Review: Normal People

Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal light up the screen in a new adaptation of Sally Rooney's much loved novel.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson Starring Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones

Anticipation: Unknown actors, both of which look slightly too old to be wearing school uniforms. The hype surrounding the bestselling novel made me curious to give the series a watch.

Enjoyment: Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones give painfully convincing performances of an agonisingly complicated, fundamentally flawed, yet completely wonderful romance.

In Retrospect: I’m one of the few people who still hasn’t read Sally Rooney’s Normal People. I picked it up once, but found the lack of quotation marks off-putting, so I didn’t get further than page three. However, having watched Normal People on BBC iPlayer, I will definitely be giving the book a read.

Normal People is one of those rare series that was instantly and consistently brilliant, perpetually watchable and engaging. I found myself trying to savour the episodes, but finished the series in two days. It left me feeling both whole and empty, from the absence it had left and the space which it filled in my heart.

We meet Marianne and Connell as teenagers, following them through school and university. Alongside hitting the traditional coming-of-age tropes, the story explored vulnerability, flawed decisions and a multitude of harmful mistakes made by both protagonists. As a university student, I connected greatly with the period of change, in all its turbulence and wonder.

Paul Mescal plays Connell with a shy, loveable charm, not to mention perhaps single-handedly bringing the man-chain back into fashion. If Connell hides in corners, Mescal lights them up with his idiosyncratic small smiles and gentle movements. I went from saying “He’s a bit of a dick” (episode 1), to “Please dear lord protect Connell at all costs, he is a wonderful person and I love him” (all following episodes). When Connell visited the therapist, walked out of his school prom, and told Marianne she was his best friend – all those moments broke me. Mescal is particularly good at making you just want to give him a hug and tell him it’ll be alright. I would say that Connell, as a character, seems to specialise in the arts of crying and of sex – especially crying-whilst-walking-down-a-street-shortly-before-or-after-sex.

By god, there is a lot of sex. Like, SO much. All sorts, whatever takes your fancy – kinky, sad, satisfying, kind of abusive – this is not the show to watch with your prudish nan. However, I did think the script carefully and purposefully juxtaposed the differences between safe, enjoyable sex with mutual respect, and the kind of sex to be avoided. For example, Connell’s talk to Marianne before she lost her virginity was both caring and considerate – a perfect example to younger viewers on how you should respect women, or indeed anyone you are intimate with.

I confess, I also completely fell for Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne. Marianne is probably the character I connected to most – friendless, ridiculed and lonely at school, before finding her butterfly moment at university. Daisy Edgar-Jones has a face that begs to be watched as she deftly switches between the numerous facets of Marianne’s personality. Although it is 2020, I was pleasantly surprised that Marianne was rarely emotional, with the crying scenes frequently passing to Connell instead. Here was a flawed, unpredictable woman carving a path for herself, however destructive her methods might be. In many ways, Marianne can be remarkably unlikeable, but Edgar-Jones keeps the audience and Connell wrapped around her finger. I imagine Normal People will be a career-launching series for both Edgar-Jones and Mescal, and rightly deserved. The two are transcendent, and perfectly cast.

I want to add a special mention to Lorraine, Connell’s mum, played by Sarah Greene. Lorraine is the kindest, most badass character in the series, solely responsible for bringing Marianne and Connell together. Support in a time of crisis? “Vulgar language”? (a hilarious comment from Connell) Unfaltering positivity and resilience? Lorraine has got your back. Although her screen-time is limited, whenever Lorraine made an appearance I found myself smiling, laughing fondly or nodding fiercely and shouting, ‘Go on Lorraine!” at the tv.

In short, Normal People will swallow you up and leave you longing for more. Read the book first, or read the book afterwards, I don’t think it matters. Connell and Marianne will charm you with each and every mistake they make.

Normal People is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and Hulu.