Summary
This glossy soap opera series mixes PG humor and adult innuendo. It’s been referred to as Virgin River meets Sex and the City, yet it never comes close to matching either. Fans will love the slow pace and wholesome feel, but this Netflix original lacks any tension.
Here is our review of the Netflix series Sweet Magnolias Season 3, which does not contain spoilers.
Netflix likes to cover all bases; that’s why you’ll find everything from interactive video games to endless loops of burning log fires on the streaming platform. They’ve literally got their fingers in every pop culture pie going to facilitate every possible mood.
There are even a few daytime dramas within that daunting catalog of content.
So, if you are looking for some easy, laid-back viewing that moves at a different pace from the rest, then Sweet Magnolias might be the show for you. Fans of the series will be happy to be back in soothing Serenity for more of the same wholesome drama.
Sweet Magnolias Season 3 Review and Plot Summary
The third season centers on the trials and tribulations of our three main protagonists, old friends Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Helen (Heather Headley), and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), who meet on a weekly basis for mouth-watering margaritas and lots of juicy small-town gossip.
We find Maddie at a crossroads in her life in season three. She’s eager to work on strengthening her relationship with Cal and looking to do a little soul-searching of her own as well.
As always, Maddie tries to steer her children in the right direction and strives to help those suffering in the local community.
In the last season, Helen, the unlucky-in-love lawyer, finally got proposed to by her on-again, off-again lover Ryan. In the latest batch of episodes, Helen must convince Ryan to make a new home for himself in Serenity, while her affection for Erik may jeopardize this exciting engagement altogether.
Then there’s Dana Sue, Sullivans’ chef supreme, who has been handed a large check by the now-deceased Miss Frances. Dana Sue and her husband Ronnie are overwhelmed by this huge, life-altering amount of money and are unsure how to proceed. Do they spend it on themselves or the community?
The ladies have their work cut out, but their children are also looking for meaning and love in their lives too. Maddie’s son Tyler must decide what to do about his future, while Dana Sue’s daughter Annie struggles to keep her secret romance with Jackson alive.
Is Sweet Magnolias Season 3 good or bad?
Sweet Magnolias moves at a slower pace than the norm, which can be a refreshing experience in itself, especially when considering our hectic lifestyles, but even daytime drama needs some form of tension or conflict to function. Season three lacks any real excuse for drama at all.
Viewers will find themselves craving the smallest morsel of tension throughout this lengthy ten-episode season. Short scenes inter-cut, connecting characters and subplots, yet very little actually happens. When there is conflict, the actors tend to rely on over-the-top theatrics, which kills any genuine emotional connections or revert to preachy, drawn-out speeches that support the show’s deep religious roots.
There are feel-good moments scattered throughout the series and a handful of wholesome romances to get behind, but these are few and far between in a crowded season that is surprisingly uneventful overall.
Is Sweet Magnolias Season 3 worth watching?
Fans are guaranteed to adore this latest season regardless. The show offers important life lessons and promotes a loving community spirit. It captures a fantastical worldview that is alluring. This easy-to-follow series will work well as a soulful pick-me-up or, dare I say, as simple background noise.
What did you think of Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias Season 3? Comment below.
