‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 4: Will the Netflix Show End With Season 3?

The drama never stops in Serenity. From cliffhanger car crashes to surprise paternity reveals, Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias has spent three seasons delivering compulsively binge-able episodes of soapy, heartwarming TV. But could Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue’s story have come to a close? The streamer has yet to reveal if Sweet Magnolias will return for season 4. But the season 3 finale definitely felt like it could be a series finale. 

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Sweet Magnolias Season 3.] 

‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 3 doesn’t end on a cliffhanger  

The first two seasons of Sweet Magnolias didn’t shy away from major cliffhangers. Season 1 cut to black just after Maddie’s (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) son Kyle’s (Logan Allen) prom night car crash. We had to wait until season 2 to find out who was in the car with Kyle and whether they survived the accident. Season 2 ended with Cal (Justin Bruening) getting arrested following a brawl at Sullivan’s and the return of a mysterious figure from Dana Sue’s (Brooke Elliott) past. 

The last episode of Sweet Magnolias Season 3 was different. The finale focused on Dana Sue and Ronnie’s (Brandon Quinn) vow renewal. The couple, who were separated when we first met Dana Sue back in season 1, has spent the past three seasons working through their issues and finding their way back to each other. The sweet vow renewal put a bow on one of the show’s main ongoing storylines. 

Meanwhile, Maddie and Cal were back on solid ground after taking some time to focus on the less physical aspects of their relationship earlier in the season. Maddie even got a long-awaited apology from her ex-husband Bill (Chris Klein). As for Helen (Heather Headley), she’d finally said goodbye to her first love Ryan (Michael Shenefelt). Her relationship with former flame Erik (Dion Johnstone) was shaky, but the look they exchanged after she caught Dana Sue’s bouquet suggested there’s still potential for them as a couple. 

Several other characters had reached turning points as well. Dana Sue’s daughter Annie (Anneliese Judge) broke things off with Jackson (Sam Ashby). She and Ty (Carson Rowland) aren’t a couple (yet!) but given the way they were holding hands at the reception, it looks like things could take a romantic turn for the longtime friends.  

‘Save My Place’ felt like it could be a series finale 

The Sweet Magnolias Season 3 finale didn’t wrap up every character’s storyline. Most notably, Isaac (Chris Medlin) still hasn’t told his friend Noreen that Bill is his father. And Tyannie shippers are unlikely to be satisfied with where the show left things with them. But despite some lingering loose ends, “Save the Date” definitely felt like it could be a series finale for the show. Most of the characters are in a place of contentment and several multi-season story arcs have wrapped up. Plus, Sweet Magnolias has always been about the power of community. It would be fitting for the show to end with all the residents of Serenity coming together to celebrate two of their own. 

That’s not to say that there aren’t more stories for Sweet Magnolias to tell. Aside from Isaac’s big secret, there’s also the matter of Peggy’s (Brittany L. Smith) investigation into former mayor Trent (Paul Rolfes) and his wife Mary Vaughn’s (Allison Gabriel) shady dealings. That could provide juicy material in a potential season 4. Of course, there’s also more to explore with Ty and Annie, as well as Helen and Erik. 

Will ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 4 happen? The cast hopes so 

Sweet Magnolias fans likely have their fingers crossed that the show will return for season 4. Cast members are also hopeful the series will be renewed. In an interview with TVLine, Elliott acknowledged that the season 3 finale provided “some closure.” But she felt the Magnolias’ story wasn’t over. 

“I thought it was a brilliant combination of a happy ending but also hope for more,” she said.

“If you dig in, you can see that there are still stories to come,” she added. “There are other pieces that could be revealed. Hopefully, we get more [seasons]. That would be great.”

Swisher agrees that there would be a lot to dig into in season 4 if Netflix renews the show. 

“[T]he story has to continue,” she told Parade in February 2023, adding that season ends “in a very hopeful new beginning kind of feel.” 

​​”I think that it’s really in tune with, you know, you had a lot of chaos to start the show, and the dust is kind of settling and then you really build towards these solid relationships and I think that you really start to feel like there’s new beginnings and it’s an exciting future for Serenity and everyone that’s inside of it.” 

Sweet Magnolias Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Netflix. 

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