Just when you thought Sweet Magnolias couldn’t deliver a more shocking cliffhanger than the accident in the season 1 finale, they prove us wrong. 

The uplifting show with a small-town charm also packs in plenty of juicy drama.

As we joined Maddie, Helen, Dana Sue and the rest of the fine people in Serenity for the next chapter in their journey, we laughed together and cried together through these jaw-dropping moments. 

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan, Heather Headley as Helen Decatur, Joanna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend in episode 202 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Richard Ducree/Netflix © 2021

Isaac’s Birth Parents Revealed

This one tops the list because it was the most shocking turn of events. Peggy was revealed to be Isaac’s birth mother, which wasn’t much of a surprise considering the Sweet Magnolias previously mentioned that she left town during her junior year. However, it was confirmed that she went to have a baby and gave him up for adoption at the behest of her controlling mother. However, Isaac’s birth father was the one that really made jaws drop. There were theories that it might be Erik or Ryan, and while many assumed it would be the latter — and for a minute there, it seemed as though Peggy invited him to her office to tell him that they had a child — it turned out to be none other than Dr. Bill Townsend, the man who seems to never learn from his mistakes.

Admittedly, he couldn’t learn from this one since he didn’t know about the child now, but it was still such a huge moment for the show. Bill’s actions have hurt so many people in town — Maddie, the kids, Noreen, Rebecca, Isaac, and Peggy. While he tried to own up to the hurt, it’s going to take much more than an apology tour to make amends. But maybe this is the wake-up call he needs to finally start making better decisions for himself and his loved ones.  

He has a huge family, but he’s alone because he’s pushed everyone away. Bill is my least favorite character on the series, for obvious reasons, but I do want to see him find a way forward with his children in the next season. 

As for Isaac, his adoptive parents are to thank for the incredible man he turned out to be, but his quest for his birth parents gave him much more than just his birth mom and dad — he has a whole family and community rallying behind him. He has two women who are technically his stepmom’s (Noreen and Maddie) and four siblings. It’s also fitting that he extended so much kindness towards Noreen and Rebecca and allowed them to live in his home even before knowing that he was basically giving him stepmom and sister shelter.

What a turn of events.

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Chris Medlin as Isaac Downey, Heather Headley as Helen Decatur in episode 205 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021

A New Member of Serenity

That being said, Noreen finally had her baby. Unlike Bill, Noreen came to town to make amends for her mistakes. Her apologies actually meant something. She apologized to Maddie countless times for ruining her family because while Maddie blamed Bill, Noreen explained that she also knew better than to sleep with a married man. Honestly, what is it about Bill?

Noreen stayed in Serenity until her beautiful daughter, Rebecca, was born. And when she was showered with love by everyone in town, including Maddie, she realized that she was going to stay put and build a life here since this is where Rebecca’s family was. I love that the adults have chosen not to punish the children for their parent’s mistakes.

It was sweet and big of Maddie to give Noreen the blanket that she used to bring all three kids from the hospital. It was a peace offering that acknowledge that Rebecca is part of the family. I used to dislike Noreen, and while Jamie Lynne Spears hasn’t done the character any favors, it’s nice to see her welcomed with open arms when it would be very easy for everyone to ostracize her instead. 

I swear that Maddie has been more involved in Rebecca’s life than Bill has. 

But that’s not the only new face in town. A woman confronted Annie and asked her if she was Dana Sue’s daughter before commenting that she looked like “something she’d spit out” right before calling her mother a “home wrecker.” We then saw the same woman popping the tires of a Sullivan’s food truck. Now, my guess is that this is Ronnie’s ex who has come to get revenge on Dana Sue. And she might not be a new face at all considering when the Sweet Magnolias saw the video, they all huffed and declared: “she’s back.” Who is she?

