If any TV series has captured the collective imagination during lockdown, it's got to be Normal People. Fans of Sally Rooney's novel and newcomers alike have been seduced by its fashion, heartbreaking soundtrack and uncommonly realistic sex scenes.
And then of course there's the main event: the devastating central romance between Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal). If you're feeling a little bereft after binge-watching all 12 episodes, you're definitely not the only one.
Don't get too excited about a potential second season, though – at least, not yet. During a new interview, Mescal has spoken about the prospect of playing Connell again – and it seems there are no plans in place for now.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
"Oh, there's no question that character to me is still alive and breathing and very much has a lot of life left to live, and has a relationship with Marianne that is maybe unfinished,' Mescal told Wonderland magazine.
"I do feel like the series that has finished is its own thing, and I'm totally comfortable with that," he added. "It's not on the cards at the moment, but if I got the opportunity to play him again, amazing."
In a previous interview, Mescal and Edgar-Jones did at least suggest there could be potential to continue Marianne and Connell's story beyond events in Rooney's original novel.
“Series one is the book,” Mescal told NME. “But we don’t know what’s on the other side. The great thing about these two characters is that their lives continue.”
“That’s what’s so wonderful about the book,” added Edgar-Jones. “At the end, they’re very much alive and you’re left not knowing where they’re gonna go. It’s upsetting to read, but it’s also quite thrilling and realistic. We’ve left the series in a similar way. I think it’s quite interesting to leave it open.”
Whatever happens next, we'll always have the Instagram account dedicated to Connell's chain.