Sweet Magnolias season 4 was recently released on Netflix, and in addition to being one of Sweet Magnolias’ best seasons, the new episodes confirmed who is the best character of them all. Sweet Magnolias centers on the fictional small town of Serenity, and, like other small-town shows, Sweet Magnolias could easily be described as a comfort show. Despite its at times shocking or unsettling storylines, this show is consistently charming, calm, and pleasant.

That doesn’t mean the characters are boring, though. On the contrary, Sweet Magnolias has managed to introduce myriad dynamic, fascinating characters year after year. Taking all of Sweet Magnolias’ characters into consideration, these 10 represent the very best overall.

10Noreen

Noreen’s Character Development Is Some Of The Best On The Show

Noreen was not exactly a likable character when she was introduced in Sweet Magnolias. She was first known as the woman with whom Bill was having an affair, and the situation only became all the more complicated when she and Bill welcomed their daughter, Bex, into the world. Despite that rough start, Noreen has had major character development in the show, and she is now one of Sweet Magnolia’s best characters.

Noreen has had major character development in the show, and she is now one of Sweet Magnolia’s best characters.

Over time, Noreen has really become a part of the community of Serenity, and she has especially made progress with Maddie and her kids. It’s been nice to see these relationships develop and see Noreen grow up and mature. Her friendship with Isaac has also made her a much better character. While she isn’t the very best, she is on the list of top 10 characters.

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9Ty

Ty Has Also Come A Long Way

Ty is the oldest of Bill and Maddie’s kids, and while he’s certainly had his ups and downs on the show, most of that seems to have been growing pains. It’s unsurprising, given Ty is a teenage boy with divorced parents, that he had the occasional outburst in earlier seasons of the show. He especially had a difficult time coming to terms with his mother’s relationship with his baseball coach.

Like Noreen, though, Ty has shown significant growth throughout Sweet Magnolia’s four seasons. In the most recent season, Ty and Annie finally admitted their feelings for one another and officially began dating. Although that took a turn for the worse in the Sweet Magnolia’s season 4 ending, even getting to this point was major progress for Ty. He has also increasingly shown up for his mother and his siblings, especially with the tragic news about Bill in the most recent season of the show.

8Kyle

Maddie’s Most Charming Kid Is Easily Kyle

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Of Maddie’s three kids, Kyle has long been the most charismatic. From the beginning, Kyle was sweet, kind, and more than a little nerdy, but all of that contributes to Kyle being one of Sweet Magnolia’s best characters. His love for theater and shy nature have always stood out, particularly compared to many of the more boisterous characters (his older brother among them).

Of Maddie’s three kids, Kyle has long been the most charismatic.

Kyle’s sweet disposition hasn’t changed yet, although, if the show is renewed for additional seasons, that could change as Kyle gets further into his teen years. For now, though, Kyle remains a charming addition to the Serenity community and a character who has always shown kindness. This is especially true in light of his relationship with Noreen, with whom he was always more accepting than most others in the town were.

7Annie

Dana Sue’s Only Child Is A Brilliant Addition To Serenity

Like Ty, Annie—Dana Sue’s only child—has had her ups and downs, although she has much more consistently proven to be kind, compassionate, and dedicated to her friends and family. In season 4, Annie also proved just how far she’s come in terms of standing up for herself and self-confidence. When Ty was asking her to defer admission to her dream school to join him on tour in Europe, Annie not only refused but also broke things off with Ty.

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This was major progress for Annie as a character, who previously would likely not have prioritized herself in that way. This is just one example of many regarding why Annie is one of Sweet Magnolias’ best characters. In the most recent season, Annie also used an image of the Serenity community as her ‘self-portrait’ for her college application, proving how dedicated and caring she really is. It will be interesting to see where her character goes next, given Annie’s arc is one of the major changes between the books and the TV show.

6Isaac

Isaac May Not Have Been In The Books, But He’s Become A Brilliant Character In The Show

Surprisingly, Isaac wasn’t a character in the Sweet Magnolias books. This is surprising in part because Isaac is fleshed out so well in the Netflix show, but also because he fits in so well with the rest of the Serenity community. In addition to befriending Noreen and having a great working relationship with both Dana Sue and Erik, Isaac has started to get much closer to Maddie and her kids—who happen to be Isaac’s (secret, until recently) half-siblings.

Isaac has started to get much closer to Maddie and her kids—who happen to be Isaac’s (secret, until recently) half-siblings.

