Netflix's Sweet Magnolias arrived on the streaming platform in May 2020. The series centers on Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), a mother of three living in the fictional town of Serenity, South Carolina. Maddie and Bill Townsend are going through a divorce in the first season of the series.
Maddie and her two best friends go about life's everyday dramas and work to open a spa. With its small-town charm (and gossip), the beautifully-filmed original series can easily be compared to Gilmore Girls. Let's see how Serenity stacks up against Stars Hollow.
10 Misses The Mark: Owning A Business
Sweet Magnolias doesn't sugarcoat the red tape of renovating a building or the long days of running a business. But when it comes to the pride of ownership and the wonder of building something great from scratch, Lorelai Gilmore wins with The Dragonfly Inn.
She and Sookie are passionate about their project from beginning to end, and the opening day is so rewarding. Maddie, Helen, and Dana Sue work hard to open their spa in Serenity and celebrate with a grand party, but their story won't go down in history the same way The Dragonfly Inn's will.
9 Better: Romance
Gilmore Girls super-fans may disagree, but Sweet Magnolias has some superior romantic storylines going on in season one. A lot of Gilmore Girls fans get frustrated with Rory alone, but they really get frustrated with her love life.
The high school kids on Sweet Magnolias certainly get into some drama, but their romantic arcs already look more promising and potentially less frustrating than Rory's. As for the adults, Maddie and Coach Cal heat things up right away while Lorelai and Luke are on a slow (but mostly satisfying) path. Dana Sue and Helen also find some handsome men from the past and present. There are more love stories to go around for the adults of Sweet Magnolias than there are for the adults of Gilmore Girls.
8 Misses The Mark: Intro Credits
Nickel Creek's "Destination" makes a fantastic theme song for Sweet Magnolias, but nothing will ever beat Carole King's "Where You Lead (I Will Follow)" for Gilmore Girls. Though the Sweet Magnolias music is set to a gorgeous animated scene, it can't top the heartwarming live-action intros throughout Gilmore Girls's run.
7 Better: Drama
Sweet Magnolias is almost too good at being dramatic. Gilmore Girls's conversations are much more realistic (for those who talk fast, anyway) than Sweet Magnolias conversations. The Netflix original makes almost every discussion a lesson, a heart-to-heart, or a gossip showdown.
Gilmore Girls lets its characters breathe and feel everyday life a bit more. So even if it's not a huge positive, Sweet Magnolias is better at creating large amounts of drama (and presenting them dramatically).
6 Misses The Mark: Small-Town Authenticity
As hard as it tries, Sweet Magnolias's Southern charm feels a little bit forced. Though the show is set in South Carolina, it was filmed in Covington, Georgia. The hospitable, verdant landscape is a balm to the soul, but the Southern accents are less than convincing. Gilmore Girls, on the other hand, oozes New England magic.
It's not that hard to fake being from the Northeast, and the show makes its small-town Connecticut hub, Stars Hollow, look like a real town, even though it is on the Warner Brothers lot. The fall leaves, town festivals, and daily walks around the square just feel more real with the Gilmores.
5 Better: Representation Of Race
Fans of Gilmore Girls are willing to admit that the show's cast is not the most diverse. There aren't many non-white actors in prominent roles throughout the seven seasons. Sweet Magnolias might not have an overwhelmingly diverse cast, either, but it seems to try.
Three black women are placed in positions of importance: Helen Decatur is a distinguished lawyer (and one of the key Magnolias), Peggy Martin is a reporter who is always in the know, and Pastor June Wilkes is the sacred center of the town itself. Fans hope to get more of Peggy's and Pastor June's stories with the second season.
4 Misses The Mark: Single Motherhood
Maddie Townsend is down in the dumps and angry at her soon-to-be ex-husband Bill. The show quickly presents her as a heartbroken single mother, which she does become over the course of the season. However, there is no single mom quite like Lorelai Gilmore.
When Maddie's marriage ends, she has three great kids and a huge, comfortable house, which she gets to keep. When Lorelai has Rory, she is already single and struggles to make ends meet. In the midst of her separation and divorce, Maddie is igniting a flame with baseball coach Cal Maddox. Lorelai seemingly spends most of Rory's childhood focusing on their little family, waiting until Rory is a teenager to seriously date.
3 Better: Kid Stuff
Rory Gilmore is not the typical high school or college kid. She knows her mother's past and understands the sacrifices Lorelai has made to be a good mom. Though Rory makes some stupid decisions, she is insanely intelligent and tries to present herself as a mature adult. Sweet Magnolias does a better job at offering kids' points of view.
Ty and Kyle Townsend are Maddie's high school-aged sons (though she also has a young daughter), and their journeys are a big part of the overall story. Dana Sue's daughter, Annie, relates to the Townsend kids because her parents are also separated. Annie and Ty have a flirtation, but Ty messes it up by going out with another girl.
2 Misses The Mark: Best Friend Chef
Dana Sue is a complex character: she is a mom, a restaurateur and chef, and a Magnolia. Dana Sue works hard to make a nice life for herself and her daughter, but she is worlds different from Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls.
Sookie isn't perfect, but she is easier to get along with than Dana Sue. Dana Sue takes everything personally and overreacts in many situations. Sookie has her moments, but she takes things with a grain of salt and tries to see the best in people at all times.
1 Better: The Other Woman
Gilmore Girls establishes Lorelai as her own entity from day one. With Sweet Magnolias, viewers quickly see what Maddie is up against. Her doctor husband, Bill, cheated on her with his nurse, Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears). After getting Noreen pregnant, Bill spends most of the season engaged to marry her.
Lorelai Gilmore knows no Noreen. She may have to deal with Luke dating for a time, and she gets tangled up with Christopher and then has to deal with Sherry, but there is no story in place about any "other woman" at the time of Rory's birth.
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