Normal People [BBC - RTE] - [**SPOILERS**]

Thargor

Fred Cryton wrote: »

You've never met anyone who got 600 points so. They don't have the brain dead eyes. Shyness in certain situations perhaps but even when alone with herself or the mother he can still barely get a few words out. Perhaps if he had severe autism and doing engineering he might be more believable but someone like him would never be doing English if that was how he was.

How the feck can you make definitive statements like that about human nature?

Engineering students are X whereas English students are Y, its ridiculous. You think nobody awkward or autistic (for whatever reason you brought that into it) never did English at uni?

olestoepoke

Fred Cryton wrote: »

You've never met anyone who got 600 points so. They don't have the brain dead eyes. Shyness in certain situations perhaps but even when alone with herself or the mother he can still barely get a few words out. Perhaps if he had severe autism and doing engineering he might be more believable but someone like him would never be doing English if that was how he was.

Again, you're talking utter nonsense. I'm hoping these kind of posts are just an attempt to troll/wind people up and that you aren't actually serious. Because if you are serious I think it best if you are just ignored.

amusicalfrog

Fred Cryton wrote: »

You've never met anyone who got 600 points so. They don't have the brain dead eyes. Shyness in certain situations perhaps but even when alone with herself or the mother he can still barely get a few words out. Perhaps if he had severe autism and doing engineering he might be more believable but someone like him would never be doing English if that was how he was.

I can assure you, some of the dopiest people I know are incredibly book-smart. There is no one temperament you can just ascribe to a group as diverse as 'people who do well in school'.

AndrewJRenko

Fred Cryton wrote: »

You've never met anyone who got 600 points so. They don't have the brain dead eyes. Shyness in certain situations perhaps but even when alone with herself or the mother he can still barely get a few words out. Perhaps if he had severe autism and doing engineering he might be more believable but someone like him would never be doing English if that was how he was.

You really couldn't be more wrong.

Sleepy

Sleepy wrote: »

I thought the actor playing him conveyed this quite well, and the conversations around him, and even those between himself and Marianne weren't that subtle about painting the reason for his resentment of her.

He's gone straight from school to managing the family farm. It's likely he spent half his childhood working on it. There's strong hints the father was abusive to the whole family.

So, while he's worked half his life and has his whole life mapped out before him managing a farm in Sligo that he likely doesn't even want he's watching his younger sister swan around doing an Arts degree in Trinity (where she'll basically be spending 90% of her time fluting around drinking coffee and socialising), flouncing around in their Italian summer house and then when she does come home, she's out back sunbathing rather than making any attempt to work or help out around the farm. It's not hard to see how he'd be resentful of her: she has her freedom and a seemingly handy life of living off the family wealth (which in his mind he's the one earning).

i must have missed the bit where it says he is a farmer. I thought he was running the family business but hadnt realised it was a farm. He does resent the fact she is off to college and living the life whereas he has been committed with a ball and chain around his foot. okay he has a guaranteed income, but his freedom is basically down the swanny.

lainey_d_123

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Was it confirmed that she is doing Arts? I don't recall any mention of what she is studying.

I'd suggest it is far more likely that the house is running off the mother's income as a solicitor, rather than farm income.

It says in the series she's doing history and politics. We see a quick shot of her CAO application and it's mentioned a few other times as well.

There's no way the family could have that level of wealth from her mother's income alone. A huge house in Sligo, a flat in Dublin 4 and a huge summer house in Italy? Solicitors just don't make that kind of money, especially not a single mother supporting two children and putting one through college. The family clearly came from money in the first place to have those kind of assets, so having a farm or something like that would make sense.

Strazdas wrote: »

It comes across quite strongly in the series all the same. Connell has to work in both Sligo and Dublin whilst Marianne is able to study in Trinity and rent accommodation, despite having no job.

One of the main reasons he returns to Sligo at the end of Tuesday's episode is because he has run out of money and is too proud to ask Marianne if he can move in with her.

