Love is a drug, it’s addictive, just like this series. Normal People is the story of adolescent relationships, capturing the true essence of first love.
BBC Three’s new twelve-part series (available on BBC iPlayer) is adapted from Sally Rooney’s 2018 book Normal People telling the story of Connell and Marianne and their on-off relationship from school to university.
It takes place over three years, and in such a short time we see how Connell and Marianne not only grow as individuals from school pupils to university graduates, but how they grow together as it is the pair’s bond that is the centre of this plot.
Marianne (Cold Feet actress Daisy Edgar- Jones) is considered the annoying outspoken girl in school, whereas Connell (played by newcomer Paul Mescal) is the opposite, he is the popular football player that any girl would die to be with. These two cross paths as Connell’s mother works for Marianne’s mother as a cleaner.
Their love starts to blossom when Marianne admits to liking (more than a friend of course) Connell, and from there the rest is history…
The chemistry between these two characters is indescribable. Even a look between these two, it is intense you can clearly tell these two are meant to be. This is simply done by these two magnificent actors in these roles.
Not only do they play such convincing parts, but they conduct their own spin towards the characters previously produced in the novel and that is what makes them stand out as a highlight to this series.
In some ways, this series reminded me of One Day – the 2011 film starring Anne Hathaway, also adapted from a book. For a number of reasons including the intense romance between two life-long friends, a relationship that even though they may be apart they still come back to each other. Even to the point that Daisy Edgar-Jones has some sort of resemblance to Anne Hathaway herself.
Coming from the opinion of an incurable romantic, not only was this love perceived by me as intense, but it was so impactful it leaves you emotional. This intensity and emotional element are created well by directors Lennie Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald throughout the whole series which shows just how successful this series has done.
A scene that exhibits this well is during the couples first year of university, they are not together at the time but their longing looks, their desperation for each other. It really is true love between these two.
Perhaps the only pitfall of the series (and this is minor), is Connell’s character in the beginning. He seems quite plain in some ways, no emotion or reaction to anything. Compared to Marianne who is the opposite. In some ways this puts you off his character and potentially finds him boring.
However, after paying close intention to the series, then you would understand this is just the smart craftsmanship of the directors to show the development of Connell’s character, as in the end he is clearly more intact with his feelings.
Normal People has been described as a “small-screen triumph” and it is appropriate to regard this as just that. Not only is it the pure love that we see between these two that has us so immersed into the series (especially me), it is the fact that it tells the realistic story of love, its ups and downs, and just how addictive and unpredictable it can really be…
By Katie Green
Feature image: Sky News