Throughout January, seemingly one of the hardest months of the school year, the perfect thing to help make it easier is a fresh show. The new season of Ginny and Georgia has been a hit, circulating around the internet for some time now. Its gained popularity has been good for many, as the show does a very good job of spreading awareness of mental health issues in young teens. 

The season prior, a lot of drama went down. Ginny, the main character, found out her mother Georgia was responsible for the murder of her last stepdad Kenny. Ginny had a growing suspicion of her mother throughout the show, but her figuring this out sent their relationship downhill. In reality, Georgia’s reasoning for doing such an act was to protect Ginny, because Kenny was showing inappropriate behavior towards her after they moved in with him. 

Georgia had a very rough home life growing up, and was abused by her father. This trauma was the heart of Georgia’s violent actions, though it does not make it right. Ginny, feeling overwhelmed and torn apart on how she should feel, developed very intense anxiety. To cope with it all, Ginny turned to self-harm. 

These dark themes are one of the reasons the show has been so successful. Junior Natalie Bianco commented on how this was her favorite aspect of the show, “I like how they made this season more adult-like and had more serious themes. There was also some very good character development. We got a look into why Ginny feels the way she does about her mom, which was good.”

On the lighter side, some typical school drama was resolved this season. In season one, Ginny is kicked out of her friend group for developing a relationship with her best friend Maxine’s brother. During this time, Ginny gets closer to another outcast of the group, Abby, who was left out because of her secret knowledge of what was going on. Abby’s character has become a fan favorite, Sophomore Charlie Dougherty talks about this character, “Abby would have to be my favorite because she’s funny, and a more realistic character. I feel like her actress does a really good job at playing Abby, and has a talent some of the other actors don’t.”

Eventually, the friend group makes up and things seem to be getting better between Ginny and her mom after they have a heart-to-heart later on in the season. Despite the good, Ginny is still dealing with resisting the urge to self-harm. Even though she had been seeing a therapist and developing healthy coping techniques, things weren’t getting better.

The most heart-wrenching part of the season is when Georgia is finally made aware of Ginny’s self-harming. The acting is extremely raw and emotional and brought me along with many others to tears. Junior Lily Sedan discusses why it’s good this show is out there, “The amount that they talk about teenage mental health, self-harm, and realistic stories on the challenges teens face is incredibly important and makes people feel less alone.” 

This show is more than teenage romance or comedy, it’s deep and in some ways hits home for many people. If there’s a search for a show that’s as moving as it is exciting, Ginny and Georgia is the right place to look.