Ginny & Georgia found a way to level up its storytelling even more — but what can fans expect in season 4 after those cliffhangers and a pregnancy twist?
The third season, which premiered on Thursday, June 5, concluded with Ginny (Antonia Gentry) and Austin (Diesel La Torraca) getting their mom back — but at a cost to their sibling relationship. Meanwhile their mother, Georgia (Brianne Howey), didn’t have much time to celebrate being found not guilty of murder after an unplanned pregnancy leaves her wondering if her estranged husband, Paul (Scott Porter), or love interest Joe (Raymond Ablack) is the father.
Luckily, creator Sarah Lampert broke down the biggest bombshell moments — and what they mean for the future of the show. During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Lampert reflected on Ginny & Georgia‘s return after a lengthy hiatus between seasons 2 and 3.
“Between season 2 ending and season 3 beginning, nothing really changed or shifted. I would just say that the season was really fleshed out once we had the writers’ room up and running. I knew what the tent poles were going to be,” Lampert noted. “When we wrote season 2, there [were] certain things we planned all the way back from season 1. Now there are certain other things that we planned from season 2.”
She continued: “But when you’re in the writers’ room is when you really [expand on the story]. Nothing really shifted between the wait of seasons 2 and 3, but once the writers’ room was up and cooking for season 3 — knowing that we had a season 4 changed how we approached this season.”
Viewers on the edge of their seats for season 3 haven’t seen anything yet but the plan for the fourth installment is to evolve the story even more — for all the characters. Keep scrolling for Lampert’s preview of what comes next after that explosive season:
How Will Georgia’s Pregnancy Change Her Dynamic With Ginny?
Georgia’s relationship with Ginny finally got to a better place — but will it last?
“What’s tricky about their relationship is it really is such a flowing connection in that it ebbs and flows between them depending on their situation, what they’re going through and where they’re at with each other and individually,” Lampert teased to Us. “So will they stay on the same team? For their relationship to be healthy, Georgia really needs to make consistent choices that are different from ones she’s made in the past. And Ginny needs to really see that.”
Lampert pointed out the “switch” that took place between mother and daughter, adding, “Ginny took on the mother role to get Georgia free and it really is like they had a power dynamic swap in their relationship. But Ginny is the child. Even though she’s drawn these more healthy boundaries for herself, she has taken on more than anyone should ever take on. I think Georgia recognizes that and recognizes that her actions have implications or consequences on her children in a way that really breaks her soul. So she’s really motivated to earn her relationship with her kids.”
Where Do Ginny and Austin Go From Here?
While Georgia is on good terms with her kids, Austin is furious with Ginny.
“The DNA of those characters is entwined. Two things can be true at the same time. On one hand, Ginny is in a healthy place and she’s really established firm boundaries. She’s not taking anyone’s s***. But at the same time, something has really broken within her to get there,” Lampert explained. “And Georgia recognizes that. It’s the same thing that broke within Georgia. She doesn’t want her kids to have to do that.”
She continued: “Georgia finally is recognizing that they may have carried a little bit more of the weight than she thought they did in her choices. But she needed to do it to grow as a character because I love all three of them.”
Will ‘Ginny and Georgia’ Address the Time Discrepancy?
Diesel La Torraca in “Ginny and Georgia”. Courtesy of Netflix (2)
The two-year hiatus between seasons 2 and 3 couldn’t be avoided — but fans shouldn’t expect a time jump to fix it.
“Anyone who works on the show will tell you I am fastidious about the details. I am just specific with so many things. Then things like Diesel growing five years, I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ Because you can’t control it,” Lampert quipped. “We can’t recast. Diesel is Austin. I’m just asking the viewers to suspend their disbelief because the kid grew [up] and it’s a TV show.”
Ginny & Georgia will “really lean into” La Torraca now being a teenager in real life.
