'Normal People' Episode 1 Review: A slow introduction sets the tone for what's coming
Readers of Sally Rooney's 'Normal People' would have waited a long time for BBC and Hulu's adaptation of the novel that took the book world by storm. Here was a book about young, millennial love that was not only fast-selling but also nominated for some of the biggest awards in the literary world, including the Man Booker Prize and the Women's Prize for Fiction.
The wait would not have been too long, however, since 'Normal People' had one of the fastest book-to-screen adaptations. The story of Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who attend the same school but belong to different social classes, may have been pushed as the same old story. But it was Rooney's writing that made one feel absolutely immersed in their story.
The TV adaptation of 'Normal People' is as immersive and avid readers may have noted that while the settings for some scenes are changed, the dialogue mostly remains the same. This could be because Sally Rooney was involved in the writing process for the show.
The first episode of 'Normal People' begins while Connell and Marianne are at school. This gives the viewers a chance to see how these two characters are in that habitat, where they largely ignore each other. Connell is an athlete and one of the popular kids, and Marianne, well, Marianne has no friends. She's a bit of an odd one. She has contempt for her teachers and her peers, who in turn have contempt for her. There is just Connell who sees her differently because he gets to interact with her outside of school.
Next, we see Connell go to Marianne's house — his mother works as a housekeeper there — and while he waits for his mother, he has a little bit of chat with Marianne. It is a little bit awkward but easily not as awkward as things are between them in school.
Over their next few interactions through the episode, Marianne tells Connell that she likes him and he seems to reciprocate her feelings. He just has the one condition though — no one at school should know. Viewers would instantly find this problematic, but as the readers will tell you, there will come a time when Connell just might regret that.
The first episode may be slow for those who aren't familiar with the book. For the most part, the episode feels like rereading Rooney's original work. As such, the episode works well at setting up both Marianne and Connell for the viewers — how they are different and what sort of people they are. Because if there is one thing important about 'Normal People', it is that despite what you think you understand about the characters might not reflect in the way they behave.
All episodes of 'Normal People' are released for streaming on Hulu on April 29.