Sweet Magnolias has a lot of questions to answer in season 4, as season 3 left many storylines open-ended.
Kathy’s vendetta from season 3 may be over, but Isaac’s paternity secret creates future drama.
Cal and Maddie’s engagement, Tyler and Annie’s relationship, and the next mayor remain vital Sweet Magnolias storylines.

While the Sweet Magnolias season 3 finale didn’t end on a massive cliffhanger, there are still some important questions that season 4 must answer. Since Sweet Magnolias began, the series has focused on the importance of friendships, particularly between the core trio — Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan, and Helen Decatur. In Sweet Magnolias season 3, the series also strengthened the relationships between other main characters and explored different romantic relationships. The show has had three successful seasons, so it wasn’t surprising that Sweet Magnolias was renewed for season 4.

Sweet Magnolias remained in the Top 10 for all three seasons across 60 countries.

However, there are still many questions season 4 must answer, especially since several central characters are keeping secrets or need to make amends to other Sweet Magnolias characters. The Sweet Magnolias season 3 finale opened up the possibilities of two couples strengthening their bond, but there needs to be better communication, and season 3 lacked some of the drama of the previous seasons. Hopefully, Sweet Magnolias season 4 will find the balance of drama, character development, and friendship scenes.

10Will Bill Return To Serenity?

Bill left Serenity with Kathy in the season 3 finale

Ever since Sweet Magnolias season 1, Bill Townsend’s storylines have dwindled. While there was only so much the series could cover about his ex-wife Maddie, they could have featured more scenes about his complicated relationship with his sons or how he felt not having access to his newborn daughter, Rebecca. During Sweet Magnolias season 3, he finally realized how isolated he had become. When he couldn’t make amends with his family, Ronnie’s sister, Kathy, charmed her way into his life.

Kathy eventually convinced Bill that the best thing for both of them was to give their family some space. That was true for Kathy, but Bill left without saying goodbye to his children to help get Kathy away from Maddie and her friends and give Ronnie and Dana Sue some peace. That move changed Bill’s character, so Maddie and her friends may welcome him back more amicably if he does return.

9Have The Magnolias Heard The End Of Kathy?

After torturing Dana Sue and Ronnie, Kathy surrendered and left town

When Ronnie’s sister Kathy (Wynn Everett) returns, she has one goal- to make Dana Sue pay for inheriting Sullivan’s instead of her. Besides poaching Erik (Dion Johnstone) from Sullivan’s when he was vulnerable, Kathy vandalized the restaurant kitchen. If that wasn’t hurtful enough, she ruined Annie’s 16th birthday and only proved how vindictive she was in front of the entire town of Serenity by throwing hurtful insults at Dana Sue.

Kathy insisted that Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) put their family first, and he refused. However, after Bill convinced Kathy how necessary making amends was, she offered their grandmother’s tea chest as a peace offering gift at Ronnie and Dana Sue’s vow renewal. This allowed her to do the right thing before leaving town with Bill. Hopefully, Kathy has genuinely changed, and the Magnolias have seen the last of her.

8Will The Truth Be Revealed About Issac’s Paternity?

Not many characters know Bill is Issac’s biological father

Issac’s real parents was one of the most significant storylines in Sweet Magnolias. Initially, Issac thought Dana Sue was his birth mother, and when he was wrong, he hired Helen to assist him in learning the truth. Since Helen was dedicated to understanding the truth, she discovered that Peggy Martin was Isaac’s birth mom. Peggy had a one-night night with Bill Townsend at 16, making him Issac’s biological father.

Revealing that Bill is Isaac’s father complicated matters, and by the end of season 3, no one knew except Bill, Peggy, and Maddie. Revealing Isaac’s paternity to the rest of Sweet Magnolia‘s characters would be an important storyline for season 4 to cover, but could complicate character dynamics even further. For example, Issac and Noreen became close recently, but Bill is also the father of Noreen’s daughter, Rebecca. Noreen may feel betrayed by both men if the truth comes out in season 4.

7Will Cal And Maddie Get Engaged?

Cal and Maddie deserve their happy ending

Ever since Maddie Townsend and Cal Maddox became a couple in Sweet Magnolias season 1, they have been the show’s leading pair. However, as the seasons progressed, the series focused less on their romantic arcs and more on developing Dana Sue and Ronnie as well as Helen and Erik’s storyline. If the series followed Sherryl Woods’s novels religiously, Cal and Maddie would have been married by now since that occurs at the end of the first novel, “Stealing Home,” long before Ronnie returns.

Even though Sweet Magnolias is loosely adapted from the novels, Cal and Maddie should get engaged in season 4.

Even though Sweet Magnolias is loosely adapted from the novels, Cal and Maddie should get engaged in season 4. After they both decided to spend time bettering themselves, they spent the rest of season 3 getting to know each other again, which included both group outings and dates. The couple have earned a happily ever after, and seeing them take the next step in season 4 only makes logical sense.