“There are a few jokes we’re planning to make. We’re aware that he’s growing up and that helps us. Honestly, it serves us because now he’s really a part of the family in a way that he wasn’t before. He was just a little kid. Now with everything we put him through in season 3 and having him enter season 4 as a preteen,” she continued. “He’s entering the chat in a way that he hasn’t before, which I think is a really interesting dynamic.”
Lampert defended La Torraca’s evident growth spurt, adding, “You don’t want to do a big time leap because that really misses emotional storytelling. Because of that, the flashbacks already make no sense in terms of the timeline of the flashbacks. Time is but a construct in Wellsbury.”
Could Ginny Relapse Again?
“Healing isn’t linear. We saw her relapse in season 2. So in season 3, we really did show her making progress with her mental health and really fighting to hold onto that even as everything crumbled around her,” Lampert said. “Each season we partner really heavily with Mental Health America and they give us a lot of feedback. But we also have Dr. Taji Huang, who’s our psychologist and who’s helped us craft the mental health of these characters all the way back in season 1. She’s been a consultant on the show and we start with all of the characters’ mental health. We then build a story around what makes sense for what they’re going through. Our starting place is the emotional truth of the character and the mental health of the character.”
Who Will Georgia Choose?
Georgia has several possible love interests going into season 4.
“Zion, Paul and Joe each bring something so unique, so specific and so nuanced to the table that they’re each able to really bring out a different side of Georgia,” Lampert said before breaking down each of their arcs in season 3. “Zion made the right choice to pull his daughter out of the house of someone he realized was a murderer and there was violence and there were guns.”
Lampert added: “For Paul, what he went through was really complex and really complicated. That character struggled through whether or not to follow his heart or his brain. It was heartbreaking to see.”
And Joe? “Going back to Joe. Your Joe, my Joe, our Joe — collectively, we love Joe. What’s so phenomenal about Joe is he just is so loyal and he just doesn’t give a s***. He is not going to waver and it doesn’t mean he’s a weak character because he isn’t,” Lampert teased to Us. “He’s strong in his convictions. We see him really show up for the people that he cares about. But we also see him provide a level of, just, comfort and ease for not only Georgia but also Ginny and quite frankly also Cynthia. He’s got a really deep heart and he’s just got those soulful brown eyes and he’s just funny. What’s not to love about a funny, loyal guy who’s going to show up when everyone else ditches you because you’re on trial for murder?”
Will We Visit Joe’s Farm?
“Every season in the writers’ room we try to write a scene at Joe’s farm. And every season, we can’t afford to go to a farm,” Lampert revealed. “So I’m really hoping that [in] season 4, we get to go to a farm.”
Where Does Paul’s Journey Go From Here?
Paul ended the season on a low after a fight with Georgia that nearly turned physical.
“My process as a writer and why certain scenes are in the show is because something similar happened to me. I was dating someone and I came in the door and they hit the wall near my head and they immediately put their hands back. I remember being fascinated with that moment,” the screenwriter told Us. “Scott and I had several hour-long meetings about this scene because we knew how really out of character it was for Paul to get to this point and how far he would have to be pushed.”
Lampert broke down where Paul’s head was at, saying, “He had his heart broken and felt unheard to get to this level of heartbreak, anger and violence. That interaction — what is so horrible is that you have to assure someone you’re not going to hurt them. There’s so much said in that scene that is unspoken and the performances of Brianne and Scott in that scene.”
She added: “You saw all of the trauma that Georgia has gone through and all of her PTSD coming out. She takes charge but she is a survivor and she’s gone through all of this and that lives in her body. We saw that come out. For Paul, this is a guy who really always categorized himself as a good guy. Then you get to this point and he’s pushed to a point where he crosses a line that he doesn’t think he’s ever capable of crossing.”
Will Marcus and Ginny Get Back Together?
“Marcus is really valid in not wanting to be with Ginny. Of course he wants to be with her. He loves her and his love for her is never something to be questioned. But he can’t be with her,” Lampert explained. “We’re really just scratching the surface of if being loved takes work too.”
