Sweet Magnolias is gearing up for its big season 5 return — but Serenity, South Carolina, will be missing one familiar face.
Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson exclusively confirmed to Us Weekly ahead of the show’s Thursday, June 11, premiere that Carson Rowland, who portrays Tyler “Ty” Townsend, made the “decision” to sit out on the Netflix drama’s fifth season.
The departure comes after Ty and BFF Annie (Anneliese Judge) finally confessed their feelings for each other in season 4, giving longtime “TyAnnie” fans the payoff they’d been waiting for. Still, Anderson promises the show has found a meaningful story to craft around Rowland’s absence.
“In his leaving, we wanted to make the best of the situation,” she told Us, “and look at what happens when people leave the people they love to chase a dream.”
Us Weekly reached out to Rowland for comment.
When viewers last saw Ty, he was at a crossroads in the wake of his father’s death, deciding between touring the world with his bandmate Olivia (Tommi Rose) or staying closer to Serenity as his new love with Annie bloomed. The pair ended season 4 at odds after Ty asked Annie to defer her dream college in California for a semester and run off to Europe with him instead.
Exactly how season 5 handles the fallout remains under wraps, but Judge hopes that fans will stay open-minded about where Annie’s journey takes her next. While the story may not be “what they necessarily expected,” she told Us it will be “something I hope they’ll be able to feel alongside us anyway.”
Judge also emphasized that the cast is fully supportive of Rowland and excited for what comes next for him professionally.
“He had some other opportunities that I’m really excited for him about,” she shared. “He’s a really, really good friend of mine, and so that’s something that’s really exciting for him and for all of us. We’re all still so supportive of him.”
Even without Ty absent from Serenity, Judge hasn’t forgotten how important Ty and Annie’s story has been to her character.
“I know Ty and Annie’s relationship has been such an important piece of Annie’s journey. That’s something that’s really meaningful and something that was really special to bring to life together,” she gushed. “And he’s such a generous scene partner. He’s so kind and just the coolest person ever. I love hanging out with him on set, off set. He’s so great, and so of course it’s sad, but it’s also really exciting.”
At the same time, Judge is excited for Annie to evolve beyond her romance with Ty. Season 5, she said, gives her character the chance to “redefine herself outside” of that relationship.
We get to follow her as new characters come in and really challenge her in very different ways, and make her think about her life in different ways,” she explained.
As for whether Ty could eventually find his way back to Serenity should Netflix renew Sweet Magnolias for season 6, Anderson isn’t ruling anything out.
“I’m a big believer in open doors,” she said with a smile when asked if Rowland might show back up in the future. “And I hope we’ll have the opportunity to see who walks through that open door.”
Sweet Magnolias season 5 premieres on Netflix Thursday, June 11.
