Fans of teen dramas fell in love with Ginny & Georgia, the Netflix series about a mother and her children moving to a small town. Georgia has many secrets, and while her young son Austin thinks the world of her and her teenage daughter Ginny is more skeptical, Georgia does her best to be a good mother.
Ginny & Georgia has some things in common with Gilmore Girls, but it's a darker series, and the depiction of parenthood is much different. Sometimes Georgia was a great mom who did the right thing, but in many scenes, she wouldn't win a Parent of the Year award.
Wholesome: Georgia Threw A Spa Day For Ginny's Birthday
Ginny and her new friends formed a group called "MANG" as their names are Max, Abby, Norah, and Ginny. While they celebrated Ginny's sixteenth birthday with a big party and lots of alcohol, Georgia had a more sweet and innocent idea in mind.
Georgia threw her daughter a spa day at their home, allowing the teens to enjoy some makeovers and pampering. Ginny was pleased that her mom was paying attention to her, but it took her a while to come around. Abby, on the other hand, loved that Ginny's mother cared so much about her and since her own parents were having trouble, she appreciated it the most. Ginny wasn't always a big fan of her mom, but this was a time when Georgia did the right thing.
Messy: Austin Hurt Another Kid And Georgia Was Fine With It
As Ginny became more comfortable in her new town of Wellsbury, Georgia's influence on her started to wane. Ginny became involved in a love triangle and made a group of new friends, and she wasn't sure if she could always count on her mom.
Austin, on the other hand, always looked up to Georgia, and he became influenced by her tough personality when he hurt another kid at school. While Ginny was horrified, Georgia thought that this was a perfectly fine response since Austin was being bullied. While of course, Austin's classmate was in the wrong, Austin should have never resorted to violence. This was definitely a messy moment for Georgia, as she was setting a poor example for him.
Wholesome: Georgia Loved Car Picnics
In one episode, Georgia had a car picnic with her kids, and while Ginny felt she was too old for it, Austin loved it.
Georgia liked ordering some take-out and then enjoying some delicious junk food in her car. This is a wholesome and sweet parenting moment and proves that she always wanted to make her kids' lives more fun. With all the stress of moving to a new town and hiding from her past, she could have been too caught up in her world, but she still made time for her children.
Messy: Ginny Didn't Want Her Parents To Hook Up
Georgia was dating Paul when Zion came to town, and this created a juicy love triangle. Who should she really be with, Ginny's artistic free spirit father, or Wellsbury's sweet mayor?
This situation quickly became complicated and dramatic when Zion visited and Ginny told her mom that she didn't want them to get involved again. It's pretty awkward for a teenager to tell her parents not to hook up, and Georgia pretended that nothing was going on when, of course, she still had feelings for Zion.
Wholesome: Georgia Moved Her Kids To Wellsbury For A New Life
Just like the beloved Gilmore Girls town Stars Hollow, Wellsbury has an adorable main street, restaurant/cafe that everyone loves going to, and town meetings.
While the circumstances of the move are problematic, as Georgia committed a crime and then ran away, she was being a good parent by choosing a solid, safe place where she and her family could land. She wanted to create a new life for herself, Ginny, and Austin, and on the surface, Wellsbury seemed like a perfect, wholesome place.
Messy: Georgia And Ellen Spied On Their Children
Georgia enjoyed getting to know her neighbor Ellen, whose kids Marcus and Max went to school with Ginny. In a hilarious scene, Ellen and Georgia spied on their teenage daughters by creating a fake Instagram account and then finding out where they were.
This might have been funny, but spying on kids isn't the best thing to do, even if they were drinking and getting into mischief. Instead, these characters could have sat down with their teens and had an honest, open discussion with them about alcohol abuse and what was going on in their lives.
Wholesome: Georgia Wasn't Sure About Marcus
Ginny fell for her neighbor Marcus and when Georgia learned that he kept sneaking into Ginny's bedroom, she was really upset.
This is definitely an example of her being a good, wholesome mother, as every parent would think that this was a problem. Ginny might not have wanted to get lectured by Georgia about this topic, but she should have understood that her mom was just looking out for her, and she just wanted her daughter to be in a happy, healthy relationship.
Messy: Georgia Let Her Sister Stay With Her
The beginning of Ginny & Georgia made it clear that the titular characters didn't always get along. Georgia wanted to be Ginny's best friend and share everything, but Ginny felt that her mom was selfish and that she had to go along with whatever she wanted.
Ginny was angry and hurt when Georgia's sister showed up, proving that unlike what she said, Georgia did have some family. When Georgia let her sister stay with them at the house, this was a big mistake and created a messy, complex situation. Maddie was working with a PI to spy on Georgia and getting paid in the process, and she could have put Georgia's kids and new life in danger.
Wholesome: Georgia Wanted Ginny To Get A Job
Ginny was reluctant and hesitant, but Georgia wanted Joe to hire Ginny to work at his cafe. She was always upset to spend her after-school hours there, although her friends often showed up to hang out.
This was a moment when Georgia was a wholesome parent. She wanted to give Ginny the best life possible and thought that having a way to make money and a place to be after school was a good idea. In her mind, this gave Ginny a new experience and would help her feel confident and strong.
Messy: Georgia Lied About Her Past And Killed Her Husband
While Ginny & Georgia is a young adult show, it also depicts the life of a woman on the run.
Georgia might have been a good parent in many ways, but she also lied about her past, pretending that she didn't have any family to speak of. Ginny was shocked to learn that her mom was abused as a child and that she ran away. Georgia also killed her second husband, Kenny, and that is why the family moved to Wellsbury. This made their life complicated, even if they were trying to start fresh.