Magnolias Head to Manhattan
The first episode of Sweet Magnolias season 5 begins with Maddie, Dana and Helen spending time in New York. Maddie is happy to show them around and they are proud of her new job.
This is their second visit to New York, but they still miss Maddie in Serenity. But she’s settled in and is loving her new job. She is inspired by Cal and the girls’ support.
Back at Serenity, Cal is minding the store, and feeling like he’s not doing enough. Luckily he has Paula and the kids to remind him he’s a good father.
Elsewhere, Isaac’s new relationship with Michael seems to be going well. Six months of blissful dating, but Michael has to leave for work for a bit. As for the restaurant, the boys are afraid they have a raccoon problem. Erik runs some wedding errands and Cal and the others promise to handle it.
Meanwhile Ronnie is more distracted by the family and more focused on work. He’s also anxious about Annie’s graduation that’s coming up in a few weeks.
Ronnie is busy with work most of the time and his friends and family soon feel neglected. His friends want to be understanding and supportive, but they worry for him. In particular, Noreen and her boyfriend are concerned about his work with Courtney.
Kyle is nervous about a play coming up too, but Noreen tells him to give it his best. She also helps Isaac not overthink an anniversary gift for Michael. Meanwhile, Doreen and Dr Howie are still busy with the Serenity Mobile Clinic.
The girls are back in New York and still having fun together, cheering each other on. Dana finds a new friend in a local chef and feels a spark of inspiration.
Maddie asks the girls to help her out with a party for one of her authors. Her boss Lucas apparently is not a good advocate for the authors, and she wants to change that. The party is a big success and Maddie pulled it off for less than she thought. She also does well to connect two authors she likes.
The mini Magnolias, on the other hand, fuss and worry about Annie’s and Ty’s relationship. These two aren’t officially over, but she’s disappointed because Ty has broken several promises.
Annie’s hoping he can make it to her graduation but we’ll see. But anyway, she wants to have a good summer.
It turns out Kyle convinced Lily to do the play with him and she is looking forward to hanging out with him that summer. Cece is studying pre-law and Annie is all about new experiences.
Back in New York, the girls go shopping for a wedding dress with Helen. Unfortunately, she’s struggling to find her dream wedding dress and is worried things might fall apart. The girls quickly reassure her.
When Helen’s away, Erik invites Cal and Isaac over for dinner and asks them to be his groomsmen. They are quick to agree and start planning his bachelor party.
Maddie is disappointed to find that the company is being sold to new investors who have no interest in helping new authors. She refuses and is promptly fired. She takes it hard but doesn’t say a word on family call.
She comes to dinner with the girls and explains to them as they present her with a gift to commemorate her new journey. They hold her and comfort her as they always do.
Episode Review
Well that was a short trip to New York! This season was supposed to be the girls leaving their comfort zones and Maddie moving to New York was supposed to be a big narrative risk. Unfortunately, the experiment lasted only one episode. Which raises the question, is the show afraid to step outside of the cozy thematic backdrop of Serenity?
But the real heart of the show is in the girls’ genuine love and friendship. Maddie is in New York but their bond is stronger than ever.
We want Helen to have her happy ending this season. Unfortunately she seems scared of the what ifs because of her past trauma. We know with weddings there is bound to be some tension between Erik and her. Will they get down the aisle?
We also have Dana and Ronnie playing a dangerous game of ignoring their relationship. Obviously the blame is more on Ronnie’s side, and the tension between them will be explored more in the next chapter. The point is, we’ve been here before with them. Are there no interesting new angles on the couple’s journey from the writers?
Overall it seems like only Maddie and Cal are strong this season. Thankfully Bill’s drama is long gone and Maddie can finally have a piece of happiness without his shadow hanging over her.