I was a bit confused watching it, because the support system in Ireland for students from poor backgrounds is actually very generous, or it was when I was in college. Has it changed? When I was there, students from low income families had their fees covered and got a maintenance grant that was far more than a lot of non 'poor' students had to live off. Those who were working seemed to be doing so to fund their active social lives more than out of absolute necessity. Are we meant to believe he couldn't find a summer job at all in Dublin? Even a few years after the crash, I'd still find that hard to believe.

Sleepy wrote: »

I thought the actor playing him conveyed this quite well, and the conversations around him, and even those between himself and Marianne weren't that subtle about painting the reason for his resentment of her.

He's gone straight from school to managing the family farm. It's likely he spent half his childhood working on it. There's strong hints the father was abusive to the whole family.

So, while he's worked half his life and has his whole life mapped out before him managing a farm in Sligo that he likely doesn't even want he's watching his younger sister swan around doing an Arts degree in Trinity (where she'll basically be spending 90% of her time fluting around drinking coffee and socialising), flouncing around in their Italian summer house and then when she does come home, she's out back sunbathing rather than making any attempt to work or help out around the farm. It's not hard to see how he'd be resentful of her: she has her freedom and a seemingly handy life of living off the family wealth (which in his mind he's the one earning).

That's the main reason I hate his character. He's a privileged white man from a wealthy family in Ireland, in a better position than most people in the world, and yet he feels so hard done by. How many of his school friends would kill for the chance to work in a secure job in the family business, and to be set up for life regardless of how well you do in school? And yet he feels nothing but resentment.

He could also go out to the summer house in Italy, he also could have studied harder in school and gone to Dublin to study and lived in his mother's fancy flat in Ballsbridge, but he was too busy in the pub and complaining about his life. He had all the opportunities in the world at his feet and yet he blames everyone but himself for his unhappiness. I've met plenty of people like this in real life, so don't find him an unrealistic character, but I wouldn't have a shred of sympathy for him.

Hrududu

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

There's no way the family could have that level of wealth from her mother's income alone.

I think in the episode where they had a family dinner the aunts talked about how much fun they used to have in the flat when they were Marianne's age. Which sounds like the mother's family had bags of money in the first place.

Plasandrunt

I did like it but unlike most others I find it starts off very well but some off the final episodes are quite weak. Actually thought the ending was a bit crap.

Gonna read the book, how alike is it to the TV series?

lainey_d_123

Hrududu wrote: »

I think in the episode where they had a family dinner the aunts talked about how much fun they used to have in the flat when they were Marianne's age. Which sounds like the mother's family had bags of money in the first place.

Yep. That kind of wealth is almost always inherited. A solicitor can be on decent money, but decent as in a nice enough house and holiday abroad every year, not multiple huge homes in different places.

The people at school aren't entirely wrong - Marianne IS a bit of an entitled snot. She does look down on people she sees as beneath her for being 'mainstream'. She feels like a misfit but seems to lack the self awareness to how her would come across to others, as a rich snob looking down on everyone else, writing them off for being boring culchies while she's swanning around in her parents' Italian villa and with a lovely flat waiting for her in Dublin 4.

I thought the series did a good job of showing how people like this live in their little bubbles of privilege. She never once has to worry about funding her education or paying her rent. She has time to sit around having pointless pseudo intellectual debates and navel gazing while Connell is working. She does schols for the prestige of it rather than because she really needs the financial help and we see her casually saying 'oh I never really think about money' when she's talking to Connell in Italy. She realises afterwards that it was insensitive but shows how cut off from reality and how sheltered she is.

Strazdas

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I was a bit confused watching it, because the support system in Ireland for students from poor backgrounds is actually very generous, or it was when I was in college. Has it changed? When I was there, students from low income families had their fees covered and got a maintenance grant that was far more than a lot of non 'poor' students had to live off. Those who were working seemed to be doing so to fund their active social lives more than out of absolute necessity. Are we meant to believe he couldn't find a summer job at all in Dublin? Even a few years after the crash, I'd still find that hard to believe.

I'm not entirely sure of the ins and outs of it but Connell tells his flatmate he has effectively run out of money and suggests he is too proud to ask Marianne if can move into her place for free.

Has Connell now dropped out of Trinity for good and returned to Sligo (end of last Tuesday's episode)?

