Due to its high school-centric storyline, Netflix's highly-anticipated new dramedy Ginny & Georgia is likely on your teenager's radar. A delicate balance between the plots of Gilmore Girls [1] and Desperate Housewives, the show is certainly entertaining, but is it suitable for teens to watch?
The series follows Ginny Miller (played by Antonia Gentry [2]), a 15-year-old biracial girl [3] who's trying to navigate life in a new affluent suburb after her 30-year-old single mom, Georgia (Brianne Howley [4]), forces the family to move for the 12th time.
Magnetic and highly manipulative, we quickly learn that Georgia has a dark past that she's constantly running from. Seemingly the quintessential "cool mom" with a saccharine Southern accent, she will go to any means necessary to support her family. She also routinely butts heads with Ginny, who is doing her best to maneuver dealing with boys, high school parties, and being one of few non-white students at her school.
Blessed with an incredible cast — Schitt's Creek [6]'s Jennifer Robertson and Friday Night Lights' Scott Porter are just a sampling of familiar faces — viewers will quickly become invested in each character's struggles and secrets.
Geared toward young adults and rated TV-MA, we have a feeling your teen will be begging to watch this scandalous original series. However, parents should keep in mind that there's no shortage of dramatic storylines that might prompt a conversation or two with your child. Scroll ahead to get a look at some of the mature themes parents should be aware of before letting teens press play when it's available for streaming on Feb. 24.
There are a ton of discussions about sex throughout the series.
At the beginning of the first episode, viewers hear Georgia explain that "you better make sure you're getting something [else out of sex] or you're just getting screwed" while describing sex. To Georgia, it's clear that sex can be a tool used to manipulate men. Additionally, there are several scenes that involve masturbation — the most colourful one includes an electric toothbrush — and Ginny and her friends chat about sex often.
While Georgia has a progressive outlook on sex and encourages her daughter to come to her with questions or concerns — she even puts Ginny on birth control at one point — this could be a good way to begin talking about safe sex and pregnancy prevention with your teen.
Underage drinking and drug use are treated casually throughout the series.
Early on, we see Ginny get peer-pressured into smoking marijuana by her friends. There are also several scenes that involve underage drinking, which may lay the groundwork for a larger discussion about how consuming too much alcohol can lead to destructive, embarrassing behaviour or even a trip to the hospital.
Ginny self-harms when she feels anxious.
When Ginny is feeling especially stressed she engages in self-harm. Although these scenes are not overly gory or disturbing, the content may be triggering for viewers who have struggled with this behaviour in the past.
It shows some of the hardships people of colour who live in mostly white towns may experience.
It's clear from the get-go that Ginny feels othered at points because she's biracial [8]. From fielding microaggressions from friends to dealing with a white woman who has no idea how to do Black hair at a school event [9], some scenes are hard to watch.
In general, Ginny has a handful of thoughtful conversations about race, particularly with her boyfriend, Hunter, who is half Chinese. At one point, the pair has a heated discussion about how they often feel like they don't belong because of their race. While they've both fought against different stereotypes in their lives, Hunter says he's not interested in partaking in "the oppression Olympics."
Ginny and Hunter's argument might be a conversation starter in your household for topics like microaggressions, overt racism, and what it means to feel othered.
An instance of sexual abuse is briefly mentioned.
There is a brief mention of sexual abuse in the middle of the season. Although the character doesn't go into detail, it's worth speaking with teens about what they should do if an adult ever asks them to do something that makes them feel uncomfortable.