Why You Need To Binge 'Sweet Magnolias' Now-ish

The other night, my boyfriend and I were scanning Netflix for something to watch when I saw that a show called Sweet Magnolias was number one. I’d never heard of it before, but had a feeling it would be my speed.

After watching the trailer that showed three strong women who tackle life’s problems one by one, together — and then a few other trailers of current shows — he suggested we watch White Lines.

I vetoed him and said, “I want to watch Sweet Magnolias.” It reminded me of some of my favorite summer reads and I needed something happy and uplifting in front of my face.

After trying to convince me I’d be happier watching the show by myself, I didn’t give in, and he agreed to watch with me, reluctantly.

After two episodes, he was hooked. I believe the words out of his mouth were, “I just have to watch one more before we go to bed.”

I love being right.

Sweet Magnolias has all the elements I love. It’s a feel good show — think Hallmark Movies — but it also has enough drama in it to keep you guessing what will happen next. And, I can watch it with my kiddos.

The series, which has ten episodes, takes place in a small southern town named Serenity. It’s based on the book series of the same name written by Sherryl Woods. I’m not sure why I haven’t read any of them, but now my summer reading list is complete — I don’t care if I already saw the show. I need more of this in my life.

The scenery in the Sweet Magnolias is reason enough to watch. It’s so beautiful you might forget you forget you are in quarantine. It’s dripping with lush landscapes, flowering trees, and of course, bursting magnolia flowers.

The main character, Maddie, is played by JoAnna Garcia. Maddie is going through a divorce; her husband left her after getting his (much younger) coworker pregnant. Her whole life is turned upside down, and she’s now facing losing her home and having to go back to work after staying home to care for her three kids for years.

Brooke Elliot and Heather Headley play her best friends, and they swoop in to help her get her life back on track. The three of them buy a southern mansion and renovate it into the spa of their dreams. It’s like watching HGTV with a side of Gilmore Girls.

The three women tackle all of life’s problems — including divorce, long lost lovers, new romance, trouble with kids, and work drama — over delicious looking cocktails every Friday night. I can’t lie — one of my favorite parts of the show is that the ladies fill their cocktail glasses to the brim and make you want to get in the kitchen and whip up a margarita instantly.

And speaking of the kitchen, there is a cooking element in Sweet Magnolias that leaves your mouth watering and makes you want to open a bed and breakfast.

Not only does the show feature strong females who have a tight bond, it’s soothing, and inspirational, with a peppering of fights and drama which keeps it from being too “fluffy.” Also, I’ve heard there’s a bit of eye candy in the show, but I was too wrapped up in the storyline to notice. Ahem.

I won’t give anything else away, but let’s just say the last episode leaves you hanging at the edge of your seat and wanting more — and people are pissed about it.

While Netflix hasn’t confirmed there will be a season two yet, it’s rumored if the fans like it (it did push Avatar out of the number one spot and has five stars), there will be a second season that may hit in 2021.

While that seems too long to wait for me, I know it will be worth it.

If you are tired of all the doom and gloom that seems to be lurking at every turn, I can’t recommend Sweet Magnolias enough. And even if your Boo says they won’t like it and you should just watch it without them, you should override them. I promise, they will thank you for it. My boyfriend and I watched it in two evenings and I’m pretty sure his eyes were teary because it was over. (Let’s keep that between us.) But trust me — it’s just as appealing if you’re watching it all alone in your robe in bed.

In fact, I might head up to my room right now for round two. It was that good.