Tommy Garcia

* 2020
* 2019
* MindBlown

"*I live off the grid. Outside of society, literally **out of this world**. [...] I have no idea what's going on. Why should I care?*"
—Tommy Garcia[src]
**Tommy Garcia** is one of the two protagonists of *Onwards* and the sole protagonist of *MindBlown*. He is a Mexican-American squatter and hobo known as **MidKnight Rider** who possesses strange but intense telekinetic and telepathic powers, making him "Awoken". Widely shunned in his hometown of Atlantica, Delaware due to his sexuality, Tommy formed a bond with fellow dreamer Ben Conan, with the two of them planning to leave Atlantica and falling in love with one another. Afraid that his powers would cause the town and Ben further harm, he left both behind to live a life on the road after being inspired by Matthew Wroe, adopting a sardonic, self-deprecating and carefree attitude. In 2019 he encountered Cassie "Miss Wild" Richards and the two began travelling together on Cassie's mission to spread her father's ashes on the Pacific coast at Santa Barbara, California.

## Biography

### Early Life and Background

Tommy Garcia was born in Atlantica, Delaware in the late 1990s to María Garcia, a Mexican immigrant. He never knew his biological father, and he was born under his mother's name. Tommy spent his entire childhood alone with his mother, who encouraged him to pursue his own passions and be proud of his Mexican heritage. According to his mother, Tommy always had a "glow" that only she could see, just like what his grandfather had possessed; from this, Tommy's mother coined the term "Awoken" to refer to whatever energy emanated from Tommy.

Tommy's life in Atlantica was largely stagnant and he made few friends during his early life. When his mother married local engineer George Sten, he began to rebel and drifted into the hippie-punk scene. Through this new lifestyle, he had a string of casual girlfriends but found himself unfulfilled by any of them, eventually coming out as bisexual following an affair with another male student at Atlantica Academy; the fairly religious town eventually heard of this and some of its residents began to shun both Tommy and his mother. He also learned to play guitar during this time.

### Season 1

At some point, Tommy ended up near the city of Orange, Connecticut.

#### 'The Trek'

Tommy first appears waking up in a dilapidated house having partied hard the night before. He has a cigarette and tries to wake up another squatter before giving up. He gets dressed in a flashy, dirty suit before leaving the house. He completely ignores the cars that pass him by and uses his few pieces of change to buy a hotdog for breakfast.

## Overview

### Physical Appearance

Tommy is dirty and dishevelled from his long life on the road. He has tanned skin and deep blue eyes. Tommy wears cheap, flashy suits, and does so as a juxtaposition to his dirty and crass true self.

### Personality

Tommy is a stubborn, mischievous, and rebellious young man. He is an archetypal punk-rock-hippie, expressed in both his music taste and style. He loves to get high, drink beer, and can be described as bold and outgoing. He has a big mouth, often making snarky comments, acts fearless and loves to take risks, which often gets him in trouble. He is noted for his sardonic, self-deprecating and carefree attitude.

## Powers, Equipment and Abilities

### Powers

> *Main Article: Awoken*
>
>

* **Telekinesis:** Tommy possesses extraordinarily strong telekinesis, able to move or stop objects with his mind. Tommy's telekinesis is far more powerful than that of other characters in the franchise, having spent most of his life harnessing and understanding it. He has developed his powers to the point that he is able to stop, lift and throw extremely heavy objects, including trains, large boulders and fallen trees.
* **Telepathy:** Tommy's mind is so sensitive that it sometimes accidentally picks up the thoughts of people around him, but he is not able to fully read their minds. It is later revealed that he is only able to do this with other "Awoken", including Cassie before she even unlocked her powers.

## Relationships

### Ben Conan

Not much is known about the relationship between Tommy and Ben; their relationship will form the core of *MindBlown*.

### Cassie Richards

"*Well, we're both fucked now! You and me, we're in the same goddamn boat. [...] **What do you mean, why?** You are **just like me**! You're **Awoken**, Cassie! You and me, we're the same!*"
—Tommy to Cassie during their argument[src]
The relationship between Tommy and Cassie forms the core of *Onwards*' story. Tommy agrees to accompany Cassie on her journey and show her how to live on the road, in exchange for a six-pack of beer. Over the course of their journey, the two of them become good friends and come to rely on each other, with Tommy admitting he has never been as close to anyone else than he is with Cassie.

## Trivia

* Tommy wears cheap but flashy suits as a comedic juxtaposition to his otherwise dirty appearance. This is likely a reference to the lyric "old worn-out suit and shoes" in the song *King of the Road*, which serves as an inspiration for *Onwards*.
* Tommy is one of four main characters in the *Life Is A Lesson* universe who can play the guitar, the others being Travis Rogers, Bernadette and Matthew Wroe.
* Tommy claims to have not been further west than Colorado.
* Tommy is widely credited for coining the term "Awoken" for those with supernatural abilities in the series' universe. However, the events of *MindBlown* reveal it was actually his mother María Garcia who came up with the term.
* *MindBlown* confirms that Tommy is LGBTQ and is bisexual, although he appears to prefer men.

## Behind the Scenes

* Tommy is partially inspired by Leon Ray Livingston, a man known as the King of the Hobos and by the alias A-No.1, who lived as a hobo for most of his life purely for the fun of living on the road. In comparison to other hobos, he did not smoke or drink, dressed smartly and was well-groomed. The latter two traits apply to Tommy, who despite being a hobo wears a suit and regularly grooms himself.

## References

1. ↑ The Stranger
2. ↑ Their final conversation in "Fly"
3. ↑ Push