After an epic cliffhanger at the end of Season One and an ominous ending to Season Two, “Sweet Magnolias” has returned to Netflix for its third season.
Maybe you quickly binge-watched all 10 episodes and are already missing the residents of Serenity, South Carolina. Or perhaps you’re just looking for some spoilers.
Either way, we’re happy to oblige and have broken down everything you need to know about the show’s latest season finale.
Maddie and Cal end the season happily together — but Bill is still in the picture
Maddie and her boyfriend Cal work through his anger issues and emerge feeling strong.
That doesn’t mean drama is behind her, though. Out of the blue, her ex-husband Bill (Chris Klein) shows up to Maddie’s house and offers her a sincere apology for all the trouble he’s caused over the last year. See: Having an affair with Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears), having a baby with Noreen, learning he had fathered a child as a teenager.
He promises to do better and be a better father to their kids, and she’s not sure where it came from. She instantly debriefs with her gal pals. They aren’t sure what inspired Bill to make this move, either.
Ronnie and Dana Sue renew their vows
After a long journey back to romance, Dana Sue and Ronnie renew their vows in front of the entire community. It’s a larger celebration than they originally intended, but the town members can’t resist the opportunity to witness the special moment. Everyone pitches in, bringing something to the ceremony and even donating a venue so they can keep their costs low.
Erik and Helen make amends after their breakup
After avoiding each other all season long following their breakup, Erik (Dione Johnstone) and Helen (Heather Headley) find common ground over Dana Sue’s vow renewal ceremony.
On the morning of the celebration, Helen stops by the restaurant and runs into Erik. She shows him a paper flower arrangement she and Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) made and their cold war thaws a little bit.
At the celebration, Helen catches the bride’s bouquet and she and Erik look longingly at each other. The only problem is, he’s started dating another woman.
Annie and Jackson break up and she grows closer to Ty
Annie (Anneliese Judge) and Jackson (Sam Ashby) have been dating, but he’s been pulling away ever since he moved out of town. On top of that, Jackson tried to hide from her parents when Annie got into a car accident after they were hanging out.
So when they see each other at a football game, Annie confronts Jackson and breaks up with him, saying that she deserves better. She then runs into Ty’s (Carson Rowland) arms and hugs him while looking for comfort.
Throughout the season, Ty has been crushing on one of his classmates, but he’s also growing closer to Annie and the two are spotted holding hands at her mom’s vow renewal ceremony.
Ronnie and Dana Sue make up with Kathy ... sort of
Kathy shocked Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) and Dana Sue when she returned to Serenity at the end of Season Two. She stirs a lot of chaos this season, like when she poaches Erik to work at her restaurant, then destroys the kitchen at Dana Sue's restaurant.
In the finale, she shows up to their vow renewal ceremony with Bill, who she’s started dating.
The couple is naturally nervous that Kathy wants to cause drama, but she explains that she wants to make amends and gives her estranged brother their grandmother’s tea set, which he always wanted.
Dana Sue tells Kathy it breaks her heart that they were never able to be friends and she’s sorry that Kathy never found peace. She also says she will continue to pray that Kathy will find happiness. Kathy also apologizes and says she and Bill are leaving town together for a little while.
Paula finds romance
Maddie’s mother Paula (Caroline Lagerfelt) meets with her close friend Jimmy (Jon Briddell), who comes into town once a year and always supports her art.
Jimmy, who is recently divorced, kisses Paula and asks her to come stay with him at his new home on the coast and paint a mural. She asks him how long she’ll be gone, and he says she can stay as long as she likes.
At Ronnie and Dana Sue’s vow renewal ceremony, Paula tells Maddie about Jimmy’s offer. She supports the idea and tells her mother she deserves to be happy.