Normal People - BBC3 [SPOILER ALERT ADDED BY MNHQ]

[Lockdownlife]

Anyone watching the TV adaptation of Sally Rooney's 'Normal People' on iPlayer?

On episode 10,I love it.

Why did he ask the blonde girl to the Debs ???
That was a real kick in the teeth for Marianne.
His poor Debs date - he treated her terribly too.
I still think his Mum is too young for the part.
Am I the only one to think, despite our so called egalitarian, classless society that in small town Ireland Connell's mother would fear for her job if Marianne's mother knew what was going on ( watched up to the end of Episode 3 )

The whole point is that he is trying to keep up appearances with his mates, and fears losing face by being seen to be associating with the class ‘nerd’. So he takes the popular, conventionally pretty girl. He doesn’t know himself and can’t speak up about what he really feels and wants. We see this in later episodes. When they split up he tried and tried to contact her but she doesn’t answer. He then has a relationship with Rachel, but it’s clear they have no real connection. It’s just a convenience.

Both characters have very low self worth. Connell feels inferior to Marianne socially and intellectually. She feels inferior because she feels she is weird and not normal somehow. Her family background has left her starved of affection and with a low self worth. This is reflected in the way she is treated at school. Several times she says ‘you could do anything you want with me’. This indicates how little value she places on herself.

Connells mum is supposed to be only mid thirties, he was her ‘teenage mistake’ they laugh about in an early episode. The actress who plays her is pretty much same age. Loved Lorraine.

I've finished Ep8. I really understood the Italian episode. I think it's doing such a good job of showing how Marianne is a product of her terrible upbringing. She just shuts down and goes quiet and obedient and says "Ok" and "Sure" and "Sorry" over and over.

Im binging it on watchseries by the way. Just google it. I couldn't bear the wait!

I loved this series, watched the whole thing back to back yesterday! I wasn’t distracted like I often am with some series, it really captured my attention. It made me so emotional, the two leads were fantastic, the chemistry was amazing and it really felt like the connection was real. They had such an intense love for each other it was so obvious in the way their other relationships just couldn’t compete and that’s why they kept going back to each other. The misunderstandings they kept having were frustrating though!

I thought Marianne’s brother had learnt his behaviour from their abusive father. Marianne said their father never hit her but my feeling was that she had been abused by her brother definitely verbally and maybe physically too over the years.
The mother was cold and distant I thought because of the abuse she suffered in her marriage and she couldn’t demonstrate love or speak out when the son was being abusive.
I thought Marianne felt the need to be dominated by her other boyfriends because she had been made to feel worthless. The relationship with Connell was the first time she felt true love and affection.
I thought the fact Connell had mental health difficulties following his friends suicide was showing real life and the specific struggles young men can have.

I never read the book. Do you think they will make another series? I’d love to see where it goes.

Hey folks - having not seen this show yet, I've been nominated by my esteemed colleagues at MNHQ to check the spoiler reports! As there are a few spoilers already on here - we're adding an alert to the title. Thanks.

.

I think in the book she tells Connell her father did hit her.

There's an interview with the producer I think about possibly doing a catch up in 10 years or something but that it depended on Sally Rooney. The obvious comparison is the Before Sunrise films but those characters don't have Marianne and Connell's history. Very talky films as well whereas Normal People has so much introspection in the book. I think Marianne is so damaged she always going to struggle to feel secure even with Connell so I doubt a revisit would be happy.

Can anyone recommend something to watch now I have finished this?
Thank you

The Young Offenders, BBC3. brilliant. Irish, very rude, very very funny. Less romance!

Loved Normal People. We watched the entire series over 2 nights.

I wanted them to stay together. I think they're perfect for each other.

And love The Young Offenders, Lorraine reminds me of the mum on there a bit

@RubyJack have you watched unorthodox on Netflix? That is brilliant

@happinessischocolate keep going with The Last Kingdom, it’s one of the best series that’s been on television in recent years. Having just finished watching the most recent series I can honestly say it seems to be getting better as it goes on rather than declining like most series.

@MayDayFightsBack

Thanks, I'm on episode 6 and I'm loving it, the first episode was a bit violent and blood thirsty, but it seems to have calmed down a bit.

Just realised there are 4 seasons, so that'll keep be busy for a bit.

Daisy Edgar jones who plays Marianne and Paul Mescal who plays Connell are to be on Graham Norton this week I think.

Thanks for the tip @LadyEloise .

Will give Unorthodox a try thank you

Graham Norton Show with "Marianne" and "Connell" - actors Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal is on tonight.

Last episode was tonight on bbc1.
Gutted by the ending.

I'll say no more - but while there isn't a 2nd book, they really ought have a follow up tv mini series.

Bbc1 now.

25 minutes until its over....
Hope ending is not as bad as folk have warned me

Anyone watched the whole series again more than twice! 😷

Just caught sight of this and WTF????

They're at least twenty five, maybe older. What's with the school uniforms? He's got a car. Is this a dressing-up game thing?