Several surprises are in store for episode 7 of Sweet Magnolias season 2.
Sweet Magnolias Season 2 Episode 7
“Fragile Things”
Written by: Valerie C. Woods
Directed by Yangzom Brauen
Maddie finds forgiveness where you may least expect it. Noreen finds generous support in Serenity.
Meanwhile, Ty is discouraged about his progress even after the cast comes off.
Kyle receives an unexpected visit. Erik opens up to Helen.
Let’s take a closer look at the events of episode 7 ‘Fragile Things’.
Sunday visitor
It’s Sunday and Maddie is calling the kids to leave for church. Mary Vaughn arrives at Maddie’s door to confront her about the recall petition. The mayor’s wife uses big words like “temerity” and insists that Trent has always had Serenity’s best interests at heart. She goes further and suggests that the magnolias are lashing out at a noble man like Trent because of their own troubles with men.
Maddie simply shares that she is grateful for the founding members of Serenity who put methods in place to disagree with the mayor. Mary Vaughn utters “Maddie” in exasperation and claims the whole recall effort all stems from the parking problems at the spa. In a last-ditch effort to stop Maddie, Mary Vaughn suggests she can help resolve the parking issue. Maddie ignores the offer insisting that the citizens have already made up their minds.
Meet baby Rebecca
Noreen has given birth to a baby girl. Bill holds the baby and commenting on her beauty. Noreen has received flowers from Bill’s parents. Noreen announces the baby’s name, “Rebecca Lynne Fitzgibbons”. Bill is visibly surprised that the baby does not have his surname but tells Noreen that she chose a nice name for their daughter.
Charles and Amelia Fitzgibbons, Noreen’s parents, arrive at the room anxious to meet their granddaughter. Bill assures the couple that Noreen and the baby have his support and praises Noreen. Amelia says she and her husband will make sure Noreen and Rebecca have everything they need living at home with them.
Amelia reaches out to hold the baby and Bill leaves the room. He sees Isaac in the hall and gives him his business card. He asks Isaac to reach out to him if Noreen and the baby need something.
Anxious to help
Cal is in the Sullivan’s kitchen wanting to talk to Dana Sue about ideas for the restaurant. He even starts talking about the menu and suggests some vegan choices. Dana Sue is extremely busy and tries to politely usher Cal on his way. He tells her he left a proposal on her desk.
Cal leaves and Dana Sue comments to Erik that she enjoyed the part about silent partner Micah being “silent”. Annie comes into the kitchen with some orders, some of them being specifically for “the baseball star”. You can see the wheels begin to turn inside Dana Sue’s head. Hmm.
A prayer for forgiveness
Maddie comes to the hospital to see Noreen. She brings with her the baby blanket that all her children travelled home with from the hospital. The sweet blanket had been made by the knitting group at the church before Ty was born. Maddie gives the blanket to Noreen saying Rebecca should use it just like her brothers and sister had.
Noreen tears up. Maddie shares that she has been thinking and praying about how she wants to get along with Noreen for the benefit of all the kids. She wants to “move forward together towards forgiveness”.
Noreen hand the baby to Maddie who declares, “She’s perfect.” Maddie now has tears in her eyes.
Erik’s past
Erik is at Helen’s house and ready to share his story with her.
His wife was named Vera and they were expecting a baby while he was an EMT in Atlanta. Vera began bleeding and Erik thought he would be able to get her to the hospital quicker himself rather than waiting on an ambulance.
The bleeding worsened, however, and Erik had to pull over en route. He was not able to stop the bleeding or save the baby. Erik shares how much guilt and helplessness he felt. He describes himself as having gone to some “dark places”.
Erik says his grandmama’s recipes did indeed help him, but it was not right away. He is still, in fact, working on getting through the tragedy.
Helen expresses her deepest sympathies and suggests it is not fair for her to ask him to be with her as she goes through her fertility journey. He disagrees telling her that he has been helped by helping her. And being with her has allowed him to reach further places in his recovery.
