Summary
The Magnolias unite the locals against the leadershop in “Great Expectations”.
This recap of Sweet Magnolias season 2, episode 5, “Great Expectations”, contains spoilers.
There are many upsides to living in a small town where everyone knows everyone, but one of the clear downsides is that when you conduct your relationships in public, it makes the news. That’s the problem Dana Sue is facing in “Great Expectations” since her breaking up with Jeremy is trending on local social media. Before she knows it, everyone in Sullivan’s kitchen knows, and most of them find it hilarious. Dana Sue doesn’t, but since she wants to maintain a relationship with Jeremy’s farm, she gives that responsibility to Erik and hopes to stay out of it. We’ll see.
Sweet Magnolias season 2, episode 5 recap
Meanwhile, Maddie and Helen find out who owns the parking lot behind The Corner Spa — Mary Vaughn. Of course, she and her mayor husband are making real estate acquisitions that they claim are for the good of the town, then changing regulations to ensure that they profit whether the town does or not. Maddie has the moral high ground, obviously, but taking on the most powerful family in Serenity is going to require a more complex strategy.
There’s discord in the Townsend household anyway, even though Bill isn’t there and plans on being even further away since he has accepted a new job. It’s not exactly a world away, and he’ll still be pretty accessible, and he got all the kids keys to his new apartment building. But it’s worth a mention either way, especially since Kyle — predictably! — doesn’t take it well. At around the same time, Cal is continuing to ingratiate himself with Maddie and Bill’s children, and he’s doing a much better job of it. He exhibits restraint when passers-by hurl abuse at him, and he’s happy to read David McCullough’s 1776 and compare notes about George Washington with Tyler, only shortly after Bill confessed he’d never read the tome.
Meanwhile, Helen is able to track down Peggy Martin, Isaac’s biological mother. Confronted with Isaac, she panics and flees, which obviously upsets him, but it’s obviously a deeply emotional and complex situation. To help matters, Noreen temporarily moves in with him, which will do as a distraction if nothing else. Peggy’s reaction after the fact is worrying, though. She turns up to The Corner Spa when the Magnolias summon all local business owners for a meeting to rally against the town council, but she won’t speak to Helen about Isaac at all. At least the meeting is a giant success, though.
It seems to be a success on a personal level, too. It leads to a nice moment between Helen and Erik and another between Maddie and Cal, the latter two confessing their love for each other even. Ronnie made a big gesture to Dana Sue earlier on, and when she returns home after the meeting she finds him there, with a killer speech on tap. It works, and the episode ends with them undressing and heading to bed.
You can stream Sweet Magnolias season 2, episode 5, “Great Expectations”, exclusively on Netflix.
