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Sweet Magnolias S3.
I spent my weekend finishing my rewatch of Sweet Magnolias so I could watch season 3 finally. I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's great television but it scratches an itch and you set something in SC and name drop Charleston five times an ep minimum and you have my attention. :p
I remember liking S1 well enough and thinking 2 had some good moments even if I wanted to throttle Dana Sue almost the entire time she was on screen, but both seasons were much better the second go round.
Given the current WTF-ry around the actor who plays Dana Sue's husband (vindication for not liking him), I do wonder if they'll recast or shake things up should they get picked up for a fourth season. And I do hope they get picked up, because it's pretty much the perfect fluffy with a twinge of a bite kind of show. It's got the tone I wanted for The Good Witch, honestly. There's fluff, there's drama, there's wanting to throw your remote at the TV because the writers are hacks...
Kay, so if you clicked but haven't a clue as to what Sweet Magnolias is, it's a series set in fictional Serenity, SC (which is apparently based on Sumter, SC) which is about half an hour outside of Charleston, I gather. We follow the trio known as the Sweet Magnolias as they go about their lives in Serenity, and all the drama that unfolds.
The Magnolias are Maddie Townsend, played by the always welcome JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who is reeling from her pediatrician husband's affair with his nurse and subsequent pregnancy. And yes, if you watched Reba, it's entertaining as hell to see her as the redhead whose husband ditched her for a younger blonde idiot. Alas, this blond is played by Jamie Lynn Spears and she doesn't hold up on rewatch, but I did like the first go round. Maddie's got three kids (Ty, Kyle, and Katie) and her oldest, Ty, is a baseball phenom. Which means she gets up close and personal with his coach, Cal... and chaos ensues when the town is given something new to talk about.
You've got Dana Sue, played by Brooke Elliott who should maybe have a talk with the wardrobe person because they're doing her no favors, who is a single mom raising her daughter Annie while running Sullivan's restaraunt. We learn more about her not quite ex-husband Ronnie and why they broke up, as well as the fact that Dana Sue expects a lot from those around her.
Then you've got lawyer Helen, played by Heather Headley, who I swear gets the Ned Wakefield law degree treatment because they have her out here doing all kinds of law, basically whatever the storyline requires. She's definitely the brains of the operation and also the money when it comes to opening the Magnolia's dream, The Corner Spa. She desperately wants kids but hasn't had the time to really commit to anyone, especially since her heart still very much belongs to her first love, Ryan.
The trio meet weekly (or more often) for margaritas and to catch up on everything. Lucky they live in a small town so they can walk to each other's houses because these women get absolutely smashed at various points. :p
So. Spoilers for everything, k? S2 ended with Ryan coming back and declaring his love for Helen, going so far as to get down on one knee after letting her know he'd changed his mind and DID want kids (which is why they broke up before). Only that ship had clearly sailed, right? She'd moved on to Chef Erik! Only...not fully, because of their respective baggage. When Helen finally tells him she didn't shoot Ryan down fully, he takes the choice out of her hands and breaks up with her, throwing away their friendship in the process. He winds up taking a leave of absence from Sullivan's as well, which doesn't make a ton of sense but I'll allow because Dana Sue and Helen are BFFs and Helen pretty much has a standing lunch order at Sullivan's daily so... awkward.
Again, I'm not loving the split but I do get the narrative choices that have lead us here. My issue is when Erik gets headhunted by Kathy, Dana Sue's SIL. Erik doesn't know who she is and spends nearly the entire season in the dark.
Only there's no way he didn't know who she was because at the end of S2, before we find out her name, there's a video of her posted to the town's gossip IG account, and in it you can very clearly see and hear her as she's busted taking out the tires of the Sullivan's delivery van. No way in HELL Erik didn't hear about it/see it. No way Dana Sue didn't make sure everyone in her kitchen knew not to let that crazy ass bitch onto the property. Not happening. And while S3 picks up right where S2 drops off, there's still enough time elapsed between Ryan proposing and Helen cluing Erik in on that development. So for a good chunk of the season, we're supposed to believe Erik has no idea who Kathy is or that she's cuckoo bananas? Not buying it. It really sours his run this season because he's smarter than that.
