Sweet Magnolias is back! The Netflix series about three best friends whose marriages, kids, and work always seem to create chaos and drama (but who always have each others’ backs) picks up where season two left off, with Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue all in the midst of serious life changing-events. Here’s how they all shake out in season three.
SWEET MAGNOLIAS (SEASON 3): STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
Opening Shot: Helen (Heather Headley) walks into her home trailed by her boyfriend, Erik (Dion Johnstone). “Where do you want to talk?” he asks, and she points, saying, “The living room might be best.”
The Gist: If you’ll recall, season two closed out with Helen being proposed to by her ex, Ryan (Michael Shenefelt) out of the blue. The show ended before we could learn what Helen’s response was, but it opens with her leading her current boyfriend into her home for a serious conversation. That conversation is not about her engagement status however: Helen, an attorney, had to get Maddie’s (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) boyfriend Cal (Justin Bruening) released from jail after he hit a man inside Sullivan’s restaurant. She promises she’ll do her best to help him with his case, and after Erik, Maddie, Cal, and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot) leave, she pulls the engagement ring out of her pocket, still mulling over her answer.
Dana Sue, who’s back with her estranged husband Ronnie (Brandon Quinn), but they haven’t quite found their footing yet. Dana Sue, who learned she inherited a whole bunch of money from her Aunt Frances, waited a day to tell Ronnie about it and he freaked out that she would “forget” such an important thing. (The woman had a lot on her mind, she had to help bail Cal out of jail!) Making things even more complicated, Dana Sue tells Ronnie that Kathy is back in town, and she’s the one responsible for slashing Dana Sue’s tires last season. Who the heck is Kathy? Ronnie’s unstable sister, who claims Dana Sue stole Sullivan’s restaurant from her. Wynn Everett plays white-wine swilling Kathy as if she’s doing an impression of Kristen Wiig’s impression of Kathie Lee Gifford and it’s really something to behold. Ronnie tells Kathy to back off of Dana Sue, but something tells me this is only the beginning of Kathy’s stay in Serenity, and she is here to make trouble.
Maddie spends most of the time now concerned about Cal – not just about his future, but about her choice in men and why she always seems to pick volatile ones. Though her friends try to reassure her Cal’s a good guy, she is definitely frazzled by the angry side of him she’s been shown recently, and by the end of the episode, they both realize they need to work on themselves. Does his mean they’re broken up or… just going into therapy? Meditating? Whatever it is, I’m sure the season will explore it.
And Helen, still mulling over Ryan’s proposal, reveals to him that she once got pregnant by him and miscarried the baby, and learned in the process that she will likely never be able to carry a child. Ryan, who has always been hesitant to have kids, is now ready for them, which was a big reason for his proposing. This new development is a devastating blow to him. As much of a soap opera as this show is, Heather Headley is really wonderful and adds so much gravity to her scenes, the fact that she ends up comforting Ryan in this moment turns this moment into a really emotional moment for the two characters and you can feel a history between them.
Helen tells Erik about the proposal, finally, and he’s shocked. The fact that Helen didn’t outright reject it upsets him though, and the episode ends with what seems like yet another breakup. This might just be the end of Helen’s free meals at Sullivan’s.
What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The vibe of Sweet Magnolias is like This Is Us meets Ginny & Georgia with a dash of Firefly Lane.
Our Take: Sweet Magnolias has certainly built a world for the characters in the show – every adult knows one another and has a history, and all of their kids’ lives are interwoven into one another’s, too. And there’s comfort in sticking with a show like this for multiple seasons and being familiar with the characters’ ups and downs. But the most love I can give to this show, is that it seems like a great show to have on in the background. It’s non-threatening, not hard to follow and easy to pick up after putting it down for a while. It’s not prestige TV, it’s fold-your-laundry-while-watching TV.
Sex and Skin: None.
Parting Shot: Helen tells Erik about Ryan’s proposal, saying that she told Rayn she needs to think about it. The news is a total shock to Erik. “I see,” he says. “That’s all I need to know.” He is devastated. Roll credits.
Sleeper Star: As I said above, Wynn Everett is giving a campy, slightly unhinged vibe to Kathy, Ronnie’s sister, but she’s clearly got some ulterior motives for being in Serenity, and she is equal parts sassy and sus, as the kids would say.
Most Pilot-y Line: “When are we ever supposed to be past wanting help?” Erik tells Cal during a man-to-man conversation about their emotional demons. It’s cheesy, but I also love this non-toxic male support group!
Our Call: SKIP IT! Sweet Magnolias has a devoted following and at least a dozen addictive plots to follow. The problem is that while it’s certainly bingeable, it’s not necessarily… what’s the word… good. If you want soapy, relationshippy melodrama, I’d suggest finding it in Firefly Lane or Ginny & Georgia instead.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