Marcus has to address his own issues first though.
“Marcus keeps saying he doesn’t want to feel this way anymore — he just wants to feel better. He just wants to be normal. But then we see him himself medicate a lot,” she noted. “A part of his character that he’s not admitting to himself — that we haven’t even really explored fully yet — is, does he actually want to get better? Because if you’re in active addiction, oftentimes that answer is no, you don’t. He can’t be the version of himself he is right now and be in a relationship with Ginny.”
Lampert called this point in their story “very tragic,” saying, “Ginny, for her part, she just loves him. They love each other so deeply. Leading with their love for one another is what informs the plot for us. They do love each other so much. That scene where he’s in the waiting room after her abortion, there’s so much unsaid between them. But they’re just a rock for each other always.”
Will Max’s Story Be Expanded On?
“Something that really inspires me about Sara Waisglass is her ability to be both the brightest light in the room and then also have [a] dark deep well of sadness — sometimes within the same scene,” Lampert gushed. “We saw that when she was doing the play. She’s so funny and engaging and she’s moving at the speed of light at all times. But then there’s just a deep sadness and stillness within her. That exists at the same time.”
She continued: “What’s so interesting about the twins is that they really are the flip side of the same coin. There is a lot of overlap between them. They also understand each other and just feel each other more than anyone else can because they are so connected.”
Lampert compared Marcus and Max, saying, “With Marcus, his struggles are very apparent. This is a kid in crisis and it’s very hard to miss that if you’re his family and they all are aware of it. With Max, she really feels the burden of being OK because she knows how much her parents are worried about Marcus. To her, there’s a real responsibility there because she really genuinely has such a good heart. She wants everyone to be OK. But at the same time, you do start to see a little bit of confusion and sadness and resentment build up that no one sees her. No one sees her pain. She just has a better mask than Marcus does.”
What About Abby?
“Every character on the show is fighting a battle you can’t see. As we go through each character and we’re talking about their mental health, that’s very apparent. But we didn’t want to do it in an issue of the week way. That’s just not the vibe we were going for,” Lampert said about Abby’s ongoing eating disorder. “That’s not realistic. It’s really important to us to tell realistic and complex stories and ground it in emotional truth. That’s what everyone relates to. That’s what’s important about seeing it on screen.”
It has been a fine line balancing difficult topics on the show.
“We don’t want it to be triggering — obviously — or harmful in any way. But I think there’s something really human and really cathartic about seeing a realistic portrayal of something represented on screen. For Abby specifically, I’m so interested in the duality of her character and the layers of her character,” Lampert detailed to Us. “Because on one hand, she’s so strong and hard. She’s small but mighty. But then on the other hand, you see this very intensely insecure girl who is a little bit in denial.”
She concluded: “She’s a great friend to Ginny. She was deeply hurt by Max in season 2 and I don’t think she’s over it. We’re seeing some of that bleed into season 3. She’s also exploring her sexuality this season in a way that you’re like, ‘Thank God there is some positivity for Abby when Tris entered the picture. She’s starting to have a little bit more self-love and we love to see that. But her eating disorder isn’t getting cured by that because it’s about the food but it’s not about the food. That’s what we really are trying to show with Abby.”
How Do Georgia’s Parents Fit Into the Equation?
Brianne Howey and Antonia Gentry Amanda Matlovich/Netflix
The finale hinted that Georgia’s parents will enter the picture — and that will be part of the theme for season 4.
“As the new showrunner this season, Sarah Glinski and the rest of the team was really able to dive into these stories in the sense that the storytelling is done purely through a female lens. Pivoting into the final episode, it is so amorphous in that it doesn’t really end,” the creator teased. “Even though this trial has ended, things are really just beginning for this new chapter of Ginny, Georgia, Austin and the rest of our characters. Especially with her pregnancy, we’re really seeing the cycle begin again. So the theme of season four is origins and cycles.”
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