Marcus Baker

**Marcus Baker** is a 16-year-old who lives in Wellsbury, Massachusetts. He is the son of Ellen, the twin brother of Maxine, as well as Ginny's love interest. He is portrayed by Felix Mallard.

## History

### Background

During the two seasons, it is revealed that Marcus' best friend had passed away, which has deeply affected him. It is also mentioned that he struggles with depression, and in season 2, Ellen and Clint re-start his medication.

## Throughout the Series

### Season 1

#### Pilot

Ellen ends up having a meltdown outside of her house after catching Marcus smoking weed in public. Later that night, Ginny happens to notice Marcus across the road, sneaking out of his room and she’s instantly interested. After class, Marcus introduces himself to Ginny. He tells her that her mother asked for weed from him. Maxine tells Marcus to leave her new friend alone and then reveals he is her twin brother. At the house, and while Maxine leaves the room momentarily, Marcus asks Ginny if she’s stalking him and he walks up to her. She was extremely nervous being close to him, but he was grabbing some weed that was stashed in her sister’s room.

When Ginny leaves Maxine’s house, she cheekily gets on Marcus’s motorbike and rides it around the block. Marcus is angry, but Ginny kisses him to calm him down. After the kiss, another girl arrives to pick Marcus up. When Ginny returns home, Georgia is furious at her and tells her to stay away from Marcus and that she taught her to have a better life. Ginny says that she saw her with a new man today and slams the door on her.

When Ginny leaves Maxine’s house, she cheekily gets on Marcus’s motorbike and rides it around the block. Marcus gets angry over this, but Ginny kisses him to calm him down. After the kiss, another girl arrives to pick Marcus up.

Later that night, Marcus sneaks into Ginny’s bedroom and asks if she likes Hunter. She tells him she does, but then he kisses her. He tells her he can’t stop thinking about her, so Ginny returns the kiss, and they hook up. The teens get into bed together and have sex. Afterwards, as Ginny is about to tell him that she has just lost her virginity, Marcus tells her that he’s got to get going. He also wants her to keep it a secret because of Padma.

At school, Ginny sees Marcus hooking up with his girlfriend against the locker. At that moment, Ginny mentions how her mother always talked about power and control. She realizes that after the passion she felt towards Marcus doesn’t pan out as she hoped, now the power is starting to look good. She approaches Padma and tells her she has something on her shirt. Marcus gets nervous with this exchange, believing Ginny was going to reveal that the two of them had sex. But then Ginny states that for the first time in her life, she’s starting to understand her mother.

#### It's a Face Not a Mask

At school the next day, Ginny tells Marcus that it’s been weird since they had sex. When he brushes it off, she tells Marcus that she took a pill to be safe before walking off, looking annoyed.

Ginny’s problems mount up, and in the evening, Marcus visits Ginny in her bedroom through the window. He asks her if they are cool. Ginny goes on a rant about how she feels left out in this town. She then admits to having just lost her virginity with him, and how she’s one of seven black kids in the school, and she’s been caught shoplifting. She then cries, and Marcus hugs her. It suddenly dawns on Marcus that it was her first time, and he kisses her. She kicks him out after he suggests they have sex again.

#### Next Level Rich People Shit

Ginny is conflicted romantically after she dreams about hooking up with Hunter. But then Marcus walks in, punches the boy, and then hooks up with Ginny. At Joe’s Cafe, Marcus walks in and asks her to do “service with a smile”. Joe oversees the transaction and tells her not to be hostile to customers after Marcus leaves.

At the Sophomore sleepover, one of the adult chaperones ruined Ginny’s hair. She ends up in the showers to sort it out and Marcus is in there as well. Ginny asks Marcus why he isn’t into the sleepover and he mentions that it’s not his thing. He then tells her that he doesn’t have a girlfriend because he doesn’t see Padma as someone he’s committed to. Ginny and Marcus jokingly do different accents together.

After a deep conversation about privilege, Marcus tears up and tells Ginny that his best friend died the previous year. As they are about to kiss, Georgia and Maxine enter, and they have to hide. When Maxine leaves, Georgia senses that someone is in the shower, but Georgia distracts her mother by leaving Marcus behind.

When the Sophomore Sleepover finishes, Hunter asks Ginny if she will be his girlfriend and as he asks, Marcus walks by. She accepts his proposal, and Marcus looks annoyed.

#### Lydia Bennett is Hundo a Feminist

Ginny and her friends watch porn together and talk about sex, Ginny talks to her friends about how frustrated she is that Hunter hasn’t done anything to her. Marcus walks by and listens in on the conversation; only to hear Ginny say that “men prioritize their pleasure and do not know what they are doing”. Marcus ends up texting Ginny, and she sends the picture to Marcus, who calls her sexy. He asks for more pics. He then asks her if she finished herself by masturbating after they had sex. Ginny tells him she’s never had an orgasm; Marcus tells her to “touch herself” while he does the same. Unbeknownst to him, Ginny pretends to finish.

