The Mycenaean

This season picked up with the strained Miller family as Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and her younger brother Austin (Diesel La Torraca) riding a motorcycle out of Wellsbury, where they live, in an effort to get as far away as possible from their mother, Georgia (Brianne Howey) and her web of lies.

Georgia has always done whatever it takes to survive- to the cost of her kids: from lying about mailing Austin’s letters to his dad in prison to getting credit cards in their names. By the end of Season 1, Ginny and Austin had had enough of Georgia. 

The bond between Ginny and Georgia, the show’s true emotional center in Season 2. The first half of the season gets off to a fantastic start in this regard and really takes the time to explore Ginny and Georgia’s rocky interactions, from Ginny’s painful yearning for just a bite of honesty from her mother.

And while the bond between Ginny and her mother is a key part of the plot, the most important aspect that distinguishes Ginny from Georgia is the way they handle pain.

Mental Health Awareness

In season 1, we learn that Ginny self-harms by burning herself. Yet, this is a well-kept secret that sends her to therapy without her mother knowing.

Ginny experiences many issues, which make her overwhelmed and pushes her to hurt herself even more. Yet in her opinion, this habit stems from her mom. If she hadn’t had the habit of going off-grid, and moved them around a lot, Ginny could have been fine while adapting somewhere she would call home. 

In therapy, Ginny gets to the root of her problems and is honest with her mom about how gut wrenching it is to live the kind of life they live.

Fan Reactions

Many fans loved this change in the plot line (seeing as season one was very goofy). Kendal Priest, junior, thinks that the addition of mental health brings a whole new level of support from the audience.

“It’s a great way to raise awareness and teach the audience that it’s okay to have issues, as long as they are dealt with healthily,” said Priest. 

Emma Miller, junior, also agrees. “The plot was really good because you can see her relationship with her mother get to a bad place, but progress.”

Miller’s comment on the mother – daughter bond also shows how valuable the relationship between Ginny and Georgia is.

“As they learned more about each other you can see that the mom has more sympathy for her, which shows the value of their relationship,” said Miller.

And while many critics have comments about the cringy/weirdness of the show, it can’t be denied that they really outdid themselves this season. With the addition of inclusivity, mental health, and romance, the show showcases the true beauty of life and being a teenager.