A new season of Sweet Magnolias has finally hit Netflix, and if you’re tuning into the opening hour of season 4, you might find yourself with a case of whiplash. That’s because the season does not pick up where we last left off but rather jumps ahead a full year from Ronnie and Dana Sue’s vowel renewal… and quite a lot has happened since we last left in Serenity.
Before we dive into the specifics of things, this seems like a perfect place for a spoiler alert as there are some major plot reveals coming ahead from the Sweet Magnolias season 4 premiere!
As the season opens, we get hit with a bit of an information overload as the writers look to bring us up to speed on what has taken place in the last year.
The biggest reveal of the premiere comes at the top of the season as we learn Cal and Maddie have been engaged for six months, and Maddie has since become a published author. We also learn that Dana Sue has taken a step back from Sullivan’s to run the Magnolias Foundation and is about to begin teaching some classes at the school. Sullivan’s is reopening as Sullivan’s and Friends, where Erik is serving as the head chef and Cal is taking on a more hands-on approach to running the restaurant than ever before.
Surprisingly, while the season 3 finale hinted Helen and Erik might patch things up, Helen has a new man in her life: Alex, an architect from Nashville who worked on the renovations of the restaurant. Erik, meanwhile, is in a relationship with Genevieve. It seems things are just as equally complicated for Ty and Annie as Ty has yet to confess his true feelings to her.
After we’re caught up on all these developments, we start to pivot into the more central storylines of the season.
As Serenity’s new mayor, Peggy is trying to pick up the pieces in order to save the town after Trench is finally brought to justice. She’s more than over her head and turns to Helen for help until a new town manager can be found. Helen isn’t interested in the job, but she offers to do what she can to help her friend and the town… and it seems the town is definitely in need of help.
After a book reading at the library, Madie learns that the Saturday storytime readings for the kids are on the line due to budget cuts. It seems the library is in major trouble, and Helen confirms Maddie’s concerns when they meet to pour it out.
One thing that doesn’t come up during the pour it out session is Dana Sue’s struggles with adjusting to her new normal. After the group gathered at Sullivan’s and Friends earlier in the episode, Dana Sue admits to Ronnie that she feels as though she’s abandoning her family at the restaurant. She’s incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved and has faith they’ll succeed, but she is worried about walking away when they’re about to take on an incredibly hard challenge.
Dana Sue tries to shift her attention to teaching her cooking courses and self-doubts again creep in, but Erik assures her she’s an amazing teacher as evident in those at Sullivan’s who she’s helped.
Sweet Magnolias season 4 episode 1 ending explained
As the Sweet Magnolias season 4 premiere comes to a close, the town of Serenity comes together for a Halloween bash at The Corner Spa. Everyone in town drops in, including Cal’s mom, Iris (played by the amazing Jodi Benson), and we get to finally see a proper Halloween celebration with some truly amazing costumes.
Following a fun group dance number, a moment four seasons in the making finally comes to fruition as Ty pulls Annie aside and finally professes his love for her! The two embrace and share a passionate kiss, which is eventually interrupted by Kyle and Katie, who come to gather Ty for a surprise Serenity won’t soon forget.
When Ty, Kyle, and Katie return to the party, they’ve all changed out of their costumes into more formal attire. They pull Helen, Dana Sue, Paula, and Iris up front for a special treat. Just then Cal and Pastor June come walking in, who have also changed out of their costumes.
Finally, we see Katie ascending the stairs as Maddie then appears donning a stunning wedding dress as the episode comes to an end. And with that, the premiere comes to a close with a surprise wedding about to begin!