Does Marcus Kill Himself in Ginny & Georgia?

The third season of Netflix’s ‘Ginny & Georgia’ focuses on the continued struggles of the people of Wellsbury. For the protagonists, the main issue is Georgia’s arrest, which would lead to serious consequences, not just for her but also for her children. But while their issues become national news, there are others who are fighting silent battles, while things seem to get more and more hopeless for them. One of those people is Marcus. The second season gave us an inkling of what is going on in his mind, but the third season takes him through a devastating arc, where he hits rock bottom. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Marcus’ Worsening Mental Health Becomes Cause for Concern

Marcus’ struggle with depression comes to light in the second season, following which, he goes into therapy, and the people around him try to help him. However, at the end of the day, getting better is a complicated journey that doesn’t necessarily follow a straight line. For a while, it seems that Marcus is doing better, though he still refuses to indulge in a romance with Ginny, despite their mutual love for each other. He also becomes a homebody and prefers to stay alone, which does not sit well with his family and friends, who encourage him to go out, believing that it would do him some good.

However, encouragement soon turns into pushing him to do things he doesn’t really want. For instance, Marcus told his family, especially his mother, in clear terms that he was not ready to go to the school dance. He did not feel mentally or emotionally inclined to do that, but he was forced to do it because he thought it would make them happy. This effort to please others takes a toll on him, which he tries to manage by indulging in alcohol. This is not the first time he has had a drink, but this surely is the first time that a drink has helped him deal with something he doesn’t want to.

Marcus’ Story May Have Taken a Darker Turn

The way Marcus’ alcoholism progresses over the season is deeply concerning, and on top of that, what’s more troubling is his parents’ reluctance to get him into rehab despite his sister’s repeated pleas to do it. Ellen eventually decides to check him into rehab, but it is not before some damage is done. By this point, he has failed his classes, which means he cannot graduate and has to be held back. To prevent that, he has to go to summer school, which is what Ellen initially wants, but then she realizes that her son cannot function if he does not receive the treatment he needs.

Thankfully, this decision comes right on time, because Marcus’ worsening state suggests that he could have been inching towards something darker. He becomes more and more out of touch with the world around him and becomes dependent on alcohol to numb himself to the emotions that drag him down the more he sits with them. There are times when it looks like he shouldn’t be left alone because he might do something. For instance, when he walks out of the gym during the dance, the audience can’t help but wonder if something bad is going to happen.

Fortunately, it turns out that he has just vandalised the class of their English teacher. Still, there are several moments in the season that make one skip a beat as it seems that Marcus might make a wrong step and take his own life. However, the season ends on a more hopeful note for him as his driven to rehab. Even though he is not happy about it, this will help him more than he knows, and hopefully, by the time the fourth season rolls around, he will be in a much better place of healing.