I had been looking for a new show to watch, and had heard good things about Sweet Magnolias, so I decided to check it out. From the little I knew of it, I felt like it would be something fans of Virgin River could enjoy, since it's also based off a romance novel series, and it's about a cozy small town. Needless to say, I was hooked right away and binge-watched all three seasons over a few weeks. I also got my friend interested and she binged even faster than I did. We had fun discussing all the episodes! I know season four is in production, but I miss Serenity so much right now!
Side note: I watched the show in February and it has taken me until now to post a blog about it. I've just been very slow about blogging lately, but it was worth finishing this post up to share my love for Sweet Magnolias.
I was familiar with two of the lead actresses but hadn't seen Brooke Elliot in anything before. I know she's on Drop Dead Diva, but I never watched that series. (Something I need to remedy!) I had seen Joanna Garcia Swisher in a lot of shows, starting with Freaks and Geeks in the early 2000s. Joanna reminds me of my sister on this show, mostly in physical appearance, so it was interesting to see that she's only four days younger than my sister. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that Heather Headley rounded out the group of three. I saw her in Aida back in 1999 and she was incredible. She still has such a beautiful speaking and singing voice and I love listening to her on this show.
For those of you not familiar with Sweet Magnolias, it centers around a group of three friends: Maddie (Swisher), Dana Sue (Elliot), and Helen (Headley). Maddie and Dana Sue are divorced, single moms. Their kids are close, as well. Helen is a lawyer who is single and doesn't have any kids. The three of them grew up together and have shared all of life's ups and downs. The story opens on a meeting between Maddie, her ex-husband Bill, and their lawyers (Helen is Maddie's lawyer, of course). Bill is played by none other than Chris Klein, from the American Pie series. (He was the wholesome guy who liked Mena Suvari's character.) Then the women meet up with Dana Sue, who proposes they open a spa together in a home that a very reputable older woman sold to them. The story takes off from there, and it's full of friendship, drama, romance, spirituality, etc. Speaking of spirituality, there's a lot of focus on church and prayer, but it's not preachy. I actually appreciate when people are comfortable in their faith and don't use it to judge others. There's a similarity to Schitt's Creek in that no one gets judged for who they love. While there is some cattiness, along with mean-spirited characters, I'm still happy that the gay couple on the show is looking into adoption and no one bats an eyelash.
Another fun side note: Jamie Lynn Spears plays Noreen, the woman Bill left Maddie for, after he got Noreen pregnant. I saw her perform at the Grand Ole Opry in 2017 and totally forgot about it until just recently.
A lot of focus on this show is centered on the teenagers. There's Maddie's two sons, Ty and Kyle, and Dana Sue's daughter, Annie. There's just a lot of teen angst, more drama, some romance, etc. Other teens have small storylines, as well.
Then there are the people who are friends or colleagues with the three women and have their own storylines and drama. This includes some romantic partners, as well. So the series balances out all the storylines throughout each season. I can tell you that Isaac and Erik are some of my favorite supporting characters.
I feel like I can relate to all three women in different ways. Maddie has three kids, two boys and a girl, just like I do. While her sons are close in age to mine, her daughter is a lot younger than my daughter. However, it's interesting that her younger two kids share a first initial, just like my younger two. (Theirs are K and my kids' are M.) I also like to try to help people and fix things, which is very much a Maddie thing to do. I am similar to Dana Sue in terms of not liking to delegate or ask for help, even if I need it. I am like Helen in terms of how much I care about other people, especially my closest friends.
Helen, Dana Sue, and Maddie, courtesy of Cinema Blend
I really love how this show celebrates and treasures friendship. It makes me want to have margarita nights with my friends, where we can just vent and support each other. I mostly do that virtually, other than meeting with some friends for lunch every so often.
If you'd like to know more, watch the trailer for season one. If you've seen all three seasons, stick around after the trailer for my thoughts with spoilers.
Spoilers below...
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Where to begin? So much has happened in three seasons. There are so many characters and situations going on and I'm sure I probably lost track of something. I think I've said all I really can say on the main three women above. I will point out some little things here and there, but I love Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen and care about what happens to/for each of them. I hated when they got into a fight in season three and am glad they were able to mend that and become close again. It felt wrong for them not to be able to talk with each other.
Here are some of my thoughts on the various characters and situations (connected to the characters) on the series.
The Men:
Bill: He definitely rubbed me the wrong way in the beginning. Like he cheated on Maddie and got another woman pregnant, and then he wanted to also get the house in the divorce settlement. So yeah, not a great first impression. However, I'm glad he received his karma with Noreen leaving him. I will admit that it's nice to see that he's trying to make things better for Maddie and his kids. And I don't blame him for anything regarding Isaac, considering he didn't know about him until just recently. I just don't think his Southern accent is all that genuine. It sounds kind of forced.
Cal: I was reading The True Love Experiment when I started this show and one of the male archetypes was a "cinnamon roll." That description is Cal in a nutshell! It's impossible to NOT adore him. And it's easy to be jealous of Maddie as a result. I was startled when he revealed his anger issues, especially when he showed a different side of himself after his team lost a game. (I think that was what happened.) It was also upsetting when he punched the guy at the restaurant, even though he was acting out of protection for himself and others. I was glad to see that he was trying to get to a better place for his anger issues and that he patched things up with Maddie. Now he just needs a haircut...
