Normal People (2020)

Cast: Paul Mescal (Connell), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Marianne)

Warning: Spoilers ahead. Please stop here if you haven’t watched the series yet.

I had downloaded Normal People back in 2020 after its release, but it remained untouched on my hard drive until now. In hindsight, I think it was for the best — I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate it back then the way I do now. Throughout the series, the atmosphere and the locations are portrayed with a quiet, almost meditative calmness — a sharp contrast to the inner chaos and confusion faced by the characters. This deliberate contrast between the serene settings and the turbulent emotions of the protagonists is one of the most beautiful elements of the show.

The dialogues are meaningful, capturing precisely what’s going on inside the characters’ minds. It feels authentic, almost as if it’s revealing what normal people truly think and feel in such complex situations — a credit to the brilliant writing and acting.

Marianne: Marianne is a beautiful, intelligent girl, carrying a profound sadness from the very beginning of the story. Due to her personality and the environment at home, she remains isolated during high school. Later, she meets Connell — a popular, smart, and well-liked boy. There’s a subtle but striking nuance in Daisy Edgar-Jones’ performance. I noticed how Marianne, when asking for something personal, subtly moves her lips, almost signaling her vulnerability. She carries a soft, almost imperceptible smile on rare, relevant occasions — but notably, I never once saw her truly laugh throughout the series. This detail made her sadness all the more tangible.

Connell: Connell is handsome, smart, and naturally reserved. He notices Marianne’s loneliness and is drawn to her. I believe he recognized the sadness within her early on. As they grew closer, Connell insisted on keeping their relationship a secret, out of fear and discomfort — a decision that, understandably, hurt Marianne deeply (something Connell was painfully aware of).

Balance and Dynamics: The story follows Marianne and Connell as they drift apart and find each other again over the years. One of the most fascinating dynamics I noticed was the shifting balance of dominance and vulnerability between them.In high school, Connell held more social power over Marianne, which caused an imbalance that ultimately broke them apart. Later, in college, their roles reversed — Marianne thrived socially while Connell struggled with loneliness and depression. Yet again, despite their deep bond, things didn’t quite work out. Throughout the series, this balance shifted back and forth, almost like a sine wave — their emotional “frequencies” constantly adjusting, missing, and realigning. By the end, they finally reached a point where their inner worlds matched, cancelling out the noise and achieving harmony.