My friend finished watching Normal People on Hulu and immediately messaged me asking if I had seen this series yet. As a side note, I take a while to watch TV shows since my fiance and my friends seem to watch media faster than I do. She couldn’t stop raving about Normal People and how the sex scenes seemed to be realistic. Normal People is an emotional story of two people falling in and out of love throughout their lifetime.

Based on the book of the same name by Sally Rooney, the series follows Marianne Sheridan (played by Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell Walderon (played by Paul Mescal). Marianne and Connell first meet in secondary school with Marianne being painted as the weird girl who reads too many books. Connell is popular although he is attracted to Marianne, he doesn’t want his friends to know. They have sex and Marianne is angered to learn Connell takes another girl to a dance. Marianne and Connell meet again throughout their adult lives as they contemplate being committed together.

The chemistry between Daisy and Paul is undeniable. I wouldn’t be surprised if these two were dating after the camera stopped rolling. This show is an emotional rollercoaster. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t crying every other episode. The sex scenes feel real. They aren’t super fake and over the top moaning. As I watch these scenes, it feels like two people having sex who truly care about each other’s being.

I do have to offer a slight content warning as this series is extremely emotional to watch. Marianne is victim to familial physical abuse by her brother. The show doesn’t explain why this happens unless I missed it. From the abuse, Marianne finds herself in abusive relationships. It’s heartwrenching to watch because we know Marianne deserves so much more. There’s a storyline leading back to suicide as one of Paul’s friends from secondary school commits suicide. As I mentioned, this is an emotional series beyond Marianne and Connell’s relationship. It’s important to be in that mindset to fully enjoy this series.

I haven’t read Sally Rooney’s book where the series is based. I’m undecided if I will read the book because I loved the show. Usually, I recommend reading a book before viewing the adaptation, but this adaptation is so good! A couple of my favorite book vloggers have already rated the book and their reviews weren’t positive. I have this book on my to-be-read shelf, so maybe I will get it reading this book eventually, but it’s not a high priority.

Normal People is so much more than a love story. It’s a commentary on love, life, and experiencing tragedy. As I mentioned above, it’s best to be in the mood to watch this emotional series. I cried every other episode because I was happy for the characters or I genuinely was sad for them. This is a series I would re-watch if I need a good cry. If you have read the Normal People book or seen the series, let me know in the comments below.