(May Contain Spoilers)
There was some debate over what rating to give this show because every time I thought of an element that I liked, I counteracted it with a negative. The show was very raw and emotional, that is for sure, but the pace was incredibly slow and whilst you could say this was to give the mundane illusion that they are indeed ‘Normal People’, it is not as gripping as I would expect from the BBC. The series has also been praised for its authenticity and relatability and I do agree with this, one thing to keep in mind however when watching is that there is a lot of sex! At times – and I believe this to be the intention but – some sex scenes with BDSM feel very uncomfortable to watch, however the sex between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) feel very real and passionate. The show does a great job of reflecting a real relationship and the tribulations that come with it.
Marianne and Connell are two teenagers who attend the same secondary school in Sligo (Ireland). Connell’s regularly picks up his mum, Lorraine (Sarah Greene) from Marianne’s mother’s, Denise (Aislin McGuckin) house, where she works as a cleaner. Connell and Marianne share a magnetic connection and decide to date one another in private. The privacy comes from Connell’s anxiety that his school friends would find out and dismiss him, as Marianne is often bullied by them for being a posh, obnoxious girl. Despite coming from different social upbringings Marianne and Connell connect intellectually as well as emotionally and Marianne ends up loosing her virginity to Connell. However, Connell worries that his friends might find out so invites Rachel (Leah McNamara), from their group, to the school prom instead of Marianne, which leads Marianne to drop out of school.
Fast-forward to college, where Connell and Marianne both attend Trinity college in Dublin. Marianne studies Politics, whilst Connell undertakes English. Gareth (Sebastian De Souza), a fellow English student, invites Connell to a party on campus, where Connell is introduced to Gareth’s girlfriend Marianne, oh wait that was his Marianne. Now in college the tables have turned, and Marianne is the popular one with a nice house and lots of friends. Later, Marianne dumps Gareth and begins dating Connell again, which is all roses until he says he can’t stay over summer and Marianne interpreted that as a break-up. Marianne then dates Jamie (Fionn O’Shea), showing the beginning to Marianne’s relationship with BDSM, although doesn’t look like she enjoys it. Connell pairs off with Helen (Aoife Hinds), but he begins to get depressed after the death of his school friend and Connell’s relationship with Helen comes to an end.
The series is very much, will-they-wont-they, break-up and make-up, which is very frustrating. Towards the end of the series Marianne gets hit by her brother and Denise just sits back not caring (it was revealed earlier Denise was abused by Marianne’s father). This also explains why Marianne wanted to be treated this way in the bedroom as she feels worthless, but it is only Connell who shows her, her worth. Connell gets an offer at a New York school to study as a writer and Marianne insists her goes, however they decide not to promise they will be together after their year apart as they will be ‘two completely different people by then’. Also, this is a realistic representation of a relationship, it is a dissatisfying watch.
Normal People reminded me of One Day (2011), mainly because Edgar-Jones looks like Anne Hathaway, but for this reason I was expecting something really dramatic to happen like a car accident, or death or something, but nothing! I felt like all the characters I recognised and felt the show did a great job of being authentic. Although there is some familiarity in the 12-part series, the pace was too slow for me and the constant moaning at the TV because they broke up and got back together so many times, however it is undeniable to connection that the two characters have, which is well done to Edgar-Jones and Mescal for their honest performances. This Sally Rooney adaptation (of the same name) is an emotional roller-coaster, but not one that I would be excited to ride again. Despite this, I applaud the shows efforts for screening male depression and showing the ways of coping through it and feel we should be seeing more of this visibility on our screens. An endearing modern look at love life in all its glory, wonderfully romantic and bitter-sweet.
Stream the series now on BBC iPlayer.
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