Sweet Magnolias returns for season 2 with a revealing premiere episode.
Sweet Magnolias Season 2 Episode 1
“Casseroles and Casualties”
Written by Sheryl J. Anderson
Directed by Norman Buckley
The second season of Sweet Magnolias begins at the hospital in the aftermath of Kyle’s car accident on prom night. It concludes the next evening when Dana Sue makes an emotional exit from margarita night at Maddie’s house.
Let’s look at what transpires in between the two events. Don’t miss our Serenity Soundbites and Food for Thought sections at the end of each recap.
Who’s in the car?
We learn within minutes that Nellie was the passenger in the car with Kyle. The three magnolias, Ronnie and Bill are gathered at the hospital.
The ladies pray as Bill desperately seeks information about Kyle.
The hospital gathering grows as Ty, Annie and Jackson arrive on scene. Then Erik and Cal arrive to check on their friends and the young ball players. The setting becomes more turbulent when the Trent and Mary Vaughn Lewis hurry inside with the mayor swiftly threatening to sue the Townsends.
Interestingly, Dana Sue and Maddie immediately embrace Annie and Ty. But Mary Vaughn only berates Jackson assuming he was at fault. Annie comes to Jackson’s defense. Mary Vaughn then lashes out at Annie for interrupting. Jackson implores his mother to not raise her voice at Annie.
All the parents want to know what happened that night. The teens admit there was a fight but are not forthcoming with many details. Tempers flare as everyone is so stressed. Howie arrives with an update. Nellie has minimal injuries of bruises and cuts. He makes sure Mary Vaughn is escorted back to see her daughter. Kyle’s injuries are more serious. Howie explains that orthopedist Dr. Manal Ahmed is examining Kyle.
Another accident
Ty and Jackson get into a shoving match over who instigated the fight at the Lewis house. Ty falls to the ground and lands with his right arm, his pitching arm, twisted behind his back. Surely, it is broken as Ty calls out in pain.
Howie returns as the crowd gathers around Ty. Maddie reaches her limit and yells at Bill to get away from her son. She angrily reminds him that he gave Ty the car, which has contributed to this nightmare. Howie and Cal help Tyler stand up. Maddie goes with Ty while Bill waits for Dr. Ahmed to let them know how Kyle is doing.
Seemingly out of context, Howie expresses the need to speak with Helen as soon as they are able.
Dr. Ahmed arrives to discuss Kyle’s broken leg and concussion. Bill asks to go see Kyle before his MRI. Jackson is visibly upset about Ty’s injury. Annie looks over at him with concern. Dana Sue and Ronnie comfort their daughter.
Dr. Ahmed visits Ty’s room and explains the extent of his injuries to Maddie and Cal who are both at his bedside. Ty will have a long recovery ahead, which will prevent him from pitching in the state championship. Ty agonizes over the news and asks to be alone.
Maddie and Cal enter the hallway where Erik pledges his support and prayers for Maddie’s family. Maddie thanks him and leans against the counter. Cal stands next to her with his hand touching hers. Maddie moves her hand away.
Late night baking
Erik arrives at Sullivan’s to find Isaac in the kitchen dancing like no one’s looking. The pair chuckles when Isaac looks up to see Erik watching him.
Isaac agreed to be the one to stay behind and close Sullivan’s after the accident happened. He is now baking pecan tarts, a favorite of his grandmother’s, while he contemplates his earlier discussion with Dana Sue.
Isaac tells Erik that he approached Dana Sue about whether she is his biological mother. The answer was no, she is not. The chef did, however, pledge her support to Isaac and her help in uncovering his birth mother’s identity.
Back at the hospital, Kyle is groggy when he awakens and sees his mother and Ty in the room. He quickly admits to making bad decisions that night. He then notices Ty’s cast and fears he caused the injury. Ty explains that Kyle had nothing to do with that. Kyle clumsily announces that Ty will miss the state championship. Ty leaves the room.
Bill will stay with Kyle overnight while Maddie returns home with Tyler.
Overnight
Annie and Ronnie share some hot chocolate and father daughter conversation back at the house. Annie explains that she feels responsible for not coming up with the right thing to say to de-escalate the fighting earlier that evening. Ronnie consoles her and reminds her that she is not at fault.
Unable to sleep, Annie asks her dad to read to her on the couch. Eventually, she falls asleep next to Ronnie.
Dana Sue and Helen are at Maddie’s house. Dana Sue is thinking of her late mother and feeling like she could have been a better daughter. Helen dismisses the notion and reminds her friend how wonderful Annie is.
Maddie comes downstairs and sits at the table with her friends. She comments on how quiet the house feels. Helen and Dana Sue offer poetry reading or poker playing, which Maddie declines. She simply wants her friends to be with her – forever.
Meanwhile, Ty is upstairs tossing and turning in bed, well, as much as he possibly can with a broken arm. You can see the wheels turning in his head as he contemplates his fate. We also see a glimpse of Bill at the hospital holding Kyle’s hand.
