Wikipedia

Georgie Lane

Georgie Lane is a fictional character from the BBC military drama Our Girl, played by Michelle Keegan. Georgie first appeared in the first episode of the second series, first broadcast on 7 September 2016. Georgie serves as the replacement protagonist of the series after the departure of Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner), with Georgie filling the role for the remainder of the series. Introduced as an established corporal, Georgie's storylines in the series have included her romances with Elvis Harte (Luke Pasqualino), Jaime Cole (Royce Pierreson), and Captain James (Ben Aldridge), being kept as a prisoner of war by Al-Shabaab, and her struggles and responsibilities as an army medic, both physically and mentally.

Georgie Lane
Our Girl character
First appearance
  • "Lane"
  • 7 September 2016
Last appearance
Created byTony Grounds
Portrayed byMichelle Keegan
In-universe information
OccupationArmy medic
AffiliationBritish Army
Significant others
Relatives
  • Max Lane (father)
  • Grace Lane (mother)
  • Marie Lane (sister)
  • Lulu Lane (sister)

Georgie has been described as brave, resilient, and hard-working. To prepare for the role, Keegan listened to stories from female combat medics, and while she was interested in learning, the actress found the physical training for the series to be tough, yet she wanted to perform as many of her own stunts as she was allowed. After the show's fourth series was greenlit, Keegan announced that it would be her last one as she wanted to pursue other projects despite enjoying her time on the series. The show itself was cancelled as a result, as creator Tony Grounds felt Georgie's ending was an appropriate way to end the series as a whole. Despite the character and her storylines being met with mixed reception, Keegan received several awards and nominations for her portrayal.

Storylines

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After accepting an offer to join 2-Section on a humanitarian mission in Kenya due to the team needing a medic, Georgie is abducted by Al-Shabaab and kept as a prisoner of war in a compound. Once the special forces are brought in to help with her rescue, Georgie fashions an infrared signal using a TV remote, which alerts 2-Section to her location, and they plan an airstrike on the compound. Georgie is rescued but is furious when she sees her ex-fiancé Elvis Harte (Luke Pasqualino) leading the rescue as he abandoned her on their wedding day. Before returning to the UK, Elvis apologises to Georgie and explains that he left the wedding because he just found out he was a father. They sleep together on their last night. Back in the UK, Georgie is relieved to see her family again, but her guilt and PTSD from the events on the tour cause her to see visions of one of her captors, Abu (Michael James), a radical convert. Intel suggests that Abu escaped the air strike in Kenya, and it is theorised that his associates are to carry out a series of coordinated terrorist attacks across Manchester. On her wedding day to her new fiancé, Jamie (Royce Pierreson), Georgie leaves him at the wedding to stop Abu, which she succeeds in with Elvis's help, at the expense of her relationship.

When 2-Section is deployed on a humanitarian mission in Nepal following an earthquake, Georgie, now a corporal, is tasked with mentoring new recruit Maisie Richards (Shalom Brune-Franklin). While helping, Georgie bonds with an NGO member named Milan Dhakal (Rudi Dharmalingam) and when they are caught in an aftershock, Maisie saves them both, earning some respect from Georgie. After a successful rescue mission, new intel arrives, and 2-Section will be working with the special forces in Afghanistan to apprehend a Taliban leader. Georgie is reacquainted with Elvis, and it is revealed that Elvis once had a one-night stand with Maisie. When Maisie tells Elvis about Georgie and Milan's relationship, he is hurt, but they are able to reconcile, and Elvis proposes to Georgie. Georgie accepts the proposal, but their next mission results in Elvis being blown up, killing him. As a heartbroken Georgie tries to resuscitate him, Elvis dies in her arms. After apologising to Milan, Georgie tears up while reading Elvis's death letter that he left for her. After a few months of rest, Georgie returns to duty in 2-Section as the team embarks on a mission in Nigeria.

Due to Georgie's emotional struggles, Captain James leaves a negative report about her. Determined to prove herself on a training exercise in the Belize jungle, she leads her team. When her commanding officer Captain James's (Ben Aldridge) leg is severely injured by a booby trap, and with lethal drug bandits in the jungle, Georgie, Captain James and a local teenage boy named Ezra (James Baller) hide in a cave and await rescue. As Captain James's health worsens, he confesses his marital struggles to Georgie and tells her about his wife, Molly Dawes (Lacey Turner), wanting a divorce. After a tense showdown, Georgie is able to get Captain James to safety despite the captain now needing a six-month rest from work. When Captain James returns, Georgie tells him she doesn't want to grow closer to him. However, their friendship turns romantic during a tour in Bangladesh, with the two sleeping together on their last night.

