It's not easy to find a bad character in Hulu's Normal People. That is to say, there are characters who are easy to dislike, but not one of them is badly written. Normal People emerged as what looked like the latest addition to a recent slew of teen dramas--not that we are complaining, there's some great stuff coming out right now.
But for whatever it looked like, Normal People is a creation all it's own. As beautifully as each character is written, however, they are not all equally enjoyable to watch.
10 Best: Connell
While Connell is, ironically, one of the characters that first let us down the most of anyone in the show--the main premise of the show is based on his massive let-down, in fact--he still comes out as the best character in the show. This is because out of everyone, Connell learns the most and actually applies what he learns to how he lives his life and interacts with others.
9 Let Us Down: Ms. Neary
Ms. Neary is a minor character but still a notable one. Marianne mentions her early on in the show, vaguely alluding to the fact that she seems to flirt with Connell, and that it makes him blush.
Connell is offended by the very suggestion of the idea that he might have a relationship with a teacher. Later, Ms. Neary tries to take advantage of a drunken Connell, serving as yet another example of a sad, warped adult--the show gives us a few.
8 Best: Marianne
Marianne is confusing, and always surprising us. Her character almost challenges us to judge her in the same way that everyone else judges her in the show. One moment she seems almost selfish and aloof, and the next it's hard to believe we ever gave in to thinking such a thing.
Daisy has many layers, but she is never unkind to anyone who hasn't been unkind to her, and she has an amazing capacity for forgiveness and generosity.
7 Let Us Down: Jamie
Jamie was never a very impressive character from the start. He always felt a little slimy, always hanging at Marianne's shoulder playing for her validation, or if not this, challenging some other male in the room to try and prove his superior understanding of Marianne. His character grows even worse, however, eventually proving himself an utter bigot and verbal abuser.
6 Best: Lorraine
Lorraine is a sold character through and through. She is humble and wholesome, but at the same time resists the cliche of saintliness. She calls Connell out for his bad behaviors but admits also to her flaws as a person and the fact that she has to remove herself before she "says things she will regret" to Connell in the wonderful scene where she confronts him for his maltreatment of Marianne. Lorraine is an ideal role model for mothers of boys, and mothers in general, for that matter.
5 Let Us Down: Denise
Marianne's mother Denise is always cold, from the moment we meet her. This doesn't immediately reveal the unfortunate qualities of her character, though.
Denise is a victim of domestic abuse at the hand of her late husband, perhaps explaining why she behaves so strangely as a mother, giving her an excuse for most of the season. But that excuse ends when we see her witness her son, Alan, abusing Marianne, and she doing nothing about it.
4 Best: Joanna
Joanna is Marianne's last true friend standing by the end of the show. Joanna felt genuine from the start, a calm, open-minded presence on-screen who offered a sense of groundedness in Marianne's emotionally tumultuous life. This first impression carries through to the other side of the show, with Marianne having allowed her less genuine friends to fall away and left her even closer to the constant Joanna.
3 Let Us Down: Alan
If we ever held any hope for Alan, he dashes it all to pieces at the end of the series. It's clear from the get-go that Alan is a darker character, one that incites dread when he walks on screen.
He doesn't appear much, but when he does, he has an insidious way of wreaking subtle havoc on Marianne's life, knowing just what cruel things to say and what small acts to perform in order to hurt her.
2 Best: Niall
Another smaller character, Niall has quite a large impact on the show. He is Connell's only friend who it's easy to wholeheartedly like, and who seems fully invested in his friendship with Connell. Niall is the one who suggests that Connell sees a therapist, a sign of true concern and interest in Connell's well-being. Niall is the first to encourage Connell socially at school as well and consistently urges him to be more vulnerable and communicative.
1 Let Us Down: Peggy
Peggy provides a bit of a twist in the show. She comes off as a fun, enthusiastic friend of Marianne's, and since we meet her when Marianne is supposed to have already established the groundwork of friendship at school, we take for granted that they are close and that Peggy is worthy. Peggy doesn't show any alarming signs to challenge our assumptions, but when Marianne later remarks on the fact that she doesn't think they were ever truly friends it invites us to re-visit Peggy and recognize that she wasn't very supportive after all; an instance of smart writing which shows us how easy it is to turn a blind eye.
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