Sweet Magnolias, a breezy Netflix series about three best friends, is a show that knows the potential and limits of its ingredients. Created by Sheryl J Anderson and based on the series of novels by Sherryl Woods, it stars three steadily working but not well-known actors, whose episodic orbit is not the local coffee shop but the couch. There, they extoll the messes of their lives (balance, jobs, motherhood) which, in real life, can be overwhelming; here, it’s mixed with light tea-spilling, perfectly coiffed hair and expertly mixed drinks. It is, in other words, incredibly low-stakes television, a streamlined version of Lifetime content, the enjoyment of which depends, on one’s personal pressure release valve and tolerance. Kicking back with it feels indulgent and mindless, an easy slide into a binge, syrupy with enough tart to keep it moving. Sweet Magnolias takes place in a self-contained town where everyone knows each other, all hardships are personal, and all flaws are ultimately redeemed. Naturally, it’s called Serenity, and its focal point is a charming but taste-signifying restaurant owned and operated by chef Dana Sue (Brooke Elliott), who grew up in the town with best friends Helen (Heather Headley) and Maddie (Joanna Garcia Swisher). In keeping with the town name, it eschews melodrama for more down-to-earth, mundane struggles. The project allows each woman to demonstrate satisfying competency – Helen as a no-holds-barred lawyer, Dana Sue as a perfectionist chef, Maddie as an event planner balancing caring for her of two teenage sons and a young daughter. Their kids, meanwhile, also wade through what feel surprisingly like a grounded high school drama.