As 2-section prepares to depart on a tour in Afghanistan, Georgie is indecisive on whether or not she should go, as it is where killed. When she decides to go, she forms a friendship with a struggling new recruit named Mimi Saunders (Amy-Leigh Hickman), encouraging her to call her parents for support. As the team helps in a hospital, Georgie learns that residents believe the vaccines being given are poisoned. When Fingers (Sean Ward) is shot dead and the team fly home to attend his funeral, Georgie is sent to see a clinical psychologist, who concludes that Georgie no longer has PTSD from Elvis's death, but she is still grieving. To achieve closure, Georgie finds the man who killed Elvis, who begs to be killed before Georgie leaves him. Georgie later sends her engagement ring from Elvis into the sky on a kite, marking that she is prepared to move on.

Development

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Michelle Keegan (pictured) plays Georgie Lane.

In September 2014, following the end of the first series of Our Girl, Lacey Turner, who played protagonist Molly Dawes, departed from the show to return to her role on EastEnders.[1] In June 2015, it was announced that as a result, actress Michelle Keegan had been cast as Georgie, a new character who would replace Molly as the show's lead character for the show's upcoming second series.[2] As a "massive fan" of the series, Keegan expressed excitement to join the show and called being given the lead role "a big but exciting ­challenge".[2] A BBC spokesperson teased the series would "challenge Georgie professionally and personally".[2] The BBC billed Georgie as a "gutsy, passionate and unstoppable" soldier who was a "crisis junkie" and a "workaholic".[3] They explained this as being because she "relishes" the excitement and adventure that come with serving in the military.[3] They continued by detailing a strength of Georgie is her bravery, and her "courage stems from her empathy", making her "strong without being hard".[3] Despite having a "great heart", Georgie is "emotionally tough", "hardened", and "cynical".[3] Keegan described Georgie as "experienced", "professional", and someone who "puts her work first" and doesn't "take anything lying down".[4] In the series, Georgie is from Manchester, a decision series creator Tony Grounds came to after Keegan, who grew up there, was cast as "it was good to write for her voice".[5]

Keegan heard stories from female army medics to build her understanding of Georgie's character.[6] She noted that some of their stories were "heartbreaking" and concluded after hearing them that she wouldn't be able to handle Army life.[4] The actress admitted that she was initially "nervous" to meet her co-stars, as she was the only woman cast as a part of 2-Section, but described the team as "great" and "a laugh".[7] To prepare physically, Keegan began attending a gym, a task she didn't enjoy.[6] Keegan found the fitness preparation challenging, joking that after finishing her training in Aldershot Garrison, including drills, combat control, medical training, and push-ups, she was left "aching in places [she] never knew could ache".[8] Despite this, the actress found training provided an effective bonding experience for the cast and described performing stunts as "liberating".[4] Going into the series, Keegan aimed to perform as many stunts herself as she could.[7] She was surprised by how heavy the weapons used were.[4] Keegan recalled a "surreal" feeling when she first got in costume for the character, adding that she immediately felt a "sense of duty".[8] Keegan opined that the filming experience gave her a new respect for soldiers in the Army, tipping her hat to them.[7]

Alongside Georgie, two new characters, Elvis Harte, played by Luke Pasqualino and Jamie Coyle, played by Royce Pierreson, were introduced for series 2. It transpired that she met Elvis on the front lines during the War in Afghanistan and Jamie in Manchester Hospital while doing a medical placement.[3] Georgie was placed at the centre of a love triangle with the two that ended with Georgie choosing neither.[9] Grounds explained afterwards that this decision was incorporated as he wanted Georgie to "be her own woman" and avoid being defined by her relationships.[9] Their relationship was set to continue into the show's third series, with their chemistry teased to show "no signs of abating" as Georgie would struggle to "escape her past" with Elvis.[10] Keegan teased a "bust-up" between the characters and noted it as one of her favourite scenes to film.[10] After Elvis was killed off, Keegan commented that his death "really affected" Georgie.[11] She added that Georgie "buries her head in the sand" to try and convince herself that things are okay, even though she is struggling.[12] Keegan explained that romance would not be a priority for Georgie for the time being, as when she gets her heart broken, she tends to throw herself into her work.[12] The actress opined that she wanted Elvis and Georgie to live "happily ever after" but understood that their relationship struggles were necessary for accuracy.[12] After the death, Georgie wears his engagement ring around her neck, an idea Keegan came up with so Georgie could "have a part of him with her at all times".[11]

