Fans of Sweet Magnolias‘s Ty and Annie—or rather, #TyAnnie—finally got what they have waited nearly five years for in the romantic drama’s fourth season premiere. (Warning: Spoilers ahead for all 10 episodes.)
“Annie, I have loved you for as long as I can remember, and I always will,” Ty (Carson Rowland) passionately tells Annie (Anneliese Judge) before they share their first kiss. She returns the long-awaited sentiment by kissing him back and declaring it’s “about damn time!”
About damn time, indeed. After plenty of longing looks, sweet—though platonic—PDA, and years of being each other’s rock, baseball player turned musician Ty Townsend finally realized he didn’t want to waste another minute without telling Annie Sullivan how he felt. And for nearly four more episodes, #TyAnnie fans got to relish in their new relationship, which culminated in the exchange of “I love you’s” in episode five.
But episode five is where the on-screen romance pressed pause, as Ty went off on tour with his band while Annie stayed behind in Serenity. It wouldn’t be until episode 10 before the two would reunite again—temporarily—until their future plans ended up getting in the way. Annie tells Ty she got into a prestigious art school in Monterey, California, while Ty tells her that he and the band got a gig opening in Europe. He wants Annie to come with him for this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” but she she stands firm in her plans to go to school. After all, she says, he took 17 years to tell her he loved her, so if they can’t make this work, maybe she has the answer.
Of course, the future isn’t so black and white. For one, he didn’t take 17 years to tell her loved her; let’s be realistic—they’re teens! Life is confusing and complicated and scary enough without declaring you’re in love with your childhood friend. But also, the timing of #TyAnnie getting together isn’t ideal, as both are getting ready to leave Serenity.
So, what’s in store for the now-estranged couple should there be a season five of Sweet Magnolias? And why was Ty off the canvas so long this season without even seeing him on FaceTime? Below, showrunner and executive producer Sheryl Anderson reveals everything about their romance this season, from their first kiss to what comes next.
Glamour: Episode 401 is epic for #TyAnnie fans. How much pressure did you feel in crafting the scene where Ty professes his love for Annie?
Sheryl Anderson: Well, full disclosure, we have some TyAnnies in the writer’s room, who had very strong ideas about how that scene should unfold. We spent a lot of time in the room talking about our first loves, our first kisses. We wanted to fully embrace the fact that we are a romantic drama and make it as romantic as possible, while also being genuine to the path the two of them have been on and not say like, “Oh, it’s magic. Now, they’re together, and everything’s fine.” That the propulsive nature of his proclamation caught her off guard, on a night that was already romantic, and that swirl of teen romance in that room, while the swirl of adult romance is happening in the other room, we thought, was a lovely juxtaposition.
What was it like for Carson and Anneliese to finally see their characters come together?
I think they were really excited, because they understand how beyond excited the fans are going to be. We talked it through really carefully about the whole way they touch each other and the length of the kiss, and then talked to the director about the moment being sweeping and epic. It’s a moment we’ve waited for for a really, really long time, and we wanted it to be perfect. We’re also looking forward to all the Tyannie edits that will feature it in the weeks to come.
Was it storyline-dictated then that Ty would be off the canvas for about five episodes? Or did Carson have another project going on? Because they’re separated for a lot of the season.
Some of it was logistics with Carson’s schedule, but we also wanted to say, “This isn’t going to be easy.” They both have their paths and their dreams to start with. We are all big believers that a true relationship does not ask you to put yourself aside for the sake of the relationship. So we wanted to follow his musical journey with Olivia and look at that separation and how it affected them both.
What message of hope do you want to give to TyAnnie fans then after episode 10?
That the future is unknown to us all, but that we are incredibly proud of both of them for following their dreams, understanding that that’s hard when you really, really love somebody. But also, if you really, really love somebody, you also don’t want to hold them back. I particularly want our young female fans, who are often put in this position, to understand that you have the right to say no.
I know this is so far out, but given that we have the Mini Magnolias now, is there any part of you that is writing or thinking towards a spinoff one day?
Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? That would be really fun.
Think about all the tie-ins you could do with milkshake sponsors!
Well, I guess we better get Wharton’s rebuilt fast.
For more on Sweet Magnolias, including why the show had to kill off Bill Townsend, and what’s next for Helen and Erik, and Maddie and Cal, check out our coverage here.
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