Sweet Magnolias Season 3 Episode 1 Review: Meaning to Tell

After a year and a half, we know the identity of who has been harassing Dana Sue, the ramifications of Cal’s bar fight at Sullivan’s, and if Helen accepted Ryan’s proposal.

Sweet Magnolias Season 3 Episode 1 picked up only minutes after the cliffhangers on Sweet Magnolias Season 2 Episode 10. Helen hadn’t accepted the proposal yet, mainly because she was too busy defending Cal

The drama in Serenity was heating up.

Helen: I need you to trust me.
Cal: I do. I just wish we were not having this conversation. I wish I didn’t let him get to me.

I hate what they did to Cal. He was never violent or insecure, but they rewrote his character to give him and Maddie a better storyline. Now, he’s doubting himself and hated that he allowed Stu to goad him into punching him.

Cal became so withdrawn that he didn’t want comfort from anyone, and that worried Erik since he’s seen signs of PTSD and depression before.

Maddie and Cal have been through so much to get a good place, and I hope this doesn’t set them back. While Maddie loves Cal, she’s dealt with Bill, who had secrets for a long time.

Her kids also dealt with the fallout. Ty was anxious to talk to Cal, but Kyle feared Cal and Maddie would split up since he was used to everyone leaving them. Kyle seems like he dealt with the divorce, but even he knew Bill was never around.

Cal has been the father figure they depended on, whether it was about life advice or relationships, and he was still suffering from self-pity.

I have never wanted to hurt anyone, but somehow, I always do.

Cal

Cal didn’t even seem happy that Stu dropped the charges. We can only hope that Cal listens to Helen and makes amends by bettering himself and contacting Stu since that would only make things worse.

Cal has never cared about image. He dated Maddie despite what Mary Vaughn thought, so it baffles me that the writers think he was trying to maintain the “perfect boyfriend” image to please Maddie.

Hopefully, this arc will provide them with growth as they both learn more about themselves.

Want to meet me in study hall? We can sit next to each other. We have to work on our own thing.

Maddie

Dana Sue and Ronnie still have several issues communicating too. Ronnie had been gone for so many years that he felt out of the loop when she didn’t tell him about receiving Ms. Frances’s check.

That’s part of the problem. While Dana Sue insisted they were dealing with Coach Coal, she was used to doing things independently and needed to learn to promptly share important information with her partner.

I also suspect Dana Sue and Ronnie may have issues deciding how to use the money. Dana Sue still wanted to dictate where Annie went to college, whereas Ronnie believed in letting their daughter choose her own path.

Having Ronnie’s sister arrive proved to be an even more significant challenge. Kathy hates Dana Sue and that she inherited Sullivan’s, putting Ronnie in the middle. Ronnie didn’t want the family drama and told his sister to leave, but Kathy didn’t seem like the type to quit.

The love triangle between Helen, Ryan, and Erik is fascinating. She has loved Ryan her entire life and’s drawn to give it another chance.

However, Erik and Helen shared a mature, grown-up relationship. He picked up the pieces after Ryan broke up with her, and she miscarried her baby on Sweet Magnolias Season 2 Episode 3.

Choosing between two decent men isn’t easy, but stringing either of them wasn’t fair.

Dana Sue: You have to make a decision at some point.
Maddie: Maybe this isn’t that point yet.
Helen: Isn’t it?

This is where things got complicated because Dana Sue and Maddie each had their own opinions on who Helen should date, and so did Maddie’s mom, Paula. Gossip and ideas are always intense in a small town.

Could Helen and Ryan survive? They are so different, including in their feelings about wanting children.

He never wanted children, so Helen never told him she was pregnant in Sweet Magnolias Season 2. She had to deal with the miscarriage without him because he was gone.

That was a hard pill for Ryan to swallow now that he wanted to have a baby with her and have more adventures.

Ryan isn’t a bad guy, but he’s selfish. He cares more about his adventures than what Helen needs.

Sweet Magnolias Season 2 focused more on family, and while this season also focused on the importance of family, it went back to its core, the strength of friendship.

While we loved seeing the ladies support Helen through her complicated love triangle, seeing new friendships portrayed is even more exciting. Trotter loves both Cal and Maddie, so seeing him comfort Maddie was heartwarming.

Trotter understands that strong men like Cal have difficulty discussing their feelings while knowing that Maddie needed to care for herself. Since they’ve worked together for song, Trotter knew Maddie struggled to think of herself.

While the men have interacted before, I loved that Erik supported Cal and reminded him that everyone needed friends. Cal needs to let his personal demons out before they get the best of him.

 “Meaning” to Tell You” ended perfectly because Erik and Helen were so busy helping their friends that they hadn’t had time to talk, but he finally demanded answers. Is this the end of Erik and Helen, or do they still have a chance?

So, Sweet Magnolias Fanatics, was the season premiere worth the wait? Who do you think Helen will choose?

Were you surprised that the bar fight story wrapped up without any legal ramifications? Chime in below.

Sweet Magnolias Season 3 is streaming now on Netflix.

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Laura Nowak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.

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