Normal People

We all have that one show that makes us cry, rethink our life decisions, and make us root for the couple that isn't together but should be. For me, “Normal People '' is that show; if you haven't heard of it, let me briefly explain what it's all about. This is a drama series, and it follows this smart, shy, and outcast girl named Marianne. As you learn her story, you see she doesn't have the best home and family life. Her father had passed away when she was 13, and one thing that was explained about him was that he would be physically abusive. As far as Marianne’s mother, she doesn't pay much mind to her only daughter, but she does make sure Alan, Marianne’s older brother, is well and has everything he needs. Marianne is the black sheep of the family. She is more into reading and art and keeps to herself. She doesn't ask for much attention. Her brother is that guy who peaked in high school and became a businessman who feeds off of toxic masculinity.

In season 1, episode 1, there is a  scene where Marianne’s brother gives her a ride to school, and while he is driving, one of his friends calls him and asks for a ride, so instead of dropping off his sister he makes Marianne walk in the pouring rain so he could go pick up his friend. So from that, you can gather he isn't the best older brother. From a viewer's point of view, it seems like he is angry at his sister because she is smarter, and he knows deep down that she will be greater than he could ever imagine, which bothers him because he is insecure.

Normal People follows another person, a young Irish man named Connell; he is a little different from Marianne. Connell is on their school's rugby team, but he isn't the typical jock that most shows portray athletes to be. He is more quiet and shy, and he is very humble. His mom had dropped out of high school because she had gotten pregnant with him, and she thought it might be better to work and make money. He is very driven, does his school work, and ensures he is always on time for his games and practices. Something about Connell is that he is a very anxious person; he doesn't do well under pressure, and he has a lot of panic attacks. He doesn't talk about his anxiety too often, but there have been a couple of senses where he is talking about how he doesn’t feel like himself and that he feels numb at times. A major difference between Connell and Marianne is that he and his mother have a great relationship; she supports him and makes him feel that warm, calm feeling that some mothers give. She keeps him in line and lets him know there will be hard and good times and don't worry about things you can't control.

How did they meet if they were so different and had different lives? They had an English class together, and Connell’s mother is a housekeeper. And she would clean Marianne’s mother’s house, but they never talked in school. Besides being in 2 different social groups, Connell’s friends weren't the nicest to Marianne. She was different from them, and they would tease her and try to get under her skin even if she didn't want to accept it. When it was pouring rain, and Marinne had to walk, she went into the bathroom and removed her shirt to dry it once she was at school. Two girls were in the bathroom and started making fun of her while she was having the worst morning. In that later episode, we learned that those two girls were Connell's friends, and one of them actually had romantic feelings for Connell.

This show talks about many different things; one of the topics it talks about pretty often is relationships. I think we all have had that person we would do anything for. For Marianne, it was Conell. She was madly in love, as was Connell, but he wouldn't look her way in school because he was so worried about what others would think, which we can all understand. No one wants to be the one to get picked on or be the one who isn't part of the joke. We all want to be liked and made to feel like we are “cool” or part of something. But Connell got lost in all that, and in return, it made Marianne feel like she was not worth anything and more like an outsider than she already was. He loved her. There is no denying that because he changed once they got to college. He didn’t care what people thought as much. It was still in the back of his head, but he wasn't as dependent on other people’s validation.

This show is amazing, in my opinion, for many different reasons. One reason is this shows and talks about things that our generation and other generations have gone through. We have all been in love at some point, and we have felt that we need to do as much as we can for that person even if it hurts us, “Normal People” talks about that and how sometimes, even when we really want something or someone it's better to stay away even if we don't want to do that. One thing about Marianne and Connell is that they keep going back and forth; they get close and become this beautiful thing, and then something comes in between them, and then they lose touch and grow apart, which is common for many people. Let me ask you something: do you still talk to the people you talked to 3 years ago? If you do, then that's great, but if you don't, it sucks because you miss the memories that you guys used to make. You may miss that sense of peace you felt with that person or multiple people; this shows that everyone misses people in different ways. Marianne and Connell are people we all relate to because they go through the same situations. For example, Connell seems like the type not to let much bother him. As we watch

With the exposure, you can tell he has taken on so much that it's starting to catch up with him. His feelings are starting to spill over. We see more and more that he is having panic attacks being more distant with people that care the most. As many of us can relate, even if we don't feel like ourselves, we tend to be quieter and want to be alone, and Connell is that voice that people need to feel less alone. Marianne is very easily relatable because some may relate how she is the outcast in her family and how she is made to feel like she is less than because she is different from her brother. She was forced to feel like if you aren't on top, then you are nothing. Some of us may feel the same way she does because many of us put pressure on ourselves to be better and not fail. Marianne and Connell together is something that people want because they have been through so much as individuals but also together, and as humans, we don't want to lose something that feels safe or don't want to go through so much to throw it away. This show can make people feel like they are less alone and that there are people like them. The people who will lift us up are doing more harm than good, and it's better to leave them in the past than bring them into your future. Another thing that this show brings up is that we choose to keep loving someone, and we choose to keep them by letting ourselves get to the point where we seem to only care about the other person than ourselves. This is a good pick if you are looking for a new and psychological show.