Again, he has messed up. He should have told Marianne what was troubling him and not just abruptly walked out on her, leaving her heartbroken.

lainey_d_123

Strazdas wrote: »

I'm not entirely sure of the ins and outs of it but Connell tells his flatmate he has effectively run out of money and suggests he is too proud to ask Marianne if can move into her place for free.

Has Connell now dropped out of Trinity for good and returned to Sligo (end of last Tuesday's episode)?

Again, he has messed up. He should have told Marianne what was troubling him and not just abruptly walked out on her, leaving her heartbroken.

I do find it realistic, though. I've had very similar communication difficulties before.

They're not an official couple and he's afraid of looking needy or too keen, or being a burden on her by asking if he can stay. So he's hoping that she'll catch on and say he can stay at hers. Someone from a similar background to him would probably have realised that and offered. But since she's never had to pay rent or had any financial issues, it doesn't occur to her that maybe he actually does want to stay in Dublin and the money is the only thing stopping him, and she believes that he actually does want to see other people.

GreeBo

I have to say that after a pretty good start I started to get pretty bored and just wanted to get to the end to see what happened.

They are two fierce moany bastards. Most of the season could have been avoided if they just spoke to each other, it was like some modern shakespearean tragedy and in the end just annoyed me.

Strazdas

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

I do find it realistic, though. I've had very similar communication difficulties before.

They're not an official couple and he's afraid of looking needy or too keen, or being a burden on her by asking if he can stay. So he's hoping that she'll catch on and say he can stay at hers. Someone from a similar background to him would probably have realised that and offered. But since she's never had to pay rent or had any financial issues, it doesn't occur to her that maybe he actually does want to stay in Dublin and the money is the only thing stopping him, and she believes that he actually does want to see other people.

Yes, I'm not condemning him as such, just making an observation that he has messed up in not telling her what he is really thinking.

One of the key elements in the story so far is lack of communication between them. He tends to be the more guarded and reserved of the two and she's the one asking questions about where their relationship is going.

Has he dropped out of Trinity by the way? It's unclear at what time of year he returned to Sligo at the very end of Tuesday's episode.

lainey_d_123

Strazdas wrote: »

Yes, I'm not condemning him as such, just making an observation that he has messed up in not telling her what he is really thinking.

One of the key elements in the story so far is lack of communication between them. He tends to be the more guarded and reserved of the two and she's the one asking questions about where their relationship is going.

Has he dropped out of Trinity by the way? It's unclear at what time of year he returned to Sligo at the very end of Tuesday's episode.

No, he didn't drop out. They do reference it being the summer. His flatmate offers to sublet the room over the summer so it's there when he gets back in September/

They both messed up in that conversation. Neither spoke their true feelings. He could have been more upfront about wanting to stay, and she could have offered. I thought it was a very realistic portrayal of how a lot of people actually communicate, with misunderstandings and assumptions all over the place.

volchitsa

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

No, he didn't drop out. They do reference it being the summer. His flatmate offers to sublet the room over the summer so it's there when he gets back in September/

They both messed up in that conversation. Neither spoke their true feelings. He could have been more upfront about wanting to stay, and she could have offered. I thought it was a very realistic portrayal of how a lot of people actually communicate, with misunderstandings and assumptions all over the place.

I don't think he could have asked - their whole relationship started off with him being ashamed to be seen with her, and even in Dublin that sort of continued. So if he suddenly wanted to be open about it, moving in with her, just because he needed a place to crash, it might seem even more like using her than what his mother had already accused him of. Or at least that's how Connell would have seen it.

Strazdas

lainey_d_123 wrote: »

No, he didn't drop out. They do reference it being the summer. His flatmate offers to sublet the room over the summer so it's there when he gets back in September/

They both messed up in that conversation. Neither spoke their true feelings. He could have been more upfront about wanting to stay, and she could have offered. I thought it was a very realistic portrayal of how a lot of people actually communicate, with misunderstandings and assumptions all over the place.

