There’s something special about Ginny & Georgia that has kept the series relevant and residing at the top of Netflix’s Top 10 more than one month after its second season was released. One of those reasons is the talented cast it assembled and the performances that it delivered. Sometimes, though, a character can slip through the cracks or not be given the proper runway to take their performance to the next level, and in the case of Ginny & Georgia, that would be Marcus (Felix Mallard).

When viewers first met Marcus back in Season 1, he was the moody stoner heartthrob who lived across the street from Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey) and Ginny Miller (Antonia Gentry), so it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment in itself that a character who seemed so one-dimensional would be someone the audience would be clamoring for more from in the script. Yet, whenever Marcus was on the screen, it was evident that this was a character who had more than we thought to offer. He was given his biggest breakthrough in Episode 8 of Season 2 as he served as the focal point and narrator, and it’s that end-of-season moment that hopefully shows the writers of Ginny & Georgia that he needs to be given a bigger spotlight come Season 3.

Marcus Is More than Just a Love Interest in 'Ginny & Georgia'

Antonia Gentry as Ginny Miller and Felix Mallard as Marcus Baker sitting against the lockers in Season 2 of Ginny and Georgia
Image via Netflix

It’s clear from early on in Ginny & Georgia that Marcus is going to be the bad boy love interest for Ginny. We see them interact from the jump with a flirty vibe only for that to roll into him sneaking into her window and developing feelings for each other, all of which remain a secret since he’s in a somewhat complicated relationship with Padma (Rebecca Ablack). There’s nothing wrong with a character like this, but it was easy to write off Marcus in the early episodes because it seemed like he’d be someone who’d fizzle out once his relationship with Ginny ended. Yet, that’s where Mallard's talents come into the picture. After the explosive Season 1 finale in which Ginny and Marcus' secret relationship was revealed — serving as one of a few reasons that resulted in Ginny leaving town — it could have marked the end of Marcus as an important character with that storyline behind him.

Yet, Mallard burst out of the gate with a brilliant performance right from the get-go in Season 2 when his grandparents come to the house to celebrate Thanksgiving. Marcus pleads with his mother that he’s not coming down as he’s sketching on his wall and smoking, insisting that he is not feeling well and doesn’t care for this “sadistic” holiday that is a “celebration of colonization.” It’s clear from the start that Marcus isn’t dealing well with Ginny leaving him and the town altogether. From that point forward, he frequently is seen, but his storyline is never given the right amount of time until that eighth episode in which he proves that this character is far more than just some heartbroken love interest.

RELATED: 'Ginny & Georgia's Georgia Miller and 'You's Joe Goldberg Show Just How Far a Person Can Go for Love

Marcus' Moment to Shine Is a Bright Spot in Season 2 of 'Ginny & Georgia'

Ginny, played by Antonia Gentry, and Marcus, played by Felix Mallard, in the middle of a fight in the school hallway in 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2.
Image via Netflix

Episode 8, “Hark! Darkness Descends!”, is as well-written as any of the 20 episodes that have played out over the course of Ginny & Georgia. “Some feelings are like old familiar friends, depression's like that for me,” begins Marcus’ monologue that kicks off the episode. What then ensues is an intricate deep dive into inner struggles and how difficult it can be to escape. As viewers know from early on in the series, Marcus lost his best friend before the story picked up, and we never truly get to see how that moment changed him, but this particular episode shows what he’s bottled up in the aftermath. There’s something so haunting hearing Marcus’ opening discourse while laying in bed beside Ginny. In what should feel like a moment in which he has everything he wants, it’s actually the opposite for Marcus who can’t fully embrace all the good in his life due to how alone he feels. He says, “And you can be with someone you love, but you’re not really with them.” Marcus' inner monologue here touches on how a person never really knows what's going on with anyone else, a perfect summation of the series because Ginny & Georgia's ensemble of characters all have something they’re keeping to themselves. Whether it be Georgia’s secrets, Joe’s (Raymond Ablack) true feelings for Georgia, or even Abby’s (Katie Douglas) body image concerns, what Marcus accomplishes in this one scene is a beautiful life lesson that peels back so many layers on not just his character, but the entire collection of personalities within this world.

'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3 Must Emphasize Mallard’s Performance More

Antonia Gentry as Ginny and Felix Mallard as Marcus sitting on Ginny's bed looking at each other in 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2.
Image via Netflix

Since that breakout episode of Mallard’s came so late in the season, there’s reason to be optimistic that the writers will find a way to give him more freedom should there be a Season 3. We even see him flourish in another scene in the final episode that likely was forgotten after the chaos that ensued over the final 40 minutes. Marcus is on a bench with Joe as both men are dealing with their own issues with Ginny and Georgia, and neither is thrilled about attending the wedding. Marcus and Joe haven't interacted much before this — there was one time Joe helped sober him up — but in a fleeting scene that highlighted two of the stronger actors of the series, Marcus' facial expressions that conveyed how he was feeling without saying it is remarkable to see. It once again shows how talented of an actor Mallard is and provides further proof for an expanded storyline if Ginny & Georgia gets picked up for another season.

Ginny & Georgia Season 2 expanded and explored the characters' storylines in more depth. Joe was one of those characters whom we learned much more about in this last season just as Austin (Diesel La Torraca) was granted much more of a presence in Season 2. Abby also had a bigger stage to share her story. This isn’t to say Marcus hasn’t undergone a noticeable transformation and growth from when we first met him, but if there’s one character who should be expanded upon even more, it’s him. With the acting skills of Mallard who seemingly is only getting better with the more experience he has – he’s set to star in Turtles All the Way Down – and the possibilities to dive into who Marcus was before his friend suddenly passed away, there’s no reason this should be a character who is underutilized in a possible third season of Ginny & Georgia.

Ginny & Georgia is streaming on Netflix.