*This article contains spoilers for “Ginny and Georgia” season two.
On Jan. 5th, 2023, users rushed to Netflix, ready to binge the second season of the comedy-drama titled “Ginny and Georgia.” However, this season sparked conversations among viewers for more than just its one-liners. Audiences watched their beloved characters struggle with issues ranging from eating disorders to self-harm and beyond. Critics and fans were not quiet about these topics, praising the show’s honest portrayal of issues many teenagers face daily.
Photo from Radio Times, Courtesy of Netflix
Season two of “Ginny and Georgia” picks up directly where the prior season left off, with 16-year-old Ginny and her younger brother, Austin, staying at their father, Zion’s, house after running away from their mother, Georgia. As the episode progresses, Ginny is portrayed burning her skin with a lighter, intending to harm herself as she did in the first season. Later, in season two, episode six, Georgia finds out how her daughter has been harming herself and demands that her daughter show her. What happens next is what audiences are praising. Ginny drops her pants to show her mother the burns on her legs, but we, as an audience, do not see the burns. This small detail is receiving praise from fans and mental health professionals combined. “Ginny and Georgia” understand that scenes such as this can still have an impact without displaying something that can potentially trigger viewers and make them relive their trauma. The audience knows what is being shown, and showing it would add nothing to the scene. “Ginny and Georgia” portrays self-harm raw and honestly but always makes sure its viewers are safe.
The praise does not end there. In the first episode of the second season, Ginny reveals to her father that she has been hurting herself. Her dad does something that is not often seen in shows catered to teens. He recommends therapy for her, and she accepts. As we see the season progress, Ginny’s therapy sessions are not only shown but conveyed in a realistic and positive light. There are times when Ginny leaves her sessions with positive coping mechanisms. But she also has times when those coping mechanisms do not work, and she has to call her therapist, crying late at night. The realistic manner that therapy is portrayed is just another reason why “Ginny and Georgia” is being praised.
Photo from Buzzfeed, Courtesy of Netflix.
Ginny is not the only character in the show that struggles with mental health issues. Ginny’s boyfriend Marcus was recognized as having depression from the first episode of the show. Season two highlights one of Marcus’s depressive episodes. His treatment looks a bit different than Ginny’s. He takes medication for his mental health, but the show portrays that as okay, just as they portray therapy as okay. Additionally, the show is also being praised for the realistic nature of Marcus’s depression. In a voiceover in season two, episode 8, Marcus describes his depression. He says, “When it [depression] hits you fully though, you’re really in it, it’s everything, it’s who you are, you’re nothing else…” This is only one snippet of the monologue that viewers have praised for its realism.
This season of “Ginny and Georgia” has not only glued viewers to the screen, but it has also made these same viewers feel seen. “Ginny and Georgia” lets viewers know that what they are going through is real and reminds them that they are not alone.