Written by Sally Rooney And Alice Birch And Mark O'Rowe
Directed by Lenny Abrahamson And Hettie MacDonald
Marianne (to Connell): "It was different with you. I didn't have to play any games, it was real. I would've done anything you wanted me to. Anyways, how are you?"
Has it been five years since this miniseries first aired? Yes, it has. Am I only catching up with it now? Sort of. I did watch most of it when it first aired but earlier this week, I went back to give a proper watch of the show overall.
In the space of twelve half hour episodes, it's little wonder this show managed to propel both stars Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones the way it did. They're absolutely incredible throughout this whole show.
Mescal took on the role of the popular GAA playing Connell Waldron while Edgar-Jones was social outcast Marianne Sheridan. Despite the varying odds that seemed to be against, both leads found themselves drawn to each other, both through their school days and their journeys into adulthood.
The first three episodes focused on the school days side of things. Connell's mother, Lorraine (Sarah Greene) worked for Marianne's mother, Denise (Aislín McGuckin). There's a noteworthy contrast in how both Lorraine and Denise treat their respective children and there's a contrast in how Connell and Marianne are generally treated by others.
Marianne in particular did spend the majority of this miniseries being mistreated by everyone. Her own brother, Alan (Frank Blake) openly despised, classmates in her school repeatedly mocked her and outside of Connell, all of her boyfriends were horrible to her.
The boyfriends in question being the pretentious Gareth (Sebastian de Souza) along with abusive ones like Jamie (Fionn O'Shea) and Lukas (Lancelot Ncube). There's an attempt to explore BDSM through Marianne's lack of self worth and then there's the contrast with Connell as well.
Connell on the other hand had other relationships with girls like Rachel (Leah McNamara) and Helen (Aoife Hinds) as well as friends like Rob (Éanna Hardwicke) and Niall (Desmond Eastwood) at different points in the show. Still, it's his relationship with Marianne that was the driving force of this whole thing.
The chemistry between Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones is undeniably good. It's easy to see why Connell and Marianne, even when partnered with other people are so drawn to one another. It's a constant pull and push with certain things separating them. This didn't change by the finale but things ended on a note that could be inferred as optimistic nonetheless.
- Sally Rooney who wrote the source material also wrote/co-wrote the first six episodes.
- Normal People was Rooney's second book but the first to be adapted into a miniseries. Her first book, Conversations With Friends was adapted after this, also as a miniseries.
- Marianne's only positive friend was Joanna (Eliot Salt). Peggy (India Mullen), not so much.
- I have to single the tenth episode out as a brilliant look into male mental health with Connell's session with therapist, Gillian (Noma Dumezweni). Amazing stuff.
- Standout music: Anna Mieke's Warped Windows, Yazoo's Only You, The Sei's Metrona, Nerina Pallot's Love Will Tear Us Apart and Goldmund's Sometimes.
- Chronology: Several years passed throughout the twelve episodes with Connell and Marianne in Sligo, Dublin, Italy and Sweden. Connell also got a chance to study in New York.
Now that I've properly watched it, I really do have to admit that Normal People was an incredible. Star making roles for Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones to one side, you had a beautifully complex relationship between Connell and Marianne that took many twists and turns. An exceptional miniseries.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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