The first time Connell tells Marianne he loves her, we are told that “She has never believed herself fit to be loved by any person. But now she has a new life, of which this is the first moment, and even after many years have passed she will still think: Yes, that was it, the beginning of my life” (46).

Do Connell and Marianne end up together?

At the end of the series, we see the pair at a crossroads in their relationship. After a tumultuous few years for the two of them, the last episode sees Connell and Marianne living happily together at Trinity College, Dublin.

Why does Marianne ask Connell to hit her?

Connell is afraid of ruining their friendship since she's literally his only friend and he's just getting back on his feet, but they have sex. Which seems to be going well until Marianne tells Connell she belongs to him and asks Connell to hit her, something he knows her previous boyfriend Jamie used to do.