Raymond Ablack is just as invested in “Ginny & Georgia’s” rollercoaster relationships as fans are.
In a recent interview with TODAY.com, the actor who plays Joe opened up about his character’s emotional journey this season — from heartbreak to potential new beginnings — and what might lie ahead for Joe and Georgia.
“I’ve been rooting for Joe and Georgia for a long time as well,” Ablack says.
Joe and Georgia’s connection has been a decades long slow burn. The two first met as teenagers in a flashback scene, when Joe showed Georgia an unexpected act of kindness during a difficult time in her life. Years later, they crossed paths again after Georgia moved to Wellsbury, Massachusetts, with her two children, Ginny (Brianne Howey) and Austin (Diesel La Torraca), and a troubled past she couldn’t leave behind. Since then, their relationship has remained unresolved, marked by tension, bad timing and unspoken feelings that have kept viewers invested.
Fans have watched Joe carry a torch for Georgia since Season 1. And while Georgia has been in and out of relationships, Ablack believes their timing might be right. The two finally get together in Season 3.
“He confesses his feelings for her (again) because they haven’t changed,” Ablack says. “The timing is starting to become right for her.”
But, Ablack says, Georgia and Joe are not quite ready to get together. For one, Georgia is newly divorced from Paul (Scott Porter), the mayor. Then there are the legal troubles. She’s currently on trial for the murder of Cynthia’s (Sabrina Grdevich) husband and the Department of Child Services has temporarily removed her children, Ginny and Austin, from her custody. With so much unresolved, Joe and Georgia’s future remains uncertain.
“I don’t know that they’re together in perfect harmony just yet,” Ablack says of the pair. “Georgia needs to take some time and give some attention to her kids who need her right now … so they understand each other, but they’re not getting involved yet.”
Ablack thinks Joe is waiting for Georgia to be ready.
“I don’t think that Joe has any judgment for Georgia,” Ablack says. “I don’t think he wants her to feel any kind of shame … if she were ready today to be together romantically, I think he would be very open to it.”
The topic of timing comes up between Joe and Georgia this season. In one episode, Joe pointedly questions the timeline of Georgia’s relationship with her ex, Paul. For example, in a tense scene, a drunk Paul reveals to Joe that he had been intimate with Georgia. Joe, clearly unsettled, repeatedly asks Paul when it happened, pressing for specifics.
Ablack says Joe’s reaction isn’t about jealousy, but about seeking clarity.
“He’s trying to understand when and how real their relationship could be,” Ablack says. “If they had sex after Joe and Georgia had that conversation, it would hurt Joe’s feelings a little bit.”
The season ends with a cliffhanger: Georgia is pregnant. With unresolved feelings for Joe and a recent relationship with Paul, it’s unclear who the father is.
When asked how Joe would feel if he were the father, Ablack says, “I think he would love to be the father of Georgia’s child. Joe is great with kids … he’s a pushover and a teddy bear.”
Even if he’s not the biological father, Ablack believes Joe would fully embrace a parental role.
“I think Ginny and Austin could bully him into getting whatever they want,” Ablack says with a laugh. “He would enjoy being manipulated.”
The actor also predicts how Joe’s growing relationship with Georgia might affect her kids.
“I think (Ginny) would be a cheerleader for the relationship,” Ablack says. “But I have no idea how Austin will respond to a new relationship. I hope that Joe will still approach everyone with love and compassion.”
This season, Joe remained loyal to Georgia through her legal troubles, something Ablack appreciated about his character.
“When push comes to shove and she’s on trial for murder, I always felt that Joe was steadfast and noble,” he says. “He showed up for her at all times.”
Despite the potential drama — and a possible baby daddy bombshell — Ablack said Joe’s devotion to Georgia is unwavering.
“I don’t think there’s anything that could happen… that would impede his love for her,” he says. “He’ll always love her no matter what.”
