Sweet Magnolias took the country by storm when it debuted on Netflix last month. OK, fine...maybe "took the country by storm" is overstating things a bit, but the romantic drama series, starring JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Heather Headley and Brooke Elliott, was in the Top 10 for several days after hitting the streamer, and fans can't stop talking about the big cliffhangers they were left with in the Season 1 finale. So, why has the show struck such a chord with audiences? Garcia Swisher believes she has the answer.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher recently spoke to People about Sweet Magnolias, and when asked why she thinks the show, which is based on the 11-book novel series of the same name by Sherryl Woods, has managed to resonate with so many people, she revealed that she believes it has a lot to do with the thorough characterizations fans were treated to. Here's what she had to say:
I think it's really relatable. I think that it doesn't shy away from taking a really strong point of view. These are real people. Every single person, sort of villain or not, has a really complicated and interesting story that was really well thought out.
As someone who devoured Sweet Magnolias within a couple of days of it being released on Netflix, I think that JoAnna Garcia Swisher makes a really good point about her show. While it is a sorta soapy drama, Sweet Magnolias is also filled with characters who are going through (or have gone through) situations that a lot of people have dealt with in real life.
Garcia Swisher's Maddie, for instance, married her high school sweetheart, but is dealing with a divorce and the town gossip over it because of her ex-husband cheating on her with the nurse who works at his medical practice, who is now pregnant. Maddie is also now adjusting to reentering the workforce while taking care of her three children during the breakup of her marriage, and slowly getting back into dating. That might sound like way too much for one person to deal with at once, but you can bet that many women have been in Maddie's filled-to-bursting shoes at some point in their lives.
On top of that, Maddie's friends Helen (Headley) and Dana Sue (Elliott) are dealing with things like health scares, money woes, bad employees, and a couple of men who are absolutely no good for them, so there are plenty of real life situations to go around when people tune in to the show.
JoAnna Garcia Swisher also noted that Sweet Magnolias has found a way to deliver all that soapy goodness to fans, without making the experience seem like a chore:
It's about support and faith and sisterhood and friendship; what it means to endure and what it means to survive. I also think it does it in a way that's a little more light-hearted and something that's not so heavy to watch...I think it's just a nice breath of fresh air.
I can also co-sign this theory from Garcia Swisher, and say that the show likely manages to keep viewers hooked with just the right combination of drama, humor and hope.
There's no word on Season 2 for Sweet Magnolias just yet, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest. In the meantime, be sure to see what else is new to Netflix this year, and check out your viewing options for summer TV!
