TV Review: Ginny & Georgia Is The First 2021 Binge-Watch

Yes! I’ve seen quite the few Netflix series and reviewed a lot of them, but I can’t say all of them were as bingeable as “Ginny & Georgia:” out on Netflix February 26. Immediately, I was like, “Yes, I will watch you in your entirety and not sleep until I do.” The story follows Georgia after the loss of her husband as she whisks away her teenaged daughter, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and her 6 year old son, Austin (Diesel La Torraca) to a new town and a new life. Immediately, you do not feel Georgia is mourning, and it might be because all her previous husbands either ended up dead, in jail, or running away. If there are two things Ginny & Georgia shows is that you seduce men and you survive them but…. love them? …. Meh

Brianne Howey’s performance is magnetic as Georgia. She is so charismatic and secretive; you instantly like her, but, even after 10 episodes of watching her, you feel she is a stranger, which is what drives Ginny insane. Though we get glimpses of Georgia’s rough childhood and the reason why her arm smile can hide a much colder heart, there is a part of you that never knows when she is being genuine, which fascinates me as a viewer. You grow to love her character, understand her protectiveness over her children, and even laugh at her manipulations of men like the sweet, town mayor, Paul (Scott Porter).Yet, you grit your teeth trying to figure out what is “real” about her, and whether her loyalty to herself truly outweighs or deludes her bond with her children. Hence, Gentry’s performance, as Ginny, is stellar and equally perplexed by Georgia.

Teenagers are not always the most charming role to play in real life and in a series. They can be prickly and a strange concoction of brilliant exuberance and plain stupidity. Why? Because they simultaneously want to fit in and discover themselves, which are two objectives that often clash with each other. Enter Ginny leading a cast of teens that are wild, funny, loving, cruel, and disappointing. Sara Waisglass’ Max is hilariously self-absorbed, Chelsea Clark’s Norah is cool-headed but down for antics, and Katie Douglas’ Abby is witty but manic with her loyalties. Their lack of stability fuels and enamors Ginny who wants, so badly, best friends and a boyfriend. In the latter, Felix Mallard’s Marcus will fulfill “bad boy- heartthrob” crushes, while Mason Temple assure Hunter is the guy everyone wants their daughter to marry. Yet, how does a teenaged girl find out who she is and what she wants if her mother won’t even reveal herself?

Gentry makes Ginny embody the journey of many biracial girls as they try to find where they stand in a world still divided between white and black. This was really powerful to me, particularly, as a Latina that doesn’t quite fit whiteness or blackness. Her struggles with beauty, identity, and self-love are totally relatable, and were amplified by the fact that her mom is a mystery to her. When your parents never show you who they are, it does make it harder, as a child, to figure yourself out. Thus, for all the laughs, fun, and high-school drama that will attract audiences, the subtle under-current of “Who is Georgia?” will definitely give this series an order of more seasons.