All 5 Seasons Of Sweet Magnolias, Ranked

For five seasons, Netflix has invited viewers to pour it out with the Sweet Magnolias, a trio of lifelong best friends who have never met a storm (literal or figurative) that they can't weather without each other's help — and maybe a few margaritas. While we anxiously wait for Netflix to renew "Sweet Magnolias" for Season 6, TVLine is taking stock of our favorite chapters in the ladies' story thus far.

Set in the picturesque town of Serenity, South Carolina, "Sweet Magnolias" stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher ("Reba") as booklover Maddie, Broadway legend Heather Headley as mighty lawyer Helen, and Brooke Elliott ("Drop Dead Diva") as sassy chef Dana Sue. When the Magnolias aren't busy getting in each other's business, they're busy getting down to business as co-owners of their town's newest spa.

It's a cozy little show with hopeful characters and laid-back vibes, with stakes that get high but typically remain manageable. ("Sweet Magnolias" has only killed one character over five seasons, and we weren't exactly sad to see him go.) We honestly feel bad even playing favorites with this show, but this is the internet after all, and rankings will happen.

Because we're going to be discussing the events of all five seasons of "Sweet Magnolias," it should go without saying that this list full of spoilers. But we'll say it anyway, just in case: this list is full of spoilers! If you haven't watched all five seasons, proceed at your own risk.

Read on for TVLine's ranking of all five "Sweet Magnolias" seasons, ordered from "worst" to best, then drop a comment with your own personal list of favorites below.

The most recent season of "Sweet Magnolias" wasn't bad by any means. After all, it finally made an honest woman out of Helen Decatur, and that's all fans have really wanted from the very beginning. (Actually, we also want more musical performances from Heather Headley — and Season 5 gave us that, too!)

That said, Season 5 did lack some of the punch that the Netflix drama had delivered a year prior, and the residents of Serenity spent most of the time spinning their wheels. Watching Ronnie constantly fail Dana Sue was incredibly frustrating, giving us great peace with her decision to separate from him; Maddie got to enjoy her dream job for one whole episode before her entire world came crashing down; and it felt like Helen and Erik kept inventing problems for themselves in the lead-up to their wedding.

There were definitely impressive highlights — Maddie crying in front of Radio City Music Hall, the fall-out from Dana Sue's house fire, and Helen's (extremely) long-awaited nuptials — but for the most part, Season 5 took Serenity's inherently sleepy nature to the extreme.

If this had been the final season of "Sweet Magnolias," at least it would have ended on a high note at Dana Sue and Ronnie's beautiful vow renewal ceremony, with seemingly every couple in Serenity happily back on the right track after a rocky road to recovery. Now let's talk about everything that came before that.

Season 3 gave us Ryan and Helen's devastating breakup, with that spineless rat of a man finally admitting that he isn't the partner she deserves — a revelation that turned Saint Helen into Mount Saint Helens, and we relished in every second of the righteous fury she unleashed upon him. Good riddance to a garbage man, we say! (And congratulations to Heather Headley for being named TVLine's Performer of the Week for her sensational work.)

Maddie learning to trust Cal again after his violent outburst wasn't the couple's most compelling storyline, but the show made up for that by giving us some juicy drama with Ronnie and Dana Sue. Kathy turned out to be a fun, surprisingly layered adversary, and Season 3 was better off for the trouble she caused in Serenity.

Following its well-received first season, "Sweet Magnolias" returned with more drama, pitting Jeremy against Ronnie in a battle for Dana Sue's heart; more surprises, including the reveal of Bill and Peggy as Isaac's biological parents; and more swoon-worthy romance, as things heated up between Maddie and Cal. For the most part, it was exactly what we enjoyed about Season 1 — only more of it.

On the other hand, parts of Season 2 were difficult to watch, particularly Helen's devastating miscarriage. Heather Headley portrayed Helen's harrowing ordeal with grace and gravitas, but it was painful to watch this wonderful woman — who thought she had finally gotten her dream, albeit later than she hoped — have that joy ripped from her in such a cruel fashion. It happens in real life, we know, but this is a TV show, which makes it a choice. (Even if we knew how terrible a person Ryan would turn out to be, our hearts still would have broken for Helen.)

There's a reason "Sweet Magnolias" became an instant success for Netflix — its first season was strong!

Watching Maddie free herself from under Bill's thumb was deeply satisfying, and the chemistry between Maddie and Cal was undeniable, making the earliest days of their relationship all the more enjoyable. On the flip side, we found ourselves genuinely torn between Dana Sue's suitors — Jeremy, the handsome farmer, and Ronnie, her also-handsome estranged husband — but were more than willing to see where the ride would take her. And Helen was a breath of fresh air all around, a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to part with things (and people) who no longer serve her goals.

It was impossible not to completely fall in love with Serenity and its residents over the course of the show's utterly charming first season. In fact, by the time the finale ended with that fiery car crash, we'd become fully invested in these characters, nervously weighing the many potential outcomes of this tragic cliffhanger.

It almost feels like the "Sweet Magnolias" writers opened the room for Season 4 by saying, "Let's give everyone exactly what they've always wanted," which they did — and then some. Just when we thought this show couldn't get any cozier, we got an entire season built around holidays, spanning from Halloween to Christmas. The season started on a high with the introduction of Jodi Benson (aka the voice of Ariel in "The Little Mermaid") as Cal's mom, then kicked things up a notch with Maddie and Cal's surprise wedding, finally giving us Bill's death as the proverbial cherry on top. Good news all around!

Season 4 also delivered drama with a capital D by hitting Serenity with a devastating hurricane. And because nothing brings TV characters together like a natural disaster, we got a rain-soaked reunion kiss between Helen and Erik — all to the tune of Dana Sue belting out "Stand By Me." Other highlights from this fan-pleasing season included Isaac finally getting a boyfriend, Annie and Ty making their relationship official, and Helen and Erik at last becoming engaged.

Ending with Maddie's decision to move to New York (and leave Serenity?!) to pursue a career in children's book publishing, Season 4 fed us an endless buffet of meaty developments against the picturesque backdrop of the holidays. It was "Sweet Magnolias" on steroids, an undisputed treat for the Netflix drama's longtime fans.