Who is peggy on sweet magnolias

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Sweet Magnolias season 2.

Sweet Magnolias season 1 on Netflix left a burning question unanswered until the shocking season 2 reveal: who are Isaac Downey's (Christ Medlin) birth parents? Isaac and many fans of the show thought the obvious answer was Dana Sue (Brook Elliott) since her time outside Serenity was a mystery up until this point. Isaac confronted Dana Sue in Sweet Magnolias season 1, but she was truthful in telling him that she wasn't his mother. 

Sweet Magnolias primarily focuses on several characters living and working in a small town: restaurateur Dana Sue and her two best friends, Maddie Townsend (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), a newly single mother of three, and Helen Decatur (Heather Headley), a powerful attorney who dreams of becoming a mother. They live in the small town of Serenity, South Carolina, where gossip and a lot of drama are always in play. As the season progresses, the worlds of the supporting characters, such as the children in town and the Sweet Magnolias' various past and present love interests, come to the forefront. The audience's attention, in part, is brought to Isaac, a young newcomer to Serenity who works at Dana Sue's restaurant. Isaac's parents remained a mystery, and their discovery was a major plot point for Isaac's character, primarily shaping his motivations and decision-making.

Isaac was quite a mystery in the first several episodes, but in Sweet Magnolias season 1, episode 6, it was revealed that Isaac moved to town in search of his birth parents. Up until the big reveal, there was very little information to go on about the identity of Isaac's parents, and the only thing he knows is that he's of mixed race and that his birth mother is from Serenity. Like many of the young characters in Sweet Magnolias, Isaac is hoping to find love and belonging. In Sweet Magnolias season 2, Isaac's parents were actually revealed to be local reporter Peggy Martin (Brittany L. Smith), and his father is none other than Maddie's husband, Bill Townsend (Chris Klein). While audiences expected reporter Peggy Smith to be his mother, viewers were thrown for a loop when it was revealed that Bill Townsend is Isaac's biological father. 

While Isaac had asked two people if they were his parents, he initially completely missed Peggy, which was understandable. Peggy's Sweet Magnolias season 1 appearance was a brief five episodes, but her short arc remained revealing. Peggy had a rivalry with Helen since high school, and in Sweet Magnolias' season 1 finale, she alluded to a potential familiar heartbreak at the hands of Helen's ex, Ryan Wingate, which was why many believed that Ryan was Isaac's father. She's often portrayed as a villain out to get the Sweet Magnolias, but the show suggests that she's much more than a jealous woman. Peggy mentioned to Helen that she missed their high school prom because her family moved away for senior year. After Sweet Magnolias' season 1 cliffhanger ending, it was revealed in season 2 that Peggy left Serenity to go through her pregnancy and give birth to Isaac. It would make sense that Peggy would want to keep a secret love child to herself, with fear of the consequences, even all these years later.

As well, Bill had moved on and started a life with Maddie, and he didn't even know that he fathered a child with Peggy in the first place. Therefore, Isaac's parents have a lot to lose when it comes to revealing their secret rather than just keeping it. In Sweet Magnolias season 2, audiences find out about Isaac's parents through two separate incidents. The first was a Bible and newspaper records of Isaac's birth that confirmed Peggy as his mother. Peggy admitted she had a one-night stand with Bill during her junior year of high school, resulting in the pregnancy. Out of all the Sweet Magnolia characters, no one expected Bill to be Isaac's dad. This news was a shock to Bill as well, and there's no doubt that the identity of Isaac's parents will cause issues in Maddie and Bill's already crumbling marriage. 

Ryan departed Serenity at the end of the season, but he made a dramatic return just to flip the switch on Helen and propose. Audiences were obviously let down over the realization that Ryan is not one of Isaac's parents. However, the fact that Isaac's father is Bill just adds even more drama to the mix and will definitely have repercussions in the series going forward. Just like Peggy, Isaac has a curious mind with smart instincts, so his investigations may lead him to Peggy and Bill in Sweet Magnolias season 3.   

Next: Sweet Magnolias: How Jamie Lynn Spears' Noreen Can Return In Season 2