After Hunter gets on stage and dedicates a song to Ginny, Marcus looks on, and he looks insanely jealous as Ginny looks happy and overwhelmed by the performance. Later, as Ginny lies to Hunter, she gets a text from Marcus, leaving her quite troubled and conflicted.

#### Boo, Bitch

At the town’s annual Halloween festival, Ginny heads over with her friends, and they do face painting for people. Marcus turns up and tells her he wants “a heart” drawn on his face, so immaturely, she draws a penis on him instead.

At Marcus and Maxine’s house, Ginny apologizes to Marcus. Ginny puts Maxine to bed and keeps quiet, so Ellen doesn’t find out that her daughter is completely wasted. Marcus also helps out. He leaves his sister a bucket in case she is sick. Ginny apologizes to Marcus and admits to being a dick. She admits she doesn’t want to mess everything up with Maxine and everyone else. Marcus suggests that they be friends.

#### I'm Triggered

Marcus suggests that she talk to her aunt to find out more. Ginny has to return home and look after Austin and Caleb because Maddie and Georgia are too drunk at Joe’s. Marcus and Maxine help her out. Ginny tells Marcus that she hates her mother and that she ruins everything. Marcus and Ginny tell Paul that Georgia is upstairs, knowing full well that she’s drunk upstairs with Maddie and Joe.

#### Happy Sweet Sixteen, Jerk

At school, Ginny’s friends have arranged decorations for her sixteenth birthday. Hunter arrives and does a tap-dancing performance for Ginny to the song “Happy Birthday”. He has a dance troupe with him joining in. Marcus looks on and looks visibly frustrated. As Ginny plays the piano in her room, Marcus sneaks in and plays it. He gives her a birthday gift. It’s a painting of her. They hug, and as sexual tensions rise, Ginny tells him that she has a boyfriend. She then brings up Padma and tells Marcus he’s inconsiderate about her feelings. As a double blow, Ginny tells Marcus that she’s planning to have sex with Hunter.

#### Check One, Check Other

Marcus and Padma talk, which eventually leads to the two officially breaking things off. Later, when Zion arrives with Ginny, Marcus introduces himself to Ginny’s dad. Georgia ends up catching Marcus sneaking into Ginny’s window and confronts her daughter about when she returns home with Zion. Ginny is in shock and states that they are just friends, but Georgia doesn’t buy it.

As Ginny’s about to burn herself with a lighter on her legs, which is how she self-harms, Marcus comes through her bedroom window. He’s concerned about what she’s about to do. Ginny tells Marcus that their friendship is not healthy. Marcus tells Ginny that he loves her, but she laughs it off and tells him he’s incapable of anything real and tells him to get out. She says it with venom in her voice that seems to cut through Marcus deeply. He tears up, but she continues ordering him to get out. Marcus rides off on his bike and a crash is heard in the distance.

#### Feelings Are Hard

Ginny stays up late into the night continuously texting Marcus trying to apologize, who never replies. The next morning, Georgia tells Ginny that Marcus is having a CAT scan but will be okay. Eventually, Marcus does come back to his home, and Ginny watches him with despair from her bedroom window. Ginny visits Marcus’s room and tries speaking to him, but then Padma enters. She asks Ginny if she likes him and then tells her that he’s selfish and will hurt her. As Padma leaves, Ginny tells her not to tell anyone about her and Marcus.

Ginny tries again with Marcus and visits his room. This time he’s awake, and she apologizes for all the mean things she said. Marcus tells her he wasn’t ignoring her texts, and his phone is probably on the side of the road somewhere. The pair hug, and nearly kiss, and then Abby catches them. Abby tells Ginny that her friend Maxine is devastated right now and she is not going even to consider what she saw. She does warn Ginny that she is not breaking up the group and to stop being selfish. Ginny visits Marcus in his bedroom again. She tells him her father left but follows it with, “I think I love you too”. Ginny admits that she tried to fight it. She also admits that she loves Hunter too, but she thinks about Marcus all the time. Marcus grabs her, and they kiss, and it quickly turns sexual.

Afterwards, Marcus reveals he was a virgin when they first had sex and wanted her to think he was cool. Marcus then delves into how dark it got after his friend died, and he scared himself. He then brings up how he saw Ginny with the lighter about to self-harm. Ginny explains how the burning helps her concentrate on her exploding feelings. Marcus asks her to get help, and she agrees. Later, Maxine finds Marcus’s phone and sees the texts between him and Ginny, including the photo where she is just wearing a bra.

