How is Conversations With Friends like Normal People?
Spoilers begin about here, so be wary going forward if you haven’t watched the series yet.
There are a lot of similarities between the two novels, and naturally, the two series as well. They’re both coming-of-age tales that follow English literature students living in Ireland, who are discovering the complications of sex and relationships.
But while our central desire, and the main driver of conflict, in Normal People was Marianne and Connell’s inability to communicate, Conversations With Friends explores the moral issue of extramarital affairs.
While Frances and Nick are equally awful at communicating as Marianne and Connell, our desire for them to ‘get it together’ is more fraught with existential questioning, as is normal in Rooney’s work.
But we’re here to talk about Conversations With Friends' sex scenes…
Fans of the Rooneyverse expected the series would be steamy, and they won’t be disappointed. Just because we’re not rooting for Frances and Nick, it doesn’t mean the chemistry between Alwyn and Oliver isn’t palpable.
The two share their first steamy kiss in episode two at Melissa’s birthday party, and by the next episode, they’re fully entwined in their affair.
While it’s completely hot and fun to watch, there are moments within the sex scenes that mirror those from Normal People, which we’re stoked to see.
The first time Nick and Frances have sex, the production seems to put deliberate focus on her pleasure, as well as Nick’s.
We also see Nick checking in with her for consistent consent, a directorial choice that was praised in Normal People, too.
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While we're not too sure if fans will adore Conversations With Friends with the same fervour that they did Normal People, the series continues to get a lot of things right.
Aside from the sex, the series is mostly frustrating because it is so good at capturing the difficulty of communicating emotion in dialogue.
So, clear your schedule and make sure you binge this one all in one go.
You can stream all episodes of Conversations With Friends now on Amazon Prime, live and on demand with a 30 day FREE trial. START FREE TRIAL.