Normal People Ending, Explained

The Normal People ending is emotional and ambiguous, as Connell Waldron (Paul Mescal) and Marianne Sheridan's (Daisy Edgar-Jones) future is left hanging. The BBC miniseries is a clever adaptation of Sally Rooney's 2018 novel that follows the characters as they fall in love in high school but are from different social backgrounds, with him being popular, and her being an outsider, which forces them to see each other in secret. Connell and Marianne have a complicated and sometimes painful relationship, as they get back together at college but struggle to be open and comfortable in the relationship.

It makes sense to hope that by the final episode of the series Connell and Marianne stay together, but given the somber tone of the book and TV adaptation, a truly happy conclusion didn't appear likely. While the couple loves each other and has a difficult time opening up and relating to other romantic partners, they don't find their own relationship any simpler, which makes a carefree and happy ending seem unrealistic. The final scene of Normal People does hint at what could happen in the future, but it's a fairly mysterious way to wrap up the story.

What Happens At The End Of Normal People?

The Normal People Ending Reflects Connell And Marianne's Character Growth

In the finale, Connell tells Marianne that he will go to New York for an MFA in Creative Writing program, and Marianne shares that she will continue to live in Dublin. The fact that they both make their own choices here shows that they have grown since the beginning of the story. Because Connell and Marianne are only 21 years old, at the most, in the end, they have shown signs of co-dependency and are unable to let go of each other. Now, however, they are listening to their instincts and following their dreams.

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The characters treat each other well in this final episode, as after Marianne enjoys Christmas at Connell's home, she is proud of him for being accepted into the MFA program and encourages him to live the life that he wants to lead. Because they are going to be living so far away, she shares that a long-distance romance would be a bad idea, but they will get together in one year and notice if any chemistry or sparks still exist. This is a contrast to the petty arguments and negative emotions that the two share earlier in the series.

Normal People is a strong young adult series because the characters have intense feelings and conversations that explore this strange and confusing time in their lives. Earlier, Marianne is envious of Connell's girlfriend, Helen Brophy (Aoife Hinds), and Marianne and Connell are not honest about still being in love. In episode 12, they are able to share that they care about each other deeply but know that it isn't the right time to be together. At the start of the series, it doesn't appear that they would be able to approach the future in such a mature manner.

Do Connell & Marianne End Up Together In The Book?

The Normal People Novel Gives Even Less Away

Since the TV series gives more information, when comparing Normal People to the book, the TV ending offers the chance to reflect on how the characters have changed. In the novel, Connell has the opportunity to study writing through a Master's program at Cornell in Ithaca, but he doesn't make his choice.

In the show, Connell is headed for New York and Marianne is going to remain in Dublin. It's smart to explain what each character wants to do, which makes the TV show ending much stronger than the novel's conclusion. While ambiguous TV show endings can work for some genres, they can be frustrating in a romantic drama.

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However, both endings feature the same melancholy tone and the sentiment is the same: the strong characters in Normal People are not together at the present, and they will wait to make a more permanent choice about whether they will be together again. In both circumstances, the characters appreciate what they have meant to each other, although it seems that Marianne has changed the most as a result of their relationship. After growing up in a lonely home with her harsh mother, Denise (Aislín McGuckin), and abusive brother, Alan (Frank Blake), Marianne didn't think anyone could love her.

Before Normal People, Sally Rooney wrote a short story called At The Clinic that was published in The White Review in 2016, and it depicts what happens to Marianne and Connell. They see each other again when they are 23 years old and Connell accompanies Marianne to the dentist as she is having her wisdom teeth taken out.

The characters have just ended other relationships and realize that they still love each other. Rooney was inspired by this short story to write her novel, and even though the story came first, it's possible to view it as coming right after her novel's ending.

The Impact Of Changing Aspects Of The Book Ending

The Alterations Made The Ending Of Normal People Better

If the book ending hadn't been altered, episode 12 of Normal People wouldn't have had the same impact. Not finding out what Connell wants to do would be a shame, as he has become a more confident person through the course of his college years, and he doesn't want to run away from his feelings anymore. Like other great miniseries adapted from novels, creative decisions had to be made as what works on the page can feel lackluster on the small screen. What feels like a poetic conclusion in a book could feel unfinished on a TV series.

