Normal People

The series is the warmest embrace when you need it the most, and at the same time, the coldest knife to the heart. It is a well-visualized narration of the conditions of modern relationships, human interaction in the post-digital era, and the perpetual emotional roller coaster called love.

The most important aspect is that it does not present a deliberately dysfunctional relationship for the sake of poetic license, nor does it compose a hymn to dysfunctionality. Relationships are not meant to be easy; love is not as simple as drinking water. Deep down, we carry the burden of the complexity of being. Just as the descendants of Ymir were defined by a specific fate, so too do humans bear the responsibility of the randomness that gives birth to them.

It aims to present the true nature of romantic relationships and succeeds completely. Love is not a struggle, nor something definitive, but an agreement made between two people. Relationships, in reality, are Sisyphus's rock. And if Camus's hypothesis was correct, then Sisyphus is indeed happy because of the endless effort. Emotion is not the destination, but the journey. It is not the peak of the hill, but the path to the top.

And this is exactly what Normal People presents. The relationship is judged by who ultimately made the effort, where the balance of emotion tips. If it remains steady, which is rare to impossible, then we are talking about a completely functional relationship. This is also revealed by the finale, functioning as a literary circular structure, perfectly expressed by the title of Bilbo's book: There and Back Again.

P.S. Much more can be said about the series, from mental health, the form of socialization at school, and the interaction of various school "cliques," to family bonds. Hoping not to do it an injustice or overlook them, I decided to focus on love and relationships, as they are the cornerstone of the series' narrative.

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