Lay It All Down

**Lay It All Down** is the fourth episode of the first season of *Sweet Magnolias*.

## Plot

*The town's tongues start wagging over Maddie's new friend, Dana Sue suffers a health scare, and Helen takes a legal threat personally.*

## Synopsis

Things aren't going well for Maddie, as everyone is gossiping about Cal taking off his shirt on her driveway. She doesn't think there's anything wrong with being friends with him, even though Cal is clearly feeling uneasy about all the gossiping going around town. He flirts with Maddie and hints he would like to be more than friends. However, even though everyone including her mother thinks she should jump in, Maddie feels guilty as she doesn't think Ty's reaction will be a good one. Bill doesn't react too well to the gossip either, as he rants about Maddie and Cal in the car while Noreen feels ignored by him and feels increasingly lonely.

Meanwhile, Dana Sue has hired Helen as her lawyer for Brad's lawsuit. They have met with Brad and his lawyer, Tom Patterson (who is also Bill's divorce lawyer), and it seems that Tom is trying to get Brad to agree to certain conditions: he has told his client that they will probably lose if they go on with the lawsuit. Furiously, Brad screams "Screw you!" and storms out of the room.

Dana Sue is so stressed that she collapses at the beginning of the episode. It turns out that she is at the verge of contracting diabetes, which is apparently the illness that caused her mother's death. Annie is taking Dana Sue's health and blood sugar more seriously than the own Dana Sue does, which leads to another argument between the two of them. Thanks to Erik, Dana Sue finally turns to Pastor June for help, and ends up helping a group of Serenity veterans (such as Collins Littlefield and Vernon Hall) with their cooking. Dana Sue finally goes back to Annie, who finally receives the apology, care and attention from her mother that she initially longed for.

Lastly, Helen is having more trouble with the renovation of the spa, as Mary Vaughn Lewis has cruelly called Ryan, Miss Frances's nephew, and has convinced him that the Sweet Magnolias are being disloyal to his aunt's house's memories by renovating it. Ryan has arrived having petitioned to get the place declared a historic site. Helen is feeling nervous about the situation, as Ryan is revealed to have been her first love. Even Miss Frances is convinced that Ryan has only come to town to win back Helen. After Ryan visits the old house and chats with Helen about how many memories of their the house holds, they end up kissing passionately.

## Cast & Characters

### Main

* JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend
* Heather Headley as Helen Decatur
* Brooke Elliott as Dana Sue Sullivan
* Logan Allen as Kyle Townsend
* Anneliese Judge as Annie Sullivan
* Carson Rowland as Tyler "Ty" Townsend
* Jamie Lynn Spears as Noreen Fitzgibbons
* Justin Bruening as Cal Maddox
* Chris Klein as Bill Townsend

### Recurring

* Adam Fristoe as Brad Wellington
* Charles Lawlor as Collins Littlefield
* Dion Johnstone as Erik Whitley
* Cindy Karr as Frances Wingate
* Al-Jaleel Knox as Gabe Weatherspoon
* Vickie Eng as Grace Wharton
* Frank Oakley III as Harlan Bixby
* Shawn Passwatersas Dr. Howie Young
* Chris Medlin as Isaac Downey
* Sam Ashby as Jackson Lewis
* Bianca Berry Tarantino as Katie Townsend
* Bentley Green as Luke Groff
* Allison Gabriel as Mary Vaughn Lewis
* Tracey Bonner as Pastor June Wilkes
* Caroline Lagerfelt as Paula Vreeland
* Michael Shenefelt as Ryan Wingate
* Luray Cooper as Skeeter Ramsey
* Jason MacDonald as Tom Patterson
* Hunter Burke as Trotter Vidhyarkorn
* Leon Lamar as Van Crockett
* Jay Jones as Vernon Hall

## Co-Starring

* Sean Benum as Bailey
* Brooke Jaye Taylor as Mrs. Alcott
* Amber Viera as Tracy

## Gallery

**Lay It All Down** has a **photo gallery**.