Sweet Magnolias Season 4, Episode 8 ‘Walls and Doors’ is less about physical walls and doors and more about metaphorical ones. It’s also about how, just like in the series of books by Sherryl Woods, at some point—this becomes about more than the Magnolias. A new generation has to step in and carry the load.
They so admirably in this hour, with Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue’s storyline balancing really well with the storylines of Cece, Lily, and Annie christening themselves the mini-Magnolias and Kyle stepping up in Ty’s absence, not just in the storytelling, but in the town.
Ironically, it goes back to family, no matter what. For Ronnie, who does need counseling. And for Cal, who might not get it right all the time, but who is there and trying, and that’s half the battle when it comes to being a parent. For Erik, who is finally letting light into the passions he has never shared with anyone before. And, of course, for Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue, whose own journeys this story has centered and will continue to.
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IT’S OKAY TO GET IT WRONG EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE
The lesson of this episode, with all the relationships, is that things often need time to grow. Just like Cal is growing into his role as a father—and being accepted not just by Ty, who he had the easier in with, but by Kyle and Katie (who even calls him dad this episode!)—Isaac’s relationship with Kyle is growing. And in a way, so are all the relationships in this show, even the ones that have been going on for quite a while. Relationships are like that, they change, they evolve, and the good ones have two people willing to roll with the punches and evolve as people evolve.
And yes, that means mistakes will be made. In life—Annie might not enjoy college! Ty might end up making mistakes while he’s far away from Annie—but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t mean our mistakes define us. Instead, all we can do when we get something wrong is keep trying and stay vulnerable. If we do that, at some point, things will work out like they have to. Maybe not like we wanted them to, or how we thought they would, but how they have to.
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WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?
For Annie, there’s as much fear in getting it right as there is in getting it wrong. Because getting the self-portrait right, getting into the school of her dreams, means… leaving. Serenity, her parents, her friends, Ty—even if he left first to pursue his dreams. And it’s all big and scary and she wants it but she’s also young and it’s so, so normal to be apprehensive. In fact, it would be kind of weird if Annie wasn’t even a little bit scared of the possibility of moving away.
She’s not the only one facing fears in this episode. Dana Sue is scared of losing Ronnie—of his mid-life crisis, or whatever we’re calling it, taking him away from her. And Lily is scared of losing Kyle to Dev. And all of these fears make sense, in a way. But we cannot let fear rule us. Annie has to try. And she will find out—one way or another if this fancy school in California is right for her. And as for the rest, well… we cannot get over our fears if we don’t face them. Even if that sometimes requires a little bit of a public blow-up.
Agree? Disagree? What did you think of Sweet Magnolias Season 4, Episode 8 ‘Walls and Doors’? Share with us in the comments below!
Sweet Magnolias Season 4 is now available to stream on Netflix.
