Fans are anxiously awaiting for season 5 of Sweet Magnolias - but will any of their favorites be missing when the show finally does return? First things first, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, who has played Maddie since season 1, gave Us insight into why there might be a delay on the arrival of the return to Serenity. "It is very exciting this season. We are all over the place. It's taking us a little bit longer to complete a season because we've gotten the opportunity to travel," she exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2025. "Actually, last night we were shooting at the baseball field and I was looking around, and we have a lot of new cast members. There's these new faces in Serenity, South Carolina, that are so exciting for me. ... There's new, fresh blood and energy in Serenity." Sweet Magnolias, which premiered in 2020, is based on Sherryl Woods' novels about three women who have been best friends since childhood as they navigate their romantic lives, careers and family. Season 4 ended with surprising moves, breakups, engagements and even a major death, which has made Netflix viewers curious about where the show goes next. Which TV Shows Are Renewed in 2025-2026? Keep scrolling to see which characters are coming back - and which aren't: JoAnna Garcia Swisher Courtesy Of Netflix During her interview with Us, Swisher teased Maddie's big move to New York City. "Someone had mentioned something about people who were not happy that Maddie took a job in New York City. And I was like, 'OK, let's look into that. Let's kind of dive into that because it'll help me as I navigate Maddie in season 5,'" she recalled about the divisive story line. "It's really all about just expanding and contracting. That's what life is. Just because we got the man or we have the kids at home, we're still vital, living, breathing people. Our dreams don't end when we just get to one destination." Swisher was excited for fans to see how they approached the big change. "It definitely was something that I never thought twice about when I read the scripts. But it was interesting to see the feedback and the way people felt," she noted. "So I feel really excited to be able to portray a character that is still flexing her muscles and still dreaming and has an incredibly supportive partner and children. They're all thriving and everyone's OK and life is still revealing itself." Brooke Elliott Courtesy of Netflix Elliott has been photographed filming scenes for season 5 as Dana Sue (Elliott) visited Maddie in New York City. Heather Headley Courtesy of Netflix Headley told TVLine in July 2025 that season 5 will feature Helen (Headley) and Eric (Dion Johnstone) having conversations about possibly expanding their family after getting engaged in season 4. Logan Allen Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection Kyle's (Allen) story will continue when season 5 returns to Netflix. Anneliese Judge Courtesy of Netflix/(C) 2025 Netflix, Inc. After season 4 saw Annie (Judge) and Ty (Carson Rowland) finally becoming a couple, the season ended with them at odds about their next steps. Judge isn't losing out hope about where their journey would go from here. "I'm going to be really interested to see if we're renewed for another season, which I'm crossing my fingers [we will be]," she exclusively told Us in February 2025. "The cliffhanger, it's there for me. I feel like I'm right alongside the viewers. Like, 'Oh my gosh, I don't know what's gonna happen.' Like, I don't know if Ty's gonna realize that that was not the right way to approach that conversation. Because it came from a good place. He wanted her to go with him. He wanted to for the world with her. I get it, but it's hard. It's so hard. We'll have to see." Carson Rowland Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection Ty wasn't featured as prominently after Rowland and his wife, Maris Kenny, welcomed their first child. But that is expected to change in season 5 with Ty playing a big role amid his relationship issues with Annie. Justin Bruening Courtesy of Netflix Season 4 hinted that Maddie and Cal (Bruening) could consider expanding their family. "I actually just talked about this yesterday with Justin because I'm like, 'We never got a honeymoon.' I don't know if that will involve a little bun in the oven - or at least an opportunity. But I think it's really been really sweet to see step into this father role and Cal is knocking it out of the park," Swisher told Us. "I don't know if I do get pregnant. I hope it's during the winter in Serenity because it's really hot right now. But I'm up for all of the journey." Chris Klein Courtesy of Netflix Following four seasons playing Bill, Klein's character was killed off and will likely not appear in future episodes. "But the reason [he died] is we were looking for a cataclysmic event that would strike everybody at the core of their being," creator Sheryl J. Anderson told Us in February 2025. "And across his time in Serenity, [Bill] has been central, obviously to Maddie and the kids but