It doesn't help that S3 doesn't fully commit to Kathy. She shows up enough to be annoying, and is frequently paired with Dr. Bill Townsend to the degree you feel bad for HIM (a miracle at this point in the series) but they're afraid to make her beyond redemption or to make us root too much for her by making her backstory in anyway compelling.
Then you've got Dana Sue's hot farmer boyfriend/fling (the guy she should've chosen over taking Ronnie back), Jeremy, make his return, even if it's without the floppy hair (sadness; he pulled it off better than Cal) and seems to be a bit of an information hub down at the...farmer's market, I guess? But sweet baby cat Jesus, pairing him up with Noreen (Bill's baby mama) made me want to tear someone's hair out. I initially felt bad when Noreen dipped out in S1, but I really wish she'd stayed gone because each season I think they expect me to like her more than I do and at this point I don't know if it's the storylines they're giving her or the fact that JLS is not able to pull this off. I cannot believe people are jumping on board the Jeremy/Noreen ship. BLEH.
I don't have as much to say about Maddie this season as I was pleasantly surprised that her arc this season was more about finding herself outside her relationships (be they with men, her friends, or her kids). It wasn't always thrilling, but it was definitely helped by the actress being charm incarnate.
The big rift between Helen/Dana Sue/Maddie was dumb as fuck. I get why they needed the tension and why a friendship breakup was going to happen at some point, but the way it was handled was dumb as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Maddie asks if Helen's happy with Ryan and Helen goes off the deep end because how dare Maddie judge her.
Ma'am, y'all have been talking about your relationships since day 1 and I'm fairly certain happiness has been asked of each of you. This was some manufactured bullshit that probably sounded much better on paper, since in theory it kind of makes sense: Helen's obviously NOT happy but hasn't really figured that out since she's very much in denial and thinks Ryan means it when he says he can finally settle down and put down roots in Serenity. But everyone who isn't Helen or Ryan knows this is Bullshit. Eventually even Ryan realizes it but is too much of a chickenshit to admit it, but Helen is smart enough to be picking up on the vibes so... yeah. It makes sense that she'd read judgement into a question where there was only concern and love, and it makes sense that she'd blow up, but we had Dana Sue flip her shit in S2 (I think?) and we learned how the Magnolias make up, but it takes multiple episodes before that's addressed and ignored. WTF.
Which is a fair number of complaints, but I like to pick at TV shows I like and love, k? I think the trio's friendship carries the damn show, but they've also done a really good job at casting a lot of the other characters (I will riot if Trotter disappears for long) and they even managed to pull off a recast for Katie Townsend and made it work. When I like the romances, I love them (see Erik/Helen, Dana Sue/Jeremy, and usually Cal/Maddie), and I also really like the peeks at the backstories of the rest of the town. I was less into Annie's storylines this season but that's because:
Lily. I can't get a read on her. She hits on every dude, including Ty (even though at the time she VERY much knew her friend Annie liked him) and I'm not sure if she's meant to be kind of desperately trying to find a guy, any guy, or if the writers originally wanted her to be a backstabbing frenemy for Annie and then wussed out. The CeCe/Annie friendship works so well but Lily adds so little to it. Like she has a moment at the big wedding finale where CeCe and Annie have to console her and it just does not work. It's possible I'm still just very much in do not trust her mode, because I don't dislike her in her bits with Kyle. There she feels a bit more...free. But if we're trying to set CeCe/Annie/Lily up as the new Magnolia legacy, it ain't workin', sugar.
I think we're at the point where they want to add new characters and I'd rather hang out with the ones we do have. Isaac has earned storyline, Noreen hasn't, but because they're now roommates, I'm stuck with the town suddenly loving her despite her helping to break up Maddie's marriage. Sigh.
I will say S3 got me to finally request the books from the library, though I did nearly buy the first three from work when they came out with the TV covers BUT they sold out before I could get book 1, so I didn't. I'm more than halfway through book 1 and there's WAY more church on the show than the books... so far.
