Sweet Magnolias season 5 reveals what happened to Ty (and why Carson Rowland left)

Before Sweet Magnolias season 5 made its premiere on Netflix, fans of the long-running romantic drama series received some bad news about the show's cast. An original cast member quietly left the series in between the fourth and fifth seasons without making an announcement about the departure. That left fans wondering how the exit would be addressed in the new episodes.

Carson Rowland departed Sweet Magnolias after playing Maddie Townsend's (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) oldest son Ty for four seasons. Because the fourth season finale didn't particularly set up an exit for Ty or definitively write the character out, Rowland's abrupt exit left fans shocked and also left the show with a major hurtle to overcome for the Townsend family and Annie (Anneliese Judge).

However, following the fifth season's release on Netflix, Sweet Magnolias addressed Ty's absence from Serenity with explanations and updates throughout the season and showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson directly explained why Rowland left the show. She also hinted whether he'd return for a possible season 6. We're sharing the answers below, but beware of spoilers!

Why Carson Rowland isn't in Sweet Magnolias season 5 as Ty

As Sheryl J. Anderson explained in an interview with Deadline, the decision to leave the show was Rowland's. "It was his choice," was all Anderson divulged about the actor's exit. The showrunner couldn't recall the timing of Rowland informing the Sweet Magnolias producers of his decision, whether it was before or after the season 4 finale had been written.

Even though Rowland opted not to reprise his role in season 5, his character remained a big part of the series and the lives of the characters he left behind. Anderson gave insight into the creative decision to keep Ty part of the story: "His presence was important, and his absence was important for us to deal with. I wanted to honor the journey that Annie has been on, even though it took this unexpected turn because of someone else’s decision."

Ty ended up embarking on music tour in Europe, but he continues extending his trip and doesn't return home to Serenity. This choice leaves Annie back home waiting on him. In Sweet Magnolias season 5 episode 7, Annie catches up with Olivia (Tommi Rose), who explains that Ty kept finding a reason to stay in Europe and extend his trip, ultimately leaving him behind to return home.

Earlier in the season, Ty sent flowers to both his mother and girlfriend to break the news that he wasn't coming back home for Annie's graduation. They were both shocked that he wouldn't make the trip back for such a big occasion, prompting Annie to text him that she's done. Annie begins to move on, and Ty later sends her a text message saying "Miss you" and also tries to FaceTime her during Helen's (Heather Headley) wedding, but she misses the call and moves on with her life.

While some viewers might not agree with Ty continually reaching out to Annie throughout the season, Anderson stated that she wanted to give their story "emotional weight, stakes, [and] consequences." She also wanted to avoid being "insincere" by pretending that neither he nor his loved ones are thinking about each other or communicating in some form. Moving forward, should there be a season 6, we can likely expect fewer off-screen communication with Ty and updates about him.

As for whether Rowland will be popping back up if Netflix renews Sweet Magnolias for a sixth season, Anderson didn't definitely give anything away, but she's certainly keeping the door open just in case. She told Deadline, "We’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?" Just as leaving the show was Rowland's choice, coming back to reprise his role seems to also be a ball left in his court.

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