Ginny & Georgia Season 2: Was it as Problematic as the First Season?

*The following article contains minor spoilers for the entire Ginny & Georgia series*

Upon summary, Ginny & Georgia seems like any other modern teen drama. With the show tackling family and friendship issues, romantic relationships, and more, it shares a lot of similarities with many other teen dramas. Season 1 seemed like one of those typical shows, just with a twist. But season 2 captivated me with its emotional depth, complicated plotline, and much-improved script writing. 

Netflix’s hit original series, Ginny & Georgia, released its second season January 5 after 2 years of anticipation. Following its first season, released in February 2021, season 2 debuted at no. 1 on the Netflix charts, knocking the six-week streak of Wednesday to no. 3. The second season was praised much higher than the first and I can see why that is.

Season 1 had a lot of writing flaws which were heavily criticized online. Some heavy topics that appeared in the first season were just brushed over, leading to viewers becoming upset. The show’s “Oppression Olympics” scene trended on Twitter for being simply problematic. Topics like the main character, Ginny, struggling with self-harm and racial identity issues were skimmed over as well. Season 2 was their chance to either fix the previous flaws or continue on the path they were going. Fortunately, the writers seemed to have taken the feedback because they did a much better job at diving into the topics with sensitivity and depth. If you are like me, Ginny may have annoyed you in the first season. I was happy to find that I could sympathize a lot more with her this season as the show displayed both Ginny and Georgia’s sides in situations. There were still a plethora of cringey moments, as it is still a teen drama, but they set the tone of the season as serious which made it more bearable. 

The cast is really what pulls together the show. Antonia Gentry (Ginny Miller) and Brianne Howey (Georgia Miller) were perfectly cast. The ability of both of the actresses to have full breakdowns and panic attacks believably is something that I admire. And while being able to have those vulnerable scenes, they also have excellent comedic timing. The show also includes flashback scenes to Georgia as a teenager, played by Nikki Roumel. Somehow, they cast teenage Georgia to look just like her adult actress. The acting of teenage Georgia is just as amazing as the two leading actresses. Also starring in the cast is Felix Mallard (Marcus Baker), Scott Porter (Paul Randolph), Sara Waisglass (Maxine Baker), Diesel La Torraca (Austin Miller), and more. I have to give it to the casting directors- the show is cast perfectly. 

For those who don’t know the synopsis, the story follows family Ginny, Georgia, and Austin Miller who settle down in Wellsbury, MA after moving from city to city for years. Georgia (the mother) and Ginny (the daughter) have a special relationship, being only 15 years apart. Georgia’s past was not pretty, leading her to running away from home at a young age. She had many encounters and marriages with strange men so that she could survive and support her child. Years later after Georgia’s husband, Kenny, died of a mysterious heart attack, she moved her family to Wellsbury for a fresh start. She weasels her way into a job at the mayor’s office and in the process, gets engaged to the mayor, Paul Randolph. Georgia tries her hardest to support her kids and will, quite literally, do anything to protect her children. Despite Georgia’s efforts, Ginny and Austin still struggle in life. Ginny faces issues of discrimination, being mixed in a predominantly white city, and also struggles with self-harm. In school, Ginny joins a friend group which is a change for her since she is always moving. Secrets unravel as a personal investigator is hired by Kenny’s ex-wife to track Georgia’s sketchy past. She is revealed to have committed many crimes, including murder, all to protect her children. She has also done things like taking out credit cards in her children’s names and stealing. Once Ginny found out, she ran away to her father’s house along with Austin.

Season 2 takes place 2 weeks after where season 1 left off. Ginny and Austin are still at Ginny’s father’s house. Georgia and her children have still not spoken, building tension and anticipation for when they do come back together in the following episodes. The season furthers Ginny and Georgia’s complex relationship, and I found myself very invested as to what would happen next. I encourage everyone to watch the season spoiler-free so here are my favorite moments of the season. Highlights include seeing Ginny and Marcus’s relationship develop, Georgia’s crimes coming to light, Austin’s father coming back after being in prison, Ginny’s journey going into therapy, and my personal favorite scene: the wedding, with a twist, of Georgia and Paul closing the season. 

It’s not just me who enjoyed season 2 more. Central sophomore Sierra Smith said, “There was a lot more character development in this season. The complexity of Ginny and Georgia’s relationship made me stay invested the whole time.” Freshman Amala Willenbrock said, “I enjoyed how they dove further into Ginny’s mental health journey. I really liked the message that reaching out for support is truly beneficial.” 

I fully encourage everyone to watch season 2 of Ginny & Georgia. Even if you didn’t like season 1, I think you’d be interested in seeing how they furthered the story. I for one will be anxiously awaiting season 3.