Sweet Magnolias 2×05 “Great Expectations” sees the Sweet Magnolias rally an entire town against Trent Lewis and Mary Vaughn, as their not-at-all-surprising scam with the parking lots is revealed, while Helen acknowledges Erik’s importance, the Cal and Maddie ship is comfortably sailing and oh yes, Ronnie and Dana Sue get back together.
There’s still tension on the kids side, though, even if, thankfully, that tension doesn’t involve Kyle anymore. Five episodes into the season, though, the Annie and Ty thing is starting to get a little annoying. No one expects them to get together right now, of course, but some progress would be good. I don’t know, words? This stalemate cannot last the entire season – particularly not when we do not have a Season 3 confirmation.
Which, even halfway through the season, I gotta say, we absolutely need. These stories deserve more than what we’ve gotten – all of them. So, let’s examine the love lives, the familial relationships and the friendships in Sweet Magnolias 2×05 “Great Expectations”:
SOME SHIPS ARE SAILING, OTHERS …
Cal and Maddie are on the same page this episode, and can I just say Hallelujah? It’s good to see them happy and being their best selves, together, and around each other. Just as it’s good to see how well they fit into each other’s lives. That’s the hard part, sometimes, especially when you’re dating as a grown ass adult, with kds, like Maddie. Because it’s not just about you, it can’t be.
This is a little bit what’s going on with Dana Sue and Ronnie too, and I get it. I get Dana Sue’s hesitance. In fact, I’m going on the record as saying she forgave him too fast. And not because he hasn’t come out with everything to try to prove he is not the man he was, but because …well, we don’t really know what he’s growing from. We don’t know Ronnie yet. And though the guys inviting him to the basketball game is a good step, it’s not enough. Not even close.
What’s working, absolutely, no reservations, however, is Erik and Helen. Their pace might be glacial right now, but that’s okay. That’s what she needs, and also what he needs. Erik has gotten more development than Cal had till this season, and than Ronnie has gotten so far, and that’s, perhaps, why it’s easier for us to root for him. We feel like we know Erik, and we know Helen, and when we want them together, it’s a sincere reflection of our affection for both. We don’t just want Helen to be happy, we know they can make each other happy.
Best kind of ship right there. And Cal and Maddie, they’re getting close to that too. Not so much Dana Sue and Ronnie, though, and he still has a long way to go before he can convince us.
WHAT IS FAMILY?
This episode goes into the idea of family, by confronting people doing good things, important things, necessary things, with family members sometimes not acting the best. Peggy walks away from Isaac upon finding out he’s her son, but Helen, Maddie and Dana Sue are there to comfort him. Bill is leaving town because that’s easier, but Maddie is there or her kids, and so is Cal. Not just to pick them up, but to read a book with Ty, bond with him in ways other than baseball. And that’s important.
Family isn’t just blood. And that doesn’t mean that blood isn’t important, or that, sometimes, the people you are related to cannot be pillars of support in your life. It’s just important to recognize that, sometimes, you can choose your family too, and they can become just as important as the people life chose for you. That’s, in the end, the spirit of this show. That’s why we’re here. Because Maddie, Helen and Dana Sue chose each other.
Sometimes you get lucky with family. Other times you don’t. But everyone can find their family in life, and everyone, everyone, should be allowed the chance to have the support and love of family, no matter what that family looks like.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Sweet Magnolias 2×05 “Great Expectations”? Share with us in the comments below!
Sweet Magnolias Season 2 is available to stream on Netflix.