Ginny & Georgia introduced a shocking baby twist — but what does that mean when it comes to who is and isn’t coming back for season 4.
During the season 3 finale, which premiered in June, Georgia (Brianne Howey) dealt with her new normal after a murder trial and the end of her marriage to Paul (Scott Porter). The last scene showed Ginny (Antonia Gentry) discovering that her mom is pregnant.
The twist? It’s unclear whether Paul or love interest Joe (Raymond Ablack) is the dad.
Elsewhere in the season, Marcus (Felix Mallard) hit rock bottom and was driven to rehab. His twin, Max (Sara Waisglass), struggled with her own mental health while Ginny’s relationship with brother Austin (Diesel La Torraca) changed.
“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,” creator Sarah Lampert exclusively told Us Weekly that month. “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.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of which possible cast changes to expect in season 4:
Brianne Howey
Season 4 will continue to focus on Georgia’s relationship with her kids.
“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 to Us the “switch” that took place between mother and daughter. “Ginny took on the mother role to get Georgia free and it really is like they had a power dynamic swap in their relationship.”
She continued: “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.”
Antonia Gentry
Ginny, meanwhile, has a complicated relationship with her brother that will keep playing out in season 4.
“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.”
Diesel La Torraca
“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 [older], I’m like, ‘Whatever.’ Because you can’t control it,” Lampert quipped. “We can’t recast. Diesel is Austin.”
Lampert broke down their plan for season 4, saying, “There are a few jokes we’re planning to make. We’re aware that he’s growing up and that helps us.”
Felix Mallard
Marcus’ mental health issues will continue to be explored in season 4 after he checked into rehab.
“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 self-medicate a lot,” Lampert added. “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 an 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.”
Sara Waisglass
According to Lampert, Max might need to spend season 4 focusing on herself.
“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,” Lampert told Us. “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.”
Scott Porter
“There’s parts of Paul we still don’t understand and we haven’t seen. So his resilience and how he rebounds from this in season 4, I’d love to see some of that. I’d love to see a little bit of the old Paul,” Porter teased to Us in June. “We’ve heard how good he is at his job. He was elected mayor before Georgia ever walked into his life. I’d love to see that fight, that wit, that charm come back a little bit in season 4.”
Raymond Ablack
While Ablack doesn’t know what is to come, he has some personal story line requests.
“In my heart, Joe is the father. But I don’t know. I have no idea. I’m as eager for episode 1 of season 4 as everyone else is to find out that truth,” he hinted to Us. “[In season 4], I think Georgia and Joe both might enjoy him taking the lead in their relationship so that it’s an equal partnership.”
He continued: “There is [this] allusion [on the show] to Joe being more cunning and having an ounce of the character that Georgia has. He just seems so sweet but I think he has the capacity to be devious and cunning and mischievous in his own way. It’s just different than say Paul or Zion. His is more covert. I would like to explore more of that and show what that looks like in him. I think Joe has that ability and capacity too.”
Katie Douglas
Lampert explained how Abby’s eating disorder will be addressed in the future.
“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,” Lampert teased to Us. “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.”
Douglas weighed in as well, adding, “I think Abby is thriving in this new love in her new situation with Tris. Because Tris brings something new out of Abby, which is actually very good rather than toxic. Abby has been in a lot of toxic relationships and doing things performatively or in a self-harm type of way. This one is actually very genuine and real.”
Chelsea Clark
Clark told Us she was curious about Norah’s health issues and if they will be explained. There’s also Norah’s romance with Jordan to think about.
“No matter what happens, it’s so healthy that it will always just be a positive experience in her life,” she shared. “First and foremost, they are best friends. He really sees a side of her that even [her friend group] MANG doesn’t really get to see that often — and I think that’s beautiful. Who knows what the future holds?”
Nathan Mitchell
The season ended with Zion telling Georgia he wanted to spend more time with Ginny despite their initial custody arrangement. His relationship with Simone (Vinessa Antoine) was also featured more heavily in season 3 — and could likely continue in season 4.
Humberly Gonzalez
“We can’t give up hope,” Gonzalez, who plays Sophie, explained to Us. “I didn’t know I was going to come back in season 3 — and that was a beautiful surprise to me as well. So that was such a treat. We’ll see what happens. Stay tuned.”
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