‘Ginny and Georgia’ Creators on Season 3 Ending, the Verdict and Abortion

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for Season 3 of “Ginny & Georgia,” now streaming on Netflix.

In the Season 3 finale of “Ginny & Georgia,” wife, mom and Mayoress Murderess, Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey), learns her fate. Having been accused of murdering Cynthia Fuller’s (Sabrina Grdevich) terminally ill husband, Georgia spent the majority of the season in prison, on house arrest and in and out of the courtroom. Not only did the trial make Georgia a leper in the tight-knit community of Wellsbury, Mass., but she also lost custody of her children, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Austin (Diesel La Torraca), who were removed from her care and sent to live with their respective fathers, Zion (Nathan Mitchell) and Gil (Aaron Ashmore).

And yes, she’d done it: In the Season 2 finale, audiences had watched Georgia smother Tom Fuller (Vincent Legault) to death as a terrified Austin looked on from the closet, so her guilt was never up for debate. However, the turn of events that set the bubbly Southern mother of two free was utterly unexpected.

As the penultimate episode of Season 3, “It’s Time For My Solo,” came to a close, Austin took the stand, testifying that he did witness Tom’s death. However, instead of blaming his mother, he told the court that his father, Gil, a man he had only just begun to connect with, was the culprit. Though this lie has set Georgia free, it has changed Austin forever, fracturing his relationship with his mother and permanently shattering the close bond he shared with Ginny. 

While Georgia’s murder trial took center stage this season, the ripple effects of her actions went well beyond her children. Amid the trial, the marriage of Georgia and Wellsbury’s mayor Paul Randolph (Scott Porter) completely broke down, but a possible pregnancy may connect them forever. Ginny’s unexpected pregnancy also led to a vital storyline in which the 17-year-old character has an abortion. Ginny’s ex-boyfriend Marcus’ (Felix Mallard) mental health has continued to deteriorate, and no one but his twin, Maxine (Sara Waisglass), seems to see how much pain he’s in. Moreover, Ginny has now personally experienced wielding the manipulative power that her mother thrives on.

“Ginny’s had to build her boundaries up fairly high and work on her mental health and prioritize that,” says creator Sarah Lampert. “In doing that, we do see Ginny and Georgia switch places. I think there’s a little bit of a death of that vulnerability for Ginny to do what she has to do to save her mom. A fascinating struggle for her in Season 4 will be this balance of power and vulnerability.”

Variety spoke with Lampert and showrunner/executive producer Sarah Glinski about the shocking finale and all of the emotional twists and turns this season. Together, the duo unpacked some of the most significant moments of Season 3 — and discussed what fans can look forward to in Season 4. 

I think we all knew going in that Georgia would get off for this murder, but the way she was acquitted completely blew me away. How did you all conclude that it would be Austin accusing his father, Gil, that would shift the trajectory of the trial?

Sarah Lampert: The groundwork for that was laid in Season 2. We realized that if we wanted a murder trial, which we did, Georgia would have to kill somebody in Wellsbury. That gave us the whole Cynthia x Tom plot, and then we wanted Austin to witness it. In the episode “Kill Gill” in Season 2, we tried to trick audiences into thinking that we might kill Gill. We didn’t, because we knew that we would need a fall guy for Season 3. And then, throughout Season 3, the writers explored different options, delved deep into them and brought them to life, resulting in the salacious twist it was.

How will betraying his father for his mother transform Austin’s relationships — not just with Georgia, but with Ginny, who pushed him to lie for their mother?

Sarah Glinski: Austin’s going to have some incredible guilt about what he did, and I think he is going to be angry at both his mom and sister for making him do it. Their relationship will be forever changed. That’s something we’ll explore going into Season 4. It also aligns with his growing older. He’s having to go through things that are really unfair and frankly traumatic. He is going to have to grapple with more complicated consequences of his actions.

Ginny also went through a lot of ups and downs this season, and she had an abortion storyline, which I think is important, especially in our political climate. Why did you all decide this would be a significant part of her journey this season?

Glinski: We want to portray teenagers and young women authentically by reflecting what’s happening in their lives. And it felt like this was a story we wanted to tell, and it felt like the right time and the right character this season.

When Ginny realizes she’s pregnant, the first person she wants to run to is Georgia, but amid the trial, Georgia has lost custody of her kids. Why was it so important for Ginny to reach out to her mom?

