Hot Take: Hunter was the better option and deserved more.
Emphasis on WAS because a lot has changed from seasons 1 to 3 (both in the quality of the writing and actual character development). But Hunter is a stable, happy, ambitious guy who came from a good family and has a great heart.
Despite the “cringe” that is his tap dance birthday present for Ginny and his love song for her that he performed in front of everyone, he obviously put in effort to show how much he appreciated Ginny. Let’s also not forget that they’re 15-16 years old. Everyone’s cringe in high school, it’s the thought and effort that counts. Can the argument be made that he made these “gifts and professions of love and care” more about himself than about Ginny? Sure. But in comparison to the absolute shitshow of a game Marcus was playing with Ginny (and Padma) in the first season, I’d argue that it’s better than being friends with benefits. The “friends” part in friends with benefits is a bit of a stretch too because they were kissing before even really getting to know each other but I digress.
Marcus was chilling in his own world, dealing with his own stuff behind a mysterious, artsy, weed smoking, nonchalant, bike-riding, best friend’s brother, next door bad boy persona. Even in later seasons when Marcus and Ginny explore their relationship, it’s obvious that he is nowhere near ready for a committed relationship (and lowkey, neither is Ginny) especially when he already has a hard enough time loving HIMSELF.
Which is also why I think Hunter’s crash out during the play was valid. “I told you I loved you” “I’m better than this. I was great to you. You didn’t deserve it. You’re throwing all that away for this? This guy? Cool. Good luck with that. That’s on you.”
Hunter knows what he’s worth and he doesn’t stick around trying to prove it, which we see Marcus struggle with CONSISTENTLY throughout the show and even more once he starts committing himself to Ginny (saying how he wants to become the guy she deserves and how he wants to get better FOR her rather than for himself.) When Hunter asks Ginny “you’re throwing all that away for this guy?” he’s not trying to knock Marcus down. It’s easy to tell why anyone would look Marcus’ way. He’s the mysterious hot guy with an edge while he’s the cookie-cutter nice guy. But being that Ginny has JUST moved to Wellsbury at the time, we’re only seeing this unfold from her perspective. Marcus and Hunter have been running in the same social circle for years, if not their entire lives. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hunter KNEW about Marcus’ depression and his self-esteem issues through Max.
In a way, the rhetorical question feels more like a warning directed to Ginny. It feels more like “you don’t know what you’re getting into with him but if he’s your choice, then who am I to tell you no?”
This is not to dog on Marcus because he also has some good qualities. He’s witty, he’s empathetic, and he’s not afraid to admit when he’s wrong. I also do believe that while Hunter and Ginny were definitely not made to last, it feels a little odd that they don’t have some kind of friendship even AFTER reconciling with one another after the whole debacle during Max’s play. It’s clear that Hunter still wants to be involved in Ginny’s life, even if it is just as a friend. But as the series goes on, Ginny quickly starts picking up more of Georgia’s toxic traits (like mother, like daughter) and goes as far as to DROPPING the best friend that gave her all of her popularity and friendships in the first place. Whether Hunter sees these changes in her and chooses to keep his distance for his sake is something we don’t see in the show (or at least not yet since S4 is coming soon) but I believe it’s a good theory.
Either way, Hunter is a winner. He’s not involved in any of the huge drama that ENTIRE friend group has to go through, he got with a girl who ALSO doesn’t play games and wants to be committed (we love Padter/Huntma here), he enforced his boundaries without having to be an asshole, and still keeps his friendship open for Ginny even AFTER she cheated. It would be so easy to turn around and hate your ex for something like that but Hunter doesn’t because that’s not who he is. There’s no animosity or resentment towards her OR Marcus. Instead, we see him wish the best for them. That level of emotional maturity is only further adding onto my point that Hunter was a GREAT option for Ginny.
But maybe that was always the problem. Maybe he was TOO good for her. In a story about lies, manipulation, secrets, navigating mental health, and identity crises, there is no room for Hunter to fit in Ginny’s story long term. With all of the chaos that surrounds Ginny in her family life, her friendships, and romantic relationships, his stability feels like a completely different world that she can’t see herself adapting to or fitting into and that’s why we see her with Marcus instead.
Because he IS messy, he IS unstable, he IS broken, he IS depressed, he IS self-destructive. Marcus is everything Ginny is already used to, having lived with Georgia all her life and further perpetuates the cycle of “chaos is normal and silence means something is wrong.”
Marcus and Ginny need an entire separate post by themselves but I’ll get into that another day. This is Luna, logging off!