In general though, my biggest complaint is that for something set very near to Satan's armpit, these people wear too many long sleeves for a show that's been set in the summer. No. You'd melt. You'd die. Nope.
I remember liking S1 well enough and thinking 2 had some good moments even if I wanted to throttle Dana Sue almost the entire time she was on screen, but both seasons were much better the second go round.
Given the current WTF-ry around the actor who plays Dana Sue's husband (vindication for not liking him), I do wonder if they'll recast or shake things up should they get picked up for a fourth season. And I do hope they get picked up, because it's pretty much the perfect fluffy with a twinge of a bite kind of show. It's got the tone I wanted for The Good Witch, honestly. There's fluff, there's drama, there's wanting to throw your remote at the TV because the writers are hacks...
Kay, so if you clicked but haven't a clue as to what Sweet Magnolias is, it's a series set in fictional Serenity, SC (which is apparently based on Sumter, SC) which is about half an hour outside of Charleston, I gather. We follow the trio known as the Sweet Magnolias as they go about their lives in Serenity, and all the drama that unfolds.
The Magnolias are Maddie Townsend, played by the always welcome JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who is reeling from her pediatrician husband's affair with his nurse and subsequent pregnancy. And yes, if you watched Reba, it's entertaining as hell to see her as the redhead whose husband ditched her for a younger blonde idiot. Alas, this blond is played by Jamie Lynn Spears and she doesn't hold up on rewatch, but I did like the first go round. Maddie's got three kids (Ty, Kyle, and Katie) and her oldest, Ty, is a baseball phenom. Which means she gets up close and personal with his coach, Cal... and chaos ensues when the town is given something new to talk about.
You've got Dana Sue, played by Brooke Elliott who should maybe have a talk with the wardrobe person because they're doing her no favors, who is a single mom raising her daughter Annie while running Sullivan's restaraunt. We learn more about her not quite ex-husband Ronnie and why they broke up, as well as the fact that Dana Sue expects a lot from those around her.
Then you've got lawyer Helen, played by Heather Headley, who I swear gets the Ned Wakefield law degree treatment because they have her out here doing all kinds of law, basically whatever the storyline requires. She's definitely the brains of the operation and also the money when it comes to opening the Magnolia's dream, The Corner Spa. She desperately wants kids but hasn't had the time to really commit to anyone, especially since her heart still very much belongs to her first love, Ryan.
The trio meet weekly (or more often) for margaritas and to catch up on everything. Lucky they live in a small town so they can walk to each other's houses because these women get absolutely smashed at various points. :p
So. Spoilers for everything, k? S2 ended with Ryan coming back and declaring his love for Helen, going so far as to get down on one knee after letting her know he'd changed his mind and DID want kids (which is why they broke up before). Only that ship had clearly sailed, right? She'd moved on to Chef Erik! Only...not fully, because of their respective baggage. When Helen finally tells him she didn't shoot Ryan down fully, he takes the choice out of her hands and breaks up with her, throwing away their friendship in the process. He winds up taking a leave of absence from Sullivan's as well, which doesn't make a ton of sense but I'll allow because Dana Sue and Helen are BFFs and Helen pretty much has a standing lunch order at Sullivan's daily so... awkward.
Again, I'm not loving the split but I do get the narrative choices that have lead us here. My issue is when Erik gets headhunted by Kathy, Dana Sue's SIL. Erik doesn't know who she is and spends nearly the entire season in the dark.
Only there's no way he didn't know who she was because at the end of S2, before we find out her name, there's a video of her posted to the town's gossip IG account, and in it you can very clearly see and hear her as she's busted taking out the tires of the Sullivan's delivery van. No way in HELL Erik didn't hear about it/see it. No way Dana Sue didn't make sure everyone in her kitchen knew not to let that crazy ass bitch onto the property. Not happening. And while S3 picks up right where S2 drops off, there's still enough time elapsed between Ryan proposing and Helen cluing Erik in on that development. So for a good chunk of the season, we're supposed to believe Erik has no idea who Kathy is or that she's cuckoo bananas? Not buying it. It really sours his run this season because he's smarter than that.
