At Last! 'Sweet Magnolias' Season 3 Has a Release Date

When it comes to true Southern hospitality and celebrating the deep bonds of family and female friendship, there are few tales as delightful as Netflix's Sweet Magnolias.

The series, helmed by showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson, centers around three best friends (Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue) who were born and raised in picturesque Serenity, South Carolina, a small town where everybody knows each other—and each other’s business. There are often wagging tongues, prying eyes and meddlesome neighbors, but there's also a great deal of love and concern within the community, through good times and bad.

The heartfelt show’s recipe for success includes its exploration of the universal themes of love, heartbreak, betrayal and the friendships that keep us sane through it all. In the same way that the chicken pot pie served at Dana Sue’s restaurant soothes her customers, Sweet Magnolias continues to provide its viewers with great comfort.

Here's everything to know about Season 3.

When is the release date for Sweet Magnolias Season 3?

The show’s 10-episode third season will arrive on Netflix on July 20. At last!

Who is in the Sweet Magnolias Season 3 cast?

JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Maddie Townsend)

JoAnna Garcia Swisher is best known for playing Reba McEntire’s daughter Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery in the popular sitcom Reba from 2001 to 2007. She also starred in TV’s Freaks and Geeks, Animal Practice, Once Upon a Time and The Astronaut Wives Club.

Related: JoAnna Swisher Talks Self-Care and Sweet Magnolias Season 3

Brooke Elliott (Dana Sue Sullivan)

Brooke Elliott is an actress and singer with a strong background in musical theater, including the U.S. tours of Beauty and the Beast and Wicked. Before Sweet Magnolias, she was best known for her role as Jane Bingum on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva.

Heather Headley (Helen Decatur)

Trinidad native Heather Headley is a singer, songwriter, record producer and award-winning actress. She won the 2000 Tony for best actress in a musical for her role as Aida. She also won the 2010 Grammy for best contemporary R&B Gospel Album for her album Audience of One.

Before Sweet Magnolias, she was best known for her role as Gwen Garrett on NBC’s Chicago Med.

Chris Klein (Bill Townsend)

Chris Klein is best known for his TV and film roles in Election, American Pie and The Flash.

Justin Bruening (Coach Cal Maddox)

A Nebraska native and father of three, Justin Bruening is a former fashion model who was discovered by a scout at a McDonald’s in Escondido, California. His acting career began when he was cast in the role of Jamie Martin on the daytime soap All My Children, which earned him a 2005 Soap Opera Digest Award. He went on to have roles in Knight Rider, Ringer and Ravenswood.

Jamie Lynn Spears (Noreen Fitzgibbons)

An actress and singer, Jamie Lynn Spears is best known for her role as Zoey Brooks in the Nickelodeon sitcom Zoey 101. The younger sister of pop icon Britney Spears and doting mother of two daughters went on to have a burgeoning singing and acting career.

Other Sweet Magnolias cast-members include Logan Allen (Kyle Townsend); Anneliese Judge (Annie Sullivan); Carson Rowland (Tyler “Ty” Townsend); Bianca Berry Tarantino (Katie Townsend); Chris Medlin (Isaac Downey); Brandon Quinn (Ronnie Sullivan); Sam Ashby (Jackson Lewis); Brittany L. Smith (Peggy Martin); Hunter Burke (Trotter Vidhyarkorn); and Allison Gabriel (Mary Vaughn).

What happened in Season 2 of Sweet Magnolias?

The season begins with the death of Miss Frances (Cindy Karr), a beloved member of the town who sold her stately home to Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue so they could turn it into the Corner Spa. Miss Frances leaves specific instructions for her “celebration of life,” and her passing brings her nephew Ryan (Michael Shenefelt) back to town, giving him and Helen a chance to rekindle their relationship. But this complicates Helen’s life, as she's in the midst of pursuing fertility treatment—and possibly a relationship with her close friend Erik (Dion Johnstone)—after a devastating miscarriage.

Newcomer Isaac (Chris Medlin) comes to Serenity to find his birth mother, who turns out to be Peggy Martin (Brittany L. Smith), who put him up for adoption as a teen. While she wants to explore a relationship with her son, his birth father, Bill Townsend (Chris Klein), does not, leaving Isaac with more questions than answers. Bill subsequently tells Maddie that Isaac is his son and it stirs emotional feelings from his infidelity with Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears).

Speaking of Noreen, she decides in Season 2 to come back to have her baby in Serenity. After the child is born—at the same hospital as Maddie’s three children—Bill offers support, but it's clear he's not going to be a major part of his new child's life. Nadine’s parents try to convince her to bring the baby to their home, but she insists on staying in Serenity after the townspeople—including Maddie and her three children—shower her with love and affection.

Elsewhere in the season, Maddie and Cal’s romance is going well until it's derailed by the meddling Mary Vaughn (Allison Gabriel), who helps get Cal fired from his coaching job to spite Maddie. That's just the beginning of the downfall for our favorite couple: In the Season 2 finale, Cal’s temper flares—leading to a fight and an arrest—and Maddie questions if she even really knows him.

Overall, Sweet Magnolia ended its second season on a not-so-serene note, and with dozens of questions to be answered in Season 3.

What will happen in Sweet Magnolias Season 3?

We don't know yet, but Season 2 left viewers with loads of questions to be answered in Season 3. What will happen with Maddie and Cal’s romance now that he's been arrested? How is Helen going to pursue her dream of becoming a mother, and is her personal life going to include longtime love Ryan, or new love Erik? Will Dana Sue and Ronnie’s rekindled relationship lead to happily ever after, or are there more bumps in the road for them as a couple?

Is Sweet Magnolias based on a book?

Sweet Magnolias is based on the best-selling series by Sherryl Woods. Woods is also the author of the popular Chesapeake Shores series.

Related: How to Read the Sweet Magnolias Books in Order

Where is the series Sweet Magnolias filmed?

While Sweet Magnolias is set in the fictional small town of Serenity, South Carolina, a majority of the series is filmed in Covington, Georgia, where The Vampire Diaries was also filmed.

“It is a fabulous town because it has a great look and they are also very film-friendly and film-knowledgeable,” showrunner/executive producer Anderson tells Parade. “They have a Sweet Magnolias walking tour and people are delighted to see the Spa, and its original signage and shrubbery, which is actually a law firm. That small-town charm goes back to that feeling of community.”

Is there a trailer for Sweet Magnolias Season 3?

Not yet, but watch this space for updates!

How to watch and stream Sweet Magnolias Seasons 1 and 2

Sweet Magnolias is available to stream exclusively on Netflix. All Season 1 and 2 episodes are available to stream there now. Season 3 will drop July 20.

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