Editor’s Observe: The next incorporates spoilers for Candy Magnolias Season 4.
The fourth season of Candy Magnolias is right here, and it was actually definitely worth the wait. There are plenty of nice storylines to return out of this season, which begins with a Halloween episode the place Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) and Cal (Justin Bruening) get married in a shock spooky-themed marriage ceremony. In the identical episode, Candy Magnolias pays off its longest slow-burn pairing, and Ty (Carson Rowland) and Annie (Anneliese Decide) lastly get collectively. The season additionally sees Helen (Heather Headley) and Erik (Dion Johnstone) reunite and get engaged, whereas Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) and Ronnie (Brandon Quinn) assist one another transfer ahead of their careers.
It isn’t all good issues for the city of Serenity this season, because the city has to cope with main monetary issues within the wake of the earlier Mayor Trent Lewis’ (Paul Rolfes) misuse of city funds. The city additionally suffers from a hurricane that performs a significant half within the second half of the season. The primary storyline of the primary half of Candy Magnolias Season 4 is the demise of Invoice Townsend (Chris Klein), ex-husband of Maddie and father of Ty, Kyle (Logan Allen), Katie (Ella Grace Helton), Isaac (Chris Medlin), and Bex. Particularly contemplating the way in which that his character was written off on the finish of Season 3, Invoice’s demise this season was slightly too handy for the sequence.
Invoice’s Demise in ‘Candy Magnolias’ Season 4 Was Pointless
In Season 1 of Candy Magnolias, Invoice performed an attention-grabbing function within the present, as Maddie’s husband who had left her for his coworker, Noreen (Jamie Lynn Spears). Invoice was egocentric and bold and didn’t discover or care that he was harming the folks in his life along with his selections. On the finish of Season 1, Invoice had a wake-up name after Noreen dumped him and Kyle chewed him out, and he even tried to get Maddie again. This might have been the beginning of a redemption arc for Invoice, however as an alternative, the present by no means fairly knew what to do with him after Season 1.
For the subsequent two seasons of Candy Magnolias, Invoice turned a one-dimensional villain who was barely within the present in any respect and a scapegoat for when the characters wanted somebody responsible for his or her issues. He was revealed because the beginning father of Isaac, however Isaac wished nothing to do with him, though Invoice made an effort with him as quickly as he discovered. Equally, Noreen refuses to let Invoice be part of Bex’s life and even leaves him off her beginning certificates. Candy Magnolias might have performed extra with Invoice’s character however by no means did, so it was a aid when the present lastly simply wrote him off on the finish of Season 3 by having him depart city with Kathy (Wynn Everett).
In Invoice’s final look on the present, he turned the hero of Kathy’s storyline when he satisfied her to apologize to Dana Sue and Ronnie, and it was clear that he had actually modified. This might have been the top for his character, however Candy Magnolias pushed this storyline to the acute this season, and Invoice died off-screen from a coronary heart assault. The present did not have to kill off Invoice since he had already been written off and because it didn’t give him a last look this season. Though his demise was not unhappy, it was definitely underwhelming, and it felt misplaced along with his previous storyline.
Invoice’s Demise Serves as a Plot System for ‘Candy Magnolias’
Though Invoice performed a little bit of a villain function within the early seasons of Candy Magnolias, the principle villains of these seasons had been Mary Vaughn (Allison Gabriel) and Trent Lewis. After they left city, Kathy stepped into the villain function, however then she was redeemed. Within the midst of the monetary issues in the beginning of Season 4, Candy Magnolias kills off Invoice, after which his mom, Bonnie (Judith Ivey), turns into the villain of the season for a number of episodes. She exhibits up and is very arduous on Maddie, Cal, and the youngsters, earlier than finally coming to a little bit of a decision with Maddie after the funeral.
This season of Candy Magnolias by no means correctly explores the impression that Invoice’s demise has on Maddie and his children. Maddie does not care that Invoice is useless, and his children do not even appear to care both, past the episode devoted to his demise. As a substitute, his demise is used as a plot machine to carry Ty and Annie nearer collectively, to make Maddie need to cope with Bonnie, and to make Noreen discover out that Isaac is Invoice’s organic son. Noreen, who has by no means been held accountable for any of her errors over the course of the sequence, picks a large combat with Isaac proper after his beginning father’s demise. Isaac does not even care that Invoice is useless, although, and simply makes use of this as a push to reconnect along with his dad.
‘Candy Magnolias’ Makes use of Invoice’s Demise To Change Him With Cal
Greater than anything, it’s manner too handy that Candy Magnolias Season 4 kills Invoice off instantly after Maddie and Cal get married. The present was organising a compelling plotline the place Cal would step into the function as Ty, Kyle, and Katie’s stepfather. It might have leaned into exploring the function that Cal performs of their lives as their stepfather and determining how he and Maddie would co-parent with Invoice. As a substitute, Candy Magnolias simply killed off Invoice and had Cal take his place as the youngsters’ father determine. Shortly after Invoice’s demise, Katie calls Cal “Dad.” Within the season finale, the youngsters give Cal a Christmas stocking labeled “Dad.” It is a jarring flip to see this so quickly after Invoice died, particularly as a result of every of the youngsters claimed to be on good phrases with him up till the top.
Isaac and Noreen refused to let Invoice be part of their lives when he was nonetheless alive, however within the wake of his demise, they primarily be a part of Maddie’s household. Abruptly, Isaac is attending the entire Townsend-Maddox household occasions because the fourth sibling, and Bex is introduced into the household because the fifth. The sequence might have performed one thing way more attention-grabbing than killing Invoice off, like having him and Noreen make up sufficient to co-parent Bex, or having Isaac get to know him. As a substitute, Cal takes Invoice’s place as his children’ father, after which Isaac and Bex be a part of the household. Invoice will not precisely be missed, however that is finally a disappointing ending to what might have been a way more nuanced and attention-grabbing arc for this character.
Candy Magnolias is on the market to stream on Netflix.
