Ships. In entertainment, and especially, in fandom, we live and die by them. Which is why every Friday, we’ll be focusing on a couple, analyzing why we ship them, and overall, just proclaiming our eternal love for those couples that make us say:
I will go down with this ship.
And when it comes to Sweet Magnolias‘ Ty and Annie, they stole my heart immediately and quickly. Given that we’ve just seen the beginning of their love story, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of Tynnie.
Let’s dive into the reasons why I will FOREVER go down with this ship.
They’re the classic best friends to lovers trope
I’m a trope-y girl, I admit it. And one of my favorite tropes — if done right — is the friends to lovers trope. The sudden realization that somewhere — throughout all of these years of being friends — that something changed. Your feelings changed. They became something more. And that realization can be absolutely terrifying, especially for a teenager. Which is where we are with Ty, as it’s clear Annie has been crushing on him for awhile.
In the first season of Sweet Magnolias, we were just getting to know Ty and Annie as individuals. And one of the things I was a tad disappointed in was that we didn’t get to see more of their friendship before the sudden transition to romance. Not that the show didn’t make is clear that they’ve been friends for years, but I just prefer to see things happen on screen. Even if it’s not possible.
For me, I really started to get into Sweet Magnolias with episode 5 — for a variety of reasons. Not only did we know these characters well, but we were starting to see these relationships form or develop at a time when we were invested. For me, episode 5 was the game-changer, and Ty and Annie were a reason why.
A drunken kiss opened a floodgate of emotions on both sides and drove part of their storylines through the remainder of the first season. With the mystery of who was in the car with Kyle remains a mystery, if it’s Ty or Annie, it’s bound to be a catalyst in their relationship. There’s nothing like almost losing someone you care about to realize that you should’ve told them how you felt sooner.
I never would’ve forgiven Netflix if they hadn’t renewed Sweet Magnolias for season 2 because that would’ve meant not getting to see the next step in the friends-to-lovers trope. One of the best parts. Where there’s bound to be actions based off these feelings. Especially with jealously in the mix.
The attraction is there
There wasn’t a lot of focus on Ty and Annie’s potential romance in season 1, but the foundation was certainly laid. Given this was the beginning of what’s sure to be an epic romance, the one thing that was evident in the small moments dedicated to them was the attraction. It was obvious from the pilot with Annie, who has clearly been pining over Ty for awhile, even if he is her best friend.
But after a drunken Annie kissed Ty, you could visibly see a light switch flicker on. Ty was shocked, to say the least, but I’d argue that he was just as shocked at his own thoughts and feelings that he had to the kiss than the kiss itself.
“Sometimes it’s hard to predict who you’re going to be attracted to. One day you’ll understand.”
Maddie to Ty
That’s the point where we’re at with Ty. While he might not be willing to admit that he has feelings for Annie — feelings he didn’t know existed until she kissed him (boys, am I right?) — the fact that this weighed so heavily on him tells us that he does care. If he didn’t have feelings, this would’ve been swept under the rug. Instead, it brought us some awkward tension that tells us that the attraction is there — for both of them.
They look out for each other
Look, I’m someone that 100 percent believes that a woman doesn’t need a man to take care of her. But when the odds are against her — in Annie’s case, she was beyond wasted for the first time — I’m all for some chivalrous act by a man that’s willing to protect her. In this case, that was Ty, who saw that Annie was drunk and unable to fend for herself. He swept in like a knight in shining armor and took care of her.
He got her away from the party — even lending her his shirt sleeve to wipe her mouth — he got her home and he made sure she was safe. It didn’t matter that there was a party going on. All that mattered was that Annie was safe. And I’ll be damned if that didn’t hit me in the feels immediately. Even before they kissed, that was the moment I knew that this couple had a real chance of happening. Because they care so deeply for each other.
Their love story has only just begun
The best time of a shipper’s journey is when their ship hasn’t quite set sail yet, which makes every look, every scene, every moment significant because you never know if it’s going to be the moment or something that will serve as a catalyst in their relationship. There’s something thrilling about the beginning of a couple’s journey — it’s the not knowing but also knowing that it’s going to happen, eventually.
For Ty and Annie, Sweet Magnolias made it clear that this was going to be a slow-burn of epic proportions. Laying the foundation was the focus of season 1 as far as their relationship was concerned, and it managed to do that perfectly. It gave us enough without giving us too much but also didn’t seem to give us enough, if that all makes sense. The important thing is, it kept us coming back for more. And with Sweet Magnolias renewed for season 2, there will be more.
Following the events of the season 1 finale, it’s clear that this next season could be significant for their relationship almost from the beginning. We know that there was someone else in the car with Kyle, and it’s likely that person was either Ty or Annie. At this point, it feels like it has to be one of them. This could be such a catalyst for these characters as individuals and for their relationship. There’s nothing like tragedy to make you take a step back and think about how you’re feeling. And regardless if it’s Ty or Annie in the car, this could one of those instances where those feelings are not just realized but acknowledged. Although, I don’t expect it to be that easy.
Still, it’s exciting to know that there’s so much more coming from Ty and Annie’s story.