Sweet Magnolias spoilers follow.
The first season of Netflix's Sweet Magnolias ended on a cliffhanger following a big ol' car crash, so it's a good job the streaming giant has confirmed that the series will be returning for season two.
Chatting to People about the way season one wrapped up, Sherryl Woods, the author of the source material on which it's based, said: "The cliffhanger accident was not in the books, but boy, what a way to [end]. In fact, when I read the script for the 10th episode, I immediately emailed [showrunner] Sheryl Anderson and said, 'Netflix needs to renew this minute.'"
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Well Sheryl, your wish has been granted, which is great news for the vast numbers of people who tuned in and ensured that it was given the greenlight.
"Sweet Magnolias is built on a foundation of friendship, faith, and community," Anderson told Country Living. "We look at the possibilities for redemption and re-invention that are available to us all
"Back when we were writing, we hoped people would connect with those themes; in these turbulent days, I think people are also looking for comfort, which we provide in heaping helpings. They're hungry for stories that reinforce the importance of coming together, respecting and supporting each other, and learning from our mistakes so we can grow and be better. In the writers room and in production, we said, 'We want everyone to see themselves in Serenity.' I think that spirit of inclusivity has resonated with viewers, too."
Here's everything you need to know about Sweet Magnolias season two.
Sweet Magnolias season 2 release date UK: When will it air?
Filming was marked as finished by an Instagram post shared by JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who plays Maddie.
"Bittersweet feelings because I'm going to miss this group so much," she wrote. "But I'm so proud and EXCITED for all of you to see what we have been cooking up in Serenity and can't wait for this dream team of a cast and crew to (hopefully!) be reunited ASAP to continue the journey!"
And luckily we won't have to wait long to return to Serenity – with Netflix announcing the release date as Friday, February 4. All 10 one-hour episodes will be available for sweet sweet watching.
Sweet Magnolias season 2 cast: Who's in it?
We'd expect all of the key movers and shakers to return, so that's Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Helen (Heather Headley), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), Bill (Chris Klein), Cal (Justin Bruening), Tyler (Carson Rowland), Kyle (Logan Allen) and Annie (Anneliese Judge).
Jamie Lynn Spears (Noreen), Dion Johnstone (Dana Sue's head chef Erik) and Brandon Quinn (Dana Sue's estranged husband Ronnie) have also been promoted to series regulars.
There's also the mayor's daughter Nellie (Simone Lockhart), who was potentially injured in the car crash, Dana Sue's sous chef Isaac (Chris Medlin), who could also be her son, plus Helen's ex-boyfriend Ryan (Michael Shenefelt), among others.
And those aren’t the only characters who will be shaking things up. During an interview with Parade, Anderson teased a number of new arrivals: "We certainly have some great thoughts about new citizens of Serenity. There will be new alliances between existing citizens of Serenity."
While she didn't expand on who these new people might be (and even if they are new to the town itself), it's clear that these "alliances" will heavily impact the show moving forward.
One new person who will be featuring in season two is Adelynn Spoon, best known for HBO's Watchmen.
Sweet Magnolias season 2: What will happen?
Netflix's official description already reveals we'll be thrown straight into the deep end with the season opener: "Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue learn who is in the car. But that's just the first of many surprises that come out of prom night – surprises that reshape relationships all over town. Friendships flounder. Old loves end and new loves begin. Long-hidden secrets disrupt jobs, change lives, and shift the balance of power in Serenity. Everyone is affected.
"But in laughter and in loss, the Sweet Magnolias continue to fight for what is right for themselves and the people they love – even when those efforts come with a high price tag. Will they find there are some problems not even margarita night can solve? Come pour it out and find out."
"You see the depths of our commitment to each other this season," Swisher told ET Online. "I think you see the depths of the realness of our friendship, and the history, and that we are all raising our children side by side, but we all are on our own journeys."
During a chat with Brief Take, Swisher also praised the show's ability to draw viewers in without exploiting trauma: "It was such a breath of fresh air to be able to tell a story that wasn't any huge event. And yes, there were big things that happened, big life events that happened, but we're not bombing any buildings. But things happen in life and it's a slice of life and it's really an opportunity to pull the curtain back on this small town."
We covered the season one ending, covering everything from who was in the car with Kyle to Dana Sue's relationship with Ronnie. And we also explored how all of that will impact the upcoming episodes.
"There are so many storylines that Sheryl [J Anderson], our showrunner, and our writing staff laid out and so many things that you might not even be thinking about right now that we will address that become interesting plot points," Swisher told ET Online. "But I think who's in the car and the stories that are launched because of this are so interesting, too.
"Last year, you really got to know the characters and laid out the stories, and we really dug into the meat and the potatoes of the three [women], where we are in our lives. Well, this year it's like, 'Honey, we're juggling. All of us are juggling.'
"There's a few more storylines happening to each of us."
Swisher echoed that in an interview with PureWow: "Alongside all of the things that we were met with in season one, there's just a whole new slew of interesting [storylines] that come with season three. Or season two—look at me, I'm manifesting a season three already!"
She added: "We end season two again with a lot of drama."
Netflix hasn't revealed whether the series will return for a third outing, but it certainly sounds like Anderson is approaching it with that in mind.
The series is based on Woods' novels of the same name, of which there are a whopping 11, and she said on Twitter that "season one draws a lot from" the first three, so there is plenty of material left to explore.
Shop Now Sweet Magnolias book series
"I don't think we'd ever run out of stories between the lovely paths that Sherryl Woods laid out in the books," Anderson told Metro. "And then the added elements that we are able to bring in the TV writers' room as well. I think we could tell season after season of amazing Sweet Magnolias stories."
Anderson also confirmed to Metro that season two will "answer all the questions that the viewers have been asking about the car crash, Issac's parents, Maddie and Coach Cal, all of it", as well as "asking some new questions too".
As for the future, there are key elements from the books that Woods would like to see explored in the show.
"I've not talked to Sheryl Anderson about when or if, but there are two stories that are very important from the teen perspective," she told Elle. "One is anorexia. The other one, in a much later book called Catching Fireflies, dealt with teen bullying and school bullying.
"There are certain topics that are really sensitive to me, and teen bullying is one of them. And having the opportunity within this series to explore that in a book mattered to me, so I would like to see them get [into the show] at some point."
Sweet Magnolias season 2 trailer: When can I watch it?
Not just yet, folks. As soon as it arrives, we'll update this page. But if all their smiling faces in the first look photos from season two (above) are anything to go by, then we can guess they're happy (for a little bit at least).
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