Comedy
Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
In the small town of Serenity, South Carolina, nothing much happens. Kids go to school and adults go to work. The occasional possum gets into the trash. Oh, and the town’s married doctor has an affair with his nurse, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy.
Did I say nothing happens?
After learning of her husband’s betrayal, Maddie Townsend is holding it together by “duct tape and happy thoughts,” and she’s near out of both. Luckily, she has her two best friends from high school, Helen and Dana Sue, to support her with good talks and lots of margaritas.
The three open a luxurious spa together—a place where women can unwind, relax and escape the drama of their lives. And yes, they partially do this to escape the drama of their own lives.
Helen is a tough-as-nails lawyer who wants to have a child and start a family of her own—with or without the help of any husband. Dana Sue is a successful chef and single mom struggling to convince her teen daughter that Serenity isn’t half as bad as she seems to think. And Maddie’s just trying to shepherd her kids through the divorce—one that continues to expose deeper secrets than she cares to burden.
But no matter how many times someone derisively says, “Bless your heart” to each of them, the “Sweet Magnolias” have each other to lean on and help get through it.
Sweet Magnolias is based on a book series by the same name. And for the most part, it’s deserving of its title. This is a Hallmark-like, feel-good drama about women supporting women through all the trials and tribulations of life. They serve as good role models. They correct and discipline their children when necessary. And they even go to church on Sundays and grapple with real faith-based issues.
However, it’s not perfect. All three women want to fall in love (which results in the occasional on-screen smooch), and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, the circumstances behind each warrant just a little attention. Dana Sue is divorced, though she’s now trying to heal her broken marriage. Helen is breaking all traditions of their Southern town by trying to have a baby on her own while simultaneously exploring new romance. And Maddie’s ex-husband created a town scandal by leaving her for a woman barely older than his own kids.
And to make matters even more awkward, Maddie’s been dating her son’s baseball coach, a former professional ballplayer with some anger issues named Cal. Other, more minor characters have their own romantic inclinations, too, sometimes of the same-sex variety—and a same-sex couple looks to adopt a child.
Our three central friends get through their troubles by sticking together, but they also love their margaritas. It’s kind of their thing. As Helen says, “there isn’t a problem they can’t solve with a drink and a talk.” And like most Southern belles, the Magnolias are just as capable of handing out verbal lashings (with the occasional use of foul language) as they are compliments.
So while Sweet Magnolias is mostly sweet, there are certainly a few elements which make it more tart than some folks would prefer.
The Magnolias rally behind Cal after he punches an aggressive fan who’s coming after Maddie. Helen tries to choose between two love interests. And Dana Sue goes through a roller coaster of emotions after she’s left a large sum of money by the town’s beloved matriarch the same week her chaos-loving sister-in-law shows up unannounced.
Cal regrets losing his temper and hitting a guy. And we learn that Helen helped bail him out of jail after the incident. He comes clean to Maddie about his anger issues and his desire to seek professional help. A video shows a woman vandalizing a car.
Several couples kiss, including teenage couples. We hear that Maddie vouched for Trotter and his husband, Ashley, so they can adopt a child. We learn that Maddie’s ex-husband, Bill, fathered another child before he married Maddie. Helen strings two men along as she debates whether she should accept a marriage proposal from one.
Folks get into heated discussions about lying and trust. A teen boy disobeys his mother’s order to stay away from Dana Sue’s daughter. People gossip about how Cal was fired from the high school. A woman jokingly says she’ll pray for a tornado to sweep another woman out of town. (And there’s a Wizard of Oz reference about houses dropping on wicked witches.)
Adults have drinks in a bar. The Magnolias have drinks at home. We hear about a woman’s miscarriage and infertility. A man tells his sister to stay away from his daughter. Someone is accused of stealing.
June, who is Serenity’s female pastor, advises Maddie to take some quiet time, referencing the times that Jesus went off to be alone in the Bible. We hear that people pray for each other. There’s a cross on a headstone.
People forgive each other. A mother encourages her sons not to be pulled into gossip. Several people help a sleep-deprived single mother. Friends care for each other’s emotional needs.
We hear two uses of “h—” and one misuse of the Lord’s name. Someone exclaims, “How in heaven’s name?”