#### The Worst Betrayal Since Jordyn and Kylie

Hunter finds out about Ginny and Marcus hooking up, and when Marcus shows up, Hunter punches him before he leaves Ginny behind. With a teary-eyed Ginny left in the corridor, she asks Marcus what he meant by “a mistake”. Marcus says he thought it was the right thing to say. Ginny tells Marcus that Padma was right because he’s only going to hurt her in the end.

Maxine confronts her brother afterwards. Marcus tells Max that she doesn’t understand what Ginny is dealing with and that she's a better friend than she realizes. He calls Max an entitled brat, and how she has no boundaries. Ellen walks into the room and asks what’s happened. Max explains that it’s “the biggest betrayal since Jordyn and Kylie” and that Marcus and Ginny had sex.

When she heads outside, she sees Marcus, as she’s getting ready to leave town. Marcus tells her it wasn’t a mistake. Ginny tells him he’s forgiven and that they can talk about it later. Marcus can tell something is off but lets her go anyway.

### Season 2

In Season 2, Marcus and Ginny finally get to be together. He sneaks over to her house regularly to sleep in her bed. Their bond and relationship grows and eventually he asks her to be his girlfriend. Both of them seem happier than ever. Marcus gets Max's forgiveness when she realizes they both love each other. Ginny encourages Marcus to give Padma closure after their break up, which he does eventually.

Marcus starts to struggle- drinking often and not taking his medication. His family and friends start to notice he is not okay. Marcus and Ginny break up because Marcus thinks he doesn't deserve her. Ginny is devastated but starts to understand more when she finds out he has depression. He starts taking his meds again but doesn't stop drinking.

## Personality

Marcus is one of the most divisive characters in the show. He had a jerky, enigmatic personality at first however he grew as the season went on. Ginny Miller was the only person he opened up to about his feelings and secrets, as seen in Next Level Rich People Shit, where he tells Ginny about the death of his best friend. He often comes off as artsy, "philosophical," and doesn't like to hang out with too many people. As he falls in love with Ginny, he starts to become a better person as he becomes more thoughtful and not as brooding. However, towards the end of the second season, Marcus starts struggling with depression.

## Physical Appearance

Marcus is a handsome, tall young boy with a pale complexion and a height of 5'10''. He has a lean body and chiselled features. His hair and eye colours are dark brown. Many times his hair is combed backwards however sometimes his hair is seen drooping across his forehead. Marcus’ dress sense is trendy and casual, usually wearing hoodies, t-shirts and jeans.

## Relationships

### Family

#### Ellen

Marcus isn't that close with his mum. Ellen, other than Ginny, is the only person who shows concern about Marcus however unlike Ginny doesn't express it to him directly but to her friend Georgia Miller. She is always upset about Marcus' habit of smoking weed however she, hypocritically, smokes it after confiscating it from him.

#### Maxine

Marcus and Maxine are often bickering with each other. Many times they are playful however sometimes they are a little aggressive. Maxine is shown to see Marcus as an annoyance, shooing him off even when he is minding his own business. Max only ever says mean things about him behind his back. She doesn't care or take his concerns seriously when Marcus admits he messed up things with a girl. Max only reluctantly talks to him at Sophie's insistence.

### Friends

Marcus is seen hanging around with one or two other boys, and Padma, at times however he is described by his mom Ellen as lonely. In Next Level Rich People Shit Marcus revealed to Ginny that his best friend had died of cancer the previous year.

### Romances

#### Padma

Marcus and Padma had a casual relationship until Padma ended it in Check One, Check Other. Ginny originally believed that Padma was Marcus's girlfriend until Marcus disproved it in Next Level Rich People Shit.

#### Ginny Miller

At first, Marcus and Ginny keep their casual flings and meetings a secret. Both of them climb and enter through each other's bedroom windows to hang out. When their friendship and romance comes to light, Maxine feels betrayed. However, after realising that Ginny and Marcus love each other, she relents. After confessing his love for Ginny Miller, the two start dating and even make it official. However, their relationship is short-lived as Marcus starts struggling, but Ginny promises to help him through it.

## Appearances

### Season 1

* *Pilot*
* *It's A Face Not A Mask*
* *Next Level Rich People Shit*
* *Lydia Bennet Is Hundo a Feminist*
* *Boo, Bitch*
* *I'm Triggered*
* *Happy Sweet Sixteen, Jerk*
* *Check One, Check Other*
* *Feelings Are Hard*
* *The Worst Betrayal Since Jordyn and Kylie*

### Season 2

* *Welcome Back, Bitches!*
* *Why Does Everything Have to Be So Terrible, All the Time, Forever?*
* *What Are You Playing at, Little Girl?*
* *Happy My Birthday to You*
* *Latkes Are Lit*
* *A Very Merry Ginny & Georgia Christmas Special*
* *Let Us Serenade the Sh\*t Out of You*
* *Hark! Darkness Descends!*
* *Kill Gil*
* *I'm No Cinderella*