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“No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not.”
- Sally Rooney, Normal People (The Book)
A soul dwindling, heart-wrenching tale of two people Connell and Marianne, who grow up, grow together and grow apart only to find that they are in fact each other’s “normal people”; the show is an emotional roller-coaster.
Based on a book by Sally Rooney with the same title, the show is about a lot more things than just love. It is about growing up to be your own person, to figure things out and of course to realise along the way, who makes you happy.
Introduction
Name of the Show - Normal People
Written by - Sally Rooney, Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe
Directed by - Lennie Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald
Starring - Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne and Paul Mescal as Connell
Genre - Psychological drama/ Romance
Language - English
Number of Seasons - 1
Number of Episodes - 12
Based on - Normal People by Sally Rooney
Synopsis - Spoiler Alert!
At school Connell and Marianne pose not to know each other. While Connell is a popular and well-adjusted star of the rugby team, Marianne is intensely private, somewhat proud and supremely lonely.
When Connell comes to pick his mother who works at Marianne’s house, the two form an inexplicable and indelible bond, one they are determined to conceal from the world.
One year later, the two meet again at Trinity College, Dublin and speaking socially, the tables have turned for the both of them. Marianne is now quite a socialite but Connell, struggling to find his place, hangs at the sidelines.
The two circle each other, straying to other people and opportunities but are always almost magnetically drawn back to one another. Then as she steers on the way to self-destruction and he begins to search for meanings in the opposite direction, each must come to terms with how far they are willing to go, to save the other.
About the Writer
Picture Credit- Vanity Fair
Born on 20th February, 1991, Sally Rooney is an Irish author and screenwriter. Her debut novel ‘Conversations with Friends’ was published in 2017 and was followed by her second novel ‘Normal People’ in 2018.
‘Normal People’ has been adapted into a television series by Hulu and the series came out in 2020. Rooney’s work has definitely gathered much critical acclaim and commercial success. She is regarded as one of the foremost millennial writers.
About the Show
‘Normal People’ entails the story of Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron, who are two complicated people, stuck in their own minds just navigating their way through life.
Marianne and Connell first start seeing each other in school but their relationship is a secret they aren’t ready to reveal, especially Connell. Scared that it will damage his social image, Connell ends up really hurting Marianne, even though he loves her.
The two circle back again in college, where Connell has become this shy, introverted guy who has trouble making friends, while Marianne is this magnetic socialite. After meeting at a party, they decide to stay in each other’s lives, even though Marianne is seeing this other guy Gareth, who invites Connell to the party in the first place.
Late night calls and having close contact with each other, make things difficult for both Marianne and Connell, leading to Marianne doubting her seemingly strong relationship with Gareth.
A few days later, she breaks up with Garetha and Marianne and Connell start seeing each other again. But it seems like this time too, Connell is not so comfortable being with her in public.
When Connell mentions going back to Sligo after losing his job, failing to ask Marianne to stay with her, they have an argument and their relationship ends abruptly and quite without a reason.
Connell spends his days in Sligo drinking with his friends while Marianne enters this abusive relationship with one of her friends Jamie who is a sadomasochist, but she admits that she is fine with it and even enjoys it.
A number of mental breakdowns and another abusive relationship for Marianne later, the two get together again and it’s all perfect. With Connell and Marianne’s relationship on track, he invites her to spend Christmas with his family.
Meanwhile, Marianne’s relationship with her mom reaches a low point. The couple reflect on their future together when Connell is offered to study for a MFA program in New York.
Themes Involved
If you’re entering the show thinking of it as another love story, you have a thing or two coming at you. It is not a straightforward love story.
Sure, it is about love and the intricacies of the emotion but Sally Rooney has brought in her brilliant psychological asperity and spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the complex web of friendship and family and the electricity of first love.
Some Beautiful Scenes from the Show
Scene 1:
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Scene 2:
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Scene 3:
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Scene 4:
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The Bottom Line
I don’t think that I’ll ever have words enough to convince you how beautifully made this show is. If you are someone who lives for romantic drama and are looking for something more mature, ‘Normal People’ is the show for you.
It is emotional, heart-breaking and at the same time it gives you this quaint feeling of content and peace. From the writing, to the direction, to the amazing performances by the lead actors, the show is inexplicably appealing.
My Rating for the Show - 5 on 5
Written By - Sakshi Singh
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