After Kyle and a passenger are taken to the hospital after a car crash, resulting tensions rise and families bicker and fight. While Dana Sue and her estranged husband Ronnie help their daughter, Annie, deal with guilt related to the crash, Helen bonds with sous chef Erik.
In a recap of the previous season, Helen says that she believes there isn’t a problem they can’t solve with a drink and a talk with Maddie and Dana Sue. Also in the recap, we see lots of kisses, a misuse of Jesus’ name and Dana Sue asks Ronnie for a divorce.
While at the hospital, Helen prays a portion of Romans 8:38-39 over Maddie. Erik tells Helen that though he has to leave the hospital, his prayers will stay with them. Helen stops to see Kyle in the hospital before going to church, and she tells Maddie that she will “pray up a storm.” Maddie is concerned about church gossip concerning her, Kyle and Tyler. Helen sings the Philip Bliss hymn “It Is Well” as she leaves.
Dana Sue thanks God for His mercy on Kyle, Tyler and Nellie, the last of whom was with Kyle in the accident. Pastor June visits Kyle in the hospital. Maddie apologizes to her for not being at church, to which June responds that “when people can’t come to worship,” she is “more than happy to bring worship to them.” Kyle remarks that he figured Pastor June was there to say God forgives him, and June responds that she’d hoped he’d already known that.
Maddie tells her ex-husband Bill that God may be able to forgive him, but she can’t. However, she recognizes that, biblically, she’s supposed to forgive him eventually. Trotter, a yoga instructor, mentions that he wants to put up a sign that says, “Maddie needs your prayers, not your gossip,” and Helen comments that “the devil may mark work with idle hands, but he accomplishes even more with empty minds.” Cal, Maddie’s love interest, jokes that the road to Heaven is likely paved in pepperoni.
There is a reference to underage drinking, and one teen is directly accused. Tyler and Jackson fight, resulting in Jackson accidentally fracturing Tyler’s arm. Dana Sue shares a kiss with a suitor named Jeremy. Cal and Maddie kiss for a long time and are caught by Helen. Nellie kisses Kyle on his forehead. The Magnolia trio drinks margaritas together. A couple women wear dresses that reveal cleavage.
“A–” is used once. “H—” is used twice. God’s name is misused four times, and Jesus’ name is misused once. Someone says, “why in the devil.” Someone is called a “dweeb,” and someone calls another a “worthless piece of—” before being cut off.
[Spoiler] Helen reveals to Maddie that she cannot drink because she’s pregnant.
Maddie tries to work through divorce proceedings with her husband, Bill, while Dana Sue is forced to fire her sous chef.
A pastor gives a sermon about coming together as a community to build a better future. A children’s choir sings a hymn about walking with Jesus. Someone sympathizes with Bill’s fiancé and tells her that she is praying for her. A woman tells her ex-husband that he isn’t worth the skin God spent to wrap his bones in. There are several colloquial phrases referring to God, Jesus and the devil.
We learn that Bill cheated on Maddie and got a nurse from his office pregnant. We learn that Dana Sue threw her husband out after he lied to her. Some women wear dresses showing a bit of cleavage. A teenage girl wears a shirt that shows her bellybutton. Maddie’s mom says that not becoming a grandma before 40 in their town is an accomplishment.
Dana Sue gets scared when her sous chef tries to grab her after she fires him. (He also throws his keys at her.) Maddie throws things around her bedroom in anger, breaking a few items. We hear that someone bit a lizard when she was a child. Helen jokes about getting Bill’s head on a platter. Someone finds their car keyed.
Maddie and her friends drink margaritas a few times. Dana Sue finds her sous chef drunk in the restaurant and fires him after realizing that he lied about stealing liquor from the restaurant. Someone says she needs a bath and a glass of wine.
Dana Sue gets upset when she learns her daughter took her keys without permission and lied about it. Maddie’s kids get angry when their dad’s new fiancé picks them up instead of him. Maddie’s son yells at his dad and, when Bill demands respect from him, Maddie intervenes, telling Bill that respect has to be earned. We learn that Helen left Serenity when she was young for a boy but came back to care for her sick mom. We hear some uses of “b–ch,” “d–n,” “h—” and “a–.” There are also a few misuses of God’s name.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
