Netflix aired the first season of “Ginny and Georgia” to roaring success, especially in the United States. It chronicles the lives of the characters Ginny and Georgia, a daughter and mother, as they adjust to new social and romantic relationships in a small Massachusetts town. The show mixes elements of high school rom-com, thriller, and intense family drama in a tangle of plotlines that grow increasingly tense and intertwined. Some key moments are when Georgia reveals her dark past and when Ginny grapples with her identity as the only African-American in her group of friends. Though the show starts off as a light drama, it takes many unexpected turns that demonstrate the hidden complexities of the characters. 

“I watch the show because of the thrilling plot,” Grace Song (10), follower of the show, said. “Though I was not always fully absorbed in each of the characters’ plotlines, the constant twists in the show kept me invested. Still, I wish some of the minor characters, like the town mayor, were less involved.” 

The show mainly focuses on Ginny’s story as she figures out her surroundings. She has to manage her friend group, which includes the ever-energetic Maxine, as well as her two love interests, Marcus, Maxine’s brother, and Hunter. In sterotypical high school fashion, she starts engaging in relationships despite her mother’s warnings, climaxing in a confused, angry outburst of emotions that teenage viewers will easily relate to. The show has many homages to “Gilmore Girls,” a clear influence—in fact, the first episode directly references it within the first twenty minutes. However, “Ginny and Georgia” adds several layers of depth and conflict that distinguish it in its own category of mother-daughter relationship dramas. 

“My favorite part of the show was Ginny’s romantic relationship with Marcus,” Vivienne Chung (10), avid fan of the show, said. “Their relationship is passionate yet turbulent, and it gives the entire show momentum because the audience is intrigued to see where they go next. The best part of the show in general were the friendships, and I definitely think they should be explored more deeply in the future.”

By the final episode, tensions boil over as Ginny realizes the painful truth about Georgia’s past and decides to flee. In an open ending reminiscent of so many other Netflix dramas, the audience is left with a high degree of uncertainty as to where the next season may lead. The plot will probably initially follow Ginny and her brother as they try to figure out the world without Georgia—here is an additional striking similarity to another Netflix show, Eleven’s story in season 2 of “Stranger Things”—before hitting a roadblock of some kind. One underlying theme throughout the show is the way Ginny might turn into someone like Georgia as she grows up, which is a topic that may be further explored in the next season as Ginny goes through the troubles and tribulations of taking care of her brother without money, shelter, or a person to rely on. 

“Netflix already confirmed that there would be a second season of the show,” Andrew Ham (10), show enthusiast, said. “It did not surprise me, given its popularity. I think that Ginny will try to find her biological father, though her journey is really hard to predict. I wonder how the show will keep track of both Ginny and Georgia as they will be separated.”