It's been nearly one year since “Sweet Magnolias” premiered its third season, and star JoAnna Garcia Swisher has an exciting update for fans about the show's future.
Netflix confirmed in October 2023 that "Sweet Magnolias" will return for another season. Now, filming of Season Four has officially wrapped, Swisher shared in an Instagram post May 31.
"That’s a wrap on Season 4! I cannot wait for you all to see what we have been up to in Serenity. It’s been a magical season…for reasons I cannot wait to share," Swisher captioned a pic of her with co-stars Brooke Elliott and Heather Headley.
In addition to being "magical," Swisher said Season Four is "BY FAR" her "favorite."
"Not just for the OMG moments (there are many of them!), but because it was a joy to make. And, in many ways, it feels like we are just getting started," she said.
"There are a million photos I can’t wait to share when Season 4 streams, but until then I will leave ya with one of me and two of my favorite humans. The three of us are just one piece of a world (on the screen and off) that make Serenity and@sweetmagnoliasnetflixwhat it is and we love getting to share it all with you!" she added.
Dying to learn more? Here's everything we know so far about "Sweet Magnolias" Season Four.
When did Netflix announce a new season?
Netflix announced that "Sweet Magnolias" was renewed for Season Four Oct. 19, months after the third season premiered in July. After debuting in the third place of the streamer's Top 10, per Variety, it rose to No. 1.
Who's returning for Season 4?
Swisher's post confirms that Serenity's core trio — Maddie, Dana Sue and Helen —will all return for Season Four.
While announcing Season Four, Netflix also revealed that Sheryl J. Anderson will return as showrunner and executive producer. Dan Paulson will also return as an executive producer.
What will Season 4 of ‘Sweet Magnolias’ be about?
Season Three of "Sweet Magnolias" ended on a high note, but Swisher told Netflix’s Tudum in June 2023 there's "still so much to be told."
“Even though this season ended with a nice button, it almost feels like it was a necessary button to really dig in deep for the future. There’s still so much to be told, so it almost feels like a cliff-hanger in itself,” she said.
Elliott (Dana Sue) expressed a similar sentiment to TVLine.
“The (Season Three) finale did have some closure, but if you dig in, you can see that there are still stories to come. There are other pieces that could be revealed. Hopefully we get more (seasons). That would be great,” she said.
At the end of Season Three of “Sweet Magnolias,” Dana Sue and Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) renewed their vows in front of their loved ones. Maddie and Cal (Justin Bruening) were all smiles at the reception and seemed to be in a solid place in their relationship.
As for the stories Elliott teased "could come" in the next season?
Season Four could focus on the romantic tension between Helen (Heather Headley)and Erik (Dione Johnstone), who briefly dated before Helen's ex Ryan (Michael Shenefelt) came back into the picture and swept her off her feet. The pair's romance unfolded in Season Three, and Helen and Erik share a few sweet moments in the season finale. The only caveat? Erik is currently dating someone new.
Season Four could also dive deeper into Maddie’s mother Paula (Caroline Lagerfelt) and her new romance withJimmy (Jon Briddell).
After her breakup with Jackson in Season Three, Annie grew closer to Ty, so a new season could finally give fans the chance to see a romance blossom between the longtime pals.
Bill (Chris Klein) and Kathy (Wynn Everett) temporarily left town together at the end of SeasonThree. Something tells us they’d be eager to return to Serenity and stir up lots of drama.
How did the actors' strike affect Season 4?
Production for Season Four of "Sweet Magnolias" started in February, according to the show's Instagram account.
But production was likely delayed by the 2023 Hollywood strikes involving SAG-AFTRA and WGA.
In July 2023, several members of the "Sweet Magnolias" cast and crew gathered in solidarity on the picket lines. Allison Gabriel, who plays Mary Vaughn on the show, shared a photo of the group on Instagram and the following caption: "Loved seeing the Sweet Magnolias writers and actors out at the Amazon picket!"
Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson shared several photos from the picket line and thanked everyone for their continued support.
“I didn’t get pictures of everyone (friends, feel free to add!), but we are grateful for the solidarity, the warmth, and the joy y’all brought. It was an honor to have writers, actors, our EP, one of our directors, and our costume designer, as well as many friends join us,” she wrote.
Gabriel shared another photo from the picket lines in September.
"We’re still out here! Best part of a picket is the frands! My husband calls this 'fighting the man and seeing frands,'" she captioned the post.
Chrissy Callahan
Chrissy Callahan covers a range of topics for TODAY.com, including fashion, beauty, pop culture and food. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, watching bad reality TV and consuming copious amounts of cookiedough.
