With 2023 officially underway, people can look forward to the new entertainment that will be released this year. In the past, January used to be a barren month without new movies or TV shows but streaming has changed the game. Streaming services like Netflix are continuously announcing the next blockbuster, even during the slow parts of the year. One show that has been making waves recently is the second season of “Ginny and Georgia.”

“Ginny and Georgia” season two came out on Jan. 5, almost two years after the first season. Fans were anxious to see what was going to happen next in this teen drama. I couldn’t wait to see what the characters were about to throw at the viewer in this season. 

 The show centers around 15-year-old Ginny Miller (Antonia Gentry) and her mother Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey) who had Ginny at the age of fifteen. Due to the small difference between the two of them, it leads them to having a deeper relationship. Georgia was still growing up when she was raising Ginny. The amount of time and love the two share gave them a deeper connection than other families. But that’s not everyone in the Miller family, Ginny has a little brother in the mix named Austin (Diesel La Torraca). As someone who grew up with single parents, I’m glad that my experiences were reflected in the show. It shines a light that there are many types of families and dynamics.

This season starts off with Ginny and Austin returning home to the picture-perfect Wellsbury, Mass, after running away to Ginny’s father in Boston. In the last season, Ginny learned her mother had done some questionable things in her past to protect her and her brother, and it leads to their relationship becoming strained. Throughout the new season, Ginny is trying to figure out how she feels toward her mom and how they can continue to be a family. While dealing with family drama, she also begins dating her next door neighbor Marcus Baker (Felix Mallard). This leads to her friends not being happy with who she chose to date. While Ginny is processing past events, Georgia is preparing to marry the love of her life Paul Randolph (Scott Porter) while she tries to adjust to having the life she has always dreamed of. 

This show, being a teen drama, often talks about heavy yet realistic topics. While the script tends to go over the top with the dramatics, young people can still relate to the story being portrayed. Ginny tries to find her place in the world as someone who is biracial. Neither of her parents understand what she is feeling, it’s something she has to figure out herself. The episodes also display real life situations such as teenage drinking and drug use, self-harm and eating disorders, as well as anxiety and depression. These are all things that while adults wish weren’t a factor of the high school experience, are a major part for many students. As someone who has watched these events play out, I’m glad that the writers weren’t deterred from the hardships of this time. 

Another aspect of this season that I thought was important was the idea of healing. Ginny decides that she doesn’t want her past to hold her back any longer, so she begins seeing a therapist. We see her try out techniques on staying out of her own head and not repeat the patterns that have been causing her pain. Ginny even brings her mom to therapy to try to help Georgia feel better as well. I think this was an amazing part of the second season because it helps break the stigma against seeing a therapist and sharing feelings with others. While some people have mental health resources available to them, not everyone does. But, like this mother and daughter discover, it’s never too late to ask for help. 

 With the first season being known for having ridiculous dialogue between the characters that seemed like a joke at times, this reputation was improved during these new episodes. I rate it a 8/10, the show received this score due to the strong cast and entertaining plot. The only thing I did not particularly like was how the characters interacted at times, but it can be seen as realistic. It’s more accurate that they do hold grudges and talk back to each other than being kind all the time. 

“Ginny and Georgia” is definitely a show that has made its mark on Netflix. It has been number one on Netflix’s top ten list since season two came out; in fact, it had returned to the popular list leading up to the release date of the new episodes. With this in mind, I hope to see season three of the series. 

Contact Bridget Nye at [email protected]