Honestly, if you spent any time on TikTok or Twitter after the first season of Ginny and Georgia dropped, you saw the vitriol. People absolutely loathed Ginny Miller. They called her ungrateful. They called her a "brat." They made endless "POV: You’re Ginny Miller being annoying" videos.
It was intense.
But here’s the thing: most people are looking at Ginny through the wrong lens. They see Georgia—the blonde, charismatic, "cool mom" who would literally kill for her kids—and they wonder why Ginny isn't just saying "thank you." But if you actually sit with the narrative, especially after the heavy hits of Season 2 and the recent 2025 release of Season 3, you realize that Ginny Miller isn't a villain. She’s a trauma response in a crop top.
The "Ungrateful" Myth
You've heard it a million times. "Georgia did everything for her!" Sure. Georgia protected her. Georgia moved them to Wellsbury to give them a "normal" life. But Georgia also gave Ginny a childhood defined by instability, secrets, and the literal stench of death.
Imagine being sixteen.
✨ Don't miss: Why Ben 10 Aliens Original Roster Still Beats Every Sequel
You find out your mom didn't just "lose" your stepdad; she poisoned him with wolfsbane because he was getting too handsy with you. That's a lot. It’s not something you just process over a blueberry muffin at Blue Farm Cafe.
Ginny's "attitude" isn't about being a spoiled teenager. It's about a girl who has spent her entire life as an accessory to her mother's survival. When Ginny lashes out, she’s trying to find where Georgia ends and where she begins. In Season 3, we saw this reach a breaking point during Georgia’s murder trial. While the internet was busy debating whether Georgia would go to jail for Tom Fuller's "mercy killing," Ginny was busy having a full-blown panic attack in the back of Joe's kitchen.
She's tired.
The girl is fundamentally exhausted from carrying secrets that aren't hers. Most viewers see Georgia’s actions as maternal sacrifice, but Ginny sees them as a cage. When your mom is a murderer—even a "justified" one—you don't feel safe. You feel like you’re next on the list of things she has to "fix."
Breaking Down the Self-Harm Arc
One of the most authentic, and frankly difficult, parts of the show is Ginny’s history with self-harm. It’s not a plot device. The showrunners, including Sarah Lampert, worked with Mental Health America to make sure they weren't just glamorizing a "sad girl" trope.
In Season 1, we see Ginny use a lighter to burn herself.
By Season 2 and 3, we see the work of recovery.
This is where the character shines. Ginny doesn't just "get better" because she starts dating Marcus or because she joins a slam poetry group. She goes to therapy. Real, messy, uncomfortable therapy. There’s a scene in the third season where Ginny almost relapses because the stress of the trial is too much. Instead of hiding it, she calls her therapist for an emergency session.
That is growth.
It’s also a direct contrast to Georgia. Georgia’s brand of "healing" is moving to a new town and changing her name. Ginny’s brand of healing is staying still and feeling the pain. That’s why they clash. Georgia sees Ginny’s vulnerability as a weakness that will get them caught. Ginny sees Georgia’s "strength" as a lie that’s killing them both.
Why the Biracial Experience Matters
You can't talk about Ginny Miller without talking about the "Fry-Yay" of it all—the microaggressions, the isolation, and the feeling of being "not Black enough" for some and "too Black" for others.
The show doesn't handle this with white gloves.
Antonia Gentry has been vocal about how her own real-life experiences informed the dialogue, specifically that brutal English class scene with Mr. Gitten. When Ginny tells her mom, "You don't know what it's like," she isn't being dramatic. Georgia doesn't know. Georgia moves through the world using her whiteness and her beauty as a literal weapon. Ginny doesn't have that luxury.
In Wellsbury, Ginny is a curiosity.
She’s part of "MANG" (Max, Abby, Norah, Ginny), but she’s always the one who has to explain why a certain joke isn't funny or why her hair needs different products. That constant "othering" builds up. It’s a low-level hum of stress that most viewers who haven't lived it simply dismiss as Ginny being "moody."
The Marcus Factor
Then there's Marcus Baker.
👉 See also: At Swim-Two-Birds: Why Flann O'Brien’s Masterpiece Still Breaks Everyone’s Brain
The "troubled boy next door" could have been a cliché. Instead, Marcus and Ginny’s relationship serves as a mirror. They are two kids drowning in different ways. Marcus deals with clinical depression; Ginny deals with complex PTSD.
Their breakup at the end of Season 2 wasn't about a lack of love. It was about capacity. In Season 3, seeing them navigate being "just friends" while Georgia was under house arrest was actually more romantic than the hookups. It showed a level of maturity that the adults in the room—looking at you, Zion and Paul—rarely manage. They actually see each other.
The Season 3 Shift: From Victim to Partner
If Season 1 was about Ginny being a victim of Georgia’s past, and Season 2 was about her confronting it, Season 3 is about her reclaiming her life.
There's a massive shift in the family dynamic after Georgia’s arrest. Ginny stops being the "rebellious daughter" and starts acting like the only adult in the house. She’s the one making sure Austin is okay. She’s the one pushing for joint custody with Zion because she realizes the "us against the world" mentality is a recipe for disaster.
She finally found her voice.
She told Georgia: "I love you, but I can't be you."
✨ Don't miss: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Why the Monsterverse Finally Embraced the Weird
That is the most revolutionary thing a child of a narcissist or a traumatized parent can say. It’s not ungrateful. It’s survival.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re still in the "I hate Ginny" camp, it might be time for a rewatch with a focus on her internal world rather than her external reactions.
- Watch the "HBD" episode again. Look at the pressure Ginny is under to perform "happiness" for a mother who is falling apart.
- Pay attention to the background. Notice how often Ginny is checking the exits or looking at her mom for cues on how to act.
- Follow the therapy arc. If you or someone you know is struggling with the themes shown in the show, check out resources like the Crisis Text Line or Mental Health America.
The real tragedy of Ginny and Georgia isn't the murders or the arrests. It’s the fact that Ginny Miller had to grow up before she ever got to be a kid. Season 4 is already in production, and if the trajectory holds, we’re going to see Ginny finally step out of Georgia’s shadow for good. Whether Georgia lets her go is a different story entirely.