It’s time to make a delicious pitcher of margaritas as Sweet Magnolias is back with its third season. As we know, this romantic series became an instant hit on Netflix after its premiere in May 2020.
Based on the book series of the same name by Sherryl Woods, the drama follows three lifelong friends: newly divorced Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), shrewd lawyer Helen Decatur (Heather Headley) and stressed-out chef Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), who reside in Serenity, a fictional South Carolina town.
The show tells the stories of the Sweet Magnolias and their families, reflecting their busy and passionate lives. Here, both the actresses and their characters are middle-aged, hard-working, business-owning women, and although romantic plots are at the heart of the storyline, the program goes much further.
Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias is the ultimate in heartwarming binge-watching as it celebrates female friendships, the value of family and the spirit of community; Sweet Magnolias never pretends to be anything other than a light-hearted drama and delivers exactly what it promises.
As expected, after two seasons, the lives of the Sweet Magnolias, Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue have changed a lot. Before we review the third installment, let’s briefly recap the highlights of this television adaptation.
The series begins with Maddie Townsend facing the collapse of her marriage. A mother of three, Maddie’s life is turned upside down when her husband, Dr. Bill Townsend, ends their union to marry a woman he gets pregnant.
After a painful divorce, Maddie manages to recover from her ex-husband’s affair and indulges in a beautiful and heartfelt romance with handsome trainer Cal Maddox (Justin Bruening).
Helen Decatur, on the other hand, is an extraordinary lawyer who has excelled in her professional ambitions. She is also a family-oriented woman and dreams of becoming a mother.
Helen is deeply in love with her boyfriend Ryan Wingate (Michael Shenefelt). But her boyfriend is constantly overseas at a time when Helen wants more stability and commitment. When the lawyer realizes that Ryan is unwilling to have children and also unwilling to settle down with her in Serenity, she has no choice but to break up with him.
In between all this, the lawyer embarks on a new relationship with Dana Sue’s head chef, Erik Whitley (Dion Johnstone), who is willing to support her in her struggle for motherhood through in vitro fertilization treatments.
Meanwhile, Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), local chef and owner of Serenity’s favorite restaurant, is also dealing with a difficult situation following the infidelity of her husband, Ronnie (Brandon Quinn).
Annie, her daughter, is angry at her for kicking her father out and is under enormous pressure as the owner of the town’s premier restaurant.
Here’s how the new release unfolds.
The plot
The third season takes the magnolia trio out of their comfort zone and introduces significant challenges that might prove too much to bear; an angry outburst, an unexpected marriage proposal, and forbidden relationships are the entry points of the new installment.
As you might expect, our favorite Serenity residents are relentlessly tested. This time, Sweet Magnolias takes a thoughtful look at how personal relationships evolve and how they crumble or grow stronger as people change.
Throughout the season, the trio of friends have to juggle their partners, families and careers. The series returns after several major cliffhangers at the end of the second season, including an unanticipated marriage proposal from Ryan and Cal’s arrest after the fight at Sullivans.
In the third season, Maddie finds herself at a new crossroads. She struggles with how best to help Cal as she works to clear her own emotional path.
Maddie and Cal watch their relationship suffer as his anger issues resurface. Maddie wonders if she has jumped from one toxic relationship to another. The two then decide to take a break from their romance to focus on their friendship.
Maddie and the coach try to get to know each other better, rediscover each other as friends, and regain trust. Both hope to strengthen their bond as they heal their own emotional wounds.
Meanwhile, Helen is going through a lot. One of the big cliffhangers of the second season was Ryan Wingate’s surprise marriage proposal, after having said months earlier that he didn’t want to live in Serenity, nor have children. The lawyer finds herself in a sentimental bind as she must choose whether to go back to Ryan, the globetrotter, or stay with Erik, the culinary master.
The thing is, although Helen cares a lot about Erik, she has always been in love with Ryan. Now that Ryan wants to marry and have children with her, the lawyer thinks about giving him a second chance, but as a consequence she must say goodbye to Erik for good.
This is not an easy decision for her. Helen knows that breaking Erik Whitley’s heart will weigh on her forever.
Then there’s Dana Sue, the town’s supreme chef. Dana Sue has been separated from her husband Ronnie for some time, but he is earnestly striving to win back his family. After much couples counseling, Dana Sue agrees to give their marriage another chance.
Both do everything they can to make their relationship work. Although they suffer significant ups and downs, they decide to renew their wedding vows, and it seems that the time for happiness has come for them.
There are also significant developments on the teen relationship front in the show. It looks like Ty might finally be ready to tell Annie how he feels about her.
The moment between Ty and Annie in the middle of the field is something fans will cling to for years to come. Despite the fact that it’s not an overtly romantic scene, it’s still deep, organic and worth remembering.
It is noteworthy that, most of the conflict this season comes from Kathy, the mysterious woman who slashed the tires on Dana Sue’s catering van in season two. Kathy’s erratic behavior makes it clear why the inhabitants of Serenity want her out of their lives.
While Maddie, Helen, Dana Sue, and their children go through their own sentimental challenges, we get to see a host of secondary characters find romantic ties (or something close to it). Among which stand out: flirtatious pastor June with her bingo buddy, David; Peggy and her former journalist partner, Charles; Paula and her artistic patron, Jimmy.
Overall, the third season of Sweet Magnolias takes our characters to uncomfortable places that make them think deeply. One of the best things about the charming Serenity is that most of the residents seek to learn from their mistakes and therefore do their best to make amends for their hurtful behaviors.
The new installment gives almost every character the opportunity to evolve in one important way or another.
Sweet Magnolias works mainly because of the female leads, their amicable bond is the highlight of all the seasons. However, with so many characters at play, the script does suffer. At times, it is rushed and affects the motivations and transformations of the characters. Sometimes it also becomes formulaic and preachy.
Is it worth it?
Despite the fact that the show is not without its flaws, the season is a fairly entertaining return to Serenity.
While there is a marked tendency to dole out life lessons and the tone can be rather puritanical, Sweet Magnolias has a charm that is hard to deny.
If as a viewer you are looking for a proposal that challenges you intellectually, philosophically and artistically, this may not be the right show for you. However, if you want to take a break from stressful, high-stakes dramas, Sweet Magnolias is a light and tender option, perfect for relaxing and marathoning.
Those who watch it will enjoy entertaining plots, a bit of drama (healthy and sweetened drama), a touch of redemption and an excellent display of brotherhood.
At the time of writing, the fourth season of Sweet Magnolias has not yet been announced. We’ll have to wait to see what the future holds for the inhabitants of Serenity.
If Netflix believes in the Magnolias once again, and the producers make some changes, it is quite likely that the show has a promising future.