The next day
As night turns to morning, Dana Sue returns home to find Annie sleeping on the couch curled up next to her dad. Ronnie fills Dana Sue in on Annie’s anguish over not being able to prevent the horrible events of the night before.
Ronnie also inquires about the status of the relationship between he and Dana Sue. She swiftly points out that now is not the time to explore that question. Either way, Ronnie wants to stay in town and help Dana Sue and Annie.
Back at Maddie’s house, Katie shows Maddie the cards she made for her and her brothers. Then Katie goes upstairs to visit Ty. Maddie expresses her pride in her caring daughter. Paula takes the opportunity to tell Maddie what a wonderful daughter she is. Mother and daughter share a hug.
Back at the hospital
Maddie returns to the hospital to visit Kyle. She sees Helen talking to Howie down the hall. As Helen approaches, Maddie asks her friend what she and Howie were discussing. Helen simply says she was telling Howie what a great doctor and friend he was.
Helen tells Maddie she is on her way to church. Maddie goes back into Kyle’s room. Helen takes a deep breath and begins singing “It is Well with My Soul” as she continues down the hall.
Later that day, Pastor June stops by to check on Kyle and the Townsend family just as Bill is asking Kyle what the fight was about. The pastor speaks about forgiveness. Maddie exits the room. Bill follows her to the hall to see what’s going on.
Maddie explicitly proclaims that things are over with Bill. There is no chance of reconciliation. She explains that she does not know if she can forgive him even though she knows she should. Maddie claims that all the bad things that have happened are fallout from his trespasses.
Caught in a kiss
Dana Sue is opening the restaurant when farmer Jeremy arrives with a produce delivery. The two share some flirtatious talk and a kiss. Erik and Isaac walk in as the Dana Sue and Jeremy are kissing. Everyone has a sheepish grin on their faces.
Dana Sue tells Jeremy she needs to get back to work, and he leaves. Afterward, Erik and Isaac tease Dana Sue and the three of them joke about punishment if they keep at it.
Cal arrives at Maddie’s house with a casserole dish full of pizza slices from Wharton’s. Maddie, Paula, and Cal share a chuckle about his unique offering. Paula then leaves Maddie and Cal alone to talk.
Cal offers his support to Maddie even if they are just friends. Maddie admits she previously overreacted about Ty talking to Cal’s baseball scout friend. Cal understands her wanting to protect her son. They talk about what Cal will do with his summer off from school. They embrace in a long kiss as Paula walks in to find them reunited.
Helen drops by with lemon bars before stopping at the spa.
There is no kissing back at Annie’s house where Simon has stopped by before leaving for his internship in Washington, DC. Annie pretty clearly establishes the friend zone with Simon.
Conversations
Helen stops by the spa where Trotter tells her about all the clients gossiping and speculating about the events of the night before. He wants to remind the patrons to pray for Maddie instead of gossiping. Helen thanks Trotter for all his extra work covering the spa while Maddie attends to her family. He is happy to help and appreciates their trust in him.
Helen walks outside to make a phone call to her mother. She is visibly emotional about speaking to her mom. Then she stops by the kitchen wanting to bake after talking to her mom. She has a sweet talk with Erik who wants to be there when she needs to talk.
Meanwhile, Nellie visits Kyle on the down low. Her parents would not want her being there. She gifts Kyle with a new comic book and tells him that she forgives him even though Kyle is still carrying guilt over putting Nellie in danger. She kisses him on the forehead before she leaves.
Margarita Night
Later the Sweet Magnolias share Margarita Night at Maddie’s house. Maddie shares that Kyle will have to use a wheelchair for a while as his back was also injured in the accident. Dana Sue reveals that Isaac thought she was his birth mom. Now the three friends want to help him solve the mystery.
Meanwhile, Ty is upstairs replying to a text from CeCe. She wants to see him, but he puts her off suggesting the next day. Tyler attempts to throw the baseball with his other arm. Then he breaks down in frustration as he fails.
Downstairs, the three friends talk relationships. Maddie and Dana Sue ask why Erik knew to come to the hospital last night. Helen tells them that he brought comfort brownies to her house and was there when she learned of the accident.
Maddie and Helen tease Dana Sue about both Jeremy and Ronnie pursuing her. The three of them also celebrate Maddie’s reunion with Cal.
Things take a turn when Dana Sue becomes emotional about Annie. She shares how hard it is for Annie trying to be a good friend but never getting the attention that the boys do. Dana Sue does not want to minimize Maddie’s struggle, but she becomes overwhelmed and makes a swift exit.
Helen and Maddie are surprised by her exit. But there is one more surprise.
Helen reveals to Maddie that she is pregnant.
Serenity soundbites:
It is fun to hear unique dialogue and expressions that we hear around Serenity. Here are a couple from season 2 episode 1
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- When Ronnie offers his help to Dana Sue, he tells her, “You are busier than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs and you keep adding chairs.”
- When Helen talks to her mom, she agrees that she, too, “wouldn’t trust a woman who puts raisins in her potato salad”. It sounds like someone broke the potato salad rules, ha!
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S2E2 recap S2E3 recap S2E4 recap S2E5 recap S2E6 recap
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