'Normal People' Episode 4 sees roles reversed as Marianne and Connell start their university lives in Dublin
The first three episodes of 'Normal People' saw a clear dynamic between Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal). The BBC and Hulu production was adapted from Sally Rooney's acclaimed novel of the same name, and so readers would know that there would come a time that the roles would be reversed.
Back in Sligo, their small town, Connell was quite the popular dude. Not only was he smart, but he was also on the football team, which meant he did not have to put in any effort into introducing himself to people. Everyone knew him already and wanted to be his friend.
For Marianne it was different — people knew her, but she never had any friends. It's possible that many of their classmates found her to be condescending. Marianne spent most of her time in school reading, especially during lunch.
The fourth episode of the series picks up from when Connell finds a room to stay in. Remember that he had planned to go to Trinity College in Dublin and study English while Marianne planned to study History and Politics in the same university.
The first half of the episode focuses just on Connell as he struggles to adjust to life in Dublin. We see that he is a loner, he goes to class, the library, and then back to his room where he doesn't hang out with his roommates either — not until one evening when Niall finally invited him along to have a beer.
In class, Connell is struggling to keep up with the discussion among his classmates about various works of literature. It's clear that in Dublin, Connell is out of his depth.
When he goes back to Sligo on weekends because he works there, he meets his friend who is still back in Sligo working because he couldn't get into college. While his friend congratulates him on getting out of their small town, Connell says their town was better to live in.
In class, Connell starts talking to Gareth who invites him for a party one day. At the party, Gareth and a girl ask Connell where he's from and when he says Sligo, Gareth says his girlfriend is from Sligo too.
The first time we see Marianne in Dublin, we know that she is doing well. She's got a little bit of makeup on, her hair is styled, and most importantly, she is surrounded by people. When Connell and Marrianne see each other for the first time, they just tell the others that they went to school together. In a private conversation between them, we learn that Connell went on to date Rachel but broke up with her because he didn't feel compatible with her — Marianne seems quite pleased with this.
One of the ways television and film production signifies a change in scenery is through the tone they use. This is immediately visible in 'Normal People'. Everything is bustling and quick in Dublin and Connell's discomfort is shown to us. At the same time, though Marianne is more popular, we also understand that she may not be as comfortable as she is making out to be.
All episodes of 'Normal People' are released for streaming on Hulu in the United States on April 29.