Before Sweet Magnolias‘ shocking cancellation, showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson exclusively revealed what would have happened in season 6.
News broke on Friday, September 18, that Netflix chose not to renew Sweet Magnolias in favor of working again with Anderson — and star JoAnna Garcia Swisher — in a new series titled Ladies of the House.
“I’m thrilled to be embarking on this new adventure with JoAnna and Netflix,” Anderson said in a statement. “When Jo shared the novel with me, I immediately saw the foundation for a series centered on three women grappling with the complexities of family, friendship, and romance — the kind of stories Jo and I most enjoy telling. I cannot wait to share the Richardson women and their world with Netflix’s global audience.”
Based on Lauren Edmonson’s novel of the same name, Ladies of the House follows three women. When the charismatic owner of a winery dies unexpectedly, his wife and two adult daughters “must battle through their issues with each other in order to confront challenges with the business, their extended family, and the men in their lives,” according to the official synopsis.
The description continued: “Good friends and good wine will aid in the journey to hang on to the winery, but what matters most is that they find a way to hang on to each other.”
While Ladies of the House reunite Anderson and Swisher, many viewers were still left upset about the conclusion to Sweet Magnolias. Most of the characters and their individual arcs were left up in the air as Deadline reported that Netflix had a choice between renewing Sweet Magnolias for a sixth — and final — season or picking up Ladies of the House. The streaming service ultimately chose to invest in Ladies of the House.
Us, however, spoke with Anderson about the plans for Sweet Magnolias before it came to a shocking end. Keep scrolling for a breakdown of every story line the writers had planned before the show was canceled:
Cal and Maddie’s Next Obstacles
According to Anderson, the appearance of Javier was meant to shake things up for Cal (Justin Bruening) and Maddie (Swisher), who were finally able to enjoy newlywed life.
“Cal going back into baseball is going to be challenging,” she teased. “We’ll just say that.”
Ty and Annie’s Unconfirmed Reunion
Anneliese Judge was just as curious about whether Annie and Ty (Carson Rowland) would find their way back to each other after Rowland’s exit from the show.
“I think it’s a really interesting story line that’s threaded through the whole [season]. Even though we don’t see [Ty], it’s still very much present in Annie’s life,” she shared with Us. “So I don’t know what will happen. I could see [it] going either way.”
Anderson, meanwhile, hinted that the door is “open” and she is curious to see “who walks through that door.”
Dana Sue’s New Romance After Ronnie Split
Anderson weighed in on Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) connecting with Clarke (John Gabriel Rodriquez).
“It’s sort of this insidiously disruptive energy,” she quipped. “When we filmed our first scene with Clark, Dion and Justin [who play Eric and Cal] both came over to me and were like, ‘Poor Ronnie.’”
Helen and Eric Expanding Their Family
After their wedding, Helen (Heather Headley) and Erik (Dion Johnstone) will likely foster kids in the future. Anderson also teased to Us “unexpected challenges and the joys of opening those doors.”
Noreen and Jeremy Taking the Next Step
Similar to everyone else in Serenity, Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears) and Jeremy (Chase Anderson) were expected to commit even more to their relationship with an engagement.
“We love them together, because there’s a sweetness and a gentleness to the two of them together that stands out more than the dynamics of the other couples,” Anderson shared. “And I certainly think that there is a way for them to keep deepening their relationship and find new levels of happiness. Wink, wink, wink.”
The Identity of Serenity Secrets
“We know who, why we know why it started when it did, and when it went quiet when it did,” Anderson teased before revealing if the person running the gossip page would get unmasked, adding, “Sure! Maybe.”
Kyle and Lily’s Long Distance Romance
“If we’re lucky enough [to make more episodes], I think every once in a while long distance works out,” Anderson shared about Lily leaving for college while Kyle would finish off his last year in high school.
With reporting by Kat Pettibone
