Love During the Pandemic: A Quick Review Into 'Normal People'

Whether he’s graced your screens in his infamous micro athletic O’Neil shorts, or you’re anxiously awaiting the release of Gladiator 2 in which he takes centerstage, this Oscar-nominated Hollywood star and Irish heartthrob (no I’m not talking about Ayo Edebiri) has had an incredible rise to fame, and is showing no signs of slowing down.

Paul Mescal’s breakthrough role was as Connell Waldron in the hit series Normal People, and he has recently starred alongside another heartthrob, Andrew Scott (aka the Hot Priest from Fleabag) in All of Us Strangers, released on the 26th of January 2024. But with all the buzz surrounding his name and “Oscar talk” fluttering in the background, this has made me want to revisit Normal People; the series responsible for turning this County Kildare native into an international sensation. 

Despite airing during the beginning of the 2020 pandemic, and being a gripping piece of TV to distract us from the crushing loneliness of lockdown (for those of you who didn't enjoy it) what exactly is it about this twelve-part drama that took the UK by storm?  

Normal People is a twelve-part drama adapted from Sally Rooney's 2018 novel of the same name. The series, follows the turbulent relationship between Marianne Sheridan (Daisy-Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) in the small town of Carricklea, Ireland, who attempt to navigate an on-again-off-again relationship that stretches from their adolescence into early adulthood. At its core, the series, as suggested by the title, details what it means to be a normal person. It portrays the everyday emotions, heartbreaks, and struggles that we often find difficult to articulate in our own lives, and curates these struggles into a well-choreographed intimate piece of cinema. Despite first kisses and arguments being shot through a cinematic lens, Normal People retains a sense of realism and authenticity where on-screen relationships feel genuine and the dialogue is fluid and natural. It isn't overdramatised or saturated with typical teen tropes. Instead opting for an organic and unfiltered lense to tell its narrative. 

Sitting on the periphery of high school social life, Marianne is seen as an intelligent, smart-mouthed, upper-class outsider which results in her being ridiculed by her peers. Her home life is no easier as she is constantly taunted by her older brother, whilst her mother often watches passively and does nothing to intervene. Connell, on the other hand, is fairly popular, and although he projects a "laddish" persona to fit in with his classmates, much like Marianne, he is academically gifted and has interests that if discovered by his friends would position him outside of the lad-culture he tries to assimilate to. Connell's mother is employed as Marianne's housekeeper, a dynamic that allows the two to get to know each other intimately despite Connell's insistence they act as strangers in school. Although viewers were quick to reprimand Connell for this decision, I believe it adds a sense of realism to the relationship. As embarrassement and social conformity are inherent parts of the teenage experience.

During their time at school, the two experience an intense relationship despite interacting through cold conversations and repressed glances in hallways and classrooms. One of the most iconic scenes from the series I think encapsulates just how unrefined its portrayal of romantic relationships is, occurs in the first act when Marianne says to Connell: 

“I was watching you play and honestly, you looked so beautiful. I just kept thinking how much I wanted to watch you have sex. I mean not even with me, anybody.”

At certain points in the series, the two whisper deeply intimate things the average person would be too scared to say aloud. Moments like these leave you for a split second anxiously waiting for a response as if it were you who had just laid your soul bare. But that's one of the beauties of the show, rather than feeling like a fly on the wall (simply watching and observing) you are engrossed within the two central characters, their dialogue, and emotions. Being privy to scenes and dialogue such as these is what transforms this show that deals with mundane situations, and turn it into an insightful exploration of human connection. In an interview with BBC Three, Daisy Edgar-Jones uncovers the crux of the show’s appeal commenting: “What I really like about this series is that it doesn’t shy away from the fact that teenagers actually do feel things.”. What makes Normal People so gripping is that it is a profound and unrestrained investigation into young love. Quite often shows can be dismissive of young love, writing it off as frivolous and temporary. However, this show portrays young love with such depth, awkwardness, and intimacy. It explores those critical moments in a young person’s life when life-altering moments can happen in a bedroom, a walk home from school, or a missed phone call. 

Outside of passionate confessions and amorous first times, some of the most impactful scenes take place over phone calls or laptop screens. After finding each other again in university and proceeding to have a sequence of on-again-off-again encounters, Marianne attempts to console a depressed Connell who is grieving the death of his high school friend and feeling alienated at Trinity College, by offering to watch him sleep over Skype, saying: “carry me over to your bed.” which he does with almost no hesitation. In-between moments of studying, Marianne checks on Connell with a reassuring smile and longing stares. These two stellar actors maintain an astounding level of intimacy despite having to act via a Skype call, again turning an otherwise banal way of communicating into a contemporary love story. “When our show aired, it was during a time where we were so acutely aware of a lack of human connection because we were all sort of stuck inside…” says Daisy Edgar-Jones in an interview with Hulu. As already mentioned, this series was released during the first lockdown where the country as a whole had to get used to communicating via Zoom, Facetime, or Skype. But in what felt like a strange and dystopian way of communicating, Normal People changed the way we viewed this detached form of connection and offered a more personal understanding of online communication. 

Reaching the end of the novel, viewers (for those who haven’t read the book) are met with a heartbreaking conclusion. Connell is accepted into an MFA Creative Writing programme in New York, but despite encouragement from Marianne he is reluctant to accept the offer “Now is not the time for me to go halfway across the world and live in a city where I don’t know anyone.”. Marianne protests that he takes the offer, explaining that although it might be difficult, it might also be “amazing”. Even if viewers are left dissatisfied with the series’ uncertain ending, Connell and Marianne express an undoubtable strength by choosing to prioritise self-development and discovery over their relationship. Whether you’ve seen this play out in popular films before or have personally experienced this, we’ve all heard of someone sacrificing a relationship be that romantic or platonic for work or a career. However, Connell and Marianne sacrifice their relationship to better understand themselves. 

Normal People will be forever cemented as that infectiously intimate series that helped some of us get through lockdown. The series that truly articulated what it means to be young and immensely invested in another person, yet lack the experience and self-knowledge to effectively communicate those feelings. In only twelve episodes, the series untangles tricky human emotions as well as the strengths and limitations of communication, whilst at its centre dealing with class, love, abuse, and familial relationships.

The ending, for me, championed the importance of self-discovery and being open to novel opportunities whether they’re across the globe or back in your hometown. Even though this review is almost 4 years late, the series still continues to have a lasting effect on those who have watched it. So much so, fans of the show are hellbent on pointing out the palpable chemistry between Paul and Daisy at every red carpet or Bafta event long after the series has finished. But in all fairness, they did such a good job of personifying Marianne and Connell that it’s hard not to over analyse and misread every glance, stare, and touch between the two.

If you haven’t already, please watch the show. It’s available on BBC iPlayer and Hulu.

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