Lampert: They have this complex, not always healthy relationship. Still, it is grounded in a lot of love. Ginny just wants her mom. It’s heartbreaking to me that at the end of Episode 5, you hear this little girl saying, “I want my mom.” So when she is pregnant, she knows that no one on Earth’s going to be more upset by this than her mom, and Georgia is still the only person she feels like she needs to talk to. One of my favorite moments in the whole season is when Georgia realizes that’s what’s going on. Ginny never says it, but Georgia realizes it. And the journey that Brianne takes us on is so special, performance-wise. 

Glinski: Before that. Georgia is in such a low place, and she’s really activated by her daughter needing her, which is an integral part of the season.

After ensuring her mother’s release, Ginny transforms. She sees how easy it is to manipulate people to get her way, and she loves it. She’s very different than the girl we met in Season 1. Do you think she’ll continue to harness this Georgia-esque power she’s found within herself?

Glinski: I think for Ginny, up to this point in time, she hasn’t had a lot of control in her life. She’s been dragged from place to place. This is the first time that she takes control of her journey and her path to save her mom. And it’s hard not to have that power. And so we’ll see her continue to explore that for both good and potentially for less good. 

Speaking of trajectories, “Ginny & Georgia” has always been great about showcasing mental health, not just through Ginny but also through Marcus. In Season 3, his mental health continues to deteriorate; he is also struggling with alcoholism. Why was it important to continue following varied mental health journeys? 

Glinski: It’s imperative to be authentic, and it’s tough to get better. It takes a lot of work, and even if the character wants it or the person wants it, it doesn’t mean it will happen right away. It is like a real struggle. With Marcus, we wanted to take our time with it and present it authentically. Even though he’s doing the work, it isn’t easy. He can backslide and go towards alcohol. I think that all of this feels like an authentic part of his path on his journey to ultimately hopefully get better someday.

Lampert: Healing isn’t linear, and Marcus is still so young. So, what we did was work closely with Dr. Taji Huang, who has been our psychologist that we’ve consulted with since Season 1. She has helped shape the character’s mental health journey. We always huddle with her before starting a new season, and we spend hours discussing the characters’ mental health with her, as well as partnering with Mental Health America. They get involved once we have the cuts of the episodes, and they give us feedback based on the episodes that we always take into consideration as well.

Speaking of struggles, Maxine is also dealing with her own issues. Not only is she concerned for Marcus, but her friend group MANG, which consists of Abby (Katie Douglas), Nora (Chelsea Clark) and Ginny, has also drifted apart this season. Can you discuss the trajectory of Maxine’s storyline this season?

Lampert: Maxine is a character that many people can relate to because she has a big heart, but she’s her own worst enemy. Her greatest strength is that she cares so deeply for everyone around her. However, this season, we see that it’s also her greatest weakness, as she expects that level of response in return and becomes really confused when she doesn’t receive it.

Glinski: The show is trying to explore that authentic teen experience and friendship, specifically female friendship in high school, is complicated. You’re all going through your own things. You’re all growing and changing. And for MANG to be fractured this season makes sense. That’s a natural progression of the friendship, but hopefully, they’ll find their way back to each other again, and Max will find a safe landing.

Paul and Georgia are officially over, and we see Georgia finally express her feelings and her darkest secrets to Joe (Raymond Ablack). But she tells Joe she needs a little time before they move forward. She’s also possibly pregnant. Why did you decide that Joe and Georgia were endgame?

Glinski: ​​We love Georgia and Joe, and this felt like the right time to connect them in a different way because it feels like with Zion and Paul, Georgia’s always putting on some armor. She’s pretending to be. She’s posturing a little bit. She’s loved both of them, but she’s not truly herself. This season, when we break her down, and she’s at her lowest point, and she’s so vulnerable, she turns to the person who has never judged her. That’s Joe. And that’s really why it felt like the right time to connect the two of them this season.

Now that Season 3 has come to a close, what can fans expect from Season 4?

Glinski: We end Episode 10 with some pretty big hooks that might hint at some of the things that we’re exploring.

Lampert: Our themes for Season 4 are origins and cycles. You get the hint of that in Season 3. However, we’re continuing the conversation about who Ginny and Georgia are in relation to one another and how their personal decisions will have immediate implications for the other.

This interview has been edited and condensed.