Normal People: 10 Most Relatable Connell Scenes, Ranked

Normal People’s Connell is one of the series’ most relatable characters due to his shy nature. Here’s 10 scenes where audiences connected with him.

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Normal People, based on Sally Rooney’s novel was produced by Element Pictures for Hulu and BBC 3. It has earned rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Set in Ireland, the show is focused on two young adults, Marianne and Connell. They come from very different backgrounds but their life becomes interwoven around each other.

Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones bring these characters to life. Paul Mescal especially must be commended on his debut performance, performing Connell with the sensitivity that is required for this character. Connell is probably the most relatable character on the show and here are some ways in which Mescal shows this.

10 He Is Awkwardness Personified

The first time we see Marianne and Connell interact in school is amusing for a lot of reasons. Connell is awkward and shy and it is especially visible in his interactions with Marianne because she seems to be the opposite of that. Connell is visibly blushing and awkward when Marianne calls him out for blushing often. On various occasions, we can see how Connell’s awkwardness doesn’t allow him to react in the ways he wants to. Paul Mescal captures this awkwardness of Connell’s character perfectly. Viewers who think of themselves as being awkward can relate closely to Connell.

9 Not Calling Out His Friends

Connell is kind and loyal to his friends. He is also sensitive and sensible. Viewers who watch Connell’s lack of reaction when his friends make derogatory comments about Marianne will be able to understand where it comes from. Audiences will be able to see themselves in Connell, a character who is unable to stand up to his friends for a girl who he is currently with. It’s a very difficult moment and one which most viewers would have faced in their lives. The show doesn’t try to justify Connell’s actions but provides an example of how you can hurt people with your inaction.

8 Anxiety About How He Is Perceived

Connell messes up a lot because of this incessant need to be perceived as “normal” by his friends. He is very afraid of losing out on the social community he has in school and is constantly anxious about the same. This anxiety extends to being associated with Marianne as well. And this becomes devastating for both of them.

Viewers will witness the tumultuous path his anxiety leads him to take, alienating him from Marianne. This is especially true of Connell when he is in school.

7 Feeling Out Of Place In College

Connell notices how different he is from his peers at college. His dialect, his clothes, his values, all differ from most of the other students. Connell feels very out of place in Trinity, an elite college where many students come from elite, rich, privileged backgrounds. His working-class, rural background, along with his shyness stops him from giving out his opinions, unlike his more privileged peers. And it is even more exacerbated because his school life hadn’t prepared him for this very different college life at all.

6 Has Difficulty With Public Displays Of Affection

Connell is extremely awkward and shy. He isn’t really physically affectionate with Marianne if they have company. Marianne views this is as a failure on her part. But Connell simply just doesn’t seem to be comfortable with public displays of affection is all. We see slow growth in Connell with regards to this, he does make attempts to hold Marianne’s hand and even kiss her publicly. But Connell’s general shyness and awkwardness make it very difficult for him to engage in public displays of affection.

5 His Chase After Normalcy

Viewers will understand from the beginning of the show that there is something about Connell that makes him special, that draws Marianne towards him. Connell isn’t just an average, “normal” nobody. But it is this normalcy that he keeps chasing. He fails to recognize what Marianne and he has, and instead starts dating Helen who he thinks is more normal.

Helen is a “normal girlfriend”, and theirs is a “normal” relationship according to him. This chase for the “normal” takes a toll on Connell who takes a very long time to accept himself as he is.

4 His Struggle With Mental Health

Normal People addresses problems revolving around mental health. Viewers witness Connell dealing with depression. His struggles might closely resemble the struggles that audiences or loved ones of the audiences might have faced. The harsh realities of struggling with mental health and his eventual working towards getting better allow viewers to see a well-rounded character, who also happens to be dealing with mental health issues. Paul Mescal acts out these scenes with a delicateness, and with sensitivity. It helps to show essentially the humanness of this character.

3 His Relationship With His Mother

Connell is raised by a single mother. They have a loving bond between them and there is a lot of mutual respect as well. There is a certain openness to their relationship as well, everything can be addressed in her house. Marianne praises his mother’s bringing up of Connell seeing how he had turned out so well. The moments shared between them, even when they disagree with each other show viewers a very positive portrayal of a mother-son relationship. Connell’s dedication towards his mother is wonderful to see as well.

2 The Sensitive Jock

Many viewers will be able to relate to some key characteristics of Connell’s. He is quite popular in High School because he plays sports, and is on the team. But he is someone who enjoys nothing more than reading and writing.

That he takes English as his main subject in college and decides to pursue writing shows Connell as someone who physically seems like a jock but is actually a sensitive nerd. This adds some dimension to Connell’s character without reducing it down to either stereotype.

1 Connell’s Relationship With Marianne

To call them soulmates would not be too much of a stretch because Connell and Marianne seem to fit into each other’s lives and each other, perfectly. Connell’s difficulty in articulating his feelings at the right time, in the right manner however causes him to lose Marianne on multiple occasions. Connell’s shortcomings in the relationship are shown to the viewers and viewers will be able to see themselves in this character, whose miscommunication and misunderstandings led him to push himself away from the people around him.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/normal-people-connell-relatable-scenes/