I totally get the reasoning here.
(Image credit: Netflix)
The 2025 TV schedule delivered a lovely winter treat when Sweet Magnolias Season 4 became one of this year’s new Netflix movie and TV show releases in early February. Anyone who maybe didn’t love Season 3 was rewarded for coming back to Serenity, South Carolina, as the finale gave viewers a major Maddie-related surprise for Dana Sue and Helen going forward, but the season, overall, also finally saw one character’s sexuality be confirmed, and I totally get the showrunner’s reason for revealing it now.
What Did Sweet Magnolias’ Showrunner Say About Confirming That Big Character’s Sexuality?
Probably, like many fans, I was hoping that Sweet Magnolias Season 4 would seriously deliver in several areas, but, one thing I didn’t even consider was the story finally confirming that Isaac (Chris Medlin) is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. The small town drama, of course, had representation on that front since Season 1 with Trotter and his husband, Ashley, but we hadn’t gotten the opportunity to watch any such new couple start their romantic lives.
Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson spoke with Deadline about why now felt like the correct time to both confirm Isaac’s sexuality, and give him a love interest, saying:
“He wasn’t interested in dating until he was comfortable with who he was in Serenity. So now that everybody — well, anybody who’s interested, but everybody who matters to him — understands his whole story, he was comfortable, and he was open, and a man from his past walked in the door.”
That “man from his past” ended up being a friend/rival from college named Michael (Kyle Findley), who showed up in Serenity to look over damage from the nearly devastating storm that passed through town. When he and Isaac finally crossed paths, it was abundantly clear that there was a spark there, even though Isaac still hadn’t had what many would call a traditional “coming out” where he told all of his friends and family in town about his sexuality.
It actually really makes tons of sense that Anderson and her team of writers were waiting to confirm Isaac’s sexuality. The young chef came to town from Ohio in the first season and quickly began making friends, but was hiding the fact that he was only there (originally) to look for his birth parents. Then, of course, he had some tearful moments with Erik and Dana Sue, separately, where he had to ask about whether or not they could be the people he was looking for, but was let down.
The second season saw the question of Isaac’s parentage become a major storyline, with the eventual shocking reveal that town reporter Peggy and Bill (Maddie’s dumb, philandering ex-husband) had an encounter while away on a school trip. Though Peggy and Isaac are slowly getting to know one another, and it seems to be going fine, because Bill left such a trail of emotional destruction in his wake, he was not on good terms with Isaac by the time he left town at the end of Season 3.
The most recent season brought Bill’s hateful and inconsiderate mother, Bonnie, to town, and she carelessly told everyone who’s come to matter to Isaac that he’s Bill’s son, which no one but Maddie, Bill, Isaac and Peggy had known.
Basically, Isaac has had A LOT to deal with and figure out, on top of getting used to a new town, making new friends, finding out he has a whole parcel of half-siblings, and having info he wasn’t ready to have revealed blown wide open, so I completely understand that the character needed some mental space before tackling the idea of dating, publicly or not.
Luckily, Isaac and Michael did just enough flirting that by the end of the season we finally got to see them kiss at a town Christmas celebration for all to see. It also appears that they could still be an item if the show is renewed for Season 5, with Anderson noting that she looks “forward to the chance and the hope of being able to ponder what happens next,” and I’m sure many Sweet Magnolias fans do, too!
