On February 24, 2021, “Ginny and Georgia,” a Netflix Original series, was released. It follows the life of a single mother, Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey), and her two kids, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Austin (Diesel La Torraca). After years of being on the run, they settle down in Wellsbury, Massachusetts, following the death of Georgia’s wealthy husband. 

Georgia had Ginny when she was fifteen, and the series begins with Ginny at fifteen years old and Austin at nine. While following the family’s struggles with fitting into a new town, there are flashbacks exposing Georgia’s past, including her being abused by her stepdad and the extent to which she went to protect Ginny. The Miller family befriends their neighbors as Ginny becomes best friends with Max (Sara Waisgalss), sparks a potential relationship with Max’s twin brother, Marcus (Felix Mallard), and Georgia becomes friends with the mom, Ellen (Jennifer Robertson). Ginny navigates starting at a new school and getting her first boyfriend, Hunter (Mason Temple). Austin tries to fit into his school but faces the challenge of a bully. Georgia starts dating the Wellsbury mayor, Paul (Scott Porter), and struggles with her relationship with Ginny. As secrets begin to surface, Ginny questions if she even knows her mom at all, and Georgia works to cover her tracks from her past. 

“Ginny and Georgia” was engaging throughout the whole series. By starring a mother-daughter duo, it showed the honest struggles between them and the extent to which a mother is willing to go to protect her kids. The series also presented numerous things teenagers struggle with, such as self-harm and depression. Ginny is half-Black and being in a predominately white town forces her to struggle with her identity and where she fits in. A dominant scene focused on race is when Ginny has an argument with her boyfriend, Hunter, who is half-Taiwanese, where they bicker over oppression and stereotypes. Some have come to criticize the approach to diverse representation. At times, the racial conversation came off as forced, especially when Hunter called their argument the “oppression Olympics.”

Although much of the show focuses on a group of kids from Gen Z, there seems to be a great disconnect between how the teenagers act in the show versus in real life. Numerous teenagers have posted about how the show presents the characters to how Millenials believe Gen Z would act. There are several cringy moments and characters. This includes Hunter, who tap-dances through the school for Ginny’s birthday, uses the Snapchat dog filter unironically, and sings about his “brain on Adderall.” Some have said the few worthwhile characters are Ginny, Georgia, Austin, and Marcus. They are all provided depth and keep viewers interested in their lives. 

“Ginny and Georgia” is a casual, comedy-drama aimed at a teenage audience. Overall, this series is recommended for those looking for a show along the lines of “Gilmore Girls,” but with a darker twist. It clearly displays the importance of family and the impacts a person can have on those around them.