Sweet Magnolias. Chris Klein as Bill Townsend in episode 205 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021

The Town Rallies Against the Lewis’s

And becomes closer because of it! The Sweet Magnolias are a staple in Serenity, but now, they’re bringing people together and evoking a much-needed change in leadership. They’ve never seen eye-to-eye with Mary Vaughn — that’s not a surprise as their feud dates all the way back to high school — but Mary Vaughn continues to be a thorn in everyone’s side even as an adult. Not only does she bully and manipulate town members, but she wanted to take advantage of them to enrich herself. And she thought she was so clever, too.

In a town that thrives on kindness, Mary Vaugh is a sour lemonade amongst a sea of sweet teas. I didn’t have a lick of remorse considering how nasty her husband was to everyone at the hospital following the car accident involving the kids. Instead of asking for details about what led to the crash, he simply pointed fingers at everyone else. Honestly, even their own children seem to hate them. 

I hope the recall sticks and Helen can run for Mayor instead!

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Heather Headley as Helen Decatur, Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan, Joanna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend in episode 203 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Richard Ducree/Netflix © 2021

Helen’s Journey

Helen was all over the place this season, through no fault of her own. After Ryan broke things off and left town, Helen found out that she was pregnant. Her joy was short-lived, however, as she suffered a miscarriage that left her broken but not hopeless. She immediately told Howie that she was ready to have a baby and began the process with the blessing of her sweet friends, Erik being one of them. It was clear to everyone around that Erik absolutely adored Helen, but she wasn’t ready for a relationship, and he respected it. 

Eventually, Helen warmed up to the idea, and Erik informed her that he would be supportive of her journey to parenthood regardless of their relationship status. There are a lot of great men in Serenity (and a lot of bad ones, too), but Erik is the cream of the crop. 

When it finally seemed like Helen’s life was on the right track, Ryan returned to town after Ms. Frances’s death (may she Rest In Peace!) with a grand vision of what he wanted for his life. Apparently, loss gave him a new perspective. Unfortunately, he didn’t really consider Helen’s vision for her life and instead, just swooped in there like Hurricane Ryan ready to blow things up for her yet again. 

In the final moments, Ryan — without having a real heart-to-heart with Helen to discuss all their previous issues or, you know, the fact that he said he didn’t want kids only to come running back to her saying he changed his mind — plopped down on one knee and proposed.

What bothers me so much about this is that Ryan has zero regard for Helen. He saw her holding hands with Erik and still went through with the proposal. He knows how much he hurt her, yet he thinks this gesture and the fact that he now wants kids, erases all that pain. It’s naive. 

As a capable and dynamic woman, one would hope that Helen sees this for what it is and realizes that Erik has been by her side the whole time offering nothing but grace, support, love, encouragement, and patience. 

Helen, do not do Erik like this! 

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Heather Headley as Helen Decatur, Dion Johnstone as Erik Whitley in episode 210 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021

The Relationships

There were plenty of relationships — old and new — taking shape and falling into place on Sweet Magnolias season 2. 

I already mentioned Helen and Erik, but next to them, the sweetest couple was definitely Maddie and Cal, who finally made things official. I know that they were already dating in the first season, but Maddie was still pretty broken up about the divorce and weary about putting herself out there again. That wasn’t the case with season 2 as she accepted him into her life and acknowledged that she was ready to move on with a man who held her heart and was a rock for her and her children during the hard times. 

Dana Sue and Ronnie were an emotional rollercoaster, but who can blame them? They were both traumatized by the hurt that they caused each other in the past. It’s easy to get back into bed with someone, but letting them in emotionally is a whole different story. That’s why Dana Sue pursued a relationship with Jeremy — even though he was younger, it was easier than facing the reality that getting back together with your unfaithful ex-husband is going to bring up a lot of stuff from your past that you bottled up inside.

However, Ronnie was adamant that he wasn’t leaving or giving up on the idea of a reconciliation. At times, Dana Sue was pretty hard on him as he tried his best to prove that he was a changed man who deserved her love.

