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toocooltonotobsessover · 20 days

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Ginny and Georgia: The Art of Subtle Storytelling

As with most everything, I got into Ginny & Georgia well after the train had not only passed but also dropped everyone off as well. I saw clips around all the time but convinced myself it was just a stupid show that didn't deserve the time. Then... I ran into Marcus' depression monologue on YouTube and that was the most relatable thing I'd heard from a TV show. So, I convinced myself to check out that episode (S2E8) to see what was going on with this stupid, cringy teen drama that somehow captured the experience of depression in less than two minutes. Needless to say, watching that episode piqued my interest in so many areas, I soon found myself watching the next episode, and when answers still weren't found, bouncing back to the start of the series. And now... here I am, three 6 days later (after admittedly finishing the series in only 3) still unable to stop thinking about the absolute gem that was Ginny & Georgia.

Obviously there will never be a piece of perfect media and there were certainly parts of the show that had me squeezing my eyes shut in second-hand embarrassment (*cough, cough* tap dancing *cough, cough*)... but there was also something so fundamentally powerful about it that had me continuously choosing "Next Episode" well past midnight. So, as I try to ride out my newfound obsession with this show I couldn't help finding myself wondering "What is it about Ginny & Georgia that is so addicting?" While I think many factors come in to play: the characters, the just wild enough to stretch our suspension of disbelief while also tame enough to be almost realistic plot, and the representation to name a few; but something that really caught my attention was the fact that the show-makers seem to have mastered the art of subtle storytelling.

Show, don't tell, I think is advice most people can attest to hearing at least a handful of times in their lives. It's a phrase so familiar it should be at the front of our minds whenever we set out to tell a story and while not always easy to write, how hard can it be when your form of media relies on visuals as with movies and TV shows? Apparently more of a challenge than you would expect, with many shows turning into bland info dumps rather than containing thoughtful expression of information. Oftentimes this is a cheap way of getting a point across but it creates very dry and unrealistic characters (because for the most part people do not talk by spitting a series of semi-connected essays at one another).

Anyway... I guess what I'm trying to get at is that the creators of Ginny & Georgia did not shy away from show over tell, in fact they thrived off of it. A storyline like Marcus' depression was not a sudden slap-in-the-face episode, explained off by a monologue backstory. Instead the seeds were planted earlier, way earlier, way back in season one when Ellen casually mentioned to Georgia that Marcus' had had a rough year... simple as that. And while we do find out that part of it is due to his friends death, there's still more to the story. Then when season two rolls around, subtle hints are sprinkled throughout the episodes prior to episode eight... Certain facial expressions (specifically noticeable in the Christmas episode), some tighter smiles than normal, some looks that are just a little off. And when the family returns from Vermont: casual conversation between Max and Ginny, picked up and dropped like regular conversation not over focusing on the fact that Marcus lied about how he spent his Christmas. But as an audience we start to pick up on these and when we reach episode eight it all makes sense.

Or another thing I love: Clint. The deaf representation again is thrown in, not as a big deal, just a fact of everyday life. You can believe the twins grew up with a deaf father with how casually they throw around sign language, even sometimes while among themselves. You can believe that Ellen has been married to Clint for a long time and been using sign language to communicate. But not only is the inclusion of sign super casual, something I also picked up on was the twins personalities. Sign language is not just about the hand signs, but full body expression: facial expressions, body language. Someone who has been signing all their life has that tendency towards physical expression, and if you watch any scene with Max it's clear the way she throws her whole body into talking. She has so much energy and her face is always super telling because she grew up with this being a large part of communication with her dad. On the flip side, Marcus is not quite as expressive, but he seems to have a sense for reading other people's body language, like he's used to living in a home where visual communication is more important than auditory communication.

This post focuses a lot on the Bakers because they 100% were my favorite family, but the same can be applied to many situations. Like how Abby's ED isn't super obvious, a few times she leaves for the bathroom and it's not made super obvious that she's leaving to vomit. We get to see glimpses of her struggles, but for the most part we're in the dark, just like most people in her life.

I don't know, maybe I'm just not exposed to the right shows a lot but this one really impressed me. It just felt super obvious how much time and work the cast and crew put into making the characters and storylines believable (well as believable as they can be in a TV show, lol)

So in conclusion... Ginny and Georgia season 3??? And what other gems of shows am I missing out on, lol

#ginny and georgia #ginny & georgia #storytelling #show don't tell #what do you think?#thoughts #this show has me obsessed #how soon is too soon to rewatch

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