Ginny & Georgia – Season 2 Episode 3 “What Are You Playing at…” Recap & Review

What Are You Playing At, Little Girl?

Episode 3 of Ginny & Georgia season 2 starts with Georgia asking Ginny what she is up to after the stunt she pulled at breakfast. Ginny tells her she is not playing a game but it is clear she is trying to provoke her mom.

She steals a credit card under Austin’s name from her purse as well. She uses it to buy Austin his favourite new game, which angers Georgia even more. Georgia confronts her and tells her she used Austin’s name out of necessity. Georgia warns her she is playing with fire. Ginny tells her she is not scared of her but Georgia tells her she is the scary one since she can’t be trusted.

Marcus sneaks in after Ginny’s fight with her mom. Ginny is not in a good mood and picks a fight so he chooses to leave. He is worried about what is going on with her but every time he asks, she responds with “nothing.” We can all relate to how frustrating that is! They make up the next day at school.

Austin is also having problems at school, he is falling behind and his teacher thinks he has anxiety. She wants Georgia to consider letting  Austin meet with the school guidance counsellor to be evaluated. Cynthia interrupts the teacher to make Zach return an item he stole during class.  Georgia uses this chance to leave before the teacher is done with her.

At school, Ginny returns Hunter’s notes but they dont get to talk much because Maxine and the others show up. Maxine still has feelings for Sophie and is stalking her on social media. She thinks there is a chance they can get back together. She is also not happy about not getting the lead role in the school play.

Georgia and Paul have a talk about the wedding budget. Georgia wants a splash and thinks they should ask his rich parents. Paul is against the idea and asks her to think of an intimate wedding. She later brings up the wedding topic again, Paul wants to get married in a  charming, rustic barn. She wants to get married at The Mount, an exclusive wedding venue for the crème de la crème in town.

In a flashback, Georgia remembers how she used to shoplift to get clothes for Ginny when she was young. She felt isolated from her agemates and she never had a normal teen experience.

In therapy, Ginny gets a notebook to write her feelings and a rubber band to distract her when she gets an urge to self-harm. The therapist wants her to identify her triggers and asks her to trust the process. Ginny is currently having trust problems, can you blame her though?  The therapist asks her to try using the tools and to call her if she is overwhelmed.

The next day, Georgia drops the license that the Neighbourhood Club needed for their tennis court. She asks Dena if she has a shot at joining the club but Dena tells her it is impossible. Dena is dealing with a crisis, an invaluable treasure loaned to the club, Emily Dickson’s poem book is missing.  Georgia pretends to be shocked but she was the one who took it and planted it in Zach’s bag.

She put the book and Austin’s new game in Zach’s bag because she overheard that he is a kleptomaniac. She later visits Cynthia at home and asks her to check if Zach took Austin’s game when they were playing together. Cynthia sees the book and freaks out. Georgia offers to cover up for her in return for her sponsorship into the Neighbourhood Club.

After school, Ginny heads over to Joe’s cafe to work and sees Sophie with her new boyfriend. Abby was at the cafe too and sees Sophie too. Bracia and her friends also happen to be at the cafe. Bracia is not happy about how the school play photos were edited. Ginny invites her to hang with Zion and he helps her take better photos. Obviously, Maxine sees the photos on social media and is annoyed but Hunter gets in his feelings. In fact, he’s written a really sad break-up song.

In good faith, Abby tries to tell Maxine about Sophie’s new relationship but Maxine takes it the wrong way. Abby invites Ginny to skip class and go smoke weed. They go to Abby’s house and casually hang out, smoking weed and eating. Abby asks Ginny about Marcus and she admits she likes him.  They later decide to add highlights to their hair before returning to school but they get caught.

Ginny lies that she was at a dentist appointment and the school calls Georgia to confirm. As expected, Georgia lies for her.  Later that evening, Georgia tries to confront Ginny about skipping school. Ginny refers to her as Mary and that triggers Georgia to have a panic attack.

On the other hand, Ginny sneaks into Marcus’ room and tells him about the secret she has been keeping. Marcus is not shocked to hear Georgia killed a man. He tells her that Georgia is a force and Ginny worries she might be like her mom. Marcus tries to calm her down and before she leaves she asks him not to tell anyone.

As she leaves Marcus’s house, she sees Georgia in her car and she gets in with her. She asks Georgia why she did it. Georgia tells her that she was protecting the family because no one protected her. She wanted to give her children the best and did what she had to do. She tells her she doesn’t regret what she did to Kenny. Ginny understands her mother and they make up. Georgia asks her not to tell anyone their secret and Ginny agrees.

The episode ends with Austin joining them in the car. They are now in this façade of life together.

The Episode Review

I understand wanting a better life for your children but killing and manipulating your way to the top is not the best way.

Georgia using the, “I did it for you,’’ excuse feels manipulative and extends guilt to Ginny. She is hiding this deep horrific secret in her and it will eat her up. Georgia might think she is protecting her kids but she is teaching them to lie and use people. Others might argue that she is a good mother but I don’t get that from her character.