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Brandon Quinn as Ronnie Sullivan, Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan in episode 210 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Steve Swisher/Netflix © 2021

After a few attempts at counseling, Dana Sue admitted that forgiving Ronnie meant that she also had to forgive herself for the damage she caused. They always say it takes two to tango, and in this case, Ronnie acted out because he was unhappy, but Dana Sue made him unhappy by pushing aside all of his dreams. 

The two finally decided to give their marriage another shot, but we’ll see what that looks like moving forward. All I know is that Ronnie fit in seamlessly in Dana Sue’s life, and I, for one, want him to stick around. 

Young love was also in full bloom as Jackson pursued a relationship with Annie. Jackson was a troubled kid, and the Lewis reputation didn’t do him any favors, but after he opened up, it was revealed that he was a sweet and well-mannered kid who fell hard for Annie. 

Kyle and Nellie also admitted to having feelings for each other after, but their romance was short-lived after Mary Vaugh forbade Nellie and Jackson from seeing the “Sullivan girl” and the “Townsend boy.” Jackson wasn’t interested in abiding by his mother’s rules, but Nellie was too young to push back, so she kissed Puck goodbye… for now.

Tyler and CeCe also broke up, but considering Ty was mad at the world following his accident, he didn’t actually deserve her. Annie’s friend Lily expressed interest, and come season 3, I’m sure we’ll be exploring something there. Tyler’s baseball-free summer also allowed him to see a world past the game, and he realized he no longer wanted to play professionally in college. 

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Sam Ashby as Jackson, Anneliese Judge as Annie Sullivan in episode 209 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021

The Aftermath of the Accident

The accident, while a huge cliffhanger on season 2, was a mere footnote. Kyle’s passenger was Nellie, but thankfully, they both survived. Kyle was a little more banged up than Nellie, and his road to recovery was tough, but with a little therapy, he was back on track.

At the hospital, emotions were running high, and in one stupid moment, Jackson and Tyler got into a fight that broke Jackson’s arm and cost him his shot at state.  It was a hard pill to swallow considering this is all he’s ever wanted and worked for, but Tyler used the summer to really figure himself out. 

Sweet Magnolias. Carson Rowland as Ty Townsend in episode 201 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Courtesy Of Netflix © 2021

Cal’s Angry Outburst

Forget state, Cal might be headed back to anger management classes. After the Sweet Magnolias rallied the town to sign a petition to boot the Mayor out of office, Mary Vaugh decided to retaliate by going after Maddie’s sweetheart, Cal. First, she got him fired as coach by bringing up a bar fight he was involved in years ago. It’s unfair considering that was in the past, but when is fair a word that’s associated with Mary Vaugh? I wouldn’t be surprised if she paid the “super fan” who was so worked up that he came to Sullivan’s in order to help Cal get his job back. 

The moment immediately took on a crazed/obsessed fan vibe, and when Dana Sue called the cops and he crossed a line with Maddie, Cal simply lost it and punched the guy. The assault, and the subsequent arrest, happened right in front of the patrons, which only feeds Mary Vaughn’s point that Cal is too hotheaded and violent to coach high school. 

Again, it seems too coincidental to have been an accidental situation. It smells of Mary Vaughn’s meddling. 

Of course, this might not only be a setback for Cal’s new career path, but also for Maddie and Cal’s relationship as he promised that he was no longer that angry man from his past, and yet, she was once again blindsided by a totally different side of him. Maddie’s heart can’t take being blindsided by another man anymore — Bill has done that enough. 

While I still think Cal is a great guy, the situation was simply too much for him. He was fired, his past was held against him, and his future was threatened by a fan who could’ve done real harm to the people he loved. It might not be the right reaction, but with so much stress coursing through his veins, it was a human one.

Sweet Magnolias. (L to R) Justin Bruening as Cal Maddox, Joanna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend in episode 210 of Sweet Magnolias. Cr. Steve Swisher/Netflix © 2021

What are your thoughts after watching Sweet Magnolia’s season 2?

What moment did you find most shocking?

Share all your thoughts in the comments below! 

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