Helen requests that he let her know if her own baby journey ever begins to upset him.
Margarita Night
It’s time for another Margarita Night, this time at Maddie’s house. They celebrate getting so many signatures so quickly for the recall petition. Dana Sue comments how she is impressed that Maddie went to visit Noreen in the hospital. Maddie shares the baby’s name, noting that she has Noreen’s last name. Dana Sue and Helen think that is fabulous and the three ladies share a toast to Noreen and baby Rebecca.
Helen shares that Erik will be attending her next fertility clinic appointment with her. Dana Sue asks why she and Erik do not just try to conceive on their own. Helen insists that it is too early in their relationship for that. Maddie suggests that Dana Sue has Ronnie on her mind.
Dana Sue brings up Cal and how he is overzealous about the restaurant partnership. Maddie explains he is just trying to be of assistance. Dana Sue thinks Cal needs to calm down, but Helen teases her and wants to know how she is getting Ronnie to calm down. They laugh when Dana Sue gives a prepared response about managing expectations and keeping boundaries.
Cast off
Ty gets his cast removed and is anxious to use his arm again. When they return from the appointment, he struggles using his arm at the refrigerator. His mom reminds him to be patient with himself. Ty is frustrated and wonders if his arm will ever get all better. He leaves the room.
Call tries to comfort Maddie and reminds her that the healing will not happen overnight. They both agree that a beach vacation might help things feel better.
Upstairs Ty is texting Cece. He shares that his cast has been removed and asks if she wants to celebrate.
Meet Peggy’s mom
Peggy goes to her mother’s home to tell her about meeting Isaac and wanting to foster a relationship with him. She wants her mother to meet him as well. Peggy speaks to her mom in a very formal manner as that seems to be expected from the older woman.
We learn that Peggy’s mom made the decision for Peggy to give up her baby. Peggy was not consulted in the matter. Mrs. Martin refuses to meet Isaac and wants Peggy to keep him out of their lives.
Peggy is shocked and disappointed at her mother’s harsh reply.
Wait a little longer
Noreen’s mom is anxious to bring Noreen and Rebecca home to her house. Noreen would like to stay a little longer at Isaac’s house. Isaac is fine with that idea and refers to Rebecca as “Becks”. Amelia seems surprised by the name and wonders if that is what she will go by. Noreen says Rebecca will always be “Peanut” to her.
Noreen has a nickname, too. Amelia takes the baby to changer her diaper. Noreen’s dad sits down and calls her “Shortcake”. He wants to know how she is “really doing”. He says he does not want to feel rushed. She can tell them when she is ready to go home.
Dramatics
Continuing his community service, Kyle is working on an arbor at the home of someone named Miss Elizabeth. Pastor June brinks him a cold drink and compliments his service. She shares a quote from Shakespeare before she goes back inside. With Shakespeare on the brain, Kyle approaches his pruning like a Shakespearian play calling his shears a dagger.
A girl walks up and calls to him saying she is looking for Puck. Her name is Sophie and she’s creating her own video game. She is seeking an actor to contribute to the authenticity of the role-playing game including the motion capture. Kyle is interested.
Gifts that keep giving
Dana Sue and Maddie are putting together a gift basket for Noreen. Helen walks in with her hands full of gifts because it turns out Maddie’s mom is quite the shopper!
Ms. Frances arrives asking to sign the recall petition. She pauses as she looks around the spa remembering it as her home for so many years. She reminisces with the three friends and praises them for helping to take such good care of Serenity.
Coffee concerns
Annie arrives to the local coffee shop to meet Jackson. She spots him and goes over to the table. He offers her a sip of his coffee. She tries a little bit and is disappointed to taste the hazelnut flavor. She is clearly not a fan of hazelnut!
Jackson jokes that he cannot be friends with someone who does not like hazelnut. They begin contriving a story where two people on opposite sides team up to save the world. Jackson talks about a scenario where a guy hurts a girl, but the girl is so special, she forgives him.