Re. the spoiler, just noticed the RTE trailers show the next episode being summer, so that answers my question

I guess the whole point of the series is it being the tortured on / off relationship between two people who are totally passionate about each other but who often end up in miscommunication. If everything was going smoothly and they were all loved up, there would be no actual story to tell (and both are clearly somewhat damaged individuals....perhaps even the "normal people" of the title).

thomasj

pappyodaniel wrote: »

Where is this supposedly based or is it just a generic Irish town? I see a lot of Sligo reg cars in it.
Anyone know where it was filmed?

The school scenes were filmed in Hartstown in Blanchardstown .

thomasj

2ndcoming wrote: »

Yep, it's Hartstown. My other half is in it as an extra.

Would've been funny to see a 39 flying past in the background !

Larbre34

The two leads were on Graham Norton tonight, albeit over skype, what a charming pair.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit as a 43 year old married man I've actually developed serious feelings for Daisy Edgar-Jones, like some sort of boy band teen fan. She is so charismatic, her characterisation of Marianne reaches into your soul and slaps it, intelligent, wise but vulnerable and in pain, its a toxic combination.

As Daisy herself, she reminds me of a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Anne Hathaway, and maybe in time better than both. She has it within her to eclipse the talents of her time, Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightly, Florence Pugh, early Kate Winslet. Watch this space.

Larbre34

Larbre34 wrote: »

The two leads were on Graham Norton tonight, albeit over skype, what a charming pair.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit as a 43 year old married man I've actually developed serious feelings for Daisy Edgar-Jones, like some sort of boy band teen fan. She is so charismatic, her characterisation of Marianne reaches into your soul and slaps it, intelligent, wise but vulnerable and in pain, its a toxic combination.

As Daisy herself, she reminds me of a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Anne Hathaway, and maybe in time better than both. She has it within her to eclipse the talents of her time, Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightly, Florence Pugh, early Kate Winslet. Watch this space.

Get in the queue pal....i got 6 years on ya :pac:

Did anyone else find their break up at the end to be quite abrupt? I was expecting her to go to New York with him.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Did anyone else find their break up at the end to be quite abrupt? I was expecting her to go to New York with him.

Yes, i agree that it was very sudden. This is something that needed to be played out over a full episode. Instead it was just

Both in the pub on NYE - 'we so love each other'

Cut to next scene in the flat.

Marianne - 'You should go to America'
Conall - 'Will you come with me?'
Marianne - 'no'
Conall - 'ok.... ill never forget you'

... :rolleyes:

it was like they thought they had more film then they actually did and then were told to wrap it up asap

artvanderlay

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/hulus-normal-people-has-all-the-appeal-of-a-bad-date-that-refuses-to-end


To paraphrase Connell in his first English tutorial, I agree with everything said here

StupidLikeAFox

artvanderlay wrote: »

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/hulus-normal-people-has-all-the-appeal-of-a-bad-date-that-refuses-to-end


To paraphrase Connell in his first English tutorial, I agree with everything said here

I don't know, the reviewer seems to be lamenting the fact that the characters make mistakes and don't always act in their own or others best interest. Comparing it to Grease!? He should go watch Grease again if he is looking for a nice love story to warm his heart

Anyway, here are the two main characters on James Cordens show. Interesting to see them just switch on to the characters regardless of the source material, and see DEJ just switch on the Irish accent. First sketch is the funniest:

Beechwoodspark

From that review

“Part of why I couldn’t ever forgive Mescal’s character is the fact that he simply looks too old for the role—certainly old enough to know better. In fact, he looks roughly the age of his own mother, Lorraine (Sarah Green, only 11 years Mescal’s senior)“

Thankfully a reviewer has pointed this out. I’ve talked to numerous ppl over the last few weeks who’ve said exactly that - mescal is miscast and is WAY TOO OLD looking for that role

As I’ve said previously I came to the series without any prior knowledge of the novel/plot.

I was confused by Mescal’s “old as the hills” looks and was further confused that he apparently was a 6th year student. I then was wondering if the plot twist will be he is a late 20s man pretending to be much younger and that eventually the truth would emerge?

