“And I’m never going to feel the same way for anyone else.”
Paul Mescal, as Connell Waldron
It’s no secret that the recent drama, Normal People, has shook the world in more ways than one. So, it goes without saying that this review has been a long time coming, I watched the BBC/Hulu joint production the first day the 12-part limited drama series was released. Back in 2018, Sally Rooney’s novel quickly became the go-to novel for young millennials and the Gen Z audiences. Both the novel and the series have launched Rooney into instant stardom. While I am not a recent grad and didn’t have the amazing opportunity to attend Trinity College, the characters, situations and the story depicted in the series were all too familiar to me and my memories of those high school-college days. (Note: I have not yet read the novel, it’s next on my list so my opinions on the story & the series are based purely on that, the series and not the novel.)
The drama follows Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) over four very tumultuous years, beginning in their final year at secondary school. Connell is one of the “cool kids” at school, though he’s slightly unaware of this fact but he stars on the school’s Gaelic Football team and always has a group of friends around him. These friends make fun, seemingly on a daily basis, of Marianne who is stubborn, smart, argumentative and has an outward disdain for her peers and their values in life. While we see this act of bullying, aligning with many high schoolers’ experience of the social pecking order, we never see Connell joining in on the behavior but then again, we never see him sticking up for her either. Outside of school Connell and Marianne are connected by the fact that Connell’s mother Lorraine (Sarah Greene) works as a cleaner/housekeeper for Marianne’s mother. Their curiosity of one another leads to them become lovers quickly into the series. Connell insists on keeping the relationship a secret, largely because he fears the ridicule he’d get from his friends. The immaturity and self-consciousness portrayed by Connell is brilliantly rendered on screen throughout the series. Shortly into episode four, the dynamic shifts at university and their social standing reverses (both at school and outside school). At Trinity, Marianne’s dark sense of humor, sharpness and intelligence become valuable within her group of friends, while Connell’s insecurities about not being smart enough being to surface (more so than before), making him the outsider. With some skillfully executed hair and wardrobe changes, Edgar-Jones and Mescal make the transition from teenagers to adults very believable.
Throughout the series, we watch as the lives on Connell and Marianne collide then fall apart and back again. Between ill-suited and at times just completely wrong partners, they are still able to remain connected. Their deep connection and the intensity of their relationship keeps you riveted through each 30-minute episode (if that long). With the series progression, we start to see more serious psychological issues that affect Marianne and Connell, causing major barriers in their relationships and lives going forward.
Both Edgar-Jones and Mescal inhabit their roles with honesty and strong chemistry making the scenes around the aspects of mental health so believable. Not only that but their ability to bravely take on such passionate sex scenes truly shows that their performances are absolutely flawless. In addition to crafting a passionate love story for the ages, Normal People explores a myriad of issues such as the previously mentioned aspect of mental health as well as class and privilege, the impact of abuse and the how the toxic adolescence culture can shape one’s identity well into adult. The issues are skillfully executed on screen by both Edgar-Jones and Mescal. The aspect of mental health really sticks out for me and how depression sometimes manifests in a complete loss of energy that is experienced by both Marianne and Connell at different points in their stories. The scene where Connell breaks down in front of the therapist late in the series hits me HARD. Not only is it a truly genuine, mature performance but truly emphasizes those feelings of loneliness and helplessness that you experience if you’ve ever dealt with depression.
Not only do the performance add to one of the many great things about the series, but the character development is remarkable. The two start off as unsure, insecure teenagers emphasized by the expectations of others and develop (with each other) into a healthier place and on their own paths. That being said, some of the other side characters could have been a little more developed. Again, I am taking this as a series and not the novel so I am sure there is more explanation and development within the novel. As a viewer, I would have liked a little more background on Marianne’s family dynamic (without having to assume) and even a little more development on some of Marianne’s boyfriends.
The direction, led by Oscar-nominated director Lenny Abrahamson (Room) and Hettie Macdonald (Abrahamson handled the first 6 and Macdonald handled the remaining 6), is beautifully done. Both directors are able to turn the sex scenes into tender and extremely intimate moments between Marianne and Connell. They both alternate shots of tight close-ups on Edgar-Jones and Mescal’s faces as they lose themselves in the moment and semi-wide shots of naked bodies interlocking. To me (and I know there has been some controversy around this), sex has never been more pure on screen. I believe this is extremely important because it demonstrates the connection between Marianne and Connell have and the instinct, they have to honor each other even if they don’t demonstrate those feelings publicly at times. Add in a touch of earthy colors, an Irish setting, a hauntingly beautiful score coupled with a terrific soundtrack and we’ve got an intoxicating wistful and melancholy vibe throughout the series.
For me, Normal People treats the aspect of our first love, as serious. Usually there is a tendency in life to dismiss high-school relationships as meaningless and they will fade, and we will grow up. But Normal People treats those relationships with respect that only some of the best coming-of-age stories do. Universally, most of us know that the experience of our first love leaves permanent marks on us and Marianne and Connell are no different. So, once you get into the right headspace, you should experience this grand romance of epic proportions on screen if you haven’t already.
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