Annie asks Jackson if the kiss after VBS was him saying he was sorry. He replies that the kiss was about her being special and that he hopes they can spend time getting to know each other. He believes they can make a nice pair and teases that he’s even okay with her not liking hazelnut.
“Sip and See”
Helen, Maddie, and Dana Sue bring the gift basket to Noreen along with snacks and hopes of seeing baby Rebecca. Helen describes their visit as a “sip and see”. Soon, Trotter, Cal and Harlan arriving bearing gifts as well. Dana Sue enjoys looking at the baby on the monitor and recalls memories of Anne as a baby. Ronnie also attends the shower and brings Noreen a book for Rebecca.
Trotter takes the monitor outside and talks to Cal. Cal asks if Trotter is nervous about adopting. Trotter asks Cal if he was nervous during a playoff series. They agree that both scenarios are scary but also very exciting. The two best friends hug it out.
Noreen’s parents arrive home from their walk to see so many friends gathered to support Noreen. Mom Amelia is overcome with gratitude for the love and forgiveness bestowed upon Noreen. She gives Maddie a hug.
A true friend
Gabe visits Ty at his house with a gift of the popular Carolina soft drink Cheerwine. Gabe thanks Ty for letting him come visit. Ty jokes about Gabe’s threat to break his other arm if he did not start being social again. Gabe jokes about using a penguin gif to soften the harsh text.
Gabe tells Ty he doesn’t think it’s good for him to be spending so much time alone. Ty says he wishes Cece felt the same way. Good friend Gabe tells Ty that should get some food and then look at problem-solving.
Beach staycation
Cal guides Maddie blindfolded into his bedroom. He wants to surprise her with the beach-themed decorations he prepared. Sure, it’s not a real beach trip, but Cal is doing his best to be romantic and thoughtful.
The couple jokes about all the beach-themed games they could play. Then Cal asks Maddie for a favor. He wants her to attend a black-tie fundraiser with him in Charleston. He warns her that fans can be a little overly enthusiastic at these events, but it his job to draw a crowd. Maddie agrees to attend.
The conversation gets increasingly serious when Cal recalls the aftermath of his motorcycle accident. At that time, he thought everything had slipped away from him. In contrast, he realizes now that being with Maddie and her kids is a much more valuable gift but also more fragile. Maddie reminds him that fragile does not necessarily mean something will be broken, but you make the effort to protect it. The couple moves on to more kissing and such.
Man of the hour
The next day, Dana Sue shares an idea about how Cal can actively contribute to the restaurant. She playfully offers him a “pitch”, sharing the idea after she mimes throwing a baseball.
Dana Sue suggests that Cal spend time in the dining room schmoozing with patrons, not as a formal host but more like mingling. Cal is all for it and wonders if he should wear his tuxedo or maybe chef’s jacket like Dana Sue!
Coffee talk
Peggy and Isaac meet at the coffee shop for some time getting to know each other and talking about their recent discovery of one another. It is a very emotional but sweet exchange as mother and son visit.
Peggy wonders if Isaac is dating Noreen. He explains that he is just trying to help them out as a good friend. Peggy is proud of him. They decide they want to be part of each other’s lives even if they don’t know exactly what that looks like just yet.
Peggy gives Isaac a baby bracelet with beads that spell Jeremiah. Isaac is surprised because that is his middle name. Even though Peggy’s mom made most of the decisions surrounding the pregnancy and birth, Peggy did choose the name on the baby’s birth certificate. Isaac’s adoptive parents kept the name Jeremiah as Isaac’s middle name. Peggy is so touched that his parents would keep a part of her with him.
Isaac asks about his biological father. Peggy says that she will get in touch with him.
Stay or go?
Noreen’s mother is busy packing and planning how they will travel back to Tennessee as a family. Noreen is ambivalent about the plans. She finally announces that she and Rebecca are going to stay in Serenity.
