Sweet Magnolias happens to be one of the top romantic dramas that revolves around a town and its residents. The show introduced a plethora of characters and helps us comprehend how Helen, Maddie, and Dana Sue become integral parts of their lives. Serenity, South Carolina—the name exudes peace, and that is exactly what the townspeople want. The three leads of Sweet Magnolias run the show in Serenity, and they happen to be the nicest souls. It will be interesting to see what kind of problems they will be facing with the third season of the show.
The second season ends with Ryan proposing to Helen because he thinks she is still pining for him. The truth here is that she is not sure if she wants to be with him. Erik, her current boyfriend, was by her side when she went through a miscarriage and has been instrumental in her feeling better ever since. Dana Sue and Ronnie reconcile and let their daughter Annie know about it. Both felt it was high time they gave their marriage another chance. Both are happy now with this decision.
The famous Mrs. Frances of Serenity passes away, and she wants to be sent off in the most jubilant manner. The town gathers one last time to say goodbye to her. Frances’ funeral brings out the best in people because this is what Frances wanted: for the townspeople to be happy with or without her. Maddie learns of Cal’s anger management issues he’d had in the past right after a bike accident. She learns of it from the school committee headed by Mary Vaughn Lewis. Mary runs a vendetta against Cal to get back at Maddie for going after her husband, Mayor Trent Lewis. Cal is sure someone ratted out this piece of information to Mary because he remembers the case being expunged from the records. Cal physically hurts an acquaintance at Sullivan’s who was misbehaving with Maddie and Dana Sue. Cal is taken into custody for his behavior. The women are also waiting for an old nemesis as a video of Dana Sue slashing the tires of her vehicle goes viral. That woman refers to Dana Sue as a ‘life ruiner.’
Bill Townsend, Maddie’s ex-husband, learns that Isaac is his biological son with Peggy, the local newspaper editor. Maddie is just as shocked as Bill is, and it seems there is no end to his dilemma. His coming to terms with this news will only help showcase his true nature. Bill, in totality, is the father of three boys and two girls. The open-ended season two finale leads to many speculations about season three. The show will begin with Helen’s answer to Ryan. She will most likely say no to him because a lot has changed since Ryan was last in Serenity. Helen has moved on with Erik, the man who was with her during the worst times of her life. She wouldn’t have been able to get away from the pain of losing her child if not for her girls and Erik by her side. She’d be betraying him if she said yes to Ryan. Ryan was the love of her life, but she realized love was not enough to sustain their relationship. Her rejecting Ryan’s proposal would be heartbreaking, but it would be the best way to move on.
Helen will come back to Erik feeling confident about their relationship and the child they are about to have as a couple. She wants to raise a child with Erik, and he would be equally happy to see their relationship slowly flourish. Erik will not bail on her unless the writers want to deliver some shocking twist by separating the two of them. Erik and Helen are supposed to be the perfect couple whose love gradually grows over time.
Season three will also begin with Maddie dealing with a crisis. Her main priority will be to procure bail for Cal. Just like May Vaughn Lewis went after Maddie’s boyfriend unfairly, she, along with Helena and Dana Sue, will come up with a plan to decimate Trent Lewis. There is a good chance either Helen or Maddie will run for the post of mayor of Serenity, as both have enough support from the town. It will be their way of exacting revenge on Mary for wrongfully terminating Cal. The two of them have good ideas for the town, and if either of them wins the mayoral elections, they will make sure to make the functioning of the town smooth and get rid of the scheme Mary and Trent were cooking up. Helen might finally get pregnant, and the next nine months would test her relationship with Erik.
Maddie will be welcoming Noreen and her daughter Rebecca into her family to get her children used to their new sibling. Maddie has yet to let the girls know about Isaac’s newfound biological parents. She will probably never forgive Bill for everything he has done so far, but making Isaac a part of her children’s lives will be a priority for her. Isaac’s truth will be a bigger shock for Maddie’s kids, but since she is a good influence on them, they will try to be good to Isaac. Maddie and Cal will have a lot of discussions, especially about their future as a couple. Cal will find a way to get his job back at school, and Maddie and her gang will help him with it. Mary Vaughn Lewis might have made an enemy for life in Maddie. There is a possibility of Maddie getting engaged to Cal.
Dana Sue and Ronnie will most likely renew their wedding vows with a small ceremony and begin to live life as a married couple once again. They went through some changes during the separation period, and going back to their older selves will be difficult, but both will try to accommodate each other in their daily schedules. Dana will be busy with the restaurant and the café at the spa, and Ronnie will also keep himself tied up with work. But something says their marriage won’t last, and we’ll have seen the end of it by the time season three concludes. It will be Ronnie who might find cracks in their marriage and certain things he is not willing to compromise on. Their breakup is inevitable. Annie’s state of mind is also worrisome at this point.
This will be the first time Annie will probably ask her mother to get a divorce because she will be a witness to the mistake Ronnie and Dana Sue made by reconciling. A change of mind is a sign of the girl becoming mature and understanding that her mother needs to be happy to function normally every day. It would be difficult for the two of them to break up, but they will do the right thing for their mutual happiness. Dana Sue will also encounter their old friend from school, the one that made an appearance in the season two finale. The third season will dig deeper into how that woman knows Dana Sue and her friends. The viewers will get to know their history and understand what that woman is capable of.
Dr. Bill Townsend will finally find a goal in life, which is to provide as much as he can for five of his kids. Emotionally, physically, and financially, he would want to be there for all his kids, and he would try his level best to be available. The man has learned his lesson, and being alone has taught him the value of people in his life. In the third season, we will see Bill as a compassionate father.
Tyler might head to college, and there is a chance his role will be reduced to that of a recurring character who will visit home for a semester break. The boy and CeCe will not get back together, and there will be sadness in him that will leave. He will meet her, but their aims and goals will be different at that point. Annie and Jackson might try to make their relationship work, but since they are young and there are many options out there for them when it comes to romantic relationships, the two of them will amicably split and promise to remain friends even after college. These are some scenarios we are expecting to see in the upcoming season of this show. There will be many new conflicts, romances, and friendships that will emerge in Serenity, but Sweet Magnolias will remain the same.
