Content & Trigger Warnings for Normal People (2020)
12 content warnings identified across 1 season for this show.
Quick Summary
Yes, Normal People (2020) contains 12 content warnings : Stalking / harassment, Death of a parent, Grief / bereavement (major focus), Suicide (discussed or ideation), Gaslighting / emotional manipulation, Infidelity, Blood / medical gore, Explicit sexual content / nudity, Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations, Alcohol abuse (depicted), Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse, Self-harm / suicide (depicted).
The most severe warnings are for Grief / bereavement (major focus) (severity 4/5), Suicide (discussed or ideation) (severity 4/5), Explicit sexual content / nudity (severity 4/5), Self-harm / suicide (depicted) (severity 4/5).
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Does It Get Worse?
7 series-wide warnings apply across all seasons.
| Warning | Season | Severity | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity & Discrimination | ||||
| Stalking / harassment | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Controlling and possessive behavior from a secondary character toward the female lead |
| Stalking / harassment | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Bullying and social harassment at school create an atmosphere of persistent intimidation. |
| Mental Health & Emotional | ||||
| Death of a parent | All | 3/5 | Referenced | Connell deals with the death of a close friend and its impact mirrors parental loss themes in its devastation. |
| Grief / bereavement (major focus) | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Extended portrayal of grief following a friend's suicide with realistic emotional devastation |
| Suicide (discussed or ideation) | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | A main character struggles with severe depression and suicidal thoughts over multiple episodes |
| Other | ||||
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Emotional manipulation in a toxic relationship dynamic outside the main couple |
| Gaslighting / emotional manipulation | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Emotional manipulation and toxic relationship dynamics are explored through the central and supporting relationships. |
| Infidelity | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Characters engage in relationships while in other partnerships |
| Infidelity | All | 2/5 | Depicted | Characters engage in relationships with others while emotionally committed elsewhere. |
| Phobias & Sensory | ||||
| Blood / medical gore | S1 | 2/5 | Depicted | Blood shown briefly in connection with self-harm depictions |
| Sexual Content | ||||
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Frequent and intimate sexual scenes between the lead characters with full nudity throughout |
| Explicit sexual content / nudity | All | 4/5 | Depicted | Frequent explicit sex scenes with nudity throughout the series between the two main characters. |
| Sexual coercion / non-consensual situations | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Power imbalances in the central relationship create situations where consent is ambiguous or complicated. |
| Substance Use | ||||
| Alcohol abuse (depicted) | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | A character uses alcohol to cope with depression, shown in multiple episodes |
| Alcohol abuse (depicted) | All | 3/5 | Depicted | Heavy college drinking culture is depicted, with characters using alcohol to cope with emotional pain. |
| Violence & Physical Harm | ||||
| Domestic violence / intimate partner abuse | S1 | 3/5 | Depicted | References to and brief depiction of an abusive relationship involving a character's mother |
| Self-harm / suicide (depicted) | S1 | 4/5 | Depicted | Self-harm is depicted and a friend's death by suicide is a major emotional turning point |
Identity & Discrimination
Controlling and possessive behavior from a secondary character toward the female lead
Bullying and social harassment at school create an atmosphere of persistent intimidation.
Mental Health & Emotional
Connell deals with the death of a close friend and its impact mirrors parental loss themes in its devastation.
Extended portrayal of grief following a friend's suicide with realistic emotional devastation
A main character struggles with severe depression and suicidal thoughts over multiple episodes
Other
Emotional manipulation in a toxic relationship dynamic outside the main couple
Emotional manipulation and toxic relationship dynamics are explored through the central and supporting relationships.
Characters engage in relationships with others while emotionally committed elsewhere.
Phobias & Sensory
Sexual Content
Frequent and intimate sexual scenes between the lead characters with full nudity throughout
Frequent explicit sex scenes with nudity throughout the series between the two main characters.
Power imbalances in the central relationship create situations where consent is ambiguous or complicated.
Substance Use
A character uses alcohol to cope with depression, shown in multiple episodes
Heavy college drinking culture is depicted, with characters using alcohol to cope with emotional pain.
Violence & Physical Harm
References to and brief depiction of an abusive relationship involving a character's mother
Self-harm is depicted and a friend's death by suicide is a major emotional turning point