In Sweet Magnolias season 4, Isaac was even shown having family dinner with Maddie, Cal, and Maddie’s kids, suggesting that, even in light of Bill’s death, Isaac will begin to have a better bond with his half-siblings. This is an exciting possibility for Isaac’s future, but even before then, Isaac has proven to be an excellent character in Sweet Magnolias. He is kind, thoughtful, and compassionate towards everyone he meets.

5Erik

Erik Is The Perfect Love Interest For Helen

In Sweet Magnolias season 3, Helen heartbreakingly (for many viewers) went back to her ex, Ryan, with whom she’d long had a tumultuous relationship. This also meant Helen breaking things off with Erik, who had been absolutely perfect for her up until that point. Erik is charismatic, kind, career-driven, and charming, and he seemed to be exactly what Helen needed.

Thankfully, Helen and Erik got back together in Sweet Magnolias season 4, and it happened in a way that proved Erik is one of the show’s best characters. During a terrifying hurricane, Helen became trapped in her car, and her situation was very precarious. Heroically, Erik went out in the storm to find her, which is when the two finally and truly reunited. Even outside his relationship with Helen, though, Erik is an excellent Sweet Magnolias character who has become beloved in spite of not being one of the main characters.

4Dana Sue

Of The Three Main Friends, Dana Sue Is Arguably The Weakest Link

Dana Sue, Helen, and Maddie are unquestionably the stars of Sweet Magnolias, and they are therefore high on the list of the show’s best characters. However, of the three main best friends in Sweet Magnolias, Dana Sue is arguably the weakest link. There’s plenty to like about Dana Sue, from her sense of humor to her professional drive.

In addition to that, though, Dana Sue has a tendency to be unnecessarily harsh on others, including her daughter (who, all things considered, is an incredibly well-behaved teen), her husband, and even her friends. In fact, throughout various friend dramas, however severe, Dana Sue tends to come across as a bit overly sensitive, such as with Maddie and Cal’s surprise wedding in Sweet Magnolias season 4. Even so, as one of the main characters, Dana Sue has proven to be funny and caring for the most part.

Dana Sue has a tendency to be unnecessarily harsh on others.

3Cal

Cal Has Been A Wonderful Addition To Maddie’s Family

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After all the nonsense Maddie experienced with Bill, Cal was absolutely a breath of fresh air not only for Maddie but also for Sweet Magnolias as a whole. Cal hasn’t been without his faults, as he had a minor arc in which he seemed to struggle with some anger issues, but that has since been resolved. Now, in keeping with the books—which never represented Cal as having such issues—Cal has become a major support system for Maddie and a brilliant father figure for her kids.

This will no doubt become even more important following Bill’s death in season 4. While Cal will likely have too much respect for Bill, Maddie, and the kids to ever try to take Bill’s place, he will surely step up as a dad for the kids since they lost theirs. This, alongside his impressive skills as a former baseball player and his sense of humor, has made Cal one of the show’s very best characters.

2Maddie

Maddie Is Arguably The Star Of The Show

Sweet Magnolias is an ensemble cast in many ways, but if there were to be a sole main character, it would arguably be Maddie. Her family has long been the primary focus of the show, and even in the friend group, she often feels like the leader. Maddie is also a generally likable character, frequently overcoming whatever obstacles or even shortcomings she may have.
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It was rather honorable for Maddie to forgive and embrace Noreen, for example, which not many people would be able to do in Maddie’s shoes. She is also a major unifying force in Serenity, and she’s somebody many audience members can likely relate to. Even so, there’s one character who beats out even Maddie in terms of Sweet Magnolias’ best character.

1Helen

Helen Is The Single Best Sweet Magnolias Character

Helen isn’t without her flaws (going back to Ryan being a great example), but Helen is the single best character in Sweet Magnolias nevertheless. In addition to being an accomplished attorney who frequently shows off her intelligence and fierce nature, Helen is incredibly kind. In fact, on more than one occasion, Helen has taken other characters under her wing, especially when they are on their own or don’t have their own support systems.

Helen has taken other characters under her wing, especially when they are on their own or don’t have their own support systems.

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Helen is also a character who is often willing to admit when she was wrong, so even when she has her missteps, it doesn’t take long for her to seem genuinely remorseful. She’s also simply a character who brings her own unique vibrancy to the show, which is particularly appreciated in shows with a small-town focus. Although there are many wonderful characters in Sweet Magnolias, Helen is the best of them all.