5What Will Tyler Choose To Do After High School?

Tyler Townsend needs a new career option after his shoulder injury

Tyler Townsend prided himself on being the best baseball player at Serenity High School until he got into a fight with his archrival, Jackson Lewis, defending his brother. Injuring his shoulder changed everything because Tyler realized baseball had been his entire life. It was the only thing he was able to talk to his father, Bill, about, and Tyler assumed it was the only reason his family was proud of him.

As Tyler went through rehab, his priorities shifted. While initially, he still dreamed of getting a scholarship for playing baseball, he reevaluated his goals. Tyler finally had time to be a teenager and try new hobbies like woodworking, and ended season 3 wanting to take a year off before going to college. It would be wonderful if Tyler followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in the family business in season 4, as Sweet Magnolias continues to explore his changing priorities.

4Will Tyler And Annie Become More Than Friends?

Ty and Annie are in the ideal place to explore their feelings further

While a slow-burn romance is entertaining, it’s time to light a fire under Tyler and Annie Sullivan. Tyler and Annie have been close friends thanks to their mothers, Maddie and Dana Sue, but their relationship became complicated when Annie admitted her real feelings during a drunken kiss in season 1. This sent their relationship on a roller coaster since Ty initially didn’t return her feelings until Annie got a boyfriend and started dating his nemesis, Jackson Lewis.

After Tyler recognized his feelings for Annie, she and Jackson started having problems from having to sneak around and secretly date. Season 3 ended with Annie running into Tyler’s arms, needing comfort and sharing a brief intimate handhold at her parents’ vow renewal. Annie mentioned to her mom that she wanted a man she could rely on, and Sweet Magnolias seems to be setting Tyler up to be that person for her. Given the drama in their relationship already, season 4 needs to explore Tyler and Annie becoming a couple.

3Who Will Become The Next Mayor?

Peggy seems like an ideal candidate

When Mayor Trent Lewis resigned at the end of Sweet Magnolias season 3, it was confirmed that he, his wife Mary Vaughn, and two children were moving, which changed the format of the series. The Lewises were the show’s main villains and provided much of the drama in Sweet Magnolias‘ early seasons. For example, in season 2, the Magnolias petitioned to get Mayor Lewis recalled, but May Vaughn took revenge by digging up dirt on Cal Maddox which got him fired.

The Lewises were the show’s main villains and provided much of the drama in Sweet Magnolias‘ early seasons.

During season 3, Peggy started getting suspicious that Mayor Lewis was embezzling the town’s funds, and the rumors caused him to resign at the Forager Festival to avoid humiliation. Sweet Magnolias‘ town Serenity needs a new Mayor as a result, which will undoubtedly be a big storyline in season 4. While Helen would make an excellent candidate as an attorney, she’s got enough storylines in season 4 and could be better used as a campaign manager for Peggy. Peggy used to work in the mayor’s office and knew the mayor’s responsibilities making her a great candidate for the role.

2What’s Next For Dana Sue And Ronnie?

Hopefully, Dana Sue and Ronnie aren’t doomed for the backburner

For the last two seasons of Sweet Magnolias, Ronnie and Dana Sue Sullivan have worked on strengthening their relationship. When Ronnie cheated and left, he broke Dana Sue’s heart, but afterward worked hard to prove that he had changed. Brandon Quinn, Ronnie’s actor, played the character’s layers beautifully. Dana Sue and Ronnie went to marriage counseling and learned how to communicate better, and both of them were able to admit their faults before Ronnie proposed again.

Now that the couple is married again, hopefully, they aren’t doomed to Sweet Magnolias‘ backburner. This happens frequently with happy couples, but there is so much more to explore with Dana Sue and Ronnie, including the family dynamics of raising a teenager together. Besides that, Dana Sue opened her foundation with Frances’s money in season 3, and seeing Ronnie navigate his carpentry business would be a rewarding storyline.

1Will Helen Still Have A Baby Now That She’s Taken In CeCe?

Helen saw an IVF specialist at the end of season 2

At the beginning of Sweet Magnolias, Helen never wanted children, but as she interacted with her “honorary” nieces and nephews, she began to long for them. When she became pregnant with Ryan’s baby and then miscarried, it was heartbreaking. The miscarriage reiterated how badly Helen wanted a baby, and in season 2 she saw an IVF specialist, who told her she had four viable eggs.

This was the last of Helen’s pregnancy storyline because Ryan never wanted children, and then Helen took Cece in when her parents moved away. Helen went from wanting a baby to caring for a teenager and dealing with the new challenges that presented. While CeCe and Helen’s relationship is important, it would be satisfying if Sweet Magnolias revisited Helen’s IVF journey. Heather Headley could handle the heaviness of the storyline, and Helen and Erik would be natural with a baby.