Brianne Howey Says Everything Is Escalated In Season 2

This article contains spoilers.

Georgia Miller is always dressed to the nines, her hair perfectly coiffed. And despite who is coming after her, she greets them with a smile. If you look closely, however, something in her eyes tells an altogether different story than that of the perfect mother. She’s a survivalist who will do anything to protect her two children.

When asked in a recent interview to describe her character, Brianne Howey briefly paused before answering. “Georgia is diabolical but also well-intentioned. She has a limited toolbox. You know, she’s doing her best, but above all, her only motivation is to give her kids a better life than she had.”

The 10-episode second season of this YA series gives the fans a lot of drama, including the typical mother-daughter struggles many can relate to, especially during those rough teen years. Things escalate this season as Ginny grapples with her mother’s killer instincts. “Ginny and Georgia go through a breakdown to come back together again,” explained Howey.

Being a teenager is hard enough, but Ginny realizes and must cope with the newfound discovery that her stepfather Kenny didn’t die of natural causes. Compounding that burden is the knowledge that Georgia killed him to protect her.

This mother-daughter duo is an absolute fan-favorite, with viewers tuning in en masse to see what happens next with Ginny and Georgia. Since season two premiered on January 5, the series debuted in the No. 1 spot on the English TV List with more than 180 million hours viewed, making it the most-viewed title this week. In addition, the show appeared in the Top 10 in 84 countries.

Word was out that new episodes were on the way, prompting many to revisit season one. A crop of new fans joined in to binge-watch and catch up, landing the first ten episodes in the No. 5 spot with over 44 million hours viewed. Howey called this renewed interest a “good omen.”

What differentiates Georgia from other fan-favorite serial killers like Dexter Morgan and You’s Joey Goldberg is that for Georgia, murder is simply a means to an end. Killing is not a compulsion for her; it’s a necessity. Not only does she have Kenny on her list, but she also has another missing ex and is in the room when another friend’s husband, who is dying, takes his last breath.

Howey agrees with the comparisons. “You don’t want to root for them, but at the same time, you understand why they’re doing these things.”

Back to Georgia’s ability to put her family’s survival above all else, Howey added, “I think she leads with that without even really realizing it. She has had to live her life second to second with the highest of stakes because it’s a matter of life or death for her.”

Does Howey think Georgia is a good mother? “I believe in Georgia’s eyes she is. Her main goal is to ensure her children have better opportunities. From Georgia’s vantage point, that is what she’s doing, granted it comes at a cost. I think she knows it isn’t perfect, but it’s a dream come true compared to the childhood that she suffered through. So, in that sense, Georgia feels she’s done a pretty good job.”

When asked if she was surprised by the first season’s success, Howey said they initially felt young adults would gravitate to the show. Series creator and executive producer Sarah Lampert and showrunner/executive producer Debra J. Fisher touch on many challenging issues teenagers face, including eating disorders, self-harm, and depression.

“No stone is left unturned,” said Howey. “Season two makes season one look like we barely scratched the surface.” She adds that one of her favorite parts of season two is the new dynamics with everyone. “We truly see a whole new side of every single character.”

We see a new side to Georgia when she discovers that Ginny is self-harming. “It sets a beautiful example for children and their parents to start these uncomfortable conversations. And I think the more personal we get with the characters and the show, the more universal these things feel for everyone, and that’s why all these other demographics unexpectedly took to the show.”

Howey talked about the massive success of season one. “You have no idea what the outcome will be,” she explained. “We hoped the YA audience would appreciate it and love it. What completely blew us away was how many other demographics resonated with it.”

Another layer this season is the return of Georgia’s abusive ex, Gil. Though she’s responsible for his stint in prison, she didn’t shake him for good; he should be scared of that fact.

“What’s interesting about all of the men in Georgia’s life is that each brings out a completely different side of her, and her dynamic with Gil is something we haven’t seen with her before. It’s one of the first times we see her truly scared because he’s unpredictable, and Georgia can control everyone around her without them realizing it, but Gil is a different beast, and they have a pretty dark past. She knows what he’s capable of.”

Antonia Gentry, Diesel La Torraca, Jennifer Robertson, Felix Mallard, Sara Waisglass, Scott Porter, Raymond Ablack, Chelsea Clark, and Katie Douglas star alongside Howey. Can fans expect them to return for a third season?

During our interview, Howey said it had not yet been decided by the streamer if there would be a season three. “As far as the story goes, there’s so much more to tell. Our creator and showrunner have very sinister plans for everyone’s future.”

Hopefully, we will see them all return so we can get an answer to my final question: Does Georgia deserve happiness, and does Howey think she’ll get it? “Absolutely! We all deserve happiness.”

For the first time, Georgia had the perfect wedding. It only lasted a few minutes. “The one thing in life Georgia doesn’t trust is happiness, and I don’t blame her because she’s lived a pretty traumatic life thus far. She wants to leave, and Ginny convinces her to stay,” Howey said. “We see she wants to believe in the fairytale, and she finally lets herself believe and takes that next step and the other shoe drops.”

It’s a great cliffhanger at Georgia and Paul’s wedding as we see her taken away in handcuffs. “Georgia is stuck in quicksand for the first time in her life. She doesn’t have a plan for this. It’s not something she was two steps ahead of like she normally is.”

Georgia is caught, and we know what she’s capable of when cornered. She’ll have to find a way to get out of this latest mess. “Georgia is a woman with a plan,” Howey explained. “Granted, she didn’t have a plan set in place, but I’m sure her wheels are turning, and I’ve yet to see her fall short.”