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"Be brave and follow your dream...whoever it is."
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Norman Xavier Dorman.
A constant presence, his strengths stem from his vast knowledge of obscure subjects, traditional research methods and seemingly endless network of allies and cousins across the greater Denver metro area. But even now, he’s a bit of a mystery to me, which I fully intended to be able to rectify through analyzing his pursuit of his “House Rule.”
It didn’t take long to find a problem with that approach, as Theresa’s advice to him was: “And Norman, too.”
...And Norman, what?!
Perhaps the fault lay with me, the writer, whose penchant for details and nuance refused to accept that Norman’s directive, embedded in Rita’s, is actually as straightforward and blatantly provable as it sounds:
Be bold, and follow your dream...whoever it is.
A constant presence, his strengths stem from his vast knowledge of obscure subjects, traditional research methods and seemingly endless network of allies and cousins across the greater Denver metro area. But even now, he’s a bit of a mystery to me, which I fully intended to be able to rectify through analyzing his pursuit of his “House Rule.”
It didn’t take long to find a problem with that approach, as Theresa’s advice to him was: “And Norman, too.”
...And Norman, what?!
Perhaps the fault lay with me, the writer, whose penchant for details and nuance refused to accept that Norman’s directive, embedded in Rita’s, is actually as straightforward and blatantly provable as it sounds:
Be bold, and follow your dream...whoever it is.
It's the little things.
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Unlike his colleagues, it's probably the easiest to trace with a little time and attention. Norman needed to find the courage to tell Rita about his feelings for her, but does a better job early on of showing than telling. If only Rita had understood the signs!
Like I mentioned in Rita’s house rule analysis, Norman was the key factor in her preparation for, and ultimately her successful achievement of, Miss Special Delivery. His constant support was his sign of affection. Other times, his affection for Rita is a bit more subtle---cue the crab gift in “A Hope and A Future,” and Norman telling his Grandmother that Rita “remembers everything that’s wonderful.” This episode also includes Norman's first real admission to another person that he has feelings for Rita. |
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He doesn’t do so again until From Paris with Love, when, faced with the risk of “letting [Rita] be swept off her feet,” and he verbalizes his feelings in front of Oliver. In a lot of ways, From Paris with Love is a pressure cooker for Norman. Seeing Ramon sweep in flusters him, and Norman finds himself unable to identify a solution quickly, especially since Rita seems so enamored with the Weatherman.
It isn’t until this time that we start to get an idea of what was really holding Norman back all this time, which was his belief that he’s not in “[Rita’s] league.” While Oliver does a good job of letting Norman know that he is, in fact, safe with Rita and could be the man of substance she’s holding out for, it doesn't seem to inspire much action on Norman's part. In fact, it’s actually offhand advice from Ramon that characterizes the change in attitude that eventually leads Norman to make a move. |
Admitting the truth.
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Though originally spoken to Shane, Ramon’s observation about facing the things we fear removing their power over us ultimately causes Norman to find it in himself to be brave and take the stage at the comedy club. It’s clear when he comes off the stage some time later that he feels empowered, declaring to Rita that, “Some people talk about the weather. Some people make it.” That night, Norman obviously found himself among the former.
That candor, however, still needed to transfer to his relationship with Rita, which it did that same evening. His final push was a result of Shane’s plea to not let “nothing” happen to he and Rita. Shane takes great care to charge him nonverbally with resolving the stalemate before she takes her leave. |
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Where Norman found himself without a way to tell Rita in the past, the circumstances, reflected in the consequences of the apparent love triangle between Shane, Oliver and Holly, provided Norman with the opportunity to honestly ask of Rita’s true feelings. Norman's courage to speak up yields Rita’s declaration of love, which seems to overwhelm him at first. But it certainly doesn’t hinder his decision about what to do next! Talk about feeling “unsquashable”!
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It truly makes you wonder what Norman could be capable of now that he's empowered enough to push past fear. With Rita by his side, who knows where he could go? Does he have another dream that has yet to be revealed? I feel a potential post coming on, don't you?
Though Theresa's advice to be brave and follow his dream took time to manifest itself in Norman's life, once Norman consciously began embracing it, everything fell into place---and seemingly in record time!
Did you happen to drop in mid-series? Go back to the beginning and get caught up!
Ready To Make The Weather, Too,
~C
Houes Rules: Introduction | Rita | Norman | Shane | Oliver
Though Theresa's advice to be brave and follow his dream took time to manifest itself in Norman's life, once Norman consciously began embracing it, everything fell into place---and seemingly in record time!
Did you happen to drop in mid-series? Go back to the beginning and get caught up!
Ready To Make The Weather, Too,
~C
Houes Rules: Introduction | Rita | Norman | Shane | Oliver
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