Amelia is disappointed but also concerned about Noreen and Rebecca being by themselves. Noreen reminds her mom that Rebecca has siblings in Serenity. She also tells her mom about Maddie passing along the Townsend kids’ baby blanket assuring her that she will have support there.
Amelia expresses her sadness about not seeing Noreen regularly but insists that she and Charles will be visiting frequently.
To do list
Trotter is working on laundry at the spot. When he spots Cal coming in with Maddie, he recruits the former ball player to roll towels. Cal notices men sitting nearby and asks about them since men are not allowed to join the spa. Trotter explains that new clubs for any gender are now meeting at the spa. He mentions an investing club, book clubs and a knitting club.
Maddie’s to do list is picking up steam. She wonders to Trotter what item she should focus on first. Trotter replies asking her “which list”. Trotter says that things are getting mixed up between spa calls and political calls.
Maddie expresses gratitude that people want to help with the recall. Cal asks who the next mayor should be. Trotter teases as if they are asking him to be mayor.
Sharp dressed man
Annie is leaving her shift at the restaurant. She tells her mom she is heading to Wharton’s with a group of friends (including Jackson) and assures her mom she will meet her midnight curfew.
We hear cheering in the kitchen. Cal is dressed very handsomely in a suit, ready to go schmooze with dinner guests out front. Dana Sue escorts him to the dining room where he greets patrons, signs autographs and takes photos.
Soon, Maddie walks in with Ty and Kyle. They are there to celebrate the first day of Kyle and Ty both having physical therapy. Ty gives his coach props for his attire.
Jazz Night
It is jazz night at the bar where they celebrated Howie’s birthday. Erik and Helen are on a date enjoying the music. They talk about their shared love of jazz. Helen remembers her parents dancing to jazz. Erik enjoys the organic aspect of the music as different instruments take over but end up back together.
The conversation shifts to the topic of Erik and Helen bonding over shared experiences, supporting and trusting each other. Erik suggests that is what love is. They kiss on the dance floor.
Home sweet home
When Dana Sue arrives home from work, Ronnie is at the house fixing the kitchen table. He wants to see Annie to say goodnight. Dana Sue tells him that Annie will be out the rest of the night with friends.
She admits to Ronnie that she is not thrilled that Jackson will be in that group of friends. Ronnie shares his suspicion that something is happening between them after seeing them share a kiss after VBS. Dana Sue is upset that Ronnie had not shared that with her. When he admits that he was wrong not to tell her, Dana Sue is stunned that they are agreeing instead of arguing about it. She moves closer sharing that it is nice to agree, and the couple begins kissing.
Caught in the act
As midnight rolls around, Annie arrives home to find her parents rolling in the hay, well, on the couch. She is mortified as are her parents at the awkwardness of the moment.
Serenity Soundbites:
- Dana Sue gets overwhelmed with Cal’s enthusiasm in the kitchen while she’s working. In an effort to explain her dilemma she tells him, “Cal, partner, I appreciate all your enthusiasm, but right now you’re more sugar in my tank than grease on my axle.”
- When Trotter is getting overwhelmed handling both political and spa-related phone calls, he claims, “I almost booked an angry youth soccer coach complaining about field conditions into my afternoon yoga class.”
Food for thought:
- There are some awkward moments in this episode. Bill is surprised to learn that the baby will go by Fitzgibbons instead of Townsend. Peggy is uncomfortable when her mother responds so negatively to the idea of meeting Isaac. And, of course, the whole Sullivan family is embarrassed when Maddie walks in on her parents in an intimate moment. Were you surprised by any of these reactions? Would you have responded differently? Who did you feel the worst for?
Stay tuned for our ongoing coverage of Sweet Magnolias with recaps, trivia and interviews!
S2E1 recap S2E2 recap S2E3 recap S2E4 recap S2E5 recap S2E6 recap
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