Skins Tony Stonem

What do we learn about Tony in the opening scene(s)?

Systematic Nature

In the opening scene, we see Tony open his eyes at the sound of distant church bells, and the camera zooms out from his face and reveals his bed. The bed sheet itself has two headless bodies on, and Tony sleeps between them, looking like a 'floating head' - this could be the directors way of portraying Tony as detached from normal feelings and the like, as you see later on in the series when he decides to cheat on his girlfriend and win her back just to get create excitement. The bed is also extremely neat, and, coupled with the fact that he's awake before his alarm actually goes off, it's suggested that he may suffer from insomnia (being unable to sleep, either at all or for extended periods of time).

His bedroom as a whole is extremely neat, and his clothes are folded and packed neatly into drawers - this hint at a possible case of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in him. He also goes through a rather specific series of workouts when the alarm goes out, suggesting he does it repeatedly each morning, with a specific routine to go through - this is again suggested by his watch alarm going off (apparently set by him) that tells him when his sister has come back, and he goes through a routine to distract his father so she can let herself in. This is apparently a part of the routine, as his father states that it happens "every morning".

Confidence

The neatness of his clothes and the systematic workout he goes through in the morning, accompanied by the unashamed flirting with the (then naked) woman across the street, shows Tony's confidence, taking pride in both his appearance and his effect on people. This may also add to the self-centred / detached nature of his character - he doesn't seem to get ashamed or regret things (until later on when he becomes rejected by his friends after cheating on Michelle), and just does things to keep himself entertained and feeling good about himself.

Attention Seeking?

Both the flirting with the woman across the street and the focus on keeping himself completely neat and, in some ways, 'superior' suggest a possibility of 'ADHD' (which may also be hinted at later in the series, when he does a lot just to get his friend's attentions after they abandon him). It's also suggested by the fact that his character stands out against the background of his house, which is mostly comprised of neutral colours.

Pretentious?

The book Tony reads whilst in the bathroom is called 'Nausea' by Jean-Paul Sartre - a book on existentialism. There are two main views on what him reading this book actually means - that he is either mature for his age (as at the time the show is set, Tony would be around 16), or that he is reading it simply to look intelligent (showing him to be pretentious, as well as adding to his pride in his looks).

However, the book's plot itself could relate to his character:

"The novel concerns a dejected historian in a town similar to Le Havre, who becomes convinced that inanimate objects and situations encroach on his ability to define himself, on his intellectual and spiritual freedom, evoking in the protagonist a sense of nausea."

The character of Tony believes people to be simply objects in his life, able to be manipulated and the like for his own personal gains (in order for him to "define himself, on his intellectual and spiritual freedom", if you will), whereas later on he finds them to be obstacles in his pursuit of excitement as they refuse to be manipulated by him (Michelle doesn't go back to him, Sid doesn't do what he says, etcetera.).