If Normal People had ended before Connell realized that he wanted to move away to study writing, he wouldn't appeared to have grown as much as a character, and neither would Marianne for telling him that, of course, he should go. This is the perfect conclusion because in sharing her opinion of his MFA acceptance, she is thanking him for what he has taught her and letting him know that she will be okay without him.

The Real Meaning Of Normal People's Ending

The Core Theme Of Normal People Is Love Isn't All That Matters

The ending of Normal People suggests that while love is important, so is identity, independence, and following dreams. The real, relatable moments in Normal People flesh out these characters, whether they are splitting up when they still love each other or accepting that they will never feel comfortable being vulnerable with others.

It would be easy for Marianne to tell Connell that she will go with him to New York so that they can continue their romance, but she knows that wouldn't be fair to either of them. There might be anger or resentment if she did go with him, and she doesn't want to experience that.

The characters in Normal People learn a tough but valuable lesson about doing what will make them happy, not following other people, and staying honest. The ending shares the message that young adulthood is difficult and painful and, sometimes, people meet each other for a reason, but that doesn't mean that they will always remain in each other's lives, and that's alright.

Will There Be A Normal People Season 2?

Daisy Edgar-Jones Gives Some Hope

Despite many people feeling as though the ending of Normal People was a fitting one, that hasn't stopped the demand from fans for the story to continue. There have still been questions about whether Normal People season 2 is a possibility, though there has never been any confirmation. It has seemed less likely in recent years as the success of the two main leads has opened up their Hollywood futures, including Paul Mescal in the upcoming Gladiator 2 and Daisy Edgar-Jones recently finding blockbuster success with Twisters.

However, there is some recent hope for the future of the show as Edgar-Jones shared her Normal People season 2 thoughts:

I love those characters. It would be wonderful to explore them again. If [Rooney] is up for writing a new story, who knows… Keeping it open. Always open.

Though it is hardly a confirmation of anything official, the idea that the right material could bring the main players back together is exciting. There is a question of whether a second season would ruin the impact of the story and where it was left off. The show seemed to end with the idea that it is alright to experience love with someone even if it doesn't last. Seeing these two characters get a second chance with each other sort of flies in the face of that sentiment.

However, that does not mean there isn't a worthwhile story to explore by picking up with Marianne and Connell years later. Seeing who they are at a different time in their lives and how they feel about their relationship could be a fascinating way to explore this complex romance even further. While it might not be something that is going to develop quickly, the promise of this idea grows more exciting the more time that passes since the ending of Normal People. If fans get the chance to revisit Marianne and Connell, it might enrich an already beautiful series.

How The Normal People Ending Was Received

Audiences Appreciated The Open-Ended Finale

Some fans started Reddit thread discussing the ending of Normal People. The open-ended finale left it open for people to bring their own theories into what happened, with the OP asking, "What do you think, there is any hidden clues in their conversation what maybe point of their possible after-ending life?" This led to some commenters saying that the future relationship wasn't the purpose of the story, and the ending being wide open brought the story together perfectly:

"I think the ending really brought Marianne and Connell's story to a proper conclusion. No matter what happens between them next, the events we saw in this show are the foundational experiences that defined who they are and what they mean to each other.​​​​​​​ "

Others agreed with the sentiment while admitting they were invested in the characters. One Redditor said they were left with "an unsettling and mixed feeling at the end," while also mentioning that it "felt like a closure." It was a lot deeper of an ending than many TV shows have, and that is likely why it was critically acclaimed, with a Certified Fresh 91% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher 92% audience Popcornmeter score.

When reviewing Normal People on Rotten Tomatoes, one of the audience reviewers explained why not getting a happy ending of the two finally getting together worked out so well for the series. "The ending left me a little disappointed, but that's because we all love happy endings, and that's not how life works. He got finally got the opportunity he much deserved."

Normal People is a romantic drama miniseries based on Sally Rooney's novel. The show centers on two people as they grow up and head to college in Dublin, exploring their relationship in detail. The series follows the two from their academic careers to their troubling family lives and the difficulty they have communicating their feelings for one another.

Release Date April 26, 2020

Seasons 1

Showrunner Alice Birch