Comfort Shows or Fantasy Blows?

Generations have grown up with comfort TV shows depicting teen life and coming of age as they illustrate life events the audience can relate to. Gilmore Girls, Boy Meets World, Gossip Girl, and Hannah Montana are still popular today even though they’ve aged exponentially. 

The TV show Ginny and Georgia produced by Sarah Lampert, hit #1 in the charts for Netflix shows this past month after season 2 was released on January 5, 2023. This addition followed the drastic cliffhanger in season 1 which left everyone wanting more. Lampert tried to recreate these timeless sitcoms while adding topics with great weight that are not often talked about in shows meant for teens. 

The main character Ginny, a 15-year-old girl, lives with her mother Georgia and her younger brother Austin. Georgia got pregnant when she was 15, and as a result, she struggled with financial problems, abusive relationships, and trouble fitting in. Fast forward to when her own daughter turned 15, Georgia was suddenly widowed which resulted in them having to move, Georgia settled her kids down in a conservative New England town. Here, Ginny finally feels like she fits in and has a good group of friends. Although they are outcasts from the majority of the town, Georgia and Ginny find a way to develop relationships and portray themselves as a normal family. 

Unfortunately, in season 2, Ginny and Georgia’s own relationship gets damaged and Ginny goes through problems with her friends. She develops unhealthy habits caused by emotional scarring and past struggles that continue to be illuminated. Season 2 depicts their downfall as Georgia’s past life and actions get resurfaced. 

Although many seem satisfied with the new show, others have different opinions. People label the production as cringy, too dramatic, and sometimes unrealistic because of the irony and far-fetched plot. The characters are not all cliche, but different audiences had a hard time relating to the characters because of their vast personalities. The show was rated 6.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. 

However, many bring light to the fact that the actors did a brilliant job at portraying the written characters. Each role dealt with personal matters which supports the idea that no one is perfect and everyone is dealing with their own struggles. 

A freshmen here at Ramapo, Grace Saxton, watched Ginny and Georgia. She states, “I enjoyed the show because I thought it had a very interesting plot and was funny at times. It was the type of show that made you want to keep watching.” 

She also thought the show could do better in some areas. “I thought some of the acting was cringy at times, but overall I thought it was a really great show and I will definitely be watching season 3!” Grace shares the same opinion on Ginny and Georgia with most of the Ramapo community, good and bad. 

Ms. Magnus, the current orchestra and choral director, is eager to get the scoop on Ginny and Georgia, “I have not had the chance to watch Ginny and Georgia yet, but it is on my watchlist as I heard great reviews of it from a few friends and family.” 

Ms. Magnus first heard about the show on ‘Elvis Duran and the Morning Show’ while she was on her way to work, “…they were discussing the intricacies of the mother/daughter relationship of the show and the depth of the characters. I feel like I am going to like the show a lot because one of my all time favorite shows is Gilmore Girls and Ginny and Georgia seems to have some of the same overarching themes about relationships between mother and daughter that I loved so much from Gilmore Girls.”

It seems that many interested in Ginny and Georgia have watched likewise series that have close mother/daughter friendships and important topics. Many rave about this new show and others wonder if it will stick around as our other childhood shows have. All episodes of seasons 1 and 2 are available on Netflix!