Removing my blind spot, part 1 - Normal People

Every so often a show catches on to the zeitgeist and explodes. These days It’s mostly a quick stay…brought upon by social media, becoming a must watch binge “event.” This recently happened with Hulu’s brilliant “Normal People,” although my road to the series was a bumpy one. Or was it exactly what it was supposed to be?

I currently have a love/hate relationship with Twitter…just this morning debating whether or not I should delete my account and start over or simply unfollow everyone and have a momentary clean feed as I decide who/what I really want to see…hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.

But the truth of the matter is, Twitter’s role in my, first reluctance to watch “Normal People” and eventual reason for giving it a shot is undeniable. Would I have watched it otherwise? Perhaps…it was in my Hulu recommends when I loaded the app, and I still occasionally have actual conversations about movies/television with friends.

Shortly after “Normal People” came out I saw a tweet where someone said something pretty negative about the show. I can’t recall what they said specifically, or who it was, but I thought - it’s a pass.

You see, right now - and I can only truly speak for myself, what I choose to watch is directly related to my roller coaster of emotions connected to the global pandemic, lockdown and our seemingly failed re-entry back into the “real world.”

Other than the occasional Instacart or Door Dash delivery, the only human connection I really had over the course of three months was on screen, whether that be Zoom meetings or on my television, in 4k “realism.”

I don’t…or didn’t…want to watch anything that might tilt me toward an uncomfortable place. “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” the film about young Autumn navigating an unwanted teen pregnancy, seemed a no-go. Same with “Shirley.” I wasn’t sure I could watch Elisabeth Moss in anything and let go of the fact that she is a Scientologist. In the early months of COVID, and despite my best efforts, it’s been quite easy to hold on to resentments toward those with differing beliefs than me. And Moss certainly falls into that category despite her amazing skills. I even tried to re-watch/binge “Battlestar Galactica” and found myself completely unable to handle the human discourse despite its brilliant telling.

So, for weeks it was “Buffy,” “The X-Files,” and queer movies I had already seen and loved.

At some point…the measure of time is tricky these days…I saw a new tweet about “Normal People.” My friend Nathan said something along the lines that with today’s lack of touch, he wasn’t prepared for the raw/realistic physical connection (SEX, y’all!) between Marianne and Connell. That intrigued me.

Almost immediately I started to take notice that my feed was full of “Normal People.” Not only praise for the show, but pictures of star Paul Mescal in short shorts and Fionn O’Shea’s Jamie being compared to the likes of Joffrey on “Game of Thrones.” And suddenly it hit. “Normal People” had struck the moment.

For those of you who don’t know, “Normal People,” follows Marianne and Connell, two young teens In Ireland who have an intense romantic relationship/friendship at the end of high school and through college. Marianne is from a wealthy background…maligned by her peers where Connell is popular and from a working class family. His Mom is Marianne’s family housekeeper.

Once they were out of high school…seeing Maryanne in college -thriving and embraced for who she is after being ridiculed for those same characteristics before…and then reconnecting with Connell, who in college is at first a fish out of water…it was all so fulfilling and intriguing. But things weren’t fully as they seemed. As Marianne begins to suffer from insecurity and familial abuse in subsequent episodes…it was suddenly more than I could handle. So, I stopped after 5 episodes.

A few weeks went by, and I had brunch with my friend Will. We talked about a variety of things, including “Normal People,” which had clearly moved him. I greatly respect Will and found myself trying to express why I had stopped watching, but in fact, I didn’t really know. I definitely didn’t think it was bad.

After brunch I continued to think and the fact that I had not watched some of the “challenging” material that had been released this year. The Oscars are a big unknown despite some people beginning to write about it (I did so back in May because it felt wrong not to…now I’m not so sure there is a right or wrong as we try to figure this all out!) But irrelevant to awards, there is some great work out there. And since when am I shy toward difficult subject matter? Well. Since March of 2020.

After my brunch with Will, it was time to rethink this blind spot I had. I started back on episode 6 of “Normal People,” and I was stunned. By its acting, it’s originality. It’s undeniable truth….and the ending. That brilliant, unforgiving ending.

Not everything has to be binged. That is the the real joy of streaming. The freedom that comes along with it. We can watch however and whenever we choose to watch. I only wish I had finished it before Dorian Awards nominations were due because Daisy Edgar-Jones deserved a nomination, and I regret not putting her in my list. Here’s hoping the Emmys take notice, of not only the show but also Daisy and Paul. You have to see the full series to appreciate these characters’ arcs, and to fully grasp the levity of these astonishing performances.

After “Normal People” I was ready to tackle the films I had been putting off for months. Including the aforementioned “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” and “Shirley.” Initially I thought I would watch these films so I could somewhat contribute to the Oscar landscape discussion, but after this long 4th of July weekend…these long 4 months…I see more clearly now that it was actually to lift my spirits…to appreciate great cinema, even if from home.