Will Maddie move to New York City? And will Netflix let Sweet Magnolias live on to show us her decision?
After a year and a half away from Serenity, South Carolina, Sweet Magnolias returned for a fourth season on Netflix in February 2025 and the season ended on quite a cliffhanger. The series, based on Sherryl Woods’ book series of the same name, follows best friends Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley)—dubbed “the Magnolias”—through their adult lives as they navigate personal and professional triumphs and failures, and the fourth season finale left us wondering if the central trio would be geographically broken up.
With a season that also navigated the death of a central character and celebrated the long-awaited engagement between a fan-favorite couple, there was a lot to chew on and even more left to consider for the future. The series has been a consistent ratings hit for Netflix, with over 1.2 billion minutes viewed across the first three seasons. With so many fans tuning into the romance series and wondering where it could go next, we’re breaking down what we know about Sweet Magnolias season 5.
Dana Sue Sullivan (Brooke Elliott), Helen Decatur (Heather Headley), and Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) having a heart-to-heart in Sweet Magnolias season 4.
(Image credit: Netflix)
How does ‘Sweet Magnolias’ season 4 end?
Spoilers for the entire fourth season of Sweet Magnolias ahead. The latest installment of Sweet Magnolias is a season of change, and the biggest one is a potential split among the central trio. There are a lot of exciting developments for Maddie, in particular, who marries Cal (Justin Bruening) and gets her dream publishing job. However, accepting the role would require her family to leave Serenity and move to N.Y.C. Meanwhile, her ex-husband Bill (Chris Klein) also dies suddenly in Texas and his final wish was to be buried in Serenity where his five children live, which would make the break from her South Carolina hometown even harder.
Bill’s funeral invites new secrets to be unearthed, none more groundbreaking than Isaac’s (Chris Medlin) revelation that he’s Bill’s illegitimate son and came to Serenity looking for his birth family. While Isaac knew Bill was his father, he had kept the secret from his best friend and roommate Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears) since her daughter was technically Isaac’s sibling.
A few long-awaited couplings also happen in the fourth season: Helen and Erik (Dion Johnstone), whom fans have been shipping since the beginning, end the season engaged, while Maddie’s son Ty (Carson Rowland) finally gets the courage to tell Dana Sue’s daughter Annie (Anneliese Judge) how he feels. But by season’s end, the younger generation’s relationship looks rocky as Ty asks Annie to skip out on photography school to go on tour with him—a request she rightfully scoffs at.
The third Magnolia, Dana Sue, had less to do this season after the renewal of her vows in season 3, focusing more on her professional life by opening a teaching kitchen. Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson explained to Netflix’s Tudum, “Our overall season theme was ‘seize your passion’…we saw this as an organic extension of everything she’s good at.”
(Image credit: Netflix)
Is ‘Sweet Magnolias’ renewed for season 5?
Despite being a popular series and viewership driver—the third season topped the Nielsen rankings for streaming originals the week it released—Netflix hasn’t officially renewed the romance drama for a fifth season yet.
But that doesn’t mean that the streamer won’t order more episodes. The biggest indicator is that the source material has 11 books, from which the writers can source storylines, meaning there is plenty more plot to get through. While Netflix has sometimes renewed popular shows before new seasons come out, often they wait until after new episodes drop to announce a renewal.
With season 4 ending on a cliffhanger about Maddie’s future in Serenity, Anderson told Tudum, “I deeply, deeply hope that we get a season 5 so we can answer [whether the Magnolias can survive Maddie moving to New York].”
Season 4 finally saw fan-favorite couple Maddie (Garcia Swisher) and Cal (Justin Bruening) get married.
(Image credit: Netflix)
When would ‘Sweet Magnolias’ season 5 come out?
Considering the production timeline from season 4, a potential season 5 could hit the air in 2026. Season 4 was officially renewed in October 2023, with production kicking off in February 2024 and lasting through May. The new episodes hit the air nine months later on February 6, 2025, meaning we should see new episodes by the end of next year, as long as Netflix gives the green-light by the end of 2025.
Carson Rowland and Anneliese Judge’s appearances in season 5 may depend on what Ty and Annie decide to do with their futures.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Who in the ‘Sweet Magnolias’ cast will return for season 5?
The central titular trio of Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley) will certainly be back for any future seasons of the show, however, the writers’ decision about Maddie’s job may reduce Swisher’s screen time.
The Magnolias’ love interests will also certainly be back, with Erik (Dion Johnstone) finally getting engaged to Helen, Cal (Justin Bruening) marrying Maddie, and Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) settling back into married life with Dana Sue. Isaac (Chris Medlin) and Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears) will also likely reprise their roles.
Ty (Carson Rowland) and Annie (Anneliese Judge) might significantly reduce their roles or not appear, as their characters head off to pursue their dreams. (Whether it will be together or separate remains to be seen.) Their siblings and friends could be promoted into more significant roles, meaning we may see more of Kyle (Logan Allen), Katie (Ella Grace Helton), Nellie (Simone Lockhart), Gabriel (Al-Jaleel Knox), and others.
The one character we’re certain we won’t be seeing is Bill (Chris Klein) given his untimely death in season 4. But, hey, TV loves a flashback, so never say never!
Erik (Dion Johnstone) and Helen’s (Headley) engagement was one of the most exciting developments in season 4.
(Image credit: Netflix)
What could ‘Sweet Magnolias’ season 5 be about?
The biggest question to answer in a potential fifth season is whether Maddie will take the job in New York and leave Serenity (and her besties) behind. Given the show is so rooted in this South Carolina town, it’s pretty unlikely that Sweet Magnolias would go this route for more than a few episodes, if it does. After all, many other shows have tread this ground before (we’ll never forget when the ‘00s hit Friday Night Lights promoted Coach Taylor to the collegiate level only to bring him home a few episodes later).
A fifth season would probably also center around Helen and Erik’s wedding, with all of the excitement and drama that comes with it. While the series has changed a lot of storylines and introduced characters that weren’t in the books, the original text includes disagreements between Helen and Erik about kids that could be incorporated into the show.