Ginny & Georgia
By Marina Gordon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Mom-daughter drama tackles mental health, has sex, drugs.

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Ginny & Georgia
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Based on 154 parent reviews
covers all the bad teenage stuff
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Another teen show trying to normalize sex at younger and younger ages.
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What's the Story?
GINNY & GEORGIA begins after the sudden death of 30-year-old Georgia's (Brianne Howey) wealthy short-term husband. She proceeds to leave Houston with her 15-year-old daughter, Ginny (Antonia Gentry), and 9-year-old son, Austin (Diesel La Torraca), relocating to a charming, upscale, fictional Massachusetts town. The family arrives like a storm: Georgia scams her way into a job with the attractive town mayor (Scott Portman from Friday Night Lights), Ginny finds a group of friends who lead her into a rapid series of sex- and drug-related firsts, and young Austin punches a kid who's bullying him, with his mother's help. How exactly did Georgia's husband die, what other secrets is Georgia hiding, and how will biracial Ginny thrive in their very White town?
Is It Any Good?
This mystery-fueled mother-daughter drama reels viewers in with more sex, drugs, and violence in the first episode than there was in seven seasons of the Gilmore Girls. It's clear that we're not in Stars Hollow anymore. "Over the top" is an understated way to describe Ginny & Georgia: Before viewers are an hour into the series, the family meets Georgia's new neighbor/instant BFF Ellen (Jennifer Robertson); her hunky stoner son, Marcus (Felix Mallard); and his twin (and Ginny's new BFF), Maxine (Sara Waisglass). There's also an instant crew of partying high school friends; the handsome mayor and his staff; Joe (Raymond Ablack), who runs the local restaurant/hangout; the gossipy PTA moms ... and we haven't even touched on the flashbacks to Georgia's violent past or Ginny's self-harm.
When the show allows for a little breathing room, viewers are likeliest to focus on Ginny, who's the most compelling character. Newcomer Gentry is reminiscent of Linda Cardellini's Lindsay in Freaks and Geeks: She's smart, she knows it, and she's yearning to be less of a "good girl." Ginny is also half-Black in a very White high school and town, and the writers follow through as she wrestles with identity, along with several other issues -- depression, anxiety, body image, and so forth -- that affect today's teens.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Ginny and Georgia's decisions throughout the show. Is Ginny self-aware, or does she make choices based on others' influence? How does Georgia's behavior affect Ginny's choices?
What positive aspects are there to the show's central mother-daughter relationship? What are the negative aspects?
Teens: Do you think this series paints an accurate portrait of teen life? Are the characters' troubles relatable to you? Why, or why not? Parents: Talk to teens about the role models and messages in shows like this.
What kinds of stereotypes does this show reinforce or challenge? How does what you see of teen life on TV or in movies influence your own life?
TV Details
- Premiere date: February 24, 2021
- Cast: Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Scott Porter
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: High School
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: March 31, 2023
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