed originally as commercial head offices...
- in 2005 a Section X report stated that Malcolm 'continued to take more than 90% of his meals in the office canteen'.
Malcolm is distraught when his best friend and colleague Colin Wells
Colin Wells (Spooks)
Colin Wells is a fictional character appearing in the BBC spy drama Spooks, known in the United States as MI-5. He is a technical officer of Section D, the counterterrorism unit of MI5, and appears regularly from the second episode of series 1 until the first episode of series 5, when he is...
is executed in Series 5, Episode 1. Senior Case Officer Adam Carter
Adam Carter
Adam Henry Carter is a fictional character from the BBC espionage television series Spooks, which follows the exploits of Section D, a counter-terrorism division of MI5. He is portrayed by British actor Rupert Penry-Jones...
persuades Malcolm to stay on the job after Malcolm says that he can't pretend that nothing happened to Colin.
Another moment where Malcolm appears to be weaker than his colleagues is in the episode Diana when he is faced with a bomb and has to cut a wire to stop it from going off, killing him and Adam. He freezes, not knowing which wire to cut. He later reveals to Ruth that "bravery terrifies me".
However in the first episode of Series 8, Malcolm formed a bond with Ruth's step-son Nico and had him and Ruth's husband moved to a better safehouse after Ruth's return from Cyprus. Rogue elements within the CIA and MI6 kidnapped Nico and Ruth's husband, holding them hostage without their knowledge. Malcolm discovered their location after the execution of Ruth's husband and offered himself to the lead kidnapper to be shot instead of Nico. Malcolm managed to calm Nico by telling him a story about a dog. He persuaded the kidnapper not to execute him, offering his own life instead. The kidnapper decided not to shoot.
Not long after the incident, Malcolm told Harry that he wanted to retire from MI5, believing he was too old to continue. Harry grudgingly agreed and Malcolm subsequently left the Grid.
Malcolm was then replaced by the much younger Tariq Masood who began in Season 8 Episode 2.
Malcolm was one of two characters who returned in series 9 along with Nicholas Blake
Nicholas Blake (Spooks)
Nicholas Blake MP is a fictional character in the British TV series Spooks, portrayed by British actor Robert Glenister. Blake was Home Secretary in the British government. He was regularly in contact with Harry Pearce, regarding National Security....
. He appeared in the 6th episode of the 9th series, where Lucas shows up at his house, asking for the Albany file, so he could give it to Vaughn Edwards, a mysterious figure from Lucas's past. Malcolm gave it to him, but appeared to know of Lucas's illicit intentions and murky past, as the file was a fake. Upon learning this, Lucas stormed Malcolm's home, but it had been completely cleared out.
It was also in this episode that Malcolm's mother, only mentioned before, appeared.