I think the strength of a show like this hinges on the performances of the cast. The two leads of Virginia "Ginny" Miller and Georgia Miller are two of the most charismatic, well written, larger than life characters I've seen in modern television shows in a long time. First, let's talk about the incredible work by Antonia Gentry, the young teenage daughter, Ginny, who is trying to navigate her way through her life of running from town to town (this time settling in Wellerby), trying to find purpose, as well as answers. Gentry's work here is absolutely amazing. The talent of this girl is so on point. Her voice, heart, and mind are strong, but I also love that we see her vulnerabilities as well to make a complete character. We watch her feel accepted, loved, betrayed, hurt, and damaged throughout all the episodes. I love watching her interactions with MANG (one of the most charismatic group of girls you'll find in any show), and I like that each member of that group has their own little storyline going on. Sara Waisglass, Katie Douglas, Chelsea Clark portray Maxine, Abby, and Norah, and display an enviable chemistry with each other and with Ginny that you feel like this is a real life group of friends. MANG just makes you feel the emotion from their strong performances and many of the best scenes of the show feature the four of them in both a jovial and somber mood. Gentry's interactions with Felix Mallard's and Mason Temple's Marcus and Hunter present two very different male characters, but also present Ginny in two different lights. Each boy brings something out in her, but at the same time, Ginny brings the most out of the boys as well. She has great chemistry with both, and I believe in their emotions. Depending on the episode, she will feel stronger connections to one boy over the other, but she also makes sure to keep her own footing on the journey to decide. Antonia Gentry is one of the best young actresses out there, and her performance here as Ginny is proof of that as she takes one girl's personality and presents all different aspects of it to the audience never missing a beat as to what she is feeling in that moment, and putting every part of herself into the happy, angry, or upset nature of the performance!
When you talk about charisma, look no further than Brianne Howey's Georgia Miller. Here's this gorgeous, Southern belle blonde with a flamboyant personality that you instantly want to talk to, because she's the life of the party. However, deep down there's so much dark mystery surrounding her, and I think that's the most fascinating thing about her character. Georgia is a survivor, and I think Howey really does a phenomenal job presenting that. She's always finding a way to rise above and keep her head above water. She's always thinking. She's always trying to find ways to protect her children, no matter how she has to do it. That smile lights up a room, but I love that there's so much going on behind that smile to make her an even more intriguing character. Much like Ginny, Georgia is always trying to find herself and a purpose as well. As she puts the stilettos to the pavement moving around town in such a graceful, but meticulous manner, we watch a lot of her backstory, and definitely feel a lot of the heart wrenching ordeals she's been through. Her and Antonia Gentry's scenes are really powerful dialogue scenes. There's a disconnect between Ginny and Georgia, but there's also a mother/daughter bond that is unlike any other. While there's mistrust on Ginny's part, Georgia keeping people in the dark is actually a benefit. I wouldn't cross Georgia, because I feel she always has somebody's number, and will find a way to win. She's an awesome character, and I became a bigger fan of her with each episode. Even when she has to scold her children, we see it hurts her to do that. Her past with the men in her life has not defeated her, and, IMO, it actually has made her stronger. I think she has great scenes with Raymond Ablack's Joe, and definitely Scott Porter's Paul, and obviously scenes with Ginny and Austin display an intriguing family dynamic that is unconventional, but much like Georgia, thrives.
Throughout the show, there's many great scenes perfectly blending Ginny and Georgia's personal and social lives in a vivid, colorful picture displaying both the positives and negatives of not only their current home, Wellerby, but their lives as a whole. Each scene has specific details in it that sum up the theme of the episode, or a quote about Georgia's philosophy of life that Ginny interestingly enough is echoing in her current situation. While they may be at odds more than not, there's a level of mirror reflection seeing each other in the other. There's a lot of real emotion here with both the two main characters, and definitely the supporting characters as well dealing with relationships, family issues, etc. that will definitely hit you when you least expect it, but when it does, you immediately feel it and you realize what you're watching is a scintillating world created by Sarah Lampert helmed by two incredible lead performances by Antonia Gentry and Brianne Howey, intricate characters in each episode that all add to the narrative, storylines that present a bigger picture of past, present, and perhaps, future of these characters, and mystery around every corner that has me wanting more episodes.