In January 2019, it was confirmed that Keegan would return for the show's fourth series.[13] She teased that Georgie would have "unfinished business" going in and voiced excitement to return, explaining: "Being in Our Girl has been one of the highlights of my career so far. I feel very lucky to be part of the show and I'm really excited that it's coming back".[13] The actress teased that the running theme of the upcoming series would be about Georgie getting "closure" as she would still be "grieving for Elvis".[14] In January 2020, it was confirmed that Keegan had left the role after four years to pursue other opportunities.[15] Reflecting on her time on the series, Keegan described her involvement in the show as "incredible" and that she had "loved every second", adding that she considered Georgie to be a "life-changing" role for her.[15] Further explaining her decision to leave, Keegan said she would miss playing Georgie and crediting the show with helping her grow as a person, but after four series on the show, it was time to move on.[14] Despite leaving, Keegan didn't rule out a future return to the series, commenting: "You can never say it's forever".[14] Discussing her character's future, Keegan detailed that since Georgie had finally received the closure she "desperately needed", she had now been able to deal with the grief she had been carrying and was finally free.[16] She clarified that "Georgie will always love Elvis" but now was able to "move on".[16] Following Keegan's departure, the series was axed, as Grounds explained: "With the finale of series four showing Georgie ready to move on with her life, it feels like the right time for us to do the same".[17]

Reception

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Upon the announcement that Keegan would replace Turner, Dale Cowan of Cultbox reported mixed reactions to Keegan's casting, writing that while fans didn't see her as a "suitable replacement", but hoped she would be able to impress as she had been well-received in her previous roles.[18] After watching the episode that aired on the 7 September 2016, Cowan praised Keegan's performance, explaining that while she "creates a very different energy", she did "incredibly well" to engage viewers and give them an understanding of Georgie's personality. However, he criticised how her "character and portrayal don't seem as confident as they should be".[19] What's On TV praised Keegan's portrayal and wrote that viewers were "mostly thrilled" by it, but noted some audiences missing Molly.[20] As the second series progressed, Cowan praised Keegan for eventually having "found her stride" as Georgie.[21] After a "harrowing" episode broadcast on 14 September 2016, Justin Harp of Digital Spy commented that the episode gave Keegan "her chance to shine", noting viewers beginning to "warm up" to the new character.[22] Harp noted that Twitter users were praising Keegan for her "brave" portrayal of the character, commenting that it "sent hearts racing".[23]

Aime Grant Cumberbatch of The Standard reported viewers being "gripped" by the "intense" chemistry between Keegan and Pasqualino, and showcased various tweets from users hoping the characters would resume their romantic relationship.[24] Susanna Lazarus of Radio Times commented that Elvis's death, and by extension the end of his relationship with Georgie, had "broken viewers hearts" and "immediate outcry" followed.[12] Harp (Digital Spy) reported negative reactions to the episode broadcast on 26 June 2018, which showed Captain James admitting his infatuation with Georgie.[25] He explained that as viewers had "just stopped complaining" about Georgie losing Elvis, the new relationship had "pissed off" the show's fans.[25] The Standard's Kimberly Bond reported generally positive viewer reactions to the episode broadcast on 24 March 2020, with many praising Keegan's performance in the "emotional" episode.[26] Susannah Alexander and Laura Jane Turner of Digital Spy called Georgie's final scenes "emotional".[16] Across her stint, Keegan was often criticised for not looking the part.[27] Grounds defended the actress in a BBC interview, retorting: "Critics talk about her eyelashes rather than her performance".[28]

For her portrayal of Georgie, Keegan received four consecutive nominations for the Best Actress at the TV Choice Awards from 2017 to 2020, winning the award at the 2018 ceremony.[29][30][31][32] At the 24th National Television Awards, Keegan was nominated for the best Drama Performance.[33] At the 2020 TVTimes Awards, Keegan was nominated for the Favourite Actress award.[34]

