A familiar face will be missing from Serenity when Sweet Magnolias returns for Season 5 on June 11. Carson Rowland, who plays Ty Townsend, the eldest son of JoAnna Garcia Swisher‘s Maddie, will not be part of the cast.
Rowland had a reduced role in Season 4 and is now exiting the series entirely, showrunner Sheryl J. Anderson confirmed to Us Weekly. Scroll down for everything we know about his exit, Ty’s storyline, and those Off Campus rumors.
Why did Carson Rowland leave Sweet Magnolias?
While Rowland has not spoken out about his exit, Anneliese Judge, who plays his love interest, Annie, on the show, said that “some other opportunities” came up for the actor. “I’m really excited for him about [that],” she added. “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.”
Meanwhile, Anderson hinted that Ty could still return to the show if Sweet Magnolias is picked up for a sixth season on Netflix. “I’m a big believer in open doors,” she admitted. “And I hope we’ll have the opportunity to see who walks through that open door.”
During Season 4 in 2025, Anderson told Deadline that Rowland’s reduced screen time was due to “both” scheduling conflicts and creative decisions. “What we wanted to demonstrate is that he’s caught up in the dream of going on tour as a musician and hasn’t fully thought out what the effect of being away from everybody he loves will be,” Anderson explained. “So we let him go off and have a great time with Olivia (Tommi Rose) while everybody in Serenity is dealing with his absence.”
In real life, Rowland and his wife, Maris, welcomed their first child together in November 2023, followed baby No. 2 in October 2025.
Is Carson Rowland joining the Off Campus cast?
Amid Rowland’s exit from Sweet Magnolias, there’s been suspicion about what his next project will be, and some fans think he’s going to be headed to Off Campus for Season 2.
Fans recently noticed that Rowland follows Jalen Thomas Brooks and Antonio Cipriano, the actors who play Tucker and Logan on Off Campus, on Instagram, and that they follow him back. Rowland also follows Stephen Kalyn (Dean) on the social media site.
This sparked theories that Rowland could be joining Off Campus, with many speculating that he’ll play the character Jake Connelly, a Harvard hockey player, from Elle Kennedy’s book series.
However, Rowland has not commented on the casting news and Prime has not revealed new Season 2 cast members yet. Production recently began on the next installment of the beloved show.
Do Annie and Ty end up together in Sweet Magnolias?
In the Sweet Magnolias book series, Ty and Annie (Anneliese Judge), the daughter of Maddie’s best friend Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott) do end up together. However, their future on the show is now uncertain.
Although Annie and Ty’s romance began in Season 4, it wasn’t long before their love was threatened by his music career. The season ended with a fight between the teenagers after Ty asked Annie to put her college dreams on hold to join him on tour in Europe amid his newfound success.
While it remains to be seen how Ty’s absence will be addressed in Season 5, Anderson previously teased that Ty and Annie “have work ahead of them” as a couple. “There is inherent tragedy in young love because when we fall in love fully for the first time, we truly believe that love conquers all, but it is part of growing as individuals and growing as a couple to understand that a real relationship takes real work,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Judge teased a new arc for Annie in the upcoming season, noting that she’s ready for Annie to “redefine herself outside” of the relationship with Ty. “I know Ty and Annie’s relationship has been such an important piece of Annie’s journey,” she told Us Weekly. “That’s something that’s really meaningful and something that was really special to bring to life together. And 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.”