If you have a Netflix subscription and you’re anything like me, it means that you binged Sweet Magnolias Season 3 as soon as it hit the streamer on July 20. While the cliffhangers of the Season 2 ending were all wrapped up by the time the credits rolled on the small town drama’s third outing, every fan of the goings-on in Serenity, South Carolina knows that the big news always involves the characters’ relationship statuses.
And, this season didn’t disappoint on that front, as some relationships got stronger, while others fell apart and surprising new ones blossomed. If you need help keeping up with all of the romantic entanglements and where they stand at the end of Sweet Magnolias' third season, we have all the juicy details you need. So, let’s get to it! (Season 3 spoilers ahead!)
Dana Sue And Ronnie
Though I still mourn the romance that could have been between Dana Sue and adorable Farmer Jeremy (more on him later), at least I can now fully get behind the frequently stressed chef and her no longer estranged husband, Ronnie. He returned to town at the end of Season 1 to give Dana Sue some financial support, and the duo ended up working out their troubles (she kicked him out before the beginning of Season 1 because he’d cheated on her) in counseling.
Not only do they seem to be stronger than ever by the end of the third season, but they are still in couples counseling to keep that bond they’ve rebuilt, and the heat/love between them was repaired enough that the finale saw them renew their vows in front of dang near the whole town. I ain’t mad at it!
Maddie And Cal
I thought for sure that this romance was going to be dealt a crushing blow after Cal lost his job and then his cool to the point where he got arrested for punching a fan inside of Sullivan’s at the end of last season. What would happen to Cal was one of the big questions fans had after Season 2, but it turns out that he was able to quickly right his anger-filled ship, and Maddie was there to support him.
Maddie was on her own “journey” in Season 3, but she and Cal realized that they still wanted to be in a relationship. After having a talk and deciding to slow things down a bit (they took a two-week sex break) for a time so they could fully recommit to one another, it was pretty much smooth sailing, with them even being able to weather a meeting with Cal’s toxic ex, Vicky, with no problems. Good job, y’all!
Helen And Ryan
Well, my stars! One of the big cliffhangers of the second season involved Ryan popping up in the finale and springing a proposal on Helen, after saying just months prior that he didn’t want to live in Serenity or have kids with his very long-time, on-again-off-again girlfriend. Unfortunately, she was just as stuck on him as always, so despite her burgeoning romance with Erik, Helen let Ryan back into her life and they began dating again.
As many fans likely expected, this tenuous bliss did not last, as Ryan’s resolve to stick around and not globe trot was already clearly wearing thin by half-way through Episode 6, and the end of that installment saw him break Helen’s heart yet again when he told her he couldn’t stay and left town, ending their relationship for the umpteenth time.
Helen And Erik
You had better believe that Erik, kind and thoughtful though he may be, was incredibly angry about Helen going back to Ryan, and no one can blame the man for that! He then spent a lot of time trying to get over the loss by taking a long break from Sullivan’s (partially so that he wouldn’t have to see Helen on a regular basis). This led to Erik meeting and beginning to date newcomer Genevieve, who’d come to town to interview for a job at the Magnolias' spa, which she eventually got.
Erik and Helen had a few tersely polite run-ins after she told him she was going back to Ryan, and then even after he left her again, she knew it was best to keep her distance from Erik. By the end of the season, he’d found out from someone else that she and Ryan were no longer together and it looked like they were on a path to at least become friends again (they’re obviously still hot for each other), but we don’t know if that automatically means the end for Erik and Genevieve.
Annie, Ty, And Jackson
These crazy kids just don’t know what they want, and that actually makes sense, seeing as how most of the adults barely do, either. We all know that Annie had a long-standing crush on Ty that he didn’t reciprocate in the first season, with him instead dating CeCe. But, when Annie and Ty’s baseball nemesis, Jackson, began dating in Season 2, good ol’ Ty started to see what he was missing.
Ty was single this season (CeCe rightfully broke up with him when she saw how he reacted to Annie’s new romance), and acted as a mostly supportive friend to Annie as she dated Jackson, who’s family moved away suddenly during the season. However, that move put a big strain on the relationship, and while Ty was starting to get closer to classmate/statistics tutor Olivia, Annie’s romance with Jackson fell apart. She then broke up with Jackson in the Season 3 finale, and ran to Ty for comfort. The last time we saw them, Annie and Ty were holding hands (IN PUBLIC!), so it’s not impossible that a potential Season 4 could finally see them date.
Kyle, Nellie, And Lily
I think everyone was probably surprised, after Kyle and Nellie kissed in Season 2, that she wasn’t holding on to her torch for him (She’d had a crush on him while he was crushing on Annie… who had a crush on Ty…these kids, right?) after her mom forbade her and older brother Jackson from dating any Magnolia offspring.
Kyle spent most of the season pining for Nellie and assuming she was his secret admirer, but Episode 9 (after Nellie confirmed she’d moved on with someone else) let us in on the real lady who’d found herself stuck on Kyle: “older woman” Lily, who’s been best known so far as Annie’s gossip-happy buddy. She finally told Kyle how she felt about him, kissed him in front of all the kids, and the two agreed to go on a date. Awwww!
Bonus: Surprising Connections!
I think this set of episodes have seen more characters get together than any other. While Dana Sue, Helen, Maddie and their assorted children were going through their own romantic ups and downs, we saw a lot of secondary and tertiary characters find love (or something like it). These include the surprisingly (and delightfully) flirty Pastor June with her new bingo friend, David; Maddie’s mom Miss Paula and her art patron, Jimmy; and Peggy and her old journalism school comrade, Charles.
Even more shockingly, Farmer Jeremy has struck up a romance with Noreen, and was seen bonding with her and Bill’s daughter at Ronnie and Dana Sue’s wedding reception, while Bill began dating Ronnie’s estranged sister, Kathy, and the two even left town together in the finale. Hell, even Dr. Howie (Who we now know once dated Helen!) had himself a date for the wedding, so it seems that nearly everyone will be on the way to getting down should Sweet Magnolias return for Season 4!
