‘SWEET MAGNOLIAS,’ SEASON ONE: THE START OF NETFLIX’S SMALL TOWN DRAMA

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When it comes to the shows Netflix puts out, I’m not always their biggest fan. However, if you want sweet dramas, they do have a couple of good ones, including this, Sweet Magnolias season one.

Sweet Magnolias, Season One (2020) Netflix TV Review

Three best friends experience unhappiness and joy together. Ups and downs, divorce and heartbreak, highs and lows, and still Helen (Heather Headley); Maddie (Joanna Garcia-Swisher); and Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) stick together. Just as Maddie is working through a low and big change, Dana Sue and Helen continue to support her. As her ex (Chris Klein) starts a new family, Maddie tries to give her kids a stable home. What she doesn’t expect is perhaps forming a friendship with Cal (Justin Bruening), the new high school coach.

Helen is a busy attorney who loved and lost a first love, and now is on the precipice of love again. Dana Sue has a stubborn teen daughter she is raising as a single parent, and a restaurant to run. Both challenges that may affect her health.

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This is one of those shows I watched quite a while ago, and apparently, never added an official review to my archives. Of course, this will simply not do. This show is, like any of its peers, imperfect, but it’s also supreme entertainment. There’s some characters who rub me the wrong way, and I cannot quite find it in me (at least this round) to like them. However, there’s also plenty of characters whom I really like. Joanna’s Maddie is, like any she plays, another likable character, and though I may be in the minority, I do like the budding love story between she and Cal. Helen is also a lovely character who is like the common sense, keeps everyone sane friend, while also having heartbreak of her own.

What I like best about this show is the relationships, overall. Sure there are some I don’t root on, but mostly I just appreciate the bonds that are solid and good. There’s lots of story threads in this one. From the teenagers to a kid searching for his parent, a new business venture to newcomers, this covers a lot. One thing is for sure, there’s likely to be a story that will pique your interest. Based on a novel, bottom line, the show has good bones. The writing may not always utilize this well, but the promise is here, and I have to confess, it keeps me coming back. My mother and I binged this in 2020, but then I never did return for season two. Either way, I plan to, especially as, fair warning, season one does end on a cliffhanger.

You can stream Sweet Magnolias season one (and season two) exclusively on Netflix

Photos: Netflix  / Alamy

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Content: there’s some hubbub about a woman having sex for the first time since her husband, and the “pressure” surrounding that. There’s make outs and some “sensual” scenes, but they don’t pop up in every episode. There is talk of a kid looking for his parent and a man had an affair which humiliates his family, and causes lots of emotional upheaval. The show is TV-14 or some episodes would pass with a PG rating.