REVIEW: Ginny & Georgia is Not the Modern Mother/Daughter Story We Were Looking For

Netflix’s new series, Ginny & Georgia, follows 30 year old Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey) who, after the death of her husband, moves her daughter, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and son, Austin (Diesel La Torraca), to Massachusetts to start a new life. Tired of running, Georgia wants to set down roots in the small New England town, while Ginny is tired of constantly moving from place to place and just wants to stay still for awhile. But Ginny’s dark past and Ginny’s own secrets may ruin this for the both of them.

The idea of a young mother raising her teenage daughter in New England will feel like a familiar tale for many as it is the exact same idea behind the hit WB show, Gilmore Girls. Except this time around, the writers tried too hard to set themselves apart from the WB show. From the mother hiding a dark past from her daughter and son, to the daughter facing her own past traumas, it felt like they spent more time trying to show how their show was different rather than writing an engaging story.

Which is a shame because on the surface, the plot for this show should work. It has everything it needs to make for an intriguing and engaging storyline, but everything just falls flat. Take the first episode for instance, Ginny hits almost every teenage trope possible and Howey’s spends most of the time trying to find the perfect southern accent for Georgia. The viewer spend more time shaking their head then relating to the characters.

The one shining light are the performances from the Miller’s neighbors, Ellen (Schitt’s Creek’s Jennifer Robertson) and her daughter, Maxine (Sara Waisglass). The two are just so quirky and over the top in their performance that it is hard not to fall in love with them. You will become more interested in learning more about them and their relationship than Ginny and Georgia’s relationship when all is said and done.

Ginny & Georgia isn’t exactly sure what it wants to be. It is a little too adult for its teenage viewers, but a little too young for its adult viewers. Even the mystery surrounding Georgia isn’t enough to keep the audience entertained. If you want to watch a show that focuses on a mother/daughter relationship, watch Gilmore Girls.