The fact that this show is going to be screwed over at the Emmy's in limited series only because it has two leads who are not well known is honestly making me a bit sad. What is with the industry TV Americans who vote for these award shows and chose the nominees ?
I liked Conversations With Friends for the writing, but the characters aren’t at all likeable. Sympathy for Connell and Marianne felt like the driving force behind Normal People’s success, and I can’t see this resonating with audiences in the same way. Will definitely be interesting to see how it turns out.
I was sceptical about this as there was so much hype around when it was released I was worried it was overrated. But I recently watched it all and was very pleasantly surprised by how good it was. It was SO emotional at times, and the acting was brilliant. I really loved how they dealt with issues such as communication, anxiety and consent. Fun fact, the actor who plays Connell is from my home town. As has been said, it was surprisingly true to Irish life and culture too. I could relate to so much of the school dynamics. (Not so much the Trinity scenes though, I don't know what Trinity is like as I went to a different college, but MAN those students were super posh and annoying....my college experience was not remotely close to that) Only basing this on my own experience but this isn't entirely true. My own post-primary school was mixed and was a normal public school, not private or technical.
I'm three episodes in and I'm finding it all a bit slow. Parts of it just seem completely pointless. I don't know whether it's just me but the actor playing Nick also seems devoid of any sort of charm or charisma.
Are you guys talking about Conversations With Friends, as opposed to Normal People? It's not clear from your posts dd
Just finished Conversations With Friends. It was very slow burn but I did enjoy it. I agree that it felt way too dragged out though. I think having two leads that were so cold, due to their characters, made it a less compelling watch as well. However I did enjoy the themes around different types of relationships and the actresses who played Frances, Bobbi and Melissa were all great.
Sasha Lane did a great job adding a sense of depth to Bobbi that I don’t think was there in the book. She felt believable and sympathetic. Generally I’ve been enjoying the show a lot! It’s extremely well made and incredibly handsome (Dublin looks looks so bleakly beautiful and austere, and I love the way the leads are often framed in empty rooms and deserted public spaces) and nails that uncomfortable Sally Rooney atmosphere so well. Alison Oliver is excellent as Frances and really holds the show together - some of the best scenes are her alone trying to formulate a sense of self. It’s a hard role but she’s captivating in it. The weakest point is obviously Joe Alwyn and the characterisation of Nick as a shy drip which I seem to remember is not quite how he was in the book? Was he aged down and made more bland to avoid having to represent visually a faintly icky power imbalance? Maybe with a better actor this change could have worked but he doesn’t have the range and sadly the central dynamic really suffers. He’s simply acted off the screen by each of the three female leads.