Casting 101 - don’t create unnecessary confusion in the audience on stuff like this - it’s basic.

lainey_d_123

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

From that review

“Part of why I couldn’t ever forgive Mescal’s character is the fact that he simply looks too old for the role—certainly old enough to know better. In fact, he looks roughly the age of his own mother, Lorraine (Sarah Green, only 11 years Mescal’s senior)“

Thankfully a reviewer has pointed this out. I’ve talked to numerous ppl over the last few weeks who’ve said exactly that - mescal is miscast and is WAY TOO OLD looking for that role

As I’ve said previously I came to the series without any prior knowledge of the novel/plot.

I was confused by Mescal’s “old as the hills” looks and was further confused that he apparently was a 6th year student. I then was wondering if the plot twist will be he is a late 20s man pretending to be much younger and that eventually the truth would emerge?

Casting 101 - don’t create unnecessary confusion in the audience on stuff like this - it’s basic.

It's interesting how people perceive his age. Some have said he looks late teens/early twenties no bother. To me he honestly looks early thirties, at least. I'm 34 and if I saw him around, I'd think he was around my age.

I think he's an incredible actor but I did have to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the show because to me he looked ridiculous in a school uniform. Even in college I'd have thought he was a mature student or a lecturer. He's 24 in real life and I think he looks old even for that age. I wonder is he a smoker in real life, because he really does have loads of wrinkles for being that young.

Strazdas

Larbre34 wrote: »

The two leads were on Graham Norton tonight, albeit over skype, what a charming pair.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit as a 43 year old married man I've actually developed serious feelings for Daisy Edgar-Jones, like some sort of boy band teen fan. She is so charismatic, her characterisation of Marianne reaches into your soul and slaps it, intelligent, wise but vulnerable and in pain, its a toxic combination.

As Daisy herself, she reminds me of a cross between Audrey Hepburn and Anne Hathaway, and maybe in time better than both. She has it within her to eclipse the talents of her time, Saoirse Ronan, Keira Knightly, Florence Pugh, early Kate Winslet. Watch this space.

She's definitely the star of the show. It's a stunning debut from Paul Mescal but you would have to give her the edge in how she draws you into her character : the way she can display inner hurt and turmoil without even saying a single word.

is_that_so

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

From that review

“Part of why I couldn’t ever forgive Mescal’s character is the fact that he simply looks too old for the role—certainly old enough to know better. In fact, he looks roughly the age of his own mother, Lorraine (Sarah Green, only 11 years Mescal’s senior)“

Thankfully a reviewer has pointed this out. I’ve talked to numerous ppl over the last few weeks who’ve said exactly that - mescal is miscast and is WAY TOO OLD looking for that role

As I’ve said previously I came to the series without any prior knowledge of the novel/plot.

I was confused by Mescal’s “old as the hills” looks and was further confused that he apparently was a 6th year student. I then was wondering if the plot twist will be he is a late 20s man pretending to be much younger and that eventually the truth would emerge?

Casting 101 - don’t create unnecessary confusion in the audience on stuff like this - it’s basic.

Did it work between them is the real test? Yeah, extremely well and apparently the chemistry was there from very early on. I didn't think she was a credible LC student either. This is really not an unusual occurrence on screen or TV and if it encourages you to suspend disbelief and engage with material then it works.

Hamachi

I tend to agree with other posters calling out Paul Mescal as looking too old to be believable as a secondary school lad. However, there is no way in the world the guy looks in his 30s or of comparable age to his mother - Sarah Greene. I just don’t get how people are seeing this. Worst case scenario, he looks 25/26 tops.

One thing I’ve noticed is that he looks significantly more youthful in the media interviews promoting the show. In the show, his character is almost always downbeat and rarely smiling. However, he looks a lot fresher and younger in the interviews when he is not in character.

The camera also ages some people more than others. I’m no expert on this, but I presume it’s related to skin type or complexion. For me, it definitely stretched credibility casting Paul Mescal as a sixth year; in my opinion he did look age-appropriate at the end of the series as a 22 / 23 year old graduating university.

bitofabind

I think he looks mid twenties. If you see him in interviews, his face appears quite youthful - on the James Corden show for example.

The way the series was shot was very Lenny Abrahamson with the intimate closeups occupying a huge amount of both characters’ time on screen. There’s scenes where you can literally see the character’s pores. That might have aged him on screen. But I didn’t find him unbelievable at all as a 18 - 22 year old.