It doesn't help that S3 doesn't fully commit to Kathy. She shows up enough to be annoying, and is frequently paired with Dr. Bill Townsend to the degree you feel bad for HIM (a miracle at this point in the series) but they're afraid to make her beyond redemption or to make us root too much for her by making her backstory in anyway compelling.
Then you've got Dana Sue's hot farmer boyfriend/fling (the guy she should've chosen over taking Ronnie back), Jeremy, make his return, even if it's without the floppy hair (sadness; he pulled it off better than Cal) and seems to be a bit of an information hub down at the...farmer's market, I guess? But sweet baby cat Jesus, pairing him up with Noreen (Bill's baby mama) made me want to tear someone's hair out. I initially felt bad when Noreen dipped out in S1, but I really wish she'd stayed gone because each season I think they expect me to like her more than I do and at this point I don't know if it's the storylines they're giving her or the fact that JLS is not able to pull this off. I cannot believe people are jumping on board the Jeremy/Noreen ship. BLEH.
I don't have as much to say about Maddie this season as I was pleasantly surprised that her arc this season was more about finding herself outside her relationships (be they with men, her friends, or her kids). It wasn't always thrilling, but it was definitely helped by the actress being charm incarnate.
The big rift between Helen/Dana Sue/Maddie was dumb as fuck. I get why they needed the tension and why a friendship breakup was going to happen at some point, but the way it was handled was dumb as fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Maddie asks if Helen's happy with Ryan and Helen goes off the deep end because how dare Maddie judge her.
Ma'am, y'all have been talking about your relationships since day 1 and I'm fairly certain happiness has been asked of each of you. This was some manufactured bullshit that probably sounded much better on paper, since in theory it kind of makes sense: Helen's obviously NOT happy but hasn't really figured that out since she's very much in denial and thinks Ryan means it when he says he can finally settle down and put down roots in Serenity. But everyone who isn't Helen or Ryan knows this is Bullshit. Eventually even Ryan realizes it but is too much of a chickenshit to admit it, but Helen is smart enough to be picking up on the vibes so... yeah. It makes sense that she'd read judgement into a question where there was only concern and love, and it makes sense that she'd blow up, but we had Dana Sue flip her shit in S2 (I think?) and we learned how the Magnolias make up, but it takes multiple episodes before that's addressed and ignored. WTF.
Which is a fair number of complaints, but I like to pick at TV shows I like and love, k? I think the trio's friendship carries the damn show, but they've also done a really good job at casting a lot of the other characters (I will riot if Trotter disappears for long) and they even managed to pull off a recast for Katie Townsend and made it work. When I like the romances, I love them (see Erik/Helen, Dana Sue/Jeremy, and usually Cal/Maddie), and I also really like the peeks at the backstories of the rest of the town. I was less into Annie's storylines this season but that's because:
Lily. I can't get a read on her. She hits on every dude, including Ty (even though at the time she VERY much knew her friend Annie liked him) and I'm not sure if she's meant to be kind of desperately trying to find a guy, any guy, or if the writers originally wanted her to be a backstabbing frenemy for Annie and then wussed out. The CeCe/Annie friendship works so well but Lily adds so little to it. Like she has a moment at the big wedding finale where CeCe and Annie have to console her and it just does not work. It's possible I'm still just very much in do not trust her mode, because I don't dislike her in her bits with Kyle. There she feels a bit more...free. But if we're trying to set CeCe/Annie/Lily up as the new Magnolia legacy, it ain't workin', sugar.
I think we're at the point where they want to add new characters and I'd rather hang out with the ones we do have. Isaac has earned storyline, Noreen hasn't, but because they're now roommates, I'm stuck with the town suddenly loving her despite her helping to break up Maddie's marriage. Sigh.
I will say S3 got me to finally request the books from the library, though I did nearly buy the first three from work when they came out with the TV covers BUT they sold out before I could get book 1, so I didn't. I'm more than halfway through book 1 and there's WAY more church on the show than the books... so far.
In general though, my biggest complaint is that for something set very near to Satan's armpit, these people wear too many long sleeves for a show that's been set in the summer. No. You'd melt. You'd die. Nope.