Why isn’t Ty in season 5 of Sweet Magnolias, and will Carson Rowland be returning to the Netflix show?
The character is notably absent from season 5 of the hit series, and fans are wondering why
There's been a fairly lengthy wait for season 5 of the Netflix cosy favourite, Sweet Magnolias, but the best friends of Serenity are finally back for a fifth outing.
Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), and Helen (Heather Headley) are all back to continue juggling family life, challenging relationships and careers in their beautiful slice of idyllic, tight-knit Southern America.
However, while fans are excited for the latest instalment of the heartwarming drama, one character is notably absent.
For those expecting Ty Townsend, eldest son of Bill (now sadly deceased) and Maddie to return for season 5, we look at why he isn't part of the series, and whether Carson Rowland will ever be reprising the role in the future.
Why isn't Ty in season 5 of Sweet Magnolias?
In reality, Carson Rowland himself hasn't addressed his absence from the show, only writing on Instagram, "I'm alive. Promise!"
Offering deeper insight into the reason Carson stepped away from the series, Annelise Judge, who plays Annie, tells US Weekly that the actor had other work offers outside of Sweet Magnolias, which presumably resulted in scheduling conflicts.
She understands that his surprise exit may not be what fans "necessarily expected," but hopes it'll be "something they’ll be able to feel alongside us anyway."
"He had some other opportunities that I’m really excited for him about," she explains, adding, "He’s a really, really good friend of mine, and so that’s something that’s really exciting for him and for all of us. We’re all still so supportive of him."
Continuing to speak highly of her former co-star, and addressing what the future might hold for Annie, Annelise shares, "He’s such a generous scene partner. He’s so kind and just the coolest person ever."
"I love hanging out with him on set, off set. He’s so great, and so of course it’s sad, but it’s also really exciting."
In the show, Ty's absence is explained by an exciting opportunity arising for him to travel for his blossoming music career, which fans believed to be temporary.
During season 4, those tuning in were delighted to see Ty finally get together with Annie, finding some happiness after devastatingly losing his father and dealing with grief.
Dedicated viewers were hoping to see the path the you couple's relationship took during the show's next outing.
When Ty was given the opportunity to go to Europe for his music career at the end of the season, he was torn between chasing his dreams and his love for Annie. Viewers still expected to see him back with tales of his travels in season 5.
However, fans are disappointed to see Ty written out of the show for the latest episodes, as he continues pursuing his music career dreams in Europe and going home isn't on the cards.
With season 5 picking up six months after the season 4 finale, viewers are told that Ty returned home for Christmas off screen, but was unable to come to Serenity for spring break, and upsettingly, didn't make an appearance at Annie’s graduation.
Ty's bandmate Olivia, who travelled with him to Europe, revealed they'd met some fellow musicians in Copenhagen.
Olivia wanted to return home, and says Ty "sidelined" her to stay with the other band, eventually choosing to stay abroad. Over the course of season 5, Annie moves on with new love interests, occasionally hearing from Ty along the way through messages.
Is Carson Rowland returning to the show?
At the moment, it remains unclear whether or not Carson Rowland will return to Sweet Magnolias.
His role was already reduced in season 4 due to other work commitments, and being written out altogether for season 5 hints that he'll remain busy with other projects for the foreseeable future.
Since leaving the show, the actor has appeared in three independent films, which are yet to be released. He's also been seen in FX series The Beauty and had a role in the NBC pilot The Rockford Files, which has now been commissioned for a full series.
However, it appeared that season 5 of Sweet Magnolias was written with Carson in mind, taking a "just in case" approach to his return.
Showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson has said "Doors are always open" for his return, telling Deadline, "We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?," when asked about him coming back for season 6 if it's renewed.
His character tries to reconnect with Annie later in season 5, with Sheryl explaining, "We wanted to give that story emotional weight, stakes, consequences, and to just pretend that nobody thinks about him, nobody asks about him, and that he’s not thinking about them would have been insincere."
She concludes, "He’s still out there trying to figure out what happens next, she’s still in Serenity trying to figure out what happens next. And again, open doors we hope will lead to new information, different resolutions."
All season of Sweet Magnolias are currently airing on Netflix.
