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Normal People on BBC3

649 replies

Bouledeneige · 27/04/2020 20:05

Binge watched it yesterday and loved it. Emotional, passionate and two really great leads. Thoroughly recommend it (so long as you don't mind lots of love scenes). Cried lie and felt bereft when it finished.

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 21/05/2020 15:46

@Sparklingbrook I read the book after (only 3 quid on kindle) and Jamie was described as small and not that good looking.

I quite liked Connell in the book more than the series. He didn't ever criticise his girlfriends to Marian new or vice versa despite them wanting him to. He made errors of judgement but he tried to remedy them. Personally I'd hate feeling that someone thinks so little of themself that I could do what I want to them and that gets explored a bit in the book too,.

ourmutualfriend · 21/05/2020 15:54

Wasn't that 'girl' his old teacher caperplips?

Sparklingbrook · 21/05/2020 16:37

I suppose he was small and not v good looking. He looked so young to me. So different to Connell it was hard for me to see the attraction Marianne would have had for him.

Yes wasn’t that his English teacher he was snogging. Blush

ourmutualfriend · 21/05/2020 17:27

I was glad his imminent vomit enabled him to escape her dubious clutches!

caperplips · 21/05/2020 18:38

Oh jesus - I totally missed the fact it was his old teacher Shock uuuugh
But I missed the first half of episode 1 when they were in school so may not have seen her!!

Lucky escape there!

ourmutualfriend · 21/05/2020 18:53

Definitely! Wink

Sparklingbrook · 21/05/2020 18:54

I think she was in Episode 2 asking Connell to hand some papers out.

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/05/2020 20:23

Last episode tonight

Part of me feeling sorry for maryanne - she feels unloved. Wants to be hit and badly treated - is this due to brother and dad and a mum who doesn’t seem to care

Brother a bully and e11 proved that when Connell had a go at him

So all seems happy at end of 11 but obv reading comments it’s not a happy after in 12

If they spoke more things would have been different

I will say. I’m fed up of seeing her boobs

Did we see anything of a naked willy ??

Reminded me of 50 shades and how many times we saw d Johnson’s tits / got boring

Haggisfish · 21/05/2020 21:51

We did see his naked willy when they were lying together. I rewound to see it as it’s so unusual!

Sparklingbrook · 21/05/2020 22:13

IIRC wasn't there two lots of naked willy? Grin Shock

Never seen 50 shades I always wonder if I have missed out.

Does this all mean that Lorraine loses her job?

pinkpinecone · 21/05/2020 23:04

@Sparklingbrook don't worry you haven't missed out, fifty shades isn't very good

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/05/2020 23:25

Finished !!!

And yes bloody hell. Last episode . We saw his willy. And her tits yet again 🙄

I was so shocked I rewound to check and took a pic

Why did m mum ask for the Dublin keys back and then ignore her

Yes I assumed Lorraine lost her job

Why did Connell alwwys call her Lorraine and not mum

I get that she didn’t want to go to New York

But it’s a year. Couldn’t they have a long distance relationship. Her fly over - if she wasn’t cut off financially

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/05/2020 23:27

Finally we see a willy. And obv boobs

Sparklingbrook · 22/05/2020 00:52

So many questions.

But the main one being why can Connell not finish a sentence and why can they not communicate other than by telepathy (in bed).

Re the nudity though it's better than a lot of US TV where they seem to have sex half clothed and the women never take their bras off.

MissEliza · 22/05/2020 01:51

I don't think she was ending it. I think she was saying she could handle being apart for that time.

Ughmaybenot · 22/05/2020 08:04

I personally think she was incredibly irresponsible to be pushing him into going to New York. He’d literally only just started getting help for his depression and making a bit of progress, and she wants him to go across the globe on his own, under new pressure to write? Nah, personally I don’t think that would have been a good choice. Maybe in time it would’ve been but I think that would be running the risk of him feeling alone and unsupported and that could be quite dangerous in his position.
And even if he did go, why wouldn’t they just do long distance if it was this all encompassing love they reckon it to be? Or does she not trust herself not to get another annoying boyfriend in 2 weeks time.

Ughmaybenot · 22/05/2020 08:07

Irresponsible is the wrong word. She isn’t responsible for him, but maybe ill-thought-out? Misguided maybe?

LadyEloise · 22/05/2020 09:07

Im only finished episode 6, where Connell got mugged. I don't understand why she didn't help him clean up his face. The poor lad. Very odd.

magicroundabouts · 22/05/2020 09:48

Lorraine doesn’t work for Denise anymore at the end of the book. She has a full-time job at the local hotel, which she must start sometime before Marianne comes back from Sweden.

Sparklingbrook · 22/05/2020 10:32

I think I am going to read the book. Will it answer some of the questions?
I was reading a review somewhere saying that Daisy Edgar Jones was too pretty for the role and Marianne was plainer.

RedHelenB · 22/05/2020 11:33

@Sparklingbrook, it makes sense of the tv version more but a lot is still left unsaid. And some scenes are different, Connell isnt there when they are making fun of her apoearance for eg. and it says hes attracted to girls like her.

wigglybeezer · 22/05/2020 11:33

@Sparklingbook yes, Marianne is meant to be less conventionally pretty but attractive when she allows herself to be IYSWIM. Interestingly Helen in the book is supposed to be pretty and sporty looking, conventionally nice looking but they've made her a bit more frumpy in the book, less attractive than Marianne. I have only read the book once rather quickly so could be misremembering that though.
I was talking about the show and book with DH this morning as he is watching it at last and we were speculating that Sally Rooney may have originally included much more back story for the characters in the book and then cut out as much as she could and still have the story mostly make sense, in the pursuit of a modern pared back writing style, she writes short stories and I think this influences the style of the book and show, the different sections are almost like linked short stories? The TV show then cuts out even more. There is more backstory about Connel's family in the book, for instance. There are a couple of scenes which are a bit odd without Connels interior monologue but DH (he is a director, though not of live action) says that footage directly showing someones inner thoughts rather than what is happening is avoided if at all possible these days, it just doesnt tend to work. Basically we are left to fill in the blanks ourselves, which i found relatively easy and involving due to the quality acting.

caperplips · 22/05/2020 13:30

I think Marianne doesn't follow the local girls 'fashion' and makeup etc and stands out as being different to them. But she really comes into her own in Trinity. I think Connell likes her because she is different to the others in this way. She has the inner confidence not to follow the crowd at home in order to be seen to be 'cool'.

It's not so clear cut once she gets to Trinity as she seems more eager to keep in with her friends there, even when they're not that nice. But she's never had a gang of friends before so is probably keen to hang onto it. I think even in TCD her fashion is at odds with the mainstream but there's more latitude and freedom there for her to be herself and not be ostracized for it

MadameMarie · 22/05/2020 13:32

Is there any show these days without sex scenes every 5 minutes? Stick a porno on if that's what you want

LadyEloise · 22/05/2020 14:05

MadameMarie
Thank goodness I'm not the only one that feels that way.