- Network: HULU
- Series Premiere Date: Apr 29, 2020
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Critic Reviews
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Divided into 12 half-hour chapters, the adaptation arrives burdened by prestige-TV trappings, which is to say that the production is unassailably handsome and disappointingly anesthetized.
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Generally speaking, the characters, as outlined on the page, are distinctly plain and painted with broad strokes, which serves to highlight Edgar-Jones and Mescal’s acting ability but demonstrates that their talents are in service of a substandard product.
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A gloomy adaptation of Irish author Sally Rooney’s 2018 novel that is comprised of twelve half-hour episodes, each one more maddening and less compelling than the last. ... The sole bright spot of “Normal People” is the performance by Edgar-Jones, which transcends the shortcomings of the material considerably with its complexity and nuance, though I grew increasingly tired of watching her character being physically and verbally abused by everyone. ... What we’re left with is a frustrating, fractured romance between an inarticulate weakling and a woman who deserves so much better.
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Beyond illustrating the angst of their mutual attraction with a thousand penetrating angles, Normal People’s TV adaptation fails as both an adaptation and as a standalone show. Without the details of the book, the story is featureless erotica, 12 episodes of two gorgeous people struggling to handle the implications of their ferocious attraction. ... The series strips Rooney’s novel of much of the tone and detail that makes Connell and Marianne worth reading about.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 67 out of 78
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Mixed: 6 out of 78
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Negative: 5 out of 78
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May 9, 2020
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May 2, 2020Truly brilliant television. 10 episodes about the awkwardness of being young. The chemistry between the two stars is unbelievable.
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Nov 20, 2021Watched the whole boxset on bbc iPlayer and also read the book afterwards sad there won’t be any more episodes