Conversations With Friends - BBC 3 & Hulu.

Thanks for confirming that it was Ballinasloe. I thought that was what was on the train station sign but wasn't sure.

It's ok, more style than substance.

The most annoying part is the amount of text messages used which means I need to rewind it, pause it and walk up to the TV to read the message!

For God's sake, don't read the book, if you think the characters in the TV adaptation are insufferable.

2 episode in and it has none of the magic of Normal People. NP has Mescal and DEJ, 2 unknowns but they were just magnetic on screen, and had serious chemistry. It’s setting was rural and realistic, ie gaa and secondary school in country town. This one, trinity students who moonlight as stand up comedy, gimme a break that’s complete elitism. So far the characters are not on the level of NP, the wife and outgoing friend are very unlikeable, and the main bloke doesn’t have the innocence and vulnerability of Mescal, he’s just a tortured rich D4 head, the only likeabke character is the main girl. Will watch it anyway, hope it improves but from what I heard it doesn’t, and episode 3 is painfully slow.

I don’t disagree, but just to point out that much of ‘Normal People’ was also situated in Trinity and Marianne’s family were loaded, owning a villa in Italy.

For a self-proclaimed Marxist, Sally Rooney certainly has a fixation on the lives of very affluent people. Totally agree that this show is missing the chemistry that Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones produced; there was something magical there. Even the secondary characters in ‘Normal People’ seemed more interesting.

Couple of other points that occurred to me.

1. I feel like the premise of the book and TV show just doesn’t stand up to any scrutiny. There is no way a wealthy, artsy, mid-30s couple would have any interest, platonic or otherwise, in a couple of student girls.
2. The lead actress, Alison Oliver is pretty decent and clearly has some talent. I hope this show is a career launcher for her.

6 episodes in. Feel like Robinson Crusoe writing this in some kind of endurance log.

I been struck by a revelation. It's Love Island for woke hipsters....... without any semblance of fun!

• A bit of a snog and a squeeze.
• I've got a text.
• Can I pull you for a chat.
• Meltdowns and fallouts over nothing.
• Multiple lines of attraction.
• Friendships vs Lust
• Rinse and repeat.

Frances and Nick are a dish cloths in human form.

Not sure I have the strength to go on........ will try.

Good point about Connell versus Nick. Connell was vulnerable and relatable as an Irish guy who went along with the lads' mentality in secondary school, or was too shy to speak up against it, then evolved and grew up in college, and obviously the relationship with Marianne was just gorgeous. He also was from a poor enough background and had to work hard for everything he had- it really portrays that in the book and the show, what a massive relief it was for him to get Schols in 3rd year. That scene in the therapist's room was heartbreaking.

Nick is just a privileged D4 head, as you say, and far more difficult to root for. Yes, his depression is real, but I still feel like I don't really know him as a person, in either the book or the tv show. He's rich, and mumbles a lot. Joe Alwyn's mumbling is irritating. His accent is a bit weird and distracting at times too- not terrible, but it's like he's torn between posh south Dublin and English.

"Dish cloths in human form" 😂 I'm stealing that line! I just think it worked better as a book. I still preferred Normal People though. I also thought the book failed to communicate why Nick and Melissa wanted to be close friends with two 21 year olds, and this failure has happened in the show too. I'm a similar age to them, and would not hang out with college students, ever, beyond being acquaintances. Not saying I definitely wouldn't, but you don't see anything that explains it, any USP! They're just friends from page 1, and that's it.

Overall the TV show just doesn't really work, it should have been left as a book, but would still have benefitted massively from major editing. There are 3x as many scenes of Nick and Frances mumbling to each other as there need to be.

Smart, more like humourless, self absorbed narcissists.

She does take herself very seriously. Reminds me of Una Mullally. Face like a bulldog pissing on a nettle.

If the shoe the shoe is poorly received and not popular then it won’t be a career launcher for the actress unless she is singled out as good despite the shoe being bad.

However, it will surely be a stepping stone for her.

The series seemed from the start like the the producers and director were jumping on their own bandwagon.

The trailer made it look like a bunch of horrible people hanging out and being horrible.

I would agree that the main actress is very good but the mina storyline of a love affair between two really boring people is just not that engaging. The only character I have feelings for is Bobbi- who I detest!

So this is what passes as Marxism in the 21st century, lol! So much for social realism.

The lead actor character in this is some dope. Does he have some condition or us he just super-chilled??

Not my usual fare but I found my self drawn in by it.

The fly on the wall sort of dreamy feeling compelled me.

The characterisation was so spot on it's almost scary.

I knew some of them at college and in one way or another I've been meeting their likes all my life.

A definite classic of the future.

How is the characterization spot on? Do you mean the portrayal of self-absorbed, narcissistic humanities students or artsy, older couples, with open relationships?

My degree spanned STEM and humanities, so I had a lot of contact with arts students. I don’t recall anybody as remotely annoying as Frances or Bobbi. Granted this was 15 years ago.

Man vs Man Ure is talking about the lead actor not the lead actress

In a medical clinic being treated for STIs.