Finally, Ginny & Georgia Gave Fans A Realistic High School Breakup

When it comes to TV, bigger is better... or, at the very least, bigger is the standard. That’s often the case with Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, a show that frequently uses murder and literal theatrical productions as plot devices. The series, which debuted its Season 2 on Jan 5., usually speaks the language of in-your-face big drama with a capital D. But with Ginny and Marcus’ breakup at the end of Season 2, the show went for a more grounded, realistic depiction. The result is one of the best teen TV breakups in recent memory.

Warning: Spoilers for the Season 2 finale of Ginny & Georgia follow. In Ginny & Georgia Season 2, Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Marcus (Felix Mallard) went from clandestine hookup buddies to a legit couple. Sure, their path to define the relationship was a little rocky and nearly cost Ginny her friendship with Marcus’ sister, Max (Sara Waisglas), but the conflict was mundane compared to the criminal activity Ginny’s mom, Georgia (Brianne Howey), is constantly mixed up in. Amid getting questioned by a private investigator and uncovering her mother’s disturbing past, Ginny found comforting normalcy in her relationship with Marcus. But of course, it couldn’t last forever.

When Ginny and Marcus had their big breakup talk at the end of the season, it had all the markers of a typical high school TV couple fight. They stood in an empty hallway as tears fell freely. Ginny waited for Marcus to chase after her, but he didn’t, and instead they retreated to their separate beds to mope with broken hearts. At that point, it seemed like the show was going to give Ginny and Marcus’ relationship a typical teen drama ending, one in which the characters have a messy breakup and avoid each other afterward.

Ginny did wallow in her heartbreak alone for a bit, but soon after the big breakup, she learned Marcus had been having a hard time managing his depression throughout their relationship. She took in that info without judgment and didn’t stigmatize or romanticize his mental illness like characters on other teen shows might. Instead, Ginny empathized with Marcus, with the help of her mother’s gentle guidance. “I think he could use a friend right now,” Georgia told Ginny, and that’s exactly what Ginny became for him.

Ginny and Marcus’ post-relationship journey is a quietly groundbreaking storyline to see on TV. They’re not just friends who say they’re friends but don’t actually hang out because it’s too awkward, nor do they try to get back at each other to make themselves feel better. In the Season 2 finale, Ginny earnestly supported Marcus by simply showing up and spending time with him when he was at his lowest point, without intentions of winning him back, making him jealous, or some other ulterior motive often seen in a TV split. It’s a heartwarming example of the way relationships can evolve in real life: Platonic love can be just as powerful as romantic love, and it’s a concept rarely shown in teen dramas.

As much as Ginny & Georgia often leans into the big dramatic scenes, it’s the smaller, more realistic subplots and conversations in Ginny’s teen life that create its most relatable moments. Ginny & Georgia Season 2 ended with the game-changing cliffhanger of Georgia getting arrested for murder at her own wedding, and it’s of course going to be fun to watch her find her way out of that predicament. But if the show gets picked up for a third season, it’s going to be perhaps even more interesting to watch the show tackle the reality of Ginny and Marcus’ ever-evolving friendship and where they go from here.

Ginny & Georgia Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix.