When I first started watching “Ginny and Georgia,” I watched it with the intention of laughing at it. The show had already grown in popularity since its release on Netflix in 2021, but had since then primarily attracted viewers through “cringey” TikTok clips and compilations. After throwing myself down the rabbit hole of opinion after opinion, I wanted to see for myself why such a heavily criticized show was attracting so much notoriety.
The series follows 15 year old Virginia “Ginny” Miller and mysterious single mother Georgia as they move to the small town of Wellsbury for a fresh start. Ginny adjusts to a new town and navigates friendships, relationship drama, and her sense of identity. Ultimately, Ginny conflicts with her identity as a mixed girl with a white mom and Black dad, and her feeling of cultural disconnect from both groups. Even after establishing herself with a new boyfriend and friend group, Ginny grasps for a sense of home and belonging. Meanwhile, flashbacks to a younger Georgia hint towards a prospective problematic background that looms over the family. Throughout the series, there’s a constant power struggle between Ginny and Georgia that grows with each unveiled secret of Georgia’s rocky past and Ginny’s journey through teenage trial and error.
What truly charmed me about this show was its portrayal of growing up. I think most popular teen shows place too much importance on high school and the role it plays in adolescence. After all, your high school years are your prime years; what comes after is nothing but taxes and dimly-lit cubicles, right? Now, I don’t not understand this perspective—high school is the last stage of life preceding young adulthood. It’s easy to reminisce on the past through rose-colored lenses when it’s free of the nagging weight that comes with adulthood and self sufficiency. It’s also difficult to see anything “fascinating” in adulthood when responsibility and routine becomes all-consuming.
However, “Ginny and Georgia” has a very realistic vision of both adulthood and the teenage experience. Despite being the main source of criticism, I found that the cringeworthy, awkward scenes gave the show relatability. Through every borderline-unwatchable moment (I’m looking at you, Hunter), the show discards the rose colored lenses and portrays the teenage experience for what it actually is: embarrassing and full of growing pains. It represents human dynamics beyond the typical clean-cut nuclear family and handles serious themes that many teenagers struggle with. Alternatively, none of the adult characters have their lives perfectly together nor free of conflict. At certain points, I’d get whiplash from how quickly the show would switch like clockwork from lighthearted humor to intense, serious topics. None of the conflicts are black or white and not a single character is absolved from criticism.
Despite my initial intention to hate-watch this series, I found myself unexpectedly attached to it. Many of the characters teetered along a thin line between affection and irritation, but I honestly thought the imperfection and complexity of them to be refreshing. “Ginny and Georgia” expertly balances themes of humor and struggle without one theme overriding the other, while simultaneously entertaining the viewer. Most importantly, “Ginny and Georgia” has characters we can see ourselves in. It tackles topics that are uncomfortable yet real and doesn’t shy away from conversations that would normally be considered too “taboo” for the mainstream. While “Ginny and Georgia” is by no means a perfect series, it portrays a reality of growing pains, self discovery, and identity, and I would absolutely recommend watching it on Netflix.
