Sweet Magnolias Season 5 launches, climbs Netflix top 10

The fifth season of the Netflix drama "Sweet Magnolias" premiered on June 11, returning viewers to the fictional South Carolina town of Serenity. The ten-episode season, which quickly rose in the platform's rankings, continues to follow the intertwined lives of childhood friends Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan, and Helen Decatur.

The new season picks up six months after the events of season four, finding the characters in the midst of summer. A central plot involves Maddie's temporary move to New York City for a publishing job, which prompts a girls' weekend visit from Dana Sue and Helen. Meanwhile, Helen and Erik finally navigate family tensions to get married, and the couple decides to foster teenagers. Dana Sue and her husband Ronnie face significant marital strain, culminating in Dana Sue moving into her own apartment after a house fire and mounting conflicts. Another storyline follows Maddie's husband, Cal, as he attempts to bring an independent baseball team to Serenity, a plotline actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher said was informed by conversations with her husband, former MLB player Nick Swisher.

A notable change for the season is the absence of actor Carson Rowland, who...