The second season of ‘Sweet Magnolias’ leads with the cliffhangers in the first season; Giving us a deeper look into the beautiful but chaotic tale of three friends in Serenity.
Summary
One thing’s clear- the second season of ‘Sweet Magnolias’ ate, with no crumbs left! The core trio- Dana(Brooke Elliott), Helen(Heather Headley) and Maddie(JoAnna Garcia Swisher) received developing arcs through this season, with their characters getting more depth and dimension.
Without much ado, ‘Sweet Magnolias season 2’ starts right off where the first season left the viewers hanging- who was the other passenger with Kyle(Logan Allen), on the night of the accident? It turns out to be Nellie (Simone Lockhart). They both recover with few negligible injuries.
But what follows is a fight between Jackson and Tyler(Carson Rowland), where Tyler ends up with an injury that affects his future in State baseball. In this season, he gets closer with Annie’s friend
Kyle gets back home from the hospital, getting even more distant with his mum- Maddie, adding to his belief that his brother, Tyler, was always more cared about. Much to his mother’s dismay, he reaches out to Noreen(Jamie Lynn Spears)- the girl his dad cheated with. Maddie ends up forgiving Noreen, the silver lining being that she gets to go all out on her infidel husband, Ben(Chris Klein).
The residents of Serenity bid the final goodbye to Miss Francis, the sweet lady named ‘Corner Spa’; left behind are her instructions and her wish for a memorial that celebrates the beautiful moments of her life. She becomes an inspiration for everyone to live their lives wisely. Collins, deep in grief, confesses his love for her. Too late!
The relationship between Maddie and Cal (Justin Breuning), Tyler’s coach, seems to get even better, with them bonding over Tyler’s elbow injury. But there’s a storm awaiting them.
The relationship between Helen and Erik(Dion Johnstone), which was purely platonic in the first season, takes a romantic turn. She announces her pregnancy through IVF, indicating she might finally get lucky with a happy ending.
Dana decides to help Issac(Chris Medlin) on his quest to find his birth parents through posters and her social influence. She develops through this season as an independent woman, taking care of her rebellious but strong daughter and running a good business. Meanwhile, she seems to reconcile with Ronnie(Brandon Quinn), her estranged husband, who leaves no stone unturned through his gestures, to be back with her.
A new common enemy comes up for the trio, Mary Vaughn(Allison Gabriel), the Mayor’s wife. Incidentally, she is also the mother of Nellie and Jackson, who are currently dating Maggie’s son Kyle and Dana’s daughter Annie(Anneliese Judge), respectively. As an attack on the trio going after her husband’s job, she gets her hand on something juicy.
One thing to be noted, the golden trio know well enough to sit together and share their issues, earning the name ‘magnolias’.
‘Sweet Magnolias’ season 2 ending explained in detail(Episode 10: If thou wilt, Remember):
Cal’s downfall and Helen’s dilemma
The relationship between Cal and Maddie gets rocky due to the revelation of the ‘anger management classes that he took in the aftermath of a life-changing injury. Further, comes out the fact that he was arrested for assault and battery, leading him to get fired by the school based on ‘moral turpitude.
The worst isn’t over for poor Cal, as he gets into another fight with Stu at Sullivan’s; while defending his lady-love, Maddie. He gets taken away by the cops, with the whole bunch watching.
Well, she could never get over Ryan(Michael Shenefelt), her ex. As Helen recovers through her miscarriage and hopes to slip into a healthy relationship with Erik, guess who shows up? Ryan, who’s mourning the death of his aunt, Miss Francis, promises to change. The episode ends with Ryan proposing to Helen, unaware of everything she’s going through, sparking a huge dilemma and yet, another cliffhanger.
Who are Issac’s birth parents?
In a bid to find them, Issac does- and regrets it. His mother turns out to be Peggy Martin, a local journalist. She had him when she was a teenager and was forced to give him up. She’s overjoyed, making the scene wholesome. But then, Issac’s father turns out to be none other than Bill Townsend, Maddie’s ex who had left her after impregnating Noreen. Issac goes no contact with Bill, due to obvious reasons, and take it on himself to care for Noreen during her final pregnancy period.
“She’s back”
Dana’s life seems to be going well too, with her reconciling with Ronnie, her estranged husband. As a cherry on top, Miss Francis has even left her a good share of the money, for unknown reasons. But here enters a mysterious woman- the same one who blamed Annie for her mum, Dana, for being a ‘life ruiner’. Seeing the footage of her puncturing the Sullivan’s Van, our Golden Trio(Lana, Maddie and Helen) realizes who she is.
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