What’s Next for Ty and Annie on ‘Sweet Magnolias’ After That Season 4 Finale

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 toward a spin-off one day?

Oh, wouldn’t that be fun? That would be really fun.