References

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  1. ^ Jeffrey, Morgan (18 September 2014). "Lacey Turner: 'I took a risk going back to EastEnders'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Mitchell, Bea (20 June 2015). "Michelle Keegan replacing Lacey Turner as lead in BBC One's Our Girl". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "BBC Profile: Georgie Lane". BBC One. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "Michelle Keegan (Lance Corporal Georgie Lane)". BBC Media Centre. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Tony Grounds (Writer and Executive Producer)". BBC Media Centre. 28 August 2016. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b NTAs 2016 - Michelle Keegan: "I've been hitting the gym for Our Girl – and I hate it!" (Interview). What's On TV?. 20 January 2016. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ a b c Reilly, Elaine (2 September 2016). "Michelle Keegan: 'I got stuck into the stunts on Our Girl!' (VIDEO)". What's On TV. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b Watts, Halina (18 March 2016). "Michelle Keegan looks great in uniform as she goes into action for new telly series". Mirror. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b "'Our Girl' writer explains Georgie's choice in Season 2's finale". Cultbox. 14 October 2016. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b Cumberbatch, Aime Grant (10 October 2017). "Our Girl series 3: 5 things to expect from the return of Michelle Keegan's war drama". The Standard. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Michelle Keegan (Corporal Georgie Lane)". BBC Media Centre. 29 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Lazarus, Susanna (5 June 2018). "Our Girl's Michelle Keegan: "I would have loved Georgie and Elvis to live happily ever after"". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  13. ^ a b Sporn, Natasha (22 January 2019). "Michelle Keegan returns to Our Girl: Sergeant Georgie Lane will face her fears in Afghanistan in series 4". The Standard. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Bond, Kimberly (13 March 2020). "Michelle Keegan explains why she quit Our Girl after fourth series". The Standard. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hollingsworth, David (13 January 2020). "Michelle Keegan quits Our Girl after four years as Georgie Lane". What's On TV. Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b c Alexander, Susannah; Tyler, Laura Jane (10 May 2020). "Our Girl's Michelle Keegan discusses future of Georgie Lane following her exit from the show". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  17. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (11 August 2020). "Our Girl not returning for a fifth series on BBC One". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  18. ^ Cowan, Dale (30 July 2015). "'Our Girl' opinion: For and against Season's big recast". Cultbox. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  19. ^ Cowan, Dale (7 September 2016). "'Our Girl' review: Michelle Keegan takes the lead in Season 2 Episode 1". Cultbox. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  20. ^ "Praise for Michelle Keegan in Our Girl, although some fans missed Lacey Turner". What's On TV. 8 September 2016. Archived from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  21. ^ Cowan, Dale (21 September 2016). "'Our Girl' Season 2 Episode 3 review: Michelle Keegan finds her stride as Georgie". Cultbox. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  22. ^ Harp, Justin (14 September 2016). "Are Our Girl's fans warming up to new star Michelle Keegan yet after tonight's harrowing episode?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  23. ^ Harp, Justin (28 September 2016). "Michelle Keegan sends hearts racing with her terrorist hunt in this week's Our Girl episode". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  24. ^ Cumberbatch, Aime Grant (29 October 2017). "Our Girl viewers on 'edge of seats' over Michelle Keegan and Luke Pasqualino's 'intense' chemistry". The Standard. Archived from the original on 20 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  25. ^ a b Harp, Justin (20 June 2018). "Our Girl pisses off fans again by having Captain James admit his infatuation with Georgie". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 20 June 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  26. ^ Bond, Kimberly (25 March 2020). "Our Girl viewers moved to tears as Michelle Keegan returns for final season". The Standard. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  27. ^ "Michelle Keegan: Is Our Girl too glamorous?". BBC News. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 31 July 2024. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Our Girl - An interview with the show's creator, Tony Grounds". BBC Blogs. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  29. ^ "Royal showdown as The Crown battles Victoria at TV Choice Awards". The Irish News. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 November 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  30. ^ Houghton, Rianne (10 September 2018). "Coronation Street, Emmerdale and Peaky Blinders are big winners at TV Choice Awards 2018". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  31. ^ "TVCA Long List 2019". TV Choice. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  32. ^ Carr, Flora (7 July 2020). "TV Choice Awards nominations revealed – Normal People leads the pack". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  33. ^ Harp, Justin (16 October 2018). "Here are all the nominees for the National TV Awards 2019, including Strictly, Doctor Who and Ant & Dec". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 6 January 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
  34. ^ Hollingsworth, David (15 September 2020). "TV Times Awards 2020 nominations revealed – voting is now open!". What's On TV. Archived from the original on 30 November 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
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