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Netflix’s best soapy dramedy has lost sight of what made it so addicting to watch
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eople often write off teen soaps, but you can’t deny that they’re crucial parts of culture. They’re also deceptively simple, as there’s a real art to capturing the rapidly evolving way teens think, speak, and act. From rich-kid shows like Gossip Girl and 90210 to more grounded fare like Gilmore Girls and Degrassi, every generation deserves its own set of characters to debate, relate to, and worship.
While Ginny & Georgia has always sat somewhere in the middle of something like Riverdale, which requires more than a little suspension of disbelief, and something grittier like Skins, it’s always touched on important topics not often highlighted in media and been a whole lot of fun in the process. Unfortunately, Season 3 sacrifices the latter for the former, losing a big part of the entertainment factor that made it an addictive watch.
Ginny & Georgia Season 2 ends on a huge cliffhanger, with Georgia (Brianne Howey) getting arrested at her lavish wedding to Paul (Scott Porter). Season 3 picks up right after and sees Georgia on trial for murdering Cynthia’s (Sabrina Grdevich) husband, Tom (Vincent Legault), giving Gil (Aaron Ashmore) and Zion (Nathan Mitchell) a chance to step up and take on a more active role in being Austin (Diesel La Torraca) and Ginny’s (Antonia Gentry) respective fathers. Gil takes advantage of Austin’s struggles and secret guilt at witnessing Georgia’s crime to try and make him turn on her completely, while Zion’s intentions are seemingly purer. Though Ginny initially attempts to go the avoidance route and pretend like nothing is wrong, she joins a poetry class at Zion’s urging. There, she learns to express herself through art and meets Wolfe (Ty Doran), a potential love interest after her breakup with Marcus.
Speaking of Marcus (Felix Mallard), he continues to go down a dark path, numbing his depression with alcohol. Max (Sara Waisglass) feels the pressure to look out for him while juggling a blossoming connection with Silver (Katelyn Wells), residual chemistry with her ex-Sophie (Humberly González), and the complicated and ever-evolving dynamics in MANG. Abby (Katie Douglas) keeps turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms to deal with body image issues and her complex relationship with her mother, though she finds some light and hope in a rather unexpected source. Meanwhile, Norah (Chelsea Clark) finds it difficult to be there for Ginny, as she suspects Georgia isn’t as innocent as Ginny insists, she is. And she isn’t the only one. Paul also grapples with his feelings for Georgia, especially after her actions begin negatively impacting his political career.
Streaming bloat is an epidemic, turning what could easily be 40-minute episodes into hour-long affairs, and Ginny & Georgia Season 3 suffers from a bad case of it. There have recently been reports of studios telling writers to make their content “second-screen friendly,” meaning crafting shows that people can have on in the background while scrolling on their phones, and I fear Ginny & Georgia may have fallen victim to such a note. Scenes that hit hard the first time— Ginny’s conflicts with her parents, for instance, or Max feeling rejected by her friends—quickly become redundant, making the broad strokes of the storylines impossible to miss even if one were scrolling TikTok while watching.
I have always appreciated the populous world Ginny & Georgia has built. This season continues to do that well, giving characters like Bracia (Tameka Griffiths), Silver, and a new tutor named Tris (Noah Lamanna) moments to shine, though the focus on other characters proves more baffling. No disrespect to Mitchell or Porter, as they’re both talented actors, but the decision to give them both so many solo scenes is a puzzling one, ultimately distracting from the stories of our two leads rather than enriching them. The direction Paul’s character goes this season is also bizarre and disappointingly oversimplified.
The amount of time spent on Georgia’s trial is another misstep, as the decision to essentially turn the show into a courtroom drama simply doesn’t work. It’s not particularly compelling, for one, and so unbelievably executed that it undercuts the more serious themes the show explores. While there was a case to be made for the inclusion of flashbacks in the first two seasons, apart from a few clever parallels and gags, they serve very little purpose now and don’t feel especially additive to anyone’s overall arc. There are powerful moments in Ginny & Georgia Season 3, but they’re buried under so much indulgent fluff that one can’t help but mourn what it could have been with sharper, tighter, and more concise editing.
We’ve all seen the memes. From the “oppression Olympics” scene going viral to Ginny’s salute becoming a reaction picture, this show has always had its fair share of slightly cheesy moments. And while the voiceovers can still be over-the-top angsty in a way that might make you cringe; there’s no denying that Howey and Gentry are talented performers doing legitimately impressive work with the material. Howey’s irresistible charisma and comedy skills are still on full display, though this season allows her to dig more deeply into Georgia’s trauma and showcase her dramatic chops, too. One particular scene between Georgia and Paul gave me chills and is bound to break your heart. The same can be said of Gentry, who makes Ginny’s struggle with self-harm particularly moving and effective.
Unfortunately, these storylines suffer from the repetitive factor as well, and the fact that the duo is breaking into sobs in what begins to seem like every other scene becomes exhausting. It eventually starts to feel emotionally manipulative and loses some of its impact. Every scene seems to be at a 10, and while that—plus the constant ups and downs—can be a staple of adolescence, some more subtlety would make for more interesting nuance. The focus on therapy and mental health is refreshing, but the show tries to tackle so many things that it can veer into after-school special territory, with each character getting an issue to represent and work through.
Despite the writing problems, I would be remiss not to give credit where it’s due—Waisglass and Douglas remain standout performers. Waisglass gives the show much-needed levity, injecting every scene with fresh, spunky energy. She’s an absolute delight to watch, stealing every scene she’s in with ease. In lesser hands, Abby could be a one-dimensional, frankly pretty insufferable character, but Douglas gives her a shocking amount of depth and layers. There’s a clear vulnerability she so desperately tries to hide under her prickly demeanour—one that makes her empathetic and easy to root for. Her expanded role over the past couple of seasons has proved one of the best decisions.
Ginny & Georgia Season 3 deserves credit for boldly exploring everything from self-harm and addiction to PTSD and teen pregnancy, though the execution could use some work. The show’s heavy-handedness and poor pacing make what started as a soapy binge into a chore to sit through. You can’t fault the performers, as they’re doing the best they can with the material—and often elevating it—but sadly, the acting isn’t enough to save it. Let’s hope Ginny & Georgia Season 4 offers a return to form with more fun and focused narrative choices.
– Courtesy: Collider.com
Rating system: *Not on your life * ½ If you really must waste your time ** Hardly worth the bother ** ½ Okay for a slow afternoon only *** Good enough for a look see *** ½ Recommended viewing **** Don’t miss it **** ½ Almost perfect ***** Perfection
