Review: "Normal People" on Hulu
Tuesday, May 5, 2020 at 8:30AM
By Spencer Coile
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To adapt a work of fiction is to play with fire. I can only imagine that nimbly capturing the spirit of the original text while imbuing it with new levels of creativity is no easy feat. Discourse surrounding literary adaptations usually focuses on how the movie or series fails the original text - either it doesn’t cover everything sufficiently (like The Time Traveler’s Wife, a personal tragedy), it overstays its welcome (The Handmaid’s Tale), or an abundance of creative liberties are taken (recently Little Fires Everywhere). Comparisons are easy to make, and book lovers are quick to critique.
On its surface, Normal People, now streaming on Hulu, masquerades as a straightforward adaptation. Born from Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name, it follows Connell (Paul Mescal) and Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones), two Irish secondary students who forge a connection despite their uneven social standings. The novel, and now the BBC/Hulu limited series, chronicles their years-long relationship in all its complexities...
As an admitted fan of the book, I was cautious about its jump to the small screen, but my fears were quickly diminished.
The world-building within Normal People appears simple, but that’s only because it captures significant moments in time that feel deeply specific, yet so universal. Connell, the rugby star, never lets his friends see him reading books in his spare time. Conversely, Marianne prefers not to be noticed. Both are academically brilliant, but they mask it. Connell’s mother is employed by Marianne’s family to clean their home. Throughout their brief interactions when Connell comes to pick his mother up, he and Marianne forge a bond neither expected. It develops - emotionally and physically - but how can it last when Connell’s reputation is at stake?
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If the prospect of indulging in high school drama sounds tired, don’t worry. Connell and Marianne both quietly transcend those archetypes, and also it doesn’t last for long --nothing can. And that’s where the story begins to fly.
The weaving of Connell and Marianne’s relationship as they drift in and out of each other’s life through college and beyond is what sets Normal People apart from similar shows of its ilk. Each episode presents a different place in time, but the series isn’t interested in telling its audience where the story is now or even when. Instead, we’re left with context clues - usually within discussions between Connell and Marianne - to pick up the pieces. And before you know it, significant time has passed, leaving its characters to wonder what has changed.
Sally Rooney has only written two novels, Normal People and her debut Conversations with Friends, yet her authorial voice is strong, if not divisive. Her stories depict the everyday, the mundane from individuals who think they, too, are mundane. As such, the characters often read as cold or detached. Reading Rooney’s novels can be a fascinating experience, because she lends her voice to characters who are not initially likeable, but still somehow relatable. I worried that the internal struggles she explored from her characters might get lost in its 12 episode-running translation.
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Fortunately, Normal People still plays as a singular vision. With Sally Rooney co-writing the first six episodes (alongside Alice Birch and then Mark O’Rowe for one episode), Lenny Abrahamson directing the first six episodes, and Hettie Macdonald taking the latter half, the adaptation is a story intentionally cracked in two. That’s the vision. Much like the novel adopts the perspective of Connell and Marianne through individual chapters, the limited series prioritizes each story; together and apart.
Another challenge is finding the proper leads to convey the necessary millennial damage both Connell and Marianne live with. Novels live in our heads. It takes two special actors to help externalize these complicated internal emotions. I was relieved from the get-go to find that both Mescal and Edgar-Jones were up to the challenge. They transform Connell and Marianne into living, breathing embodiments of Rooney’s prose. They’re not cold or detached, they’re hurting and afraid to find connection.
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Daisy Edgar-Jones portrays Marianne as a woman who still hasn’t figured out who she is or what she wants. But she is then forced to ask: what do you do when you never quite figure out those existential queries? The beauty of that question lies behind Edgar-Jones’ eyes. Marianne is an anomaly to most, by her own declaration. Her unwillingness to let people, even Connell, breach her innermost desires is a defense mechanism built up from years of being misunderstood. Still, she offers light into Marianne, and lets her yearn to find something, to find someone that completes her.
And in every way, Paul Mescal matches Edgar-Jones beat for beat. He has a swoon-worthy smile and eyes that can break your heart with even the subtlest glance. Connell is a man of few words. He’s always brimming with ideas, but he doesn’t quite know how to say them out loud. Mescal so effortlessly shows this struggle, this need he has to feel needed. And for the longest time, he holds these emotions in. Watch out for a scene in Episode 10, where he finally does try to articulate his thoughts to a therapist. The shot focuses on his face as he grasps with the words to express thoughts he’s kept buried for years. It’s one of the most marvelously performed scenes I’ve seen on television this year, a perfect marriage between writing and acting.
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For many, Normal People may sound like a story about millennials for millennials. But dig a little deeper and you’ll start to notice that it’s about something more and always sincere. In a scene near the end of the series, geography has separated Connell and Marianne. They’re Skyping, and Connell explains:
I don’t feel anything. Then I… I find myself crying or having a panic attack, so presumably, I do feel it. Just uh… it doesn’t connect.
Marianne tells him she understands, to which he responds:
I know you do.
And for the first time, Connell acknowledges and believes that someone does understand him. He goes to sleep, but Marianne stays on Skype all night, for her… what? Friend? Boyfriend?... to make sure he'll be okay. Because fundamentally, Normal People is a story about understanding and connecting. It may not always go as planned, and it’s surely going to be messy and heartbreaking. But just as easily, those same people are going to pick us up, protect us, and endure with us. Normal People is a faithful adaptation, sur, but also an incredibly affirming one.
Reader Comments (7)
Wonderful review Spencer.
I agree with every word, I loved it.
The BBC may have sustained budget cuts but it's still capable of giving us great drama, and interesting new actors. I am only 3 episodes in to this series, but I can feel it pulling me along. I keep thinking about these characters even when I'm not watching them. Your review is very well written and captures the spirit of this series. Seems like this is a book I should read sometime as well. Thanks.
For me and television, performances are everything, so even if the plot is crap (this one is not, but it's not exactly new either), or badly shot (this one is definitely not), or overwrought with music (this soundtrack is sublime) I'm willing to forgive all in lieu of fine performances. These two lead actors are outstanding, and like LadyEdith, I'm completely hooked. Sarah Greene, as Connell's young-ish mother, is also quite good, and recently held Dublin Murders together (aired earlier this year.)
The UK and Ireland have gifted us with some of the finest actors (and writers!) in the business right now!
This is on my list, though I've been too slammed at work to get to it yet. I read the book and thought it was well done, though I didn't love it as much as some, and I was also skeptical it could transfer effectively to the screen. But apparently it can!
Curious how the series deals with some of Marianne's...predilections. Without spoiling too much, a good friend of mine who is into the same kind of thing, thought the book's portrayal was a copout/crutch designed to highlight Marianne's psychological baggage and make Connell more of a good guy/savior figure. I think it's a little more complicated than that (especially as far as Connell is concerned), but I do feel like that aspect of Marianne's character and relationships wasn't as fully or convincingly explored as others.
This is completely spot on. In particular, the Connell/therapist scene. Mescal is so absolutely heartbreaking in this scene, I actually turned away from the screen. I couldn't take in his pain. For a few moments, I forgot I was watching a television show. It felt invasive watching it because it felt so real. I absolutely love this scene being acknowledged in such a major way because it truly as close to perfect as possible.
I am only halfway through this but i LOVE IT. The lead performances are truly incredible.
The Hulu series is better than the book. I have watched three times.