CHENNAI: The second season of Netflix’s much-hyped “I Am Georgina” debuted on the streaming platform over the weekend; and while it does have its fair share of magical and poignant moments, its biggest drawback may be the fact that it was directed by Georgina Rodriguez herself, with a little help from Spanish director Victor Rins.
The long-time partner of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo and mother to their several children, Rodriguez is her own celebrity these days – helped by a vast social media following and her influencer status.
The six-episode, sophomore season – filled with potential – took the monotonous and predictable route, however, following Rodriguez as she travels to movie festivals like Venice and Cannes and other cities, such as Manchester and so on.
The series, also predictably, shows very little of the legendary sportsman Ronaldo, which could have made the work far more interesting for a certain section of viewers.
However, episode one does feature Ronaldo and is set almost entirely in Dubai – following an emotional and touching moment as he surprised Rodriguez by lighting up the iconic Burj Khalifa with a special message on her 28th birthday.
“It was a very emotional day. Well, it was and it still is, because in the end, those moments and those positive experiences stay with you,” she said in the show. “And day after day, it’s like a thrill, like a spark that keeps you happy and active and alive.”
The show also touches on a more poignant and darker moment in her life – losing one of her twin babies, son Angel. It is heart-breaking to see her pine for the child, but Rodriguez says she pulls herself together thanks to her other children and Ronaldo. And we soon see her jetting off again in her private plane as she spends time with her close friends.
Even a bit about the fact that she was the daughter of a cocaine kingpin growing up in Argentina is so carefully crafted that it feels whitewashed and drained of any significance.
What else does the series offer? Rodriguez talks about how she was a ballet dancer, but could not pursue her dream, and this is shown more in the passing. The appearance of Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalia is also interesting, but nothing beats Ronaldo’s romantic birthday gesture at the Burj. More of this in season three, please.