Everything to Know About ‘Sweet Magnolias’ Season 2: Release Date, Cast and More

Credit: Eliza Morse/NETFLIX

Everything to Know About 'Sweet Magnolias' Season 2: Release Date, Cast and More

Can't get enough! Viewers were captivated by the southern charm of Netflix's Sweet Magnolias — and there will be even more to love when it returns for season 2. Based on the novels by Sherryl Woods, the series stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Brooke Elliott, Heather Headley and Jamie Lynn Spears. Season 1 hit the streaming platform in May 2020, becoming so popular among fans that it was renewed for a follow-up just two months later. The drama is centered around three childhood best friends (played by Swisher, Elliott and Headley) in a small South Carolina town who "shepherd each other through the complexities of romance, career and family," per the log line. Working so closely with one another sparked real-life bonds between the women of Sweet Magnolias — even between Swisher and Spears, whose characters are far from friendly. [jwplayer crF0Kw6d] "She's incredible. She's so beautiful and she's such a great mom, and we connected on so many levels," the Pitch alum exclusively told Us Weekly of the former Zoey 101 star in May 2020. "She's really close with her family, and her mom was there with her, helping her with the baby. In the world we live in, it's all a family affair. It's all hands on deck, and everybody's super involved and it's nice. We really bonded over that." Spears portrays the new girlfriend of Swisher's character Maddie's ex-husband. Though the fictional women are "not very tight," the actresses got along quickly. "She played the character in such a just beautiful, vulnerable and endearing way that I really hope — if we get a season 2 — that we get an opportunity to explore what that friendship looks like or what that relationship looks like," Swisher gushed. "She's precious. I love her." Production on season 2 wrapped in the summer of 2021, as showrunner Sheryl Anderson hinted to Parade that the cast and crew were "pouring our hearts into all the answers and the new questions" on viewers' minds. "First of all, we know there are a lot of questions, and as viewers and fans, I can say that all of your questions will be answered," the creator teased. "But that doesn't mean there won't be new questions. ... It's the age-old dilemma of drama — we want our characters to be happy but simply put if they are happy, there is no conflict and there is no drama. I like characters who evolve, grow and change and are not always easy. Sometimes the most important change is hard. Adversity doesn't build character it reveals it, and a lot of people never learn it." Anderson and the writers wanted to "reach deep down" and figure out what makes their characters tick. "All three of our ladies have to grapple with big choices about where they are headed as individuals and where they are headed as romantic partners," she said of season 2. Scroll down for everything to know about the return of Sweet Magnolias: [podcast_block]

Credit: Richard Ducree/NETFLIX

Who's Starring?

Swisher, Elliott and Headley will be return as Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan and Helen Decatur, respectively, with Chris Klein reprising his role as Maddie's ex-husband, Bill Townsend. Justin Bruening, Brandon Quinn and Spears are also set to appear, potentially in larger capacities than season 1.

Credit: Eliza Morse/NETFLIX

When Can You Watch?

All 10 new episodes will be released on February 4, 2022.

Credit: Eliza Morse/NETFLIX

Who Was in the Car Crash?

Season 1 ended with a dramatic cliffhanger as Maddie's son Kyle (Logan Allen) was pulled from a vehicle — unconscious and on a stretcher — on prom night. Swisher exclusively told Us in November 2021 that the passenger's identity will be revealed — but there are bigger surprises in store.

"It's not even the most interesting part of season 2, and it's not even the most interesting part of the first episode," she teased. "When I read the script, I had kind of known that. I mean, obviously, it's very interesting to find out who [it] is. That is obviously a huge cliffhanger, but I was like, 'Oh, OK,' so it's really like a one-two punch."

Credit: Eliza Morse/NETFLIX

Are There New Characters?

Anderson confirmed that viewers would see new faces on the series when it comes back, telling Parade, "There will be new alliances between existing citizens of Serenity." Spears later teased the return of her character, Noreen Fitzgibbons, who sported a baby bump in a series of promo photos shared via Instagram in December 2021, hinting that a newborn could be joining the Sweet Magnolias family. 

Credit: Netflix/YouTube

Teaser Trailer

The ladies of Serenity appear to be in good spirits as they toast to their love lives over a pitcher of margaritas in the season 2 trailer, released in January 2022.

In the clip, Maddie and Cal (Bruening) are back on track romantically, while Helen is trying to navigate her feelings for Erik (Dion Johnstone). Dana Sue, for her part, is finding “hope” in her life while being caught up in a love triangle with Jeremy (Chase Anderson) and Ronnie (Quinn).

This season will also include Isaac’s (Chris Medlin) ongoing search for his birth parents and dive into Noreen and Bill’s adventure with their newborn — and how it affects Bill’s ex-wife, Maddie, and their kids. Later in the video, fans got a glimpse of Maddie’s son Kyle and his life after the prom night crash, but the matter of who else was in the vehicle that night is still a mystery.