Ronnie: I wasn't sure if I wanted to trust Ronnie at first. Especially since it took for-ev-er to find out what he did to make Dana Sue so angry. I'm glad he was willing to go the distance in his marriage and to prove that he was worthy of Dana Sue again. He is attractive too.
Erik: He's my favorite of all the men on the show, but I wish he didn't get so hot headed over Helen's situation with Ryan and just gave her the time to make her own decision instead of bowing out completely and not talking to her. I really, really, REALLY want him to get back together with Helen though. Genevieve is pretty and all, but she's not the right fit for him. And you know he still has eyes for Helen no matter what he says to the contrary. I also love that he's just a genuinely good person and also a great baker and chef.
Ryan: Don't even get me started. I was soooo tempted to put him in the villains section of this post. I can't believe he had the nerve to worm his way back into Helen's life and then up and leave when things didn't go the way he wanted. I was hoping I could reach into the screen and smack him so hard. UGH!!!!
The Teens:
Ty: All I can say is that I'm glad that the actor who plays Ty is in his twenties so I don't feel like I'm breaking some law by crushing on him. I still feel like a cougar though! In terms of Ty as a character, just hope he can figure things out for his life and also make things right with Annie so that they can finally be together as a couple.
Kyle: Kyle seems like a nice kid overall and reminds me of my younger son in some ways. I felt bad for him when he got injured in the car accident, even though it was his own doing. It was also frustrating to see him so mad at everyone and not saying why. I'm glad he found his way back to himself and also found someone who likes him.
Annie: Annie is complex, but I still can relate to her angst in some ways. I felt so bad for her when the message she sent to Ty got sent to everyone else. I don't even know how she could forgive Jackson for doing that, let alone enough to like him. I'm glad that Annie is strong in what she feels is right and wrong and that she's willing to speak up for her own needs. It will be interesting to see where life takes her.
Cece: It was nice to see how much Cece grew up and changed over a short period of time. I love her connection with Helen and how they live and work together now. I'm also glad she stood up for her needs when she felt like Ty was neglecting their relationship.
Jackson: I went from hating him to sort of liking him to just being really annoyed with him. I'm glad Annie broke up with him for not standing up for their relationship and always doing what his evil mom wants, even though she bullies him too.
Family and Friends:
Paula: At first I wasn't sure if I'd like Paula. Like I felt she was overbearing. However, she grew on me and I thought she was really sweet and a wonderful, supportive mother. She even reminds me of a friend I connected with over the past year. Especially with the way she smiles and her sunny disposition.
Trotter: Is it me or does he look like Santino Fontana in some ways? In any case, Trotter has been wonderful and lovable from the beginning and I hope his journey to fatherhood will be focused on more in the next season. I only wish good things for Trotter!
Isaac: Isaac is one of my favorite supporting characters. I was worried he would just be in the background, so I was thrilled when he got his own storyline and I love his friendship with Noreen. He's just a genuinely good person and I hope to see even more of him in season four. I'd love for him to find someone to love, but I don't know where he stands on relationships and don't want to push that on him if that's not his thing.
Noreen: I actually liked Noreen from the beginning. Even though she was a homewrecker, I felt like this was something thrust upon her and I appreciate that she was trying to get on Maddie's good side. I'm glad the women warmed to her. I also love that she stood up to Bill and made a life for herself and her baby.
Peggy: I first thought Peggy was Mary Vaughn's sidekick and I didn't like her much. However, she's changed a lot and I love that she ended up being Isaac's birth mother. I also love that she is trying to have a connection with Isaac, even if it's not the standard mother-son relationship just yet. And I'm excited for her to expose all the dirt on Mayor Lewis and his scandals.
Pastor June: I love that she gives out wisdom without being preachy and judgmental. I also appreciate her friendship with each of the main characters. She's just genuinely likable.
The Villains:
Mary Vaughn Lewis: I. Hate. Her. So. Much!!! She ranks up there with some of the worst TV series villains ever. (Yes, I'm looking at you, Terry Silver from Cobra Kai.) I yelled at the TV every time she opened her sanctimonious little mouth to harass Cal in some way. I really hope she gets the ultimate karma in season four. I don't normally use certain words to describe women, but it is warranted when it comes to the evil being that is Mary Vaughn Lewis.
Kathy: Kathy may have been a horrible and vindictive brat of an adult, but I'm glad she was able to see the error of her ways and try to make amends. I think Bill is actually good for her. I still don't trust her 100% but maybe she can find a way to earn that trust eventually. So she's nowhere near as bad as Mary Vaughn, at least.
I also don't like Cal's ex-girlfriend. I think her name is Victoria? I am glad Maddie put her in her place and that we only had to deal with her for part of an episode. She is rather pathetic anyway.
There you have it. Maybe I'll have more to say after I finish